Walking in from the past

by Zoshe

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Violence, Dark, Princess Luna, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Adventure
Length: 98056

It's only been a week since Twilight became an alicorn. However, the strange stallion returning to Equestria isn't about to let any princess rest easy. Who is he and will anypony be able to trace their latest threat back to him?

Twilight still hasn't adjusted to either her new position or her wings yet. But when the former owner of the treehouse library returns to town, she soon finds that there's some bigger problems in Equestria than just her change of social status. And what of this figure that Luna finds haunting the world of dreams?

Join me in this story I conjured up back in 2013 but never got around to writing.

Edit: 12/28/20 Special thanks to Mysticbynd for providing the cover.
Edit: 1/2/21 And the violence tag gets added for the 15th chapter cause better safe than sorry.

Published 2020-09-29 21:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-02-07 00:13:06 UTC

Chapter 1: Homecoming

"NEXT STOP, PONYVILLE!!!"

Random Fact was sleeping on the early train into Ponyville, the call for his stop not quite registering with his brain, "five more minutes.." he grumbled, as he rolled over and started to doze back off.

"Sir, Sir, this is your stop, you asked us to wake you when made it to Ponyville." the earth pony attendant shook the sleepy stallion gently, hoping to wake him up.

"mmmfffff" the gray unicorn rolled out of his seat, eyes still closed, he thunked onto the ground. Slowly pulling himself up from the seat and brushing his hoof through his green mane, he haphazardly retrieved his bag and almost made it out the door, resting against the door frame, only halfway out of it.

The same attendant looked at him worriedly, "are you gonna be OK" she poked him gently on the flank, only to watch him tip out of the train and face down onto the platform with his scroll marked flank up in the air. Looking around to see if anyone noticed, she quickly closes the door. "All aboard" she shouted up to the conductor. The train whistled and pulled out of the station.

Silence reined on the platform for a few more minutes as the unicorn staggered upright, still a bit wobbly. Yawning widely, he took a few steps forward and proceeded to fall face first off the platform. "Ow" he informed the ground he's currently getting to know, "that hurt." He pulled himself back up yet again, and gathering his bearings, he slowly wandered into the town. "I wonder if I can find a good cup of coffee" once again talking to himself, it was early in the morning and not many ponies were wandering around just yet.

He made his way down the road, the smell of baked good filling his nostrils, "something smells good" he commented to himself as he followed his nose to a lovely...gingerbread house? Was someone pranking him, was he about to find some old crone inside that bakes fillies into pies. He suspiciously inspected the front of the building until his eyes landed on the sign by the front door, a sign that read Sugarcube Corner. "OK I guess someone actually built a house that looks like desert, either that or I need a lot more sleep."

The door struck a small bell as he swung it open and he made his way inside to find a cute little bakery. There were glass cases of all sorts of cakes, doughnuts, cupcakes, and his personal favorite, muffins. His mouth watered at the sight of the delectable goodies, when his attention was pulled away by a blue pony with a pink mane called out to him from behind the counter.

"Well hello there dearie, just get in on the morning train did'jya?" The sweet mare, whose nametag he just caught, gave off a very motherly vibe.

"I just pulled in, Ms. Cake...yawn...I could sure use some coffee and a muffin."

"Sure thing dearie, we'll get you all fixed up as soon as Pinkie brings out the coffee."

At that moment a bubblegum mare with bags under her eyes stepped out from the kitchen while balancing a large coffee pot on her head.

"Were you out late again, Pinkie Pie?" Ms. Cake worriedly looked her over.

"Uh-huh," she slowly nodded her head as she poured a cup of coffee, set it on the counter, and then proceeded to drink the rest of the pot herself. Random winced at the sight of that, that cant be healthy. Pinkie lowered the source of caffeine overdose from her lips and then just stared at Random, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"I take it you're not a morning pony either, Pinkie?" He causally asked her.

Pinkie instantly leapt into the air, let out a big "GASP" and bolted out the door, leaving a very stunned stallion just standing there.

"Was it something I said?" He asked as he wrapped his green magic around the breakfast that Ms. Cake offered, taking a long draw of the coffee, although not near as long a draw as he just saw Pinkie take.

"Don't worry bout her dearie, she gets like that. But what kind of cake do you like?"

"Strawberry, why?" He said while taking a bite of his muffin.

"Oh, I just like to get a head start on things. Now you have a good day, I've lots to do before tonight." She ran back into the kitchen shouting "THE PINK IS ON THE PROWL!" A male voice could be heard responding, "WHAT?! AGAIN?!"

"OK that was...strange" the now very alone stallion pondered to himself as he made his way back outside. He couldn't see hide nor hair of the pink missile that launched out of the building, however he did see a blonde earth pony chuckling at something as she waved him over with her Stetson.

"Ah see you met our local disaster, she'll turn up again before too much longer. Ya wanna buy some apples," she said while gesturing to her apple cart next to her. "Best gosh darn apples you'll find anywhere in Equestria."

"Perhaps some other time," he said while finishing off his muffin. "I've only just had breakfast." He couldn't help but feel there was some joke he wasn't getting as she seemed to find something funny. "However I would be grateful if you could give me directions to the local library, the roads seem to be a bit different than the last time I was here." He had forgotten to pick up a town map when he got off the train and the town looked a lot different than he remembered.

But no sooner had the word 'library' come out of his mouth that she narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze silently judging him. "And what...do ya want at the library. Y'all better not be going there to bother poor Twilight." She poked her hoof at him at his chest to make her point. "Girl's had enough problems with stallions lately."

Random was taken aback at this accusation, where is this coming from. Who was this Twilight she was talking about? Had she moved in while he was gone? How long was he gone again? "I used to live there and I was wondering if anything of mine was still there. Besides, I don't know who this 'Twilight' is."

She stepped back at that last statement, clearly shocked by something he said. "You hit yer head on the same rock you been hidin under?! Dun't know who Twilight is? Well, if you ain't gonna bother her I dun't see no harm." She gestured down one of the roads. "Well all right then, head down this road and its a left at 'Sofas and Quills'. Library will be right there. Now no funny business, Ah'm a watchin you." She continued to glare at him as he beat a hasty retreat.

What was that all about? Her personality had pulled a one eighty the moment this 'Twilight' came up. Well, based on the context, she's probably been having some boy trouble. Maybe he'll find out once he gets to the library. Random continued his hurried pace, making a left at the furniture and stationary store. Why those things specifically? He finally found his way to his destination, 'The Golden Oaks.' Ah, home at last, he thought as he made his way up to the front door. However he failed to notice the green glow that was pouring out from the windows.

Twilight Sparkle was in her study enjoying a nice, quiet day of pouring over a new book of advanced theories that had appeared in the library last night. She still hadn't found out how new books kept showing up. I mean, it was usually a just a few novels that showed up from time to time. But this time it was a full compendium on advanced leyline placement and how it affects the environment.

"Twilight!!!" her favorite assistant Spike yelled from downstairs in a bit of a panic, "I think you should see this."

Twilight begrudgingly got up from her seat after several more shouts from Spike, the shouts getting louder and more panicked as banging noises could be heard coming from the lobby. Exiting her study in a hurry, she bumped her wings on the doorway, she had only had her wings for a about a week and still hadn't gotten used to them yet. She made her way downstairs and found a strange sight. A green glow permeated the room as books flew into the air along with the shelfs they rested on, furniture slowly lifted into the air and stacked on the ceiling, and the sound of splitting wood could be heard coming from the walls. Large cracks started to form at the base of the walls and started to crawl upward. A bright light poured out from the space that opened up. A light that grew brighter and brighter like something was about to...

Her eyes grew wide in panic, she leapt down the remaining stairs and bolted across the room. She scooped up Spike as she ran and barreled her way out the front door...right into a head on collision with the unfortunate stallion standing there. Their momentum carried them a good dozen feet until they collided with a fencepost. Without getting to her hooves, her horn glowed, casting a bubble over all of them as she turned her head to watch the light from the windows get brighter and brighter until...nothing. Nothing happened. The light died down and the windows just looked like normal windows now.

"What was that, Twilight?" Said Spike looking none the worse for wear for their little tumble through the front door.

Forgetting the extra pony she crashed into, she stood up and rubbed her head as she made her way back to the door. "I have no idea, Spike. But you better believe I'm going to find out." She jumped to her hooves and rushed back up to the door. It wouldn't open. She pushed and kicked at the door, tried to open it with her magic, and finally she tried to teleport inside. The last attempt just resulted in her reappearing mid-warp and slamming into the door. "It's no good, Spike," she cried. "I don't know how but we're locked out. What are we going to do?" She crouched on the ground, hiding her face in her forelegs.

"Ow, what's with all the crazy ponies I keep running into today?"

Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, Twilight spun around and took up a defensive stance. Her eyes locked on the well built unicorn stallion. Was this another suitor from Canterlot looking to better his lot in life by courting her? She had sought assylum from the stallions of the big city after only a week of being crowned. Had they chased her back to ponyville? "Who are you and what do you want?" She demanded.

"Dear sweet Celestia you have a hard head," said the intruder as he pulled himself from the ground and dusted himself off. "I'm Random Fact, Librarian of the Golden Oaks." He Made a light bow and winced as he did so. "And I could use some ice," he said while holding a bump on his head.

"Librarian of the Golden Oaks?" Twilight asked while she glared at her intruder, "but I've never seen you before."

"I've been out of town for...a while." His horn glowed for a moment and a little green bubble popped as he caught the icepack in his hoof and held it to the side of his head. "Oh that's much better." His pained expression calming as the ice worked its magic. He focused his eyes back on Twilight and asked, "so are you this Twilight I've heard about in town? The apple farmer seemed very protective of you." He continued look over the young mare in front of him as he tried to figure out the source of this aggression when his eyes caught on the feathers shifting at her sides. "Wait..." He said aloud, as the pieces came together. "Are you an alicorn? Well a few things make a bit more sense now. Now if you don't mind," he said while trying to get around her. "Do you mind if I go inside? I have a few things I'd like to check on."

The lavender mare reluctantly relaxed a bit. The logical part of her brain taking notice of how he genuinely seemed to have no idea who she was. Looking back at the door she said, "I don't know how to get back in. It seems to be magically locked."

"Try asking the door to open nicely, that usually works for me." He stated while grinning. Saying it like it was the obvious answer.

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, thinking he must have hit his head harder than she thought. "I don't see how walking up to the door," she walked up to the door, "and asking it 'door will you please open for me' is going to..."

The door gave a small click and swung open on it's own accord.

Twilight just stood there with her mouth agape as Random was trying to hold back a laugh and failing.

"You should see the look on your face," Random barely got out while holding his gut from laughter.

Twilight glared at him with a deep crimson blush on her face as she made her way back inside to see what the damage was. However, when she saw what had happened to the inside of the library. There was more shelves, more books...a lot more books. A soft glow permeated the floor that was easy to read by but soft enough not to strain the eyes. Calming energy also seemed to fill the room in a way that couldn't be conveyed with simple words. She could just look at the room and know it would be the perfect place to study. At the end of the room was a door that wasn't there before. The door was covered in carvings and glyphs she didn't recognize. The frame had a green and silver pattern running down the whole length of it. She could spend hours just studying the intricate details that made it up.

"It looks just like I remembered it," Random made his way inside, taking in all the details with a soft glow on his face. "Sorry if it gave you a bit of a scare this morning."

"Don't worry about it," said Twilight, forgetting her earlier troubles for the moment. Stars filled her eyes as she looked over all the new literature that filled the walls. "So what exactly happened this morning?"

Random leisurely gestured to the walls as he walked over to the new door. "This old girl probably noticed me outside and panicked to clean up in a hurry. Now if you don't mind, I'm looking to unpack" He placed one hoof on the ornamental door and you could hear him barely whisper beneath his breath, "sorry to be gone so long, be a dear and open please."

The Door swung open gently, only giving the smallest of creaks that sounded more like someone was crying after being reunited with a long lost friend. As the door cleared the way, a spiral staircase ran along the wall on the other side, leaving a dark hole down through the middle of it. Random put a few hoofs on the stairs before turning around and looking to Twilight. "Well if you need anything, I'll be downstairs. Feel free to drop by," he said while giving a small bow and falling backwards down into the darkness.

Twilight rushed over to the door in a hurry, looking down the shaft he just fell down, "Are you ok?!" She shouted down the stairs with no answer. She beckoned Spike over and as soon as he had situated himself on her back, she raced down the stairs. The circular walls were a fine marble, with a fine candelabra set into the wall to provide light every dozen steps. After the first couple dozen steps she started to get worried they hadn't reached the bottom yet. She leaned over the edge, trying to see the bottom when part of the step broke off under her hoof and fell down the middle of the stairwell. She continued to lean over the edge, listening for the rock to hit the bottom when the piece of step that broke off fell from the wrong direction and hit her from above, causing them to stumble down into the darkness.

They didn't fall very long before landing on something soft and plushy. Once certain she was still alive, she rolled over to see how far they had fallen. "What the..?" She said aloud, looking at the light from the open door only about a single story above them. "Are you seeing this Spike?"

"I think so Twilight," said Spike. "How is that possible?"

"I think the space is enchanted," mused Twilight. "I've no idea why though." She rolled over on the big pillow they landed on until she found solid ground again. She took in her surroundings and saw an open archway with a soft light bleeding through it. Carefully making her way towards the arch, she approached and seeing nothing out of the ordinary she stepped through it. Something was there, something she couldn't believe, this something had been under her hooves all this time and she had never known it. This something made her breath catch in her throat.

Twilight stood on a ledge overlooking a large open cave that stretched out as far as the eye could see but the space was not empty. Hundreds upon hundreds of shelves stretched through the space and across the walls filled with thousands upon thousands of books. Every so often the shelves made way for some tables and plush looking chairs that a pony could sit and read for hours without getting sore. Her eyes looked up the walls and she spotted some high walkways going past even more shelves with reading alcoves in the high walls. Reading area's for pegasi, maybe? She even spotted a small fountain and garden off in a far corner. This place was any avid bookworm's dream.

How does she get down there? She searched the edge of the ledge she was on and found a staircase that lead down into the cave. Keeping her eyes on the steps she Carefully made her way down the stairs until they evened on on the ground below. She looked back up and in front of all the shelves, that seemed even bigger from down here, was a solitary stone pedestal adorned with emerald gemstones. On top was the single largest book she had ever seen. It was about three feet wide, a foot thick, and words of some kind seemed to be circling the air above it with the occasional line of text slipping down the slide between the pages. As she approached the magical tome she could make out the title inscribed on the cover in bright golden letters. "Index of the Archive," she read aloud.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the book started to rise up off the platform, opened slowly as light poured out from the pages. Suddenly it snapped open to the middle of the book and the words started to twist and morph before she had a chance to read the contents. The words slowly twisted into lines, then shapes, and slowly, ever so slowly a face could be seen taking shape within the pages.

"WHO GOES THERE?!" A voice reverberated in front of her, blowing her mane back. Eyes could be seen looking down at her from within the pages, eyes that felt like they stared right into her soul. "HMM?!" The voice pondered, "TWILIGHT SPARKLE. I SEE YOU HAVE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE CENTER OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE KNOWN WORLD. IT IS ABOUT TIME YOU OPENED YOUR EYES TO THE HIDDEN TRUTHS OF THIS WORLD!"

"What is that awful racket!" Shouted Random from an open doorway set into the side of the stairs she came down. He made his way up to where Twilight was looking at the book and just glared at the floating tome.

"FOOLISH MORTAL!" The book continued its tirade. "WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO STAND IN THESE HALLOWED HALLS OF KNOWLEDGE?!"

"Quit fooling around you little firefly," Random quipped at the book. "Now get down from there and stop playing games before I lock you in a metal box." He grinned at the book, "Whisper."

Energy crackled around the book and a sudden puff of pink smoke leapt from the book leaving it to fall back to its stand. A small form darted away from the smoke, landing on Random's face. "Master, is that you?" A small squeaky voice could be heard from coming from the small form. "It's been so long, I didn't know if you were ever coming back. Don't leave me again." Sobs could be heard coming from the small form.

"There there," Random consoled the small figure, "you know my work requires I travel from time to time. Now introduce yourself properly."

The small form zipped off his face and hovered in front of Twilight, she looked like a small glasses wearing mare about the size of a teacup, yellow in color and with a long pink mane running down the side of her head. Actually, she kinda looked like a little mini Fluttershy. What really stood out was the long slender wings protruding from her back, looking like that of a small dragonfly. She bowed into a small curtsy in front her, "pleased to finally meet you miss Sparkle, my name is Whisper, caretaker of the Archive."

"Nice to meet you Whisper" Twilight responded with an excited edge to her voice. "Are you actually a fairy? I've only ever heard about your kind in stories."

Whisper jumped back through the air a bit blushing a bit, "yes, I'm a fairy. We don't talk to ponies that often and I'm usually so busy keeping the books down here in order." She gestured to the literal ocean of books behind her.

Twilight looked once again at the sea of books that lay before her with hunger in her eyes. She forgot about them for moment when a large book had started shouting. She was just itching to dive into the repertoire of knowledge. "Can I look at the books?" she looked at Random and Whisper with stars in her eyes.

Whisper looked over to Random who gave her a small nod, "Go right ahead Twilight, I wanna catch up with master before he has a chance to run off again." She flew over, landing on top of Random's head nesting herself into his long green locks.

"Thank you thank you thank you." She galloped down the aisles of shelves, turning down one row she seems to find particularly interesting and was quickly out of sight.

Random let out a long sigh he'd been holding, he'd been in the middle of unpacking his room when the commotion started up. "Well Whisper," he said looking up at her. "I think its time I finished unpacking and you don't look like you're going to leave me alone anytime soon."

Whisper looked at him, crossing her forelegs with a huff. "Got that right mister, do you have any idea how long you've been gone?"

"Long enough that I had trouble finding my way through town?" He offered unhelpfully, plastering a cheesy grin on his face.

"One hundred years mister." She barked at him, poking him in the nose with her hoof. "Long enough that I wasn't sure you were ever coming back. And I was getting so lonely. Also, before she," she gestured over in the direction Twilight ran off to, "gets a chance to run back and overhear, I can't keep calling you 'master.' What are you calling yourself these days? Last time you were here you went by Word Smith."

"Wow, has it really been a solid century? Oh and I'm going by Random Fact now. I was so busy chasing after the legend of the Hippogriffs that I lost track of time." He padded his way back over to the room he walked out of.

Whisper chased after him, her eye twitching a bit. "Lost track of time? Lost...track...of time?! Losing track of time usually means, 'hey I was so busy shopping that I didn't see the sun go down' or 'I got so caught up reading that I missed that meeting.' Losing track of time doesn't usually cover more than a few hours at most. But you, you, grrrr. You go and disappear for years on end, you don't call, you don't write, and then you just stroll in here like nothing's wrong." Tears were in her eyes as she was hugging the top of his nose.

Random reached up and ever so gently patted her on the head while looking at her softly. "I'm sorry I worried you. But I need to go out and learn things, I've lived a lot longer than my kind normally would and I need to fill the time finding out all I can about this world."

Whisper still sniffled a bit, "I know," she said hugging him tightly. "But I'm still mad at you."

"Well I can't help that now can I?" He said as a green glow wrapped around the fairy, scooping her up and placing her between his ears. "Now, lets see if I can't get my room back in order." He looked over the still messy room, he'd been in the middle of unpacking his magic bag when the commotion started. His horn started to fizzle a verdant green, the same green that was now glowing from his irises, as magic flooded the room, picking up everything and leaving it airborne as a black velvet bag was stretched out over the floor. More and more items flew out of the bag wrapped in his magical grasp. There were piles of books all in different colors, a collection of precious gemstones both uncut and polished; and various chests, desks, sofas, pictures, and shelves that just kept flying out of the magic bag. They assembled themselves across the previously empty space. Sofas placed themselves on top of rugs, shelves found corners to call home as they were filled with the various tomes, and the desk picked a spot in the back of the room and filled up with all sorts of papers and writing utensils.

"EEE HEE HEE HEE!" Squealed Whisper as she flew off his head and zipped around the room. "It's always so much fun to watch you work." She found an empty spot on a high shelf between some of the gemstones to settle in while she watched him finish his work.

Random felt his hooves leaving the ground as energy crackled from his horn, racing down his body and streaking down his back like a mantle. Lines of magic streaked into the corners of the ceiling and moved inward as it carved a spiral into the ceiling. As the spell reached the center of the spiral, it began to pool and drip off the ceiling, leaving pure white crystals forming down from the center and leaving a soft, easy glow over the room.

Now for the hard part. He'd spent years getting this spell just right and he wasn't about to slip up now. He focused on a blank spot on the wall and all the magic pouring off of him raced towards it breaking and branching as it drew closer to the wall. Hundreds of tiny lines of script etched into the wall and formed patterns within patterns. In the middle of these patterns formed gem shaped alcoves. Finally, small fine script etched around the alcoves and finishing the work.

His labors completed, he fell back to the ground with a pain radiating through his chest and gasping for air. "Well Whisper...gasp...I'm all set."

Whisper flew back down off her shelf to hover over him, "you really shouldn't push yourself so hard, you know that kind of magic is hard on you."

"I'll be alright little firefly," he reassured her as he shakily got back to his hooves. "But I need this if I'm going to do the work I need done." He said, while slowly walking over to the three alcoves he formed in the wall and placed three gemstones perfectly in them. A soft blue light glowed from the center of each of them as the magic from the inscription fed into them.

Whisper zipped in front of the gems, a look of fear and wonder across her face. "You finished the spell?"

"I did, it took a long time but everything's almost ready. Only a few small things to take care of first." His knees buckled and braced himself against the wall.

Twilight rushed into the room, "Are you OK?"

Twilight was having the time of her life looking through all the books she found here. She picked up a few particularly interesting ones that she'd take with her if it was alright. She looked at the pile of books she had. They reached high over her head and she felt a bit embarrassed by that. Maybe it was time to call it quits. She already had collected far more than she could read in a week. She made her way back up the aisle with her treasure when she saw a bright green light pouring out of Random's room. Dropping the books she was carrying, she raced over to the doorway. Peeking through the open door as she saw the magic that was just flooding out of him and weaving some of the most complex spell work she'd ever seen. Just who was this unicorn that came out of nowhere, had access to more books than the grand library in Canterlot, barely showed any interest in her being an alicorn, and is able to cast incredibly complex spells...That train of thought was cut off as saw him collapse to the floor and breathing hard. Whatever it was he just did took a lot out of him.

She kept staring in awe for a moment as she saw him struggle back to his hooves, and do...something...to the wall. He also looked like he was talking to the fairy but she couldn't understand anything they were saying. When she saw him collapse into the wall she couldn't just keep watching. She rushed into the room, "Are you OK?"

Random looked at her from his position against the wall, "I'll be OK, just an old injury acting up. Nothing to really worry bout." His horn sputtered a bit before a weak glow grabbed a crystal flask off the shelf. Without saying a word he popped the seal off it and chugged down the thick pink substance inside. As he drank, color came back to his face and his legs stopped shaking. The last thing to happen was his magic surrounding the vial came back to full glow as he finished sucking down the rest of the potion. "Oh that's much better."

Twilight was shocked at how nonchalant he was about an injury that left him that weak. He looked like he was bout to pass out from magic drain. "Are you sure you're going to be alright? What was that potion you drank?"

Random looked dismissively at Twilight, "yes I'm sure I'll be alright. The potion's old remedy but it keeps me going." he set the vial down on his desk and made his way out of his room, Whisper flying behind him.

Twilight made to follow but then she stopped to look at the vial he set down, it was empty except for some residue that could be seen coating the edges. Her curiosity left her really wanting to know what could make a pony recover that fast. However he didn't seem to want to tell her. She looked at the vial and even though she knew she shouldn't take it without asking, she just had to know. Refusing to second guess herself further, she picked up the discarded vial in her magic and with a mental command, she teleported it over to her lab in the basement of her home.

She made her way out of the room and found Random and Whisper over by the index. Random with one hoof down on the cover of the book and eyes closed. "History of Equestria, latest edition." She heard him say. A soft white glow could be seen glowing on a distant shelf and a book flew off the shelf and into the air until it rested in front of him. Picking it up in his own magic he made his way over to one of the reading areas and sat down in a pile of pillows. So apparently that index could be used to find certain books quickly, good to know.

She wanted to try and use the index herself, but then she tripped over the pile of books she'd left by his room. Sighing, she picked up her forgotten tomes and made for one of the other plush reading areas, they really did look quite comfy.

Random read for several hours, getting up every so often to have the index call up another reference for him. Finally satisfied, he fell back into pillows and looked up at Whisper, who was sitting up on a nearby shelf. "So, the last few years have been quite eventful. Not gonna lie, finding out a changeling queen actually tried an open assault is...kinda funny. I mean, why would a shapeshifting race, genetically geared for covert operations, start war with open hostilities. I mean its just..pfffff..HAHAHAHA!" He rolled over face first in pillow, pounding his hoof into another one. "And then...and then...to have the queen herself, disguise herself as...snort...an alicorn, which, as a high profile target she should never have been able to pull it off in the presence of both royal sisters. Oh Chronos, wherefore art thou mortals play in thine gardens maketh way for the fools." Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he struggled to catch his breath.

Whisper looked down at him from her perch, "You slipped into old Equestrian again, and nopony swears by Chronos in this day and age. As for the changeling queen, I don't think anyone saw her ever get near Luna, she would've been more likely to notice something was off."

"Ah Luna..." he sighed, rolling back over and making himself comfortable again. "I'm glad they made up. Celestia always looked so sad when she looked up at the moon. Hopefully it won't get that bad again." Pulling himself back up to a reading position, his face turned a bit somber. "Now this business with the Crystal empire..."

"Shh..." Whisper shushed him, "she's coming over here."

He quickly closed the book and stood up, settling himself back into the standing position and looking over like he just now noticed her approach. "Twilight, you find everything you were looking for?"

"I did..." she looked at him with a inquisitive glance. "What was so funny over here?"

"Oh," he blushed a bit furiously. "I was just reading over some recent history and some of it was just too funny. But enough of that, I'm starving. It's probably quite late, I wonder where I can find a bite to eat." He quickly made his way over to the stairs leading up, not wanting to give Twilight a chance to ask again what was so funny cause she'd probably not care for him having a laugh at the whole royal wedding incident. The book did say it was her brother who was bout to marry a changeling queen.

They both made their way over to where they dropped in from upstairs. Random keeping up a brisk pace over to the stairs and Twilight trying to catch up, clearly still wanting to ask him what he found so funny. When they got to the stairs that requires you drop in, Twilight seemed to forget her earlier question.

"So why are the stairs enchanted?" She asked while staring up at them.

Random looked over to her, glad that he had managed to change the topic. "There was a time where it was needed to keep out intruders, but now I just leave it that way for fun." He trotted over to the spiral staircase jutting out of the wall and made his way up with Twilight still following behind. It only took about a dozen or so steps to make it up to the door at the top. He pushed the door open and stepped onto the main floor of the library, the lights were off and he could see it was dark through the window. It must've been later than he thought.

"SURPRISE!!!" Came an ear deafening shout as the lights came on, almost causing him to jump out of his skin. The main floor was filled with streamers and balloons of all colors, there was a table set out with punch and cake, and a banner over it all that read "Welcome to Ponyville." Bounding up to him was the coffee addict he ran into this morning, Pinkie.

"Were you surprised I know you were surprised I mean I was surprised when I saw you in Sugarcube Corner this morning and I went 'GASP' and I knew I had to go throw a big party cause that's what ponies do to welcome other ponies to town even if I forgot to find out their name, where they are staying, and even if they spend a super long time to get back to the stories's they're writing." Pinkie looks at the author, "Yeah I'm looking at you buster." She snaps her head back to Random, "so are you surprised?!"

His breathing steadied now that his heart wasn't trying to jump out of his chest. "Yes Pinkie, I'm very surprised," he told her.

"Anyway let me introduce everypony." Pinkie continued without stopping to breathe. "Rainbow Dash, Blossomforth, Cloudkicker, Rarity, Applejack, Lyra, BonBon, that one hiding in the corner is Fluttershy, that one behind you is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm Pinkie Pie."

Random couldn't stop a grin from climbing up his face, "and I'm Random Fact," he looked over at the cake and punch, "and hungry."

"Hey Twilight," said Pinkie as she hopped up to her, eyes going wide as she looked behind her. "What's down those stairs?" Without waiting for an answer she flew down the stairs like a pink comet. Random wondered how long it would take her before she realized the stairs looped.

He made his way over to the cake and cut himself a big slice and taking a bite. Mmm, strawberry. He was enjoying the hospitality as the blond pegasus, Cloudkicker walked up to him, "So you're the new pony in town." She looked him over a bit with a 'look' in her eyes. "You look pretty fit for a unicorn...Ow." Blossomforth, another pegasus with stripes in her mane, was right beside her and had just slugged her in the shoulder. "Cloudy, behave," she scolder her. Everypony had a good laugh at this exchange and nopony, not even Random, saw the mischievous little yellow and pink fairy sneak up from under the party table and sprinkle something into the punch.

Far away from the party in Ponyville, in the royal city of Canterlot, Princess Luna looked over the countryside from her tower. Ponies would soon be heading to bed and then it would be time for her nightly duties. She heard someone come up behind her, it was her dear sister Princess Celestia. "Good evening dear sister, I would've thought thou wouldst be off to bed at this hour."

Celestia walked up and nuzzled her sister, saying nothing about her falling into old Equestrian. "The day only just ended, and I would spend all the time with you while I can. How has Twilight been doing since returning to Ponyville?"

"I've yet to check up on thy student this night, but for the last couple nights she still concerns herself with her new responsibilities as well as the advances of the nobility in both the political and romantic natures."

Celestia rested her head on Luna's shoulder, the millennium of trials taking their toll on her, making her feel her age. "She can't avoid them forever, sooner or later she'll have to learn how to deal with them."

She lifted one hoof and slowly stroked her sister's head, "There will be time dear sister, she hath faced many recent changes in her life. Remember what it was like for us, suddenly expected to move the moon and sun everyday, all while being too young to know how the world works." Luna closed her eyes and leaned into Celestia, offering her strength. "The rest will do her good, as it will you. Go to bed dear sister. It is time I watch the night"

"And I'm sure the nobles will try to find another way to drive me crazy in the morning. Good night sister, I'll see you in the morning." The sun monarch lifter herself back up and without another word, slowly made her way to the door and exited the room.

Luna turned to face the night sky, ready to guard the sleep of the little ponies that relied on her. She took a deep breath and her horn took on it's soft, cool glow. Willing her mind and spirit to reach beyond physical realm, she wandered into the realm of dreams.

It was a night like most nights for the dreamwalker, many ponies slept without dreaming while other had the most vivid parts of their imaginations run wild while their bodies rested. Fillies worried bout getting their cutie marks, adults concerned themselves over relationships, and a sea monster making sure he sported the most beautiful mustache.

Not all dreams were of a simple nature. What she assumed were a few border guards found themselves trying to protect a border that was getting badly overrun, and all they found to defend themselves and their charge was some old mops and a toothpick. She let her magic wash over it, repairing the walls and replacing the mop with proper spears, although the toothpick somepony had moved to between the head sergeant's teeth and turned into a rose. Well, good enough she supposed.

She traveled further down the dreamscape until she found Twilight's subconscious mind. Luna had been checking on her the last couple nights since she had found the newest princess tended to obsess over things she couldn't control. Tonight was no different. She found her in a Library full of books that flapped their way over to her and dropped into her hooves. But when she opened them, suddenly she found a pristine white stallion with a shiny gold mane smiling down at her from on top of the table. She would slam the book shut and it would explode into roses. The roses would settle on the ground and sprout into giant sunflowers, all sporting the faces of the many political figures that had been trying to earn her favor.

Luna swooped down next to her, wrapped a wing around her and whispered softly in her ear, "rest little one. You are at home, safe, warm, and they can not reach you here."

Twilight didn't look up or acknowledge her presence, but she visibly relaxed as the nightmare melted away to a comfortable bedroom where the books fluttered about like butterflies while she was wrapped up in a warm blanket on the bed.

A tiny Luna hopped off the top of a bedpost and flew out the window, and found herself back in the hallway of dreams. The night wasn't too much longer but she was glad she had managed to visit the newest princess this night. Suddenly she collided with something solid, and stumbled to the starry ground. She looked up from the floor of stars and found an arch made of the deepest, blackest onyx framing a double oaken door of considerable age with an emerald ring for a knocker.

"What is this," she pondered aloud. Long nights alone made her frequently speak her thoughts aloud, even if nopony was there to hear her. She reached for the knocker only to have the doors fly open, dark winds rushed out of the open door and pushed her back. As she caught her feet, she stared into the open doorway and a shadowy figure took a single step out. It was a pony but the shadows wouldn't let her see more than that. It's neck stretched and dissolved into a large maw with pointy purple teeth that lunged for Luna. Faster than she could get a get a shield up, the maw closed around her, teeth digging into her flesh. Luna screamed as the maw dragged her into the passage as she tried will all her might to hold onto the edge of the doorframe before it pulled her in. Suddenly the spot she was holding onto broke off in her grasp and she was pulled the rest of the way in as the door slammed shut.

The moment the light could no longer be seen through the door, she found herself in the middle of an open road paved with vibrantly colored crystals. No maw was digging into her, no pain racked her body, and no sign of where the teeth broke her skin could be found.

She looked up both sides of the road. One way led to Canterlot, looking as peaceful as could be. However the other way ended in the Crystal Empire, large black pillars of crystal lined a wall surrounding the city, fires could be seen emanating from various parts of the city and a shadowy figure was flying around the tallest tower of the city.

Luna made to race down the road, but the moment she took a single step, she found herself in the middle of the city. No fires, no shadow wraith, and no sign of black crystal anywhere. The houses lining the sides of the road looked like they were chiseled of various crystals and the residents were randomly wandering the streets. One of the nearby doors opened and a happy filly ran out the door, happy and cheering as she skipped down the road. The princess of the night looked back to the open door and found the tyrant king Sombra there waving goodbye to the filly with a cheery look on his face as he backed up a few steps and closed the door behind him.

She raced up to the door, a cold sweat running down her back, and charged straight into the door, breaking it into pieces. However once she was inside, she found the whole house ablaze and Sombra nowhere to be found. She was about to go back outside when she heard crying coming from up the stairs. Galloping up the stairs as fast as she was able, she avoided the curling flames that raced up the walls, she found the crying coming from deep in a pile of smoke. As she reached in to find the source of the crying, a small set of legs wrapped around her leg. "Save me," the small form cried as it hugged ever tighter. "I want my mommy."

Luna scooped the filly up in here magic, placed her on her back, and wrapped her wings around her to shield her from the heat. "I've got you, you'll be safe." The flames blazed higher on the stairs and having no other way out, she ran at the nearest window. She leapt at it and turning the filly around in her grip, she held her against her belly and leapt out the window, back first, into the open street.

Bouncing off the street a few times and possibly dislocating a shoulder, she looked down to inspect her charge. The filly was still there, sobbing. Luna nuzzled her a until she visibly calmed a bit, however when she looked back up, all the houses were now on fire, soldiers in dark grey armor with only green slits for eyes could be seen everywhere fighting the solar and lunar guards of Canterlot.

"I just want this bad dream to end." The small form continued to sob into her fur, "make the bad ponies go away."

Luna placed the child back on the ground in front of her and despite her pain, brought herself up to her full height. "I quite agree, enough is enough." She charged her full might into her horn, ready to end this nightmare. She didn't like using this method to stop a nightmare since it meant she couldn't help the dreamer's psyche as well as she normally could, but the damage that could happen if she just let this go on was unfathomable. Closing her eyes, she detonated her power and a blue wave of energy washed over everything.

That should have been it.

It wasn't.

When she opened her eyes, she fully expected to be back in the hallways of dreams, but she was still in the Crystal Empire. The fighting had stopped though. She looked around at the ponies still standing there...they were all looking at her, friend and foe alike. All of them had a sickly purple smoke leaking off of them and they approached her as one. She looked down at the filly she had rescued, it was no longer crying. It wasn't joining the masses as one either.

The filly opened her mouth and a voice, much unlike that of a child came out. The deep and commanding voice came out, "you need to go" it said, "this is not a safe place to be."

Luna recognized the voice but she couldn't place it, "who are you?" She asked.

"No time, follow me." And with that, the filly raced at an unnatural speed up the center of the street towards the crystal palace. Luna having to run at a hard gallop to keep up. When they stopped, they were in the center of the city directly in front of the crystal heart. "Through here, this will get you out." the filly said pointing at the heart.

"I have so many questions though," Luna wanted to know more about this strange dream she found herself in.

"No time," the filly jumped behind Luna, bucking her in the side and shooting her like a missile into the crystal heart and back out into the hallway of dreams. She looked back at the open door she just flew through and saw a pair of glowing green eyes with red irises gazing contemptuously at her from a behind a veil of smoke.

Without warning, the same maw lunged at her and she felt phantom pains crawl up her skin as those teeth grew close. It's jaws snapped shut just before reaching her as large emerald chains wrapped around the creature's mouth, tying it shut.

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE SO EASILY!" a shadowed form wearing a forest green robe shouted from the open doorway, hooves wrapped around chains and pulling it back in.

"Luna...Luna...LUNA!!" She found herself being shaken awake back in the tower of the moon. She was curled up in a ball, she was shivering, and her whole body was covered in sweat. Standing over her was her sister, Celestia, looking concerned at her younger sister's state of being. "Luna, are you OK, I saw the moon was still up and I find you in shivering in a corner. What happened?"

Luna dove at her sister, wrapping her hooves around her and sobbing into her chest. She didn't notice till now how much she was visibly shaking. "Somethings out there," she managed to eek out. "Something I couldn't stop. It was just..." She lost it as she continued to cry into Celestia's chest.

Celestia wrapped her wings around her younger sister and held her close. "It's OK, I've got you now." She looked up at the night sky, the moon still needing to come down. "Would you like me to lower the moon? it should be morning already."

Luna spoke not a word, but slowly nodded her head as she continued to cry.

Without letting go of her younger sister, the princess of the sun's horn glowed its golden color to lower the moon and bring about the dawn.

Author's Note

it took me way too long to start putting my thoughts together, i've had this story stewing in the back of my head ever since the end of season 3.
the dream got away from me a bit, that part was really fun to write

edit 9/29/20: yep have a laugh at me, forgot to include his cutiemark in the rewrite, its now mentioned when he falls off the train

edit 10/23/20: rawr, leaning writing rules and having to almost rewrite the whole damn chapter. don't worry, nothing changed fact wise, I just made sure it's easier to digest

Chapter 2: The morning after

Random woke up in a cold sweat. Funny thing was he didn't remember going to bed, or unpacking it for that matter. He slowly dragged himself out of bed or at least that was the plan. Something heavy and warm was holding him down. Reaching down to remove it, he felt the very unmistakable texture of...feathers? Uh-oh. Who's in bed with him?! He slowly rolled over and got a face full of striped mane. Oh please tell me he and Twilight didn't...oh wait, the colors are wrong. Breathing a sigh of relief, he took a closer look and found Blossomforth was the owner of the offending wing. Well, he wasn't sure how that happened, but maybe if he just rolled off the other side he could...he bumped into another body. A body that upon bumping into shifts around and he find another pair of wings and legs locked around him in a death grip and his face buried in a blonde mane. This is Cloudkicker isn't it.

"So," a soft voice chirped from overhead. "How was your night?"

Out of the corner of his vision he could spot Whisper hanging off a shelf. "Was this your doing?" he answered as quietly as he could. Maybe not quietly enough cause it caused Cloudkicker to shift in her sleep.

"What would I have to do with you wooing over two mares, you Casanova?" She started giggling to herself.

Random glared at her but then he noticed the aftertaste of bitter lemon his mouth. Eyes going wide he snapped back, "you spiked the punch, didn't you?"

"Oh please, Spike didn't have anything to do with the punch. He's been down in the comic books section since you started catching up on history yesterday." She rubbed her chin and stared off into space. "In fact, I think he's still there."

"You know what I mean," he hissed at her. "And how am I supposed to get out of this mess?" He wriggled a bit, noticing he couldn't move."

"He probably even fell asleep down there," she pondered aloud, ignoring his distress. "I should go check on him." And with that, she flew off and left Random to his fate.

"Great, just great" he grumbled to himself, only to notice he now had a pair of bright violet eyes looking right at him. "Um...Morning?"

"Morning," said Cloudkicker. "Great party last night, although I don't remember it going this well." Looking at him with a starry look in her eyes while she traces a hoof around his chest.

"I'm sure a certain somepony thought hooking me up with two mares was a great idea." He said while he felt a little red rising to his cheeks.

"Oh, who else is here?" Cloudkicker leaned up off the bed, trying to see over him. As she looked over him, a pair of glazed blue eyes peaked back at her from the other side of the bed.

"Cloudy! There you are!" Cried Blossomforth as she leapt over the unfortunate stallion, crushing him under her weight as she hugged her friend. "I...hic...woke up and...sniff...didn't know where you were."

"Blossom?!" Muffled out Cloudkicker. "How are you tipsy the morning after a party?!"

Blossom nuzzled the side of her neck. "I don't know what you mean, I...zzzz"

"Did she just...gasp...fall back asleep?" Wheezed out Random through the small amount of air he could muster with a full grown mare sitting on his chest.

"Seems like it," said the other pegasus as she rolled out of bed. All while gracefully slipping the now sleeping mare onto her back in a graceful show of wing dexterity.

Random sat up, finally being able to get off his back since he woke up and catching his breath since he was almost smothered. Turning to Cloudkicker he said, "you gonna be ok getting her h..." was all he got out before Cloudkicker lifted her head and gave him a little peck on the cheek. Bringing a blush on both their faces.

"Next time, my place." Was the last thing she said before racing out the room with her charge, seemingly having no difficulty carrying her charge.

He sat there for a moment, processing all that had happened this morning before he even had a chance to get out of bed. "Ugh...Mares." He sighed before stepping out of his bedchambers and into his office.

BA-THUMP

He staggered, suddenly feeling a throb of pain brake out across his chest, his vision going all blurry. "That's right," he coughed out. "Luna had to go and rile him up last night."

BA-THUMP

He looked down at his legs, he was shaking all over. His blurry vision making his legs look like they were all black and covered in smoke.

BA-THUMP

He looked at his chest, a large red spike was jutting out of his chest, light pouring off the edges of it. He reached up to grab it but doing so caused pain to shoot through his entire being just from touching it and making him collapse to the ground. "It's getting worse," he wheezed out.

BA-THUMP

He crawled on his belly towards a nearby cabinet with pain being his only reward for every movement. He forced himself to open the cabinet and, not trusting his magic, he grasped a large flask in his hooves and pried the cork off with his teeth. He forced a single mouthful of it down. It felt like a hot coal was worming its way down his throat, burning his stomach upon landing. He took another chug of the brew and while it still hurt going down, he stopped shaking. After the third swallow, the pain dulled to a small ache and he chugged down the rest of the potion. Looking down his front, he saw his forelegs were back to their normal grey color and he was short one chest spike.

He laid on his side forcing in ragged breaths as Whisper floated back into the room, "Yep, Spike fell asleep with his face in a copy of 'Powerpon...'" Her train of thought was cut off as she saw him laying on his side and struggling to breathe. She zipped over to him and floated in from of his face with a concerned look. "Are you ok?! I didn't mean for my joke to go that far."

His breathing slowed as he looked down to her, sweat pouring off his body. "I don't think you did this. I think I'm running out of time. I won't last a week at this rate...cough...and I may have to accelerate my plans."

"What do you need? Anything I can do to help?" Whisper asked while hovering in place.

Random levitated a small red gemstone over to Whisper, placing it in her hooves. "I tracked it as far as everfree...wheeze...but I lost the signal before I got closer."

Whisper held the gem close to her chest, determination lighting her eyes. "I'll make it happen Random. Will you be alright?"

"I'll live," he said while climbing back upright. "As long as Luna doesn't try that stunt again."

Twilight awoke with a numb sensation climbing up her side. She tried to get up but the feeling of pins and needles running through the wing she was sleeping on caused her to collapse back onto her bed, and into something that quickly shifted when she bumped into it.

"Ow! Hey, what gives." Snapped a voice right next to her.

Turning her head to get a better look in to early morning light she found a certain prismatic mare right next to her. "Rainbow Dash?! What are you doing in my bed?!"

Rainbow grumpily sat up and lazily took in her surroundings. "Actually Twilight, I have no idea. Crazy party though," she rubbed the side of her head with her hoof. "Um...how much of it do you actually remember?

Twilight sat on her haunches and was stretching out her wing, cringing as she tried to wake the limb back up. "I don't seem to remember a whole lot. AHHH!" She collapsed on her belly as a grinning Dashie poked the sleeping limb in a particularly sore spot.

"Ya know Twilight, you've really gotta get used to having wings. Only foals get wing cramps from sleeping on them. I bet you haven't been preening either." Rainbow climbed onto her back and stretched out one of her wings. She poked her muzzle at a few of the feathers. "Huh that's odd," she poked at a few more. "Uh Twilight?"

"Yeah...?" groaned Twilight into a pillow.

"Have you actually been preening? Cause this all looks better than I'd think." She poked at a few more feathers, finding nothing wrong with them.

"I don't think so, unless I'm doing it in my sleep."

"Or maybe you had a special friend help you out after you asked her really nicely." Came a small voice from the foot of the bed.

Rainbow rolled off her back and they both shot up, eyes snapping to a small yellow and pink form laying down on the bedpost and supporting her head in her forelegs. "Uh Twilight, is it just me or did Fluttershy get really small?"

"Oh, are you two done already? And here I was thinking I'd get another round of feather play, eh there Dashie?" Whisper took to the air on gossamer wings with a mischievous look on her face. "I suppose another time then." And without another word, she flew out the open window and out of sight.

"Who was that and what was that all about?" Said Rainbow.

"That was Whisper, a fairy who's been living under the library all this time. I only met her yesterday." Twilight jumped off the bed and felt an unusual texture under her hooves. Looking around, she found small feathers scattered around her room. There were a few blue ones but most of them were...purple. "Oh dear," she said remembering some old text she read. "I read once that fairies like to play pranks and if I had to guess, I think she trapped us into a preening frenzy."

"Pfff...that's her idea of a prank? Remind me to thank her. Now you have no excuse to get out of flying practice." She began to nudge her towards the stairs.

"But Rainbow Dash, my studies...All the new books to organize"

"It can wait. Your wings are in the best shape possible for flying and last I checked, we can't get you to stay airborne for more than a few seconds right now." Rainbow started to push her to the stairs a bit harder. "Besides, the summer sun celebration is in a few weeks and Princess Celestia wants you sky worthy by then."

"OK fine! We'll go flying! I can see I'm not getting out of this." Twilight snapped and finally made her way down the stairs under her own power.

They both made their way down the stairs, finding both Random and Spike cleaning the main floor. It was a bit of a mess from the party. The cake had been left out, the punch had been spilled, and balloons were found lazily bobbing on the floor.

"What happened here?" asked Twilight, "Pinkie's parties are usually this messy but it's usually cleaned up by morning. Has anypony seen her?"

"I've seen her," Random sighed as he mopped up the spilled punch. "Girl went and broke my stairs too. Found her sleeping on the crash pad curled up with that pegasus that looks like Whisper."

"What do you mean by "broke your stairs"?" Asked Twilight as she walked over to the open doorway an looked down the middle of the stairwell.

"The looping enchantment is broken. I don't know how. It would take something moving at a speed that defies understanding to overload the logic circuit. So they're just normal stairs now...sigh...pity." He looked a bit dejected as he shoveled some cake off the floor into the trash.

"I didn't follow any of that," said Rainbow as she nudged Twilight. "But I do know one thing."

"You can't make sense out of Pinkie Pie." The girls said together.

He looked back and forth between them, "right...I'll just take your word for it then." He picked up the can of trash with his magic as he looked over to Spike. "They always like this?" Spike just made a defeated gesture with his claws and went back to work. He carried the trash over to the front door to go throw it away. But as opened the door...

Trumpeting fanfare roared through the open doorway as the the light revealed a tall handsome white unicorn stallion. His blond mane bouncing lightly in the morning breeze. "Good day peasant. I am Prince Blueblood. I have come to..."

Random slammed the door in his face, it was too early for this. He turned to find Twilight pinning her back up against a wall and holding her breath. "What's he doing here?!" She panickily wheezed out.

"Oh friend of yours?" Inquired Random. "I kinda figured he was one of those rich snob types, hoping to marry into royalty and targeting the newly ascended alicorn princess."

"Oh it's nothing," Twilight rubbed her hooves together with a manic look on her face. "Just some pony who CAN'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!"

Rainbow walked over to Twilight, wrapping a wing around the shaking alicorn. "He's been after Twilight since day one of her coronation. He's the main reason she came back to ponyville." She sighed, "and now he's chased her all the way here from Canterlot."

"So..." Random gestured his hoof in a I-think-I-get-it manner, "NOT her friend and just some rich snob that needs to get taken down a peg?"

"Yeah pretty much," Rainbow was stroking Twilight's mane. She had calmed down a bit but was still looking a bit out of sorts.

"Oh in that case you'll have no problem if I do this..." Without another word or slightest hesitation, he threw the door open and dumped the entire trash can over Blueblood's head. "AND STAY OUT!!!" He concluded slamming the door in his face. "I hate it when Rich snobs overstep themselves." He grumbled.

"OH NO! MY MANE! MY COAT! I JUST GOT MYSELF GROOMED!" Could be heard from the other side of the door. "Quick! To the baths. Tell them its an emergency!" Hooves pounding the ground could be heard making a hasty retreat.

Twilight and Rainbow just stared slack jawed at Random. Random looked back at them casually, "What?"

"I can't believe you just did that!" Twilight shouted at him.

"I can, that was so awesome." Rainbow squealed next to her.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight snapped her attention to her. "That's not the point. The point is that ponies like that can make your life all kinds of difficult if you get on their bad side."

"I'm not too worried." Said Random as he cleaned off the rest of the table. "What's the worst he could do?"

"Why are you being so relaxed about this?!" Twilight spazzed, one of her eyes twitching a bit.

"Relax Twilight," Said Rainbow as she wrapped her in a wing hug. "Now we can go work on your flying without any distractions."

"Oh? She hasn't gotten the hang of flying yet? Well you girls have fun." He said in a dismissive tone. "I got a couple things to take care of myself once we're done cleaning here."

Rainbow started herding Twilight towards the door, "you heard him. The day isn't getting any younger."

"Ok fine, I'm going. I'm going." They both ran out the door, dodging around the pile of trash where a very obnoxious suitor once stood.

Random watched them run down the street as he picked up the trash he 'accidentally' spilled in the front yard. "So young, so innocent," he reflected under his breath.

"Did you say something?!" Spike shouted to him from inside the treehouse.

"Just talking to myself!" He shouted back as he walked back in. "Now where does Twilight keep the good cleaning supplies?"

"It's down in the basement, she keeps it with all of her lab equipment."

"She's got a lab?" He perked up. "This I gotta see."

He made his way down the basement stairs, curious to see what kind of lab Equestria's newest princess keeps. He was a bit disappointed as he pushed open the door. There was pretty standard stuff in here. A couple of beakers with various chemicals, clear pipes, valves, and some haphazardly discarded flask with a pink residue inside it.

Wait a minute...That was one of his! He looked at it closely. "Oh aren't you the curious filly." His horn glowed, wrapping the green glow of his magic around the mostly empty flask of his potion. After a moment, small little purple threads hung off of it and traced a line straight into the wall and in the direction of the Archive.

"Well that was sneaky of you, teleporting it from my office in that one moment my back was turned." He reached up to one of the threads and strummed it with his hoof like you would a lyre. In a pop and a puff of purple smoke, the flask vanished into thin air, having been transported back to where it started.

"HURGFF!" came a voice from behind him. "What in tarnation was that?...What the?...Rarity?!"

Random turned to see the two figures he now spotted in the corner scrambling to get up and untangle themselves from each other...Oh Whisper, you went all out didn't you.

"Good heavens, Applejack?!" Came the other voice that Applejack helpfully identified as Rarity. "What in the name of Celestia?"

Not wanting to get wrapped up in whatever drama was about to unfold, he quickly located the cleaning supplies and beat a hasty retreat before he was dragged into it.

They made it out to a clearing outside of town where Rainbow wasted no time coaxing her friend up into the air. Compared to the last time they tried this, it barely took a flap of her wings before she found herself in the air...and then immediately dove into a faceplant when she tried to catch the ground with her hooves.

Rainbow only had to take a few steps over to where Twilight was currently pulling her face out of the dirt. "C'mon Twilight, we've been over this. You can't get in the air if you're trying to stay on the ground at the same time."

The rookie flyer got back to her feet, coughing and sputtering. "I remember Rainbow...cough...I just wasn't expecting to take off so easily. It feels so different from last time"

"Well duh. That's the difference proper preening makes. When your feathers are all in proper shape, they'll just grab the air like they're meant to be together. Cause they are." She poked at her with her hoof with that last statement. "Break time's over. Now get back up there and keep your head up this time."

Twilight shifted her shoulders as she got back to her hooves. Keeping her head up and trying not to look at the ground this time, she gave her wings a small flap and that was it. She was in the air! She looked up at the sky and felt herself moving up and up and why is the ground above her? *Splat* She felt the ground collide with her back, her hooves now in air as she laid back on the ground.

This was going to be a long day.

It hadn't taken Random and Spike much longer to finish cleaning up. Granted they did have a few interruptions as Applejack and Rarity both stormed up from the lab in a bit of a mood. One was complaining about being late for her morning chores and the other saying she needed an emergency spa day as both of them barreled out the door. A little bit later a pink blur rushed up the Archive stairs with a look of panic on her face when she saw the two boys cleaning up the mess she started. Pinkie rushed both of them, quickly taking the mops and rags they were using to clean away from them. She then tore through the remainder of the mess like a little pink tornado, leaving everything spotless in her wake. Impressed at how efficient she was, he left her to her own devices. Random made his way down the stairs to the Archive and passed a madly blushing Fluttershy as he reached the bottom.

He swung by the Archive's index and poured a little magic into it, commanding it to put all the scattered books in the study area back on their shelves. Little white lights surrounded all the books stacked on the floor and pillows, as well as the ones spread out on the tables. The lights carried them into the air and flew over the tops of all the bookcases laid before him, finding their spots in the shelves and floating down between them till they found the perfect resting spot on the shelves.

Satisfied with having everything in order, he made his way back over to office to take care of an issue he needed to take care of this morning. Closing the door behind him he picked up his spatial bag and the flask that Twilight had pilfered from him last night. Making his way over to an open spot in the wall and placing a hoof on it, he willed the space behind it to open up. A seam traced a doorway into the wall and the new door swung inward. Once he was through he pulled out a full flask of his potion and began to sip it slowly. Letting the magic within flow through his body and out his horn and eyes he widened the space and simultaneously formed shelves and counters into the solid rock. Reaching a tendril of magic into his bag, he pulled out all sorts of lab and distillery equipment and laid it out on all the surfaces. Some of the tools were set on top of various runic circles that formed along with the shelves. Finally he pulled a bright pink crystal out of the bag that pulsed with an otherworldly light and he placed it above a large open bowl. As soon as it was in place, it began to form dew on the outer surface of it that slowly coalesced at the bottom of the crystal and dripped a bright pink substance into the bowl that now seemed to generate its own light.

Content with putting his own lab back in order, he made his way back out to the main part of his office to look over the other project he set up the day before. He looked over the three gemstone in the wall, their bluish hue had darkened quite a bit overnight. One of them, however, had taken on a midnight blue and little facets of light could be seen reflecting deep within them. This one was ready and the other two wouldn't be far behind.

Levitating the dark gem in front of him, a green tendril of magic spiraled off his horn and began to wrap itself around and through the crystal. The stars inside began to swirl and condense until finally they formed an eye that looked right back a him. His eyes blazing a bright green as he looked down at the crystal. Dark purple tears ran down his face and vanished into smoke as they left his fur.

"Go!" He bellowed at the gemstone, his voice taking on a deep cadence. "Fulfill your purpose."

The crystal then began to spin, light refracting off its surfaces as it spun faster and faster. When its facets were nothing but a blur, it shattered into a million pieces and those pieces scattered into dust. Random collapsed to the floor in a heap, his features returning to normal. Gasping for breath he uttered. "When one must traverse the path of fools, is it the fool that lays it or the one that follows it?" He stared at the remaining gems in the wall. "Either way, I shall see this journey to its end."

Author's Note

Huzzah, I have a chapter 2 up. This was originally gonna be much longer but when I saw how much more I still had to cover, I decided to split it into 2 chapters. Chapter 3 still has 2 major scenes to iron out before the final edit.

On a fun note, I rather enjoyed turning Blueblood into a trash heap.

Chapter 3: A date by twilight

"Are you sure this is a good idea Rainbow Dash?" After a day of bumps, bruises, flips, flops, tips, and turns. Twilight found herself at the top of a cliff overlooking the local swimming hole. "I mean, this is awfully high."

"Well we've tried everything else to get you off the ground. So I figure we could try going down instead of up. You're gonna glide to the other side of the lake!" Rainbow announced proudly while she hovered in the air. "No flapping needed. And if anything goes wrong, the water will break your fall."

"That doesn't make me feel better!" Exclaimed the rookie flyer as she made the mistake of looking down.

"It'll be a cinch, just do like I do." Dash landed next to her and extended her wings to their full length.

Twilight nervously did the same, noticing how much bigger her wingspan was than Rainbow's.

"You're just gonna float to the other side. No flapping. If you start to drift one way or the other, I just want you to fan out your wingtips on one side like I showed ya earlier." Rainbow carefully instructed her while she leaned to one side and showed her how she fanned out her feathers. "You got this girl. Now get out there and show them how it's done."

Twilight made her way closer to the edge, doing her best not to look down while keeping her wings steady. She must have hesitated a bit too long for the prismatic mare's liking because she suddenly felt a painful smack on her hindquarters when one of Rainbow's wings gave it a good smack. Thousands of years of equine instinct took hold and she leapt forward, screaming as she fell off the cliff.

She started to tuck her wings back in when Rainbow shouted down, "keep those wings out!" The drilling they had done over the last couple hours made her obey without hesitation as she snapped her wings straight. Muscles strained and pulled as the wind caught and pulled at her feathers. But she did start to level out. She felt the air billow under her like a soft pillow as it carried her to the opposite shore. She was doing it! She was doing it! The other side of the shore grew ever closer when something occurred to her. How was she supposed to land again?

The ground was only a dozen feet below her when she started panicked flapping away from the approaching ground. The air betrayed her as it threw her backwards into a uncontrolled spin, spiraling downward until...*SPLASH*.

Rainbow landed on the nearby shore while looking all kinds of giddy, "you almost had it Twilight. You just panicked at the last second. Good thing the water was there to break your fall."

Twilight was pouting and pounding her hooves into the water, "why does this have to be so hard? I'm never going to get this! And what's so funny?!"

Rainbow was rolling on the ground laughing while she Twilight glared at her from the water.

"Having a good laugh?" She deadpanned at her.

"It's not that Twilight, look!" She stopped bouncing and pointed to the cliff she started at. "You got all this way by yourself! Through the air!"

Twilight glared at her one last time before turning around in the water. When she did, her jaw hung open. She had sailed no less than two hundred feet! "I did all that? But how?"

"Because you have such an awesome teacher!" Boasted Rainbow. "That right there," she said pointing at the cliff, "is a start. We're gonna start doing that more often."

"Right now?!" Said Twilight. While she was excited to have made that glide, she wasn't anxious to repeat it right away.

"No, not right now." Said Rainbow.

Twilight let out a sigh of relief a bit too soon.

"Lunch first, then we do that some more."

Twilight groaned.

It was early evening in Canterlot when Princess Luna dragged herself from bed, unable to sleep any longer. She had been unable to rest easily after how her previous night went. What had shaken her so much? Was it being attacked by a nightmare? No, that was a pretty common thing. Was it cause the dream had King Sombra running around? Plenty of crystal ponies still had nightmares about him. Although this one had cast him in a cheery light. That was a bit unsettling but not too out of the ordinary as pony's dreams tend to mix a bunch of things up.

She thought and she thought, but she could only narrow it down to three things. The nightmare had dragged her in from the dreamscape, the space between dreams, which just didn't happen. That she had been unable to silence and steady a dream when she wanted to. Far from helping, that had just made it worse. All aspects of the dream went on full defensive mode when she attempted that. And then there was the dreamer himself. When everything started going downhill, the dreamer had reached out and guided her to safety. Other ponies didn't know the ways of dreams like she did. On top of that, after she had made it back out to the dreamscape, the beast that had pulled her in the first time came back for a second attempt. Only for the dreamer to attack it, bind it, and pull it back into his subconscious kicking and screaming.

Luna thought over everything that transpired and came to only one conclusion. The only thing that could have shaken her so bad. Had left her crying in her elder sister's embrace. Had shaken her so bad that she neglected her duty of lowering the moon that morning.

Helplessness.

Complete helplessness.

She had not been in control, that realm was her domain and she had lost control. She pulled the blanket from her bed and wrapped it tightly around herself, shivering. She hadn't felt this powerless since she was a filly many, many moons ago.

But she was not a child anymore. She would not let fear rule her. She would take this experience and learn from it. Steeling herself, she stood to her full height, wings flared back, and threw the blanket away. "I AM PRINCESS LUNA! STEWARD OF THE MOON! GUARDIAN OF DREAMS! VANQUISHER OF NIGHTMARES! AND WE WILL NOT LET FEAR RULE US!"

Feeling much better but definitely not getting back to sleep after openly challenging the world, she donned her royal regalia and left her chambers to see what her sister was up to.

She found Celestia in her office going over mountains of paperwork. Usually day to day affairs with the governing of the realm were handled by some other pony, but as is want with government, the highest authority usually ends up being a glorified clerk by the end of the day.

"Good evening dear sister." Luna announced herself. "We hath arisen early."

Celestia jumped a bit as her name was called out. She looked up from what she was working on and saw her sister standing there. "Luna! What are you doing up so early?"

"We...I had trouble sleeping, last night still weighs heavily on my mind." She relayed to her sister while trying her best to adapt to the current dialect.

"It worries me too Luna" her sister sighed. "Do we still have no idea whose dream it was?"

"I'm afraid not, the dreamer only appeared twice. Once in the form of a child and the other time wearing a full cloak that easily covered his cutie mark. All I can say is the voice was male, but that's not really much to go on. It's not uncommon for ponies to dream of themselves as the opposite gender." Luna made her way over to the nearby refreshment cart that was usually in here and poured herself a hot cup of coffee. "All I know is the dreamer has an unusually strong mind."

"It still worries me that he succeeded in containing a nightmare of that scale through willpower alone," inflected Celestia. "Do you plan to visit there again? It sort of feels like we're kicking a hornet's nest."

"I fully intend to investigate that dreamer as soon as possible. I won't let the events of last night stop my pursuit of any unseen dangers that we may yet face." Luna took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes, feeling out the dreamscape for the scent of that particular dream. "Alas I cannot find him as of yet, the dreamer is currently awake, and while he is, he is beyond my reach."

"You plan to save your strength for him then?" Celestia asked as she continued to go through the papers she had to finish tonight.

"Indeed I do, but I am restless. I feel I need something to distract me for a few hours until he sleeps." Luna voiced her thoughts as she found a cookie to go with her coffee. "I'm still a bit uneasy and I fear I will drive myself mad if I just sit and wait."

"You should head out into the city then," excitedly suggested her sister as she jumped away from her desk. "I always feel better after a night on the town. The lights of the city against the fading day, everypony running this way and that trying to get some last minute shopping in, and..." Celestia waggled her eyebrows at Luna. "You never know when you might have that chance encounter that could turn into something...more."

"Surely thou jest?" Affronted Luna. "The scandal if anypony were to see us cavorting about. Think of thy reputation?!"

"Nothing will happen if nopony knows it's you." She nudged her sister with her elbow in jest.

"Oh." Her eyes going wide, realizing what she meant. "I guess I could do that." She let her mane and tail flow out from her, cascading down her body and wrapping around her like a fog. When the fog cleared, it revealed a unicorn mare of a shorter stature than was normal for her. She still had the same dark blue fur but her mane didn't have the flowing stars running though it and instead took on a shorter cut and a lighter blue. Around her body she wore a simple dress of midnight blue with ivory lace.

"Show off," teased Celestia. "You know I have a lot of trouble doing that and you make it look so easy."

"We both have our own strengths dear sister." Smirked Luna. "I still don't know how you deal with all the nobles day in and day out."

"I like to defer to the ancient wisdom of Rose Bear when it comes to that. Speak softly and carry a big stick." Said Celestia, while moving back and settling back behind her desk. "Well I still have a lot of work to get done. You go have fun and let me know if anything interesting happens."

"Indeed we shall. We should be back in time for moonrise." And with that, she left her sister to her work and took off through the castle.

Luna slipped out through a side entrance and made her way to the main road. She checked out the various shops and galleries she found there, mostly just going through the motions of enjoying herself. The events of the previous night still weighed heavily on her mind and nothing she did helped ease it.

"Good evening M'lady," came a soft sultry voice from her right. "What troubles a beauty such as yourself?"

Luna turned to the owner of the voice. Before her stood a tall majestic pegasus stallion with a white coat and black mane giving her the smallest of bows. He stood back up straight, looking down at her with soft blue eyes and a winning smile. She felt her heart skip a beat as she looked back at him. "Tis...I mean...It's nothing, I've just got a lot on my mind is all." What was going on with her. Was she really swooning like some adolescent and their first crush.

The pegasus took a step closer, she could make out the scent of mint as he stood right in front of her. "It clearly is not nothing if it is stopping you from enjoying such a lovely evening. You don't need to tell me what troubles you, but I would be remiss if I were to let such a lovely young mare such as yourself wander the streets alone." He held out a hoof to her, "My name is Storm Chaser. Might I have yours?"

She felt some warmth rise to her cheeks as she placed her hoof in his. "Lu..." she coughed, catching herself. "I am Moon Drops and I guess I would like some company."

"Such a lovely name," said Storm Chaser, falling into step next to her. She caught a view of the vortex adorning his flank as he did so. "I know just the thing that will cheer you up, Moon Drops."

They made their way through the streets, stopping to look at several of the shop along the way. One of them was a boutique where she got to try on several dresses and show them off to him. He smiled and nodded at a couple of them, but when she tried on a dress of deep crimson and stepped out of the changing room he just went stark still. She could see some blush rising up his face and his wings were starting to flare back a bit. She sauntered over to him, slowly making her way around him and passing just close enough for her tail to brush against the sensitive down he left exposed. "You like this one?" She asked, slowly stepping away from him to stand before him, pleased to see him looking a bit flustered. If anypony asked, she wouldn't deny she was having fun.

Storm swallowed hard and pinned his wings back to his sides as he stood before her. His breath caught in his throat as he stepped forward to stand over her. "You look even more lovely than when I first saw you." He said, stepping back and making an elegant bow before her. "Would the lady Moon Drops grace my humble presence for dinner and a show?"

"Why I would be delighted sir Storm Chaser." She offered a hoof to him which he took from her and kissed it in a show of curtesy.

After purchasing her new dress, he led her down the street to a fancy restaurant that had balconies overlooking the edge of the mountain and the cloud stadium below them. Even though places like this were usually booked, they got lucky and there was still one table left. She looked down over the balcony and saw pegasi arranging the clouds for the Wonderbolt derby they were holding tonight. Curiously she looked back at him and inquired, "so what made you pick this place?"

"Well aside from serving an amazing carbonara," he pointed a hoof at the horizon. "In about an hour the moon will peek up over that horizon. I always liked watching the moon rise to join the starry sky. It's even better with somepony to share it with."

Luna just felt herself melt at these words. If somepony had said that to her all those years ago, then maybe her loneliness wouldn't have driven her down such a dark path. "I too, enjoy watching the moon. Every night if I can." It's a shame she only had a hour left before she needed to raise the moon. Crestfallen that she would have to leave soon, her gaze fell to the table between them. The night was going so well too.

Maybe she could invite him back to the castle? But that would also require revealing who she is. How does one broach the topic? Maybe she could sneak into the castle gardens with him, slip out for a bit to raise the moon and they could just continue with their night. Her train of thought was interrupted as he stood before her, having made his around the table when she wasn't looking. He slowly wrapped one of his white wings around her and pulled her close. "Your troubles are still weighing you down. Maybe I need to try a little harder."

She gazed up into his blue eyes and breathed in his minty scent. The warm feathers around her shoulders protecting her against the cool evening air. She could feel the rhythmic beating of his heart against her chest or was it her own heart she felt, she couldn't tell. His face leaned in towards her as the moon lit the sky behind his head. The moon? Had she lifted it without meaning to? Was it later than she thought and her sister was covering for her? Did it matter? The warmth from her chest rose up to fill the rest of her being as he drew closer. She closed her eyes as she lifted her face towards his, eager for the sweet taste of his lips upon hers. The kiss never came. She felt his breath tickle the inside of her ear as he leaned in and whispered. "You used to be much more perceptive, Luna."

Her eyes shot open as he pulled away from her, a mischievous grin on his face. "You never would've been this careless before."

Her shocked mind just now registering that he used her real name, she sat there dumbfounded. "But you...but how...what?!" Was all she got out before he unwrapped his wing from around her shoulders and leapt off the balcony into the open air above the stadium.

His wings snapped open, leaving himself hovering in the air as he turned and gave the confused Luna a mock salute. "See you around, Moon Drops." Was the last thing he said before he dove towards the center of the stadium.

A waiter came over to her, having witness the whole scene play out. "Are you OK Miss?"

Luna felt a new heat wash over her as her anger rose. "No. No we are not..." Her eyes squinting and her teeth grinding as she watched Storm's rapidly descending form.

"WE ARE FURIOUS!!!" She shouted as she let the magic disguising herself unwrap itself from her body. The dress she wore tore to pieces and fell into a heap on the ground as she rose to her full height in her regal form.

"Prin...Princess Luna?!" Yelped the waiter as he quickly backed away, all the other patrons snapping their attention away from what they were doing to witness the scene as the angry princess spread her wings out to their full length. She leapt off the balcony and dove after the troublesome pegasus.

She quickly started closing the distance between them as her larger wings allowed her to fly much faster than an equestrian flyer normally would. Committed to his dive, he didn't look back as she was only a few dozen behind him and closing. The ponies filling the stadium bleachers gave a collective gasp as somepony pointed to the diving duo. None of this mattered to her as she was set on acquiring her target.

The center of the stadium where the pegasi raced around the track was only about a hundred feet away from them as Storm Chaser began to spin.

As he spun, Luna felt the distance between them widening and the air began to ripple as he corkscrewed towards the racers. In an attempt to end this, she fired a weak blast of magic at him from her horn, hoping that she could stun him and end this chase. However as the shot reached the air around the now living twister, it ricocheted off him and gained speed as it flew into the crowd of spectators. Ponies dived out of the way of the incoming projectile and while it did blow a hole through some of the seats, fortunately nopony was struck by the wild shot.

Luna focused her attention back on her quarry as the living missile steered to aim at the racers flying the track. A dark cloud started to pour off him as he closed in on his target. The moment before impact felt like it hung in the air much longer than it normally would as the pegasus's body was fully enshrouded by black mist. Suddenly, time felt like it accelerated to make up for the abnormal pause as the missile connected and passed through one of the racers, causing him to go limp and start to slowly fall through the layer of clouds.

The other pegasi quickly abandoned the race to save their unconscious comrade from falling to his death. Seeing that he was taken care of, Luna scanned the surrounding sky for the assailant. She spotted the white blur shooting straight for the south gate, moving much faster than he did before. The angry alicorn immediately chased after her now very dead date. Though try as she might, she couldn't close any of the distance as he seemed to be much faster than her now. The air around him crackled and bent as he broke through the sound barrier. A deafening boom rocked the air around the city as he flew far out of reach of the princess of the night.

Random Fact was up on a clifftop with a telescope doing some stargazing when a gust of wind blew him and the apparatus over. Fortunately he didn't stumble far enough to actually fall off the cliff. Picking himself off and brushing the dirt off, he picked his telescope back up and tried to get back to what he was doing.

A tap on the shoulder made him jump as he spun around to see who snuck up on him. Floating over the edge of the cliff was a very tired looking pegasus. His black hair was slowly turning white and his limbs were gradually turning more and more transparent.

"Dear sweet Celestia!" He swore, remembering to use the proper curses this time. "What happened to you?!"

"No time," the bedraggled pegasus barely breathed as he spoke with a raspy voice. "Luna's right behind me and I need to sleep, badly." He held one hoof forward.

Random's eyes widened in panic when he heard that Luna was in close pursuit. "Right." He quickly reached a hoof forward to connect with the fading flyer. As their hooves touched, all life seemed to leave the pegsus as he went limp. His body quickly fading into motes of light that flowed up and through his now completely glass shell to connect with the unicorn's hoof.

Not even half a minute after he had safely stored away Storm Chaser's body and memories, wow he picked a cheesy name, then another gust of wind blew him and his telescope back over. "Twice in one day?!" He exclaimed.

He looked up to see the lunar princess hovering several feet in the air. "Princess Luna?!" He quickly bowed, she looked like she was still just as angry as when he, I mean, Storm left her in his dust. The remnants of the evening's events flooded through him at that moment. Oh you cocky pegasus, you did not just do that to Luna.

"Spare us the formalities, we needs make haste!" Shouted Luna in her regal voice. "Prithee, hath thou seen a white pegasus flying like the wrath of Tartarus chases him?!"

"Yeah! He knocked over my telescope!" He continued to bow before Luna, sweating profusely. He was really hoping to avoid running into one of the royal sisters this soon. "He went that way!" He pointed off in a direction south of Ponyville. More or less the direction he would've been flying.

"We thank thee, good sir. Enjoy the rest of your night." Concluded the vengeful mare as she flew off in the direction he pointed. Leaving him to go through the remainder of his thoughts.

"That," he caught his breath, blood rushing back to his face. "Was too close." He glanced in the direction the night princess flew off to. Was it really that necessary for Storm to make a scene like that?

He looked down at the clear gem in his grasp, it was completely transparent except for a small picture floating inside of a lightning bolt splitting a cloud. A cutie mark.

Luna flew around searching for a couple more hours without success. She spotted a few more late night stargazers but nopony else had seen anything unusual that night. Giving up the night's search for lost, she made her way back to the royal palace of Canterlot.

She found her sister madly pacing the balcony outside the dining room as she touched down. Celestia spun around as she heard hooves connect with the stone. Tears in her eyes as she rushed Luna, collapsing into a hug as she reached her.

"You're all right." She sobbed as she held her sister tightly. "I was so worried when the guards woke me up saying there was an attack." The solar princess looked into her sister's annoyed expression. "You are all right? Aren't you?"

"We are whole, sister. A bit tired, but whole. We've never seen a pegasus move that fast."

"Not even Rainbow Dash?" Asked a wide-eyed Celestia.

"Well, she's the exception. Her speed also isn't normal for her tribe. So what of the attacked? We were in heavy pursuit of the assailant but their comrades seems to have the victim under taken care of." Luna inquired.

"Soarin of the Wonderbolts." Sighed the solar diarch. "I got the report a few hours ago, he's unconscious in the hospital. The doctor's don't know what's wrong with him. Physically he's in perfect health but...his magic, his pegasus magic, is completely gone! No trace of it remains, not even his cutie mark."

Luna's eyes went wide at the news. "That is most troubling indeed dear sister. We saw the attack happen but didn't grasp the gravity of it...except..." She rubbed her hoof under her chin thinking.

"Do you know something Luna? Please tell me if you do. The Wonderbolts are a branch of our military and I'm already expecting to have to deal with at least one angry general asking questions in the morning. Asking questions that I don't have answers to."

"I suppose I should tell you everything that happened to us tonight." Luna was not looking forward to recounting events. "It all started when we left the castle..."

"So your 'date', after being the perfect gentlecolt all evening, and quite the charmer from the sounds of it." Celestia reflected while Luna blushed furiously, having recounted all events for her sister. "Dove into the stadium, deflected a blast of magic, turned into a cloud or a shadow or whatever and shot straight through Soarin. Then when you tried to catch him afterwards, he was absurdly faster than before."

"We believe that about covers it." Luna got up from the pillows that they had settled into while she told her tale. The whole story, Including, at her sister's insistence, all the juicy details about how he almost kissed her. "Now if you excuse us. As exciting as the night has been, we still have other duties to perform."

Celestia watched her sister as she headed in the opposite direction of where she usually settled in for her night watch. "And where are you going?" She lifted an eyebrow at her.

Luna harrumphed. "The evening's events have left us frustrated in more ways than one." She continued walking.

Her sister smiled the first real smile she had in hours. "So...you're going where?"

"WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A COLD SHOWER!" Luna shouted as she stormed out of room and towards the castle baths.

Author's Note

This was a lot of fun to write and I'm glad I decided to split the chapter.
also, Poor Luna.

Chapter 4: To save a life

The sunlight roused Twilight from her slumber as it poured in through the window. She slowly rolled over and sat up.

She hurt all over.

Dash had not been particularly gentle with her flying lessons and she had eaten so much dirt that it was a surprise she hadn't put down roots by the time they were done. One hoof at a time she pulled herself out of bed. Pain shot up her legs and across her back from the sorely abused muscles. Her wings felt like lead weights that pounded against her sides every time she moved.

She looked over to the basket that Spike slept in and didn't find him there. However, there was the smell of food wafting up the stairs. Somepony must be making breakfast. Her stomach growled in agreement and she slowly followed the scent downstairs.

Twilight entered the kitchen to find Rainbow, Random, and Spike sitting around the table eating some pancakes. "Oh, morning Twilight," said Spike. "I made all of us breakfast," he said gesturing to the food. "Want some?"

"Thank you Spike," she sat down next to the table and levitated a few pancakes onto a plate. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably waste away with a book in your hooves," said Spike before going back to eating.

She took a few bites of her food as she took stock of everypony else. Random was eating his food and casting an annoyed look at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash was...reading the paper? "I've never seen you read the paper, Dash. Something interesting in there?"

Rainbow looked up upon hearing her name. "Oh hey Twi," she said. "I didn't see you come in. Yeah, a Wonderbolt got attacked last night. See." She passed her the paper.

She picked up the paper in her magic and read the headline aloud. "Stadium attacked, Wonderbolt Hospitalized. Suspect still at large." Twilight read through the article. "Eye witnesses saw a lone pegasus being chased above the cloud stadium by Princess Luna suddenly dive through the track, clipping one of the racers and making his escape over the south gate." She turned the page and continued to read, "if anypony has any information about the suspect, please contact the nearest authorities." It included a picture of a white pegasus stallion with a black mane and a vortex cutiemark.

Rainbow's eye's bugged out looking at Twilight, "do you know how fast you have to be to outfly a whole city and a princess? I'm not even sure I could do it, and I'm awesome."

Twilight looked back at her with eyes wide, "are you saying there's somepony out there faster than you?"

"Pfff, fat chance Twilight," said Rainbow with a smug expression. "There's no pony faster than me. But that right there," she said pointing at the paper. "Goes beyond reckless and straight into crazy. And what do you think he did to make the princess chase him?"

"I'm not sure, what do you think Random?" She said pulling him into the conversation.

Random sighed as he got up, clearly not getting his paper back. "All I know is they both buzzed me while I was stargazing last night. Princess Luna and that fool she was chasing."

"You saw them last night? Do you think he's hiding around Ponyville?" Rainbow asked, perking up.

"Yeah I saw them," said Random as he made his way over to the sink. "And I've got no idea if he's hiding in Ponyville. Not my problem."

"He's got a point Twilight. It's not really our problem unless the other princesses ask us for help."

Spike suddenly stopped in the middle of breakfast and his cheeks puffed out. "Hrrmff...BURP" He burped up a flame that spiraled in on itself and with a 'pop' it disappeared and a sealed scroll landed on the table.

"I think you might've just jinxed it Rainbow," said Twilight while chuckling. "I wonder what the princess has to say...Um Random? Why do you have a water balloon?"

Random walked past them with a water balloon he had been filling at the sink. "Oh this? This is just in case. I got a hunch so I'm heading up to the roof for a bit," he explained. His tone giving the impression like he was doing something obvious.

They watched him leave the room, still wondering what he was talking about. "Enough of that Twilight," said Rainbow while poking at her. "Find out what the princess wants so we can get back to flight training."

"Haven't you tortured me enough?!" Complained the princess of tailspins.

"No where close enough," laughed her coach. "C'mon Twilight, you'll learn to love it and we'll all look back on this time on laugh.

"Hnmm," groaned the princess of faceplants. "Well let's at least see what the princess has to say." She floated to scroll over to herself, broke the seal on it and read its contents aloud. "Dear Princess Twilight, first and foremost, it feels good to address you like that. I still remember when you were a little filly, excited about getting your cutiemark. But I'm stalling. The real reason I'm writing you is I've assumed you've heard about the incident in Canterlot last night. We've managed to keep several details out of the news and would like to keep it that way for the time being. The main detail we've kept hidden is what happened to the Wonderbolt, Soarin. I would like you to visit him in Canterlot hospital and give me your own opinion on his condition as soon as possible. I'd say more but I'm worried about the panic it would cause if this letter was intercepted. Your mentor and friend, Princess Celestia."

"Looks like you're off the hook for today," said Rainbow.

"Quite frankly I'm not ready for another day like yesterday just yet," said Twilight while rubbing her sore shoulder. "Don't worry Dash, I'll put you at the top of my list once I've seen to the princess's request."

Random was on the roof with his eyes closed and just letting the breeze brush his fur. The water balloon floating next to him in his magical grip. Now that he had some time to think, his thoughts went back to the persona he sent off to Canterlot last night. It really had made quite a mess of things. All it needed to do was snatch a compatible pegasus soul, but no, it had to go and make a scene.

He slowly let his eyes drift open and gazed over town. Luna had been really upset last night. Could he really blame her though? No pony really likes to have their emotions played like that.

The water balloon slowly drifted outward from him in his grasp. He watched float away with a lazy grin. "Heh," he laughed to himself as he dropped it. "Wait for it..."

A distant splash was heard from the path, along with cursing and shouting. "My beautiful mane is ruined!!! Quick! Back to the salon! I must keep my royal visage perfect!" Came a male voice from the front of the library.

Random looked down to see a once pristine Prince Blueblood galloping away at breakneck speed, his lackeys close behind him. "Too easy..." He sighed while watching the clouds. He still needed to put a couple things in place and he was running out of time to do so.

Suddenly a weight fell onto back, shoving him down into the deck.

"What did you do to my friend?!" An angry, feminine voice cried at him from just behind his head.

Hooves dug into his shoulders, preventing him from turning around to see who was assaulting him. He strained his eyes and caught a glimpse of some jasmine feathers at the edge of his vision. "Cloudy? Is that you?"

"Don't you 'Cloudy' me! What did you do to Blossomforth?!" Cloudkicker shouted at him hysterically.

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen either of you since yesterday morning...Aack. That really hurts you know." Her hooves were digging harder and harder into his back. He also felt a few warm splashes against his neck. Was she crying?

"Don't you play innocent with me!" She continued shouting at him. "I thought it was weird that she looked drunk yesterday morning and while that may have explained the headache she had for the rest of the day after she finally woke up. It doesn't answer why she woke up this morning screaming or why there's black smoke pouring out every part of her."

That got his attention. How had that gotten inside her? Why wasn't Cloudkicker affected? His mind started racing over what he saw and knew about the other flyer. He didn't know all that much about Blossomforth aside from the night that none of them remember. She seemed to have a pretty standard build for a...Oh crap.

"Cloudkicker, you need to get off of me right now." He tried to communicate the sincerity in his voice to no avail.

"Not happening." She continued to dig into his shoulder. "I know unicorns can't cast while they're in a hold like this. Now tell me what I wanna know before I shove your horn up your..."

No time for this. He channeled his internal magic down through the pegasus crystal he acquired last night. A tingling sensation ran through his fur, making it stand on end. The sensation ran up to the spot Cloudkicker was digging into his back and as it connected with her hooves, a jolt of electricity ran up through her body, causing her to involuntarily jump off of him. Taking full advantage of the reprieve, Random scrambled to his hooves and pushed his magic through his horn now that he was no longer pinned. An emerald glow formed around Cloudkicker and left her suspended in the air.

"Put me down and..." Suddenly his glow slammed her lips shut, cutting off her words.

Random floated her close and looked right into her eyes. "Listen to me Cloudkicker. Your friend is in more danger than you realize. She may have only hours to live if she's even got that long. I can help her, but you need to stop attacking me. Understand?"

Her eyes went wide as his words and realization sunk in. She quickly nodded her consent.

"That's better," he said while placing her back on the ground and releasing his grip. "Now follow me, I don't know where she lives and I need to grab something downstairs first."

He raced down the stairs and back into the treehouse with Cloudkicker closely behind him. He didn't see Twilight or Rainbow as he was running though. Good. He didn't need the distraction or the audience right now. He threw the door to the Archive open as it came into view and leapt down the center of the stairs. He bounced off the pillow, landed on the ground, and kept running. Once he got to the second set of stairs, he leapt off those as well and casted a bubble on the ground for him to bounce safely to the front of his office.

Cloudkicker had a bit of trouble keeping up with him once he started jumping off of ledges, she wasn't near as fast as Rainbow Dash. She did however manage to keep him in sight. She followed him down into the office right outside his bedroom and found him wrenching open a blank wall to a hidden room. She moved to the doorway as he stepped inside and her mouth just hung open as she watched him.

Random scooped up several empty vials and began to hurriedly fill them with the various base components he had in scattered flasks. "Cloudkicker, are you able to fly me back up the way we came and over to where Blossomforth is?" He asked her as he arranged tools and vials into saddlebag he picked up on the way in. "Time is of the essence."

"Sorry, I'm not strong enough to take a passenger," said Cloudkicker crestfallen at her lack of ability. "We don't live that far away though."

"That's fine," he said while closing his bags. "So you two live together. Anypony else live there as well?"

Cloudkicker was angry and flustered by his question. "Is that really important right now?"

"Yes it matters," snapped Random while closing the hidden door behind him and racing out of the room.

"It's just us there," resigned the pegasus, not seeing why it mattered right now.

"Don't worry, there's a good reason I'm asking," explained the unicorn while galloping up the stairs three steps at a time.

They made their way out of the library and across town. A few passersby turned to look at the odd couple racing through town. A couple of them knew Cloudkicker by reputation, but hadn't seen the stallion she was with yet.

Cloudkicker led Random to a simple thatched roof house like many of the others on the street. "Is this the place," he asked.

"Yes it is. Let me get the door...Hey wait!" Random pushed past her and let himself into her home. Yes he was breaking some basic etiquette right now, but he was in an especially big hurry. Once inside he ran up the stairs and started opening doors until he found what he was looking for.

A white pegasus was on the bed, laying on her back, and staring at him. "What do you want?" She weakly got out through a raspy voice. Her mane was a complete mess and thin black smoke pealed off her body. "Are you the one who did this to me?"

"In a sense, I did, but I'm also going to fix you if I can." Random set his bag down next to the bed and pulled out a stethoscope. He approached her with it, causing her to back up into the headrest of the bed in a panic. He pulled her back down to the center of the bed with his magic and started using the stethoscope to listen to her heart.

"Cloudkicker, are you just going to watch this?" Cried Blossomforth who started breaking out into a cough.

Cloudkicker was sitting in the doorway watching this all go down. "He seems to know what's wrong with you. Also, I don't think I could stop him if I tried," she explained, out of breath from keeping up with this mad stallion. "So how is she, can you help her?"

The mad stallion nodded while checking other vitals. "She not as far along as I feared. We have more time than I thought. More than enough time to treat this."

"Treat this?!...Cough...What exactly do I have?!" Wheezed the sick pony.

Random turned to the door, "would you get her some water please? I'd like to clear this throat up."

"Sure," said Cloudkicker as she left the room.

He quickly turned back to his patient, "she knows, doesn't she?"

Blossomforth looked down at him from her position on her back, no longer being held in place by his magic. "Knows what, you crazy unicorn?"

"That's why she didn't go to a doctor first," sighed Random. "She knows you're a changeling."

"What?!" She snapped at him. "That's just crazy talk. What even makes you think I'm one of those creatures?"

"Fine, you need proof?" Asked the Unicorn who really didn't want to be having this talk right now. "Here's what I think happened. After the party where we somehow all ended up in the same bed. No, I'm not even gonna question what happened that night. It isn't important right now. You woke up feeling hungry next to two ponies that were chock full of love and you thought you'd take a bite. No harm, no foul, and a small bite would normally go unnoticed. However, love feeding takes place on a spiritual level as opposed to a magical one, so you took a bite off of me. But then you got something extra you weren't counting on. You took a bite of something cursed, now you're possessed, and now it's killing you. I can treat you but it's going to be a lot harder if we either have to play keep away from your roommate or if I have to work the necessary spells and medicine through a changeling's veil. So I ask again. Does she know?"

Blossomforth stared at him with a look of shock and horror. At that moment, her roommate stepped back into the room with a wing wrapped. She stood stock still as she read the tension in the room. The pony on the bed looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes. "Yes...sniff...she knows," she said while resigning herself.

Random took a step back from the bed, relaxing a bit. "That's better," he said. "Now take it off, let's examine you properly."

"OK," she nodded slowly, still crying a bit.

"Take what off, what'd I miss?" Said a confused Cloudkicker, moments before a ripple of green light cascaded down Blossomforth. Leaving in its place a pony shaped insectoid, body covered in a black chitonous shell except for the white carapace on her back. Her eyes were a soft blue color but lacked pupils. She had fangs in her mouth, holes in her legs, and a wicked curved horn sticking out of her head. Her wings no longer sported the feathery plumage of a pegasus, but instead were now long and thin. Light shone through them, playing a pattern onto the bed. The smoke pouring off her body a little thicker than before. However, she was also visibly breathing more easily than before.

"You happy now?" Said changeling Blossomforth. She turned her head to Cloudkicker, "he found me out."

"I see," Cloudkicker was looking at Random a bit apprehensively. "What happens now?"

Random ignored her as he went back to retake her vitals. He nodded as he listened to heart, lungs, and a few places along her neck. "OK, I know what you need now. Lets get that thing out of you."

An hour later Random and Cloudkicker had proceeded to clear out some space in the other bedroom. Her bedroom to be exact. Furniture was stacked against the wall and the bed was leaning up against it, leaving the bulk of the room as a large open space. "Is there a reason we're destroying my room?" She asked while she boarded up the window at his request.

"It's big enough, it doesn't face the main road, and I still owe you for kicking my flank this morning." He rattled off.

"Isn't that a bit petty of you? No, I mean why do we need a big open space? And why are you tearing up my carpet?" She snapped while watching him pull up a corner of the carpet and started rolling it up across the room, leaving the hardwood floor exposed.

"You ask a lot of questions for a pegasus. We need to perform a ritual to cleanse your friend, an exorcism of sorts. The problem is that rituals work better at night and since she won't last that long, we need an array to simulate the energy we need. Unless you think you can convince the princesses to raise the moon half a day early," explained Random. "And yes, I am a bit petty."

He continued to work, drawing out a large circular diagram on the exposed floor with a piece of chalk. Carefully he etched out diagrams and formulas across the floor and poured a strange pale liquid over sections he seemed satisfied with.

Cloudkicker and Blossomforth watched from the doorway to the room in silence. Blossomforth was still in her changeling form for he had insisted she stay like that to reserve her strength. They had long since had given up asking him questions since they often got a long winded response that didn't really answer anything they could understand.

"And we're done," he stepped back, looking at his work. "It's a bit rough but it will give us the moonlight we need."

"So what happens now?" Asked Blossomforth, a bit wary of whatever was going to happen next.

"Nothing too much now that the easy part's done." He pulled several vials out and started mixing them into a larger flask. The contents taking on a muddy green color. "Fortunately there's only a little corruption in you and it shouldn't take something stronger than this to remove it." He poured some of the flask into a smaller vial and passed it over to her.

Blossomforth took the vial he offered in her chitinous hooves. She took a tentative smell of it and flinched away at the pungent odor. "Please don't tell me I need to drink this."

"Sorry, that's how it's gotta be," he held up his own, much larger portion up in a toast. "Bottom's up." He downed the whole vial in one fluid motion, shivering a bit and licking his teeth after consuming the foul concoction. "Oh that is nasty."

Watching him drink the same vile substance she was holding did not comfort her. However, after coming this far she may as well see this through. Steeling her courage, she downed her own portion of the potion. Her eyes went wide as it hit her tongue and rushed down her throat. It tasted a lot worse than it smelled. The taste of rotting tomatoes and oranges filled her mouth, and as she forced herself to swallow it, it left the lovely aftertaste of rotten eggs. She buckled over afterwards, coughing and wrenching but the vile substance wasn't going to come back up.

Random was sitting in the middle of the circle as she looked back up from her place on the ground. "When you're ready, sit before me. Let's get this over with."

The changeling slowly crossed the edge of the circle. The shadows trailing off of her growing thicker as she got closer to the center. A soft humming filled her ears. Where was that coming from?

It was coming from him. He kept his eyes closed as he hummed. He rocked from side to side as he felt the energy in the room coalesce into a single idea.

Blossomforth nervously came to a stop in front of him, all the while wondering what she got herself into.

"Stay calm, little one," said the unicorn in front of her. The jovial tone they had gotten used to long since gone. All that came from him now was the embodiment of serenity as he opened his eyes to reveal an endless ocean of stars.

The dreamer found himself in the dark void of the spiritual realm that some referred to as the dreamscape. Stars filled the void as far as could be felt, for one did not truly see in a space like this. His body cloaked in the green of the forest, his body hidden from view, for this was how he saw himself and this is how this realm portrayed him.

He looked over his shoulder to the door that represented mind and memory. It was right where it always was and where he needed it to be.

He turned, putting the door at his back and felt into the void for the vessel that is the body. When he found the empty shell that was his body, he searched for another similar vessel.

Finding it, he followed its paths back to the spirit, mind, and memory of the other vessel. Doing so placed a new door opposite him.

"What are you doing here?" Came a voice from the direction of neither mind. An alicorn cloaked in midnight and stars appeared to one side of him. "And how are you here in the middle of the day?"

"The moonlight never fades dear dreamwatcher," he told the apparition. "One only needs to know how to look."

"But what are you doing here?" Demanded the dreamwatcher.

"A soul seeks balance and the scales are weighed." The dreamer leaned and pointed at the closed mind opposite him. "Open yourself up and show me what troubles you."

The mind slowly opened its door to reveal a small form, wrapped in chains and a serpent darker than the blackest night wrapped around it and while digging its fangs into her neck.

The dreamer reached out and caressed the serpent, singing to it as he petted it slowly. His tender touch causing the serpent to relax and as it relaxed, it slowly started to uncoil from its prey.

The serpent drifted toward the dreamer while the dreamwatcher, having become entranced by the dance of the dreamer, just watched in shocked silence.

The dreamer's mind opened to receive them as a long toothed maw sleepily pushed its way out from its depths. It opened its jaws wide to reveal towers of crystal from deep within its bowels.

The serpent circled the dreamer, dancing with him, before seeking a new shelter in the towers of glass. It drifted towards the maw that yawned and the moment the serpent's tail was clear of the dreamer's form, the maw slammed shut on it, missing the dreamer by the smallest of margins.

Its meal consumed and its hunger sated, the beast retreated back to its lair and both minds shut their doors.

Random blinked a few times until the world came back into focus. The sleeping form of his charge lay before him, no longer plagued by shadows.

"Sweet Celestia, what did I just watch?!" Exclaimed Cloudkicker from the door to her room.

"Get Blossomforth back into bed and stay with her until she wakes up," instructed Random. "She's cured of the blight that afflicted her but she will be weak. Your presence will help her greatly."

Cloudkicker rushed across the room to retrieve her friend while the writing on the floor quickly evaporated. She scooped her up onto her back and retreated out of the room. Just before leaving his view, she turned around, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," the tears streamed down her face. "For saving her." And with that, she left to put her companion to bed.

Random was tired. Magic of that level was not easy to perform. And while he appreciated the gratitude, he really needed to make sure that piece of shadow he carried didn't try to get away again.

Luna opened her eyes to see Twilight in front of her. They were outside Soarin's room where Twilight had been examining the fallen Wonderbolt.

"Is everything OK, Luna?" Asked the new princess.

Luna stared at the wall in a daze. She found the dreamer again, but what did she just watch?

"We...are whole, Twilight Sparkle," said the night princess. "But we must leave you now. I trust you can continue the search on your own?"

"I won't let you down, Princess." Twilight gave her a little salute.

Luna nodded to her and walked away. She wasn't sure what she saw, but both times the Crystal Empire showed up the same time as the dreamer and she needed to find out more.

"It is time to head north," She told herself.

Author's Note

hurray for writing dream sequences at 1am, interesting things happen.

Edit: 11/10/20
Changed how Random got out of the pin he was in

Chapter 5: Detective Sparkle

Twilight's train pulled into the Canterlot station and she made her way over to the hospital. The whole trip over she was left to wonder what was so secretive about Soarin's condition that the princess didn't want to write it down.

As she stepped into the lobby, one of the royal guards was there waiting for her. "Princess Twilight," he said while giving her a deep bow. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are expecting you. Please come this way."

She followed the guard to large room in the back of the hospital, a guard stood at attention on both sides of the door. One of them unlocked the door as she approached to let her inside.

Once inside she found her mentor, Princess Celestia, waiting for her and next to her was a very tired looking Princess Luna.

"Princess Twilight! It's so good to see you again," said Celestia. "How has your time away from Canterlot been? I hope your return to Ponyville has been relaxing."

"Well I wouldn't exactly call it relaxing. You know Pinkie. It's been one crazy party after another," reflected Twilight. "That and Rainbow Dash has been Tartarus-bent on teaching me to fly."

Celestia smothered a chuckle that sounded of falling rainwater. "Hehe, well you look much better than when you left. I'd say the time you've spent away has served you well and it's good to see your friends haven't changed their attitude towards you, despite your new title and station. Make the most of these moments, Twilight. You'll cherish them forever."

"Princess Luna," Twilight focused her attention toward the bedraggled princess. "Forgive me for saying, but you look awful."

"Indeed. 'Twas a long night for us and we have been unable to sleep." Luna carefully took a sip of the coffee she was holding.

"She's just upset her date ended the way it did."

Luna's coffee sprayed out of her mouth, "Tia!"

Twilight's eyes lit up as she ran over and gave Luna a few playful jabs with an elbow. "Does Luna have a very special somepony?"

"It's...It's not like that," Luna was backing away with a mad blush on her face. "And I don't want to talk about it, not yet anyway."

Celestia gave her sister a somber look. "Luna, you can't keep information like that hidden. Not in these circumstances."

"Princess Celestia, I think it would be wrong of us to pry into her personal life like this. If she wants to tell us, she can. But as a good friend, I respect her privacy."

Luna smiled at Twilight, "we appreciate your concern Twilight. But my sister is correct. The Wonderbolts make up a branch of Equestria's military and I cannot in good conscience withhold information from an investigation that relates to the country's security, despite my...personal feelings. However, I would like you give your opinion on Soarin's condition before I divulge those details.

"I will do my best not to let you down," she enthusiastically pulled out a notepad and quill.

"Hehe," chuckled Celestia. "Eager to learn as always I see. Unfortunately this is where I must leave you now. Other duties require my attention and I'm still trying to keep this from spiraling into a panic."

"I won't let you down either, Princess." Twilight saluted her mentor.

"I know you won't, Twilight," and with that, she knocked on the door and the guards let her out.

"Come this way, Twilight Sparkle," Luna beckoned her over to a curtain drawn around a hospital bed. "We are eager to know what you make of this."

Twilight approached the curtain and drew it back to reveal a pegasus stallion laying on his back. An IV was running into a leg and several sensors were attached all over his body with a readout of his vitals showing next to the bed. His coat and mane had lost all color and when Luna pulled back the sheets, Twilight could see his flank was missing its cutie mark.

Twilight immediately casted a magical field off her horn, settling it down over the unconscious Wonderbolt. Using it to see what what happening to the magic inside his body, but it just left her scratching her head.

"Luna! What is this?" She panicked as she recast her spell several times. "What exactly is going on here?"

Luna answered her calmly, sounding like she expected this kind of response. "Please tell me what you think is going on here?"

"I can only make a guess, but it's like something ripped the magic right out of him. I can't trace any magic in him at all. Wait," noticing a slight pull from his chest. "There is a little bit still in there, right around his heart. It seems it's just barely enough to keep him alive." She snapped her head to stare at her. "Who did this?! How did this happen?!"

Luna exhaled slowly and started pacing around the room. "I was chasing the pegasus Storm Chaser after he ran out on our...date," Luna gritted her teeth, looking a bit annoyed. "And right before he would've collided with Soarin, I saw dark smoke start to pour off his body moments before he passed right through our patient here."

"So we know the name of the pony who did it," Twilight thought over this. "But I don't see how a pegasus could do what you described by...wait," she paused for a moment, running the last thing she said through her head. "He was your date?!"

"Yes, he was."

"How did that happen?!"

"...And then he jumped off the balcony. Everything else you already know." Luna was scowling and grinding a hoof into the ground.

Twilight stood there slack-jawed as Luna told her tale. But as the story finished, she slid up to her and wrapped her up in a hug. "I'm sorry you had to retell the story. That couldn't have been easy."

Luna leaned into the hug, "I appreciate the gesture Twilight Sparkle, but rest assured I will be fine." She narrowed her eyes a bit, "but have no doubt, I'll have some very serious questions when I catch up with him. Now back to the matter at hoof. I need your help finding out what happened here. You are far better versed in any recent magical discoveries and my knowledge, while vast, is very outdated."

The Element of Magic pulled out of the hug and stepped back up to the bed that Soarin laid in. "I'll see what else I can find out. I can't promise anything this early though." She went back to casting various spells over the body.

"That's all I can really ask of you. I thank you."

Twilight ran a spark of magic up and down the lines of his body, looking for anything that stood out. She opened an eyelid and flashed a light in it to find no reaction. Next she tried tugging on a few feathers...no reaction. She then casted a very intrusive spell where his cutie mark should be, but all that got her was a face full of stallion flank.

Nothing.

Nothing, nothing, and more nothing.

She was about to give up when she remembered something from one of the books she found in Random's collection about energy in the body versus the energy in the world, how it's all connected, and how 'belief' can show you hidden truths. It seemed like a very strange approach to magic and sounded like something that if the magic school board heard her say, they would probably laugh her right out of the building. But maybe, just maybe.

She casted another wide field over Soarin's body and instead of looking for something, she tried 'believing' something was there. All the while cringing inwardly that she was even considering using a method that made the writer sound like he smoked some fancy grass. She was about to give up and swear never to tell a living soul about this crazy idea, when she started to feel something tug her horn to the space above his body.

"What are you doing here?" Came Luna's voice from across the room.

Twilight, feeling all embarrassed, stopped the spell she was casting and looked over to Luna, ready to make some excuse about weird method she was trying. But Luna wasn't looking at her. In fact, her eyes were closed.

"And how are you here in the middle of the day?"

Was she talking to someone? There was no one else in the room with them and Luna was making a grimace like she was trying hard to concentrate on something.

"But what are you doing here?"

Twilight moved over to sit in front of the lunar princess and watched her closely. After a while, Luna's breathing started to slow and her face was turning a few shades paler. She was about to poke her to see if everything was ok when Luna's eyes shot open and she stared at the far wall with a stark expression plastered across her face.

"Is everything ok, Luna?" Asked Twilight, feeling concern for the other pony in the room.

Luna seemed to take a moment to recollect herself. "We...are whole, Twilight Sparkle. But we must leave you now. I trust you can continue the investigation on your own?"

"You can count on me, Princess." Twilight gave her a small salute and watched as Luna exited the room.

Turning back to the stallion on the bed, she tried to find that 'tug' she felt a moment ago. It didn't take too long to find this time, but sure enough, something in the space above him pulled on her magic. She focused harder and harder on the space above him, despite the headache she was getting from pouring so much power into untested magic. Just when she was about to collapse from the strain, something clicked in the spell and everything fell into place.

Above them was small, blue...thread? A line? What exactly was that? She let out the breath she had been holding and as she did so, the line became more solid and stretched out, with one end leading into the body on the bed and the other running out the door.

She walked towards the door to see if she could follow it, and sure enough, as long as she kept her horn glowing, the thread staying hanging in air. Not having anything else to go on, she decided she'd follow this line to see where it went. Knocking on the door, the guards let her out of the room and she followed the thread down the hallway and out of the hospital.

The thread continued to lead her down the street. She collected a couple sideways glances from the Canterlot locals as she followed the trail that was leading her...somewhere. They wondered for a moment before moving on with their day what the newest princess was doing running down the street with her horn glowing, although none of them could see what she was chasing as she wove up and down the roads.

Eventually it lead her up to a large building in the entertainment district where she almost ran head first into a guard who was blocking the entrance.

"By court order, the cloud stadium is closed today," the guard said very mechanically, not even looking at who he was talking to. He must've been repeating the same line all day.

"Closed to everypony, even a princess?" She didn't like using her status like that but she really didn't want to lose the path she was following.

His eyes came back into focus at he saw her for the first time. "Princess Twilight?!" He reeled back a bit, startled. "What are you doing here?"

"Following a lead on the investigation," Twilight looked around the guard as the string was leading into the door. "I need to get in there," she pointed at the door.

"Yes of course Princess," the guard hastily opened the door. "You'll find several officers inside doing the same, including Commander Spitfire. I'm sure anything you can add to their findings will be a big help."

She made her way inside the stadium to find several guards walking up and down the stands, closely looking over every nook and cranny. Following the thread down to the center of the stadium, she stopped right when she got to the edge. The thread went out further into the cloud layer.

"Princess Twilight. What brings you here?" The voice came from overhead, startling her a bit and almost making her lose the spell she was holding onto. She looked up as a yellow pegasus with a red and orange mane touched down next to her.

"Commander Spitfire," she gave her a small nod. "I'm currently following a lead in the Soarin case and it's brought me here."

"Well any new information you find, we'll be happy to have." Spitfire looked up at the rest of the guards as they looked over the stadium. "We haven't been able to find anything and we've been at this all night after taking Soarin to the hospital. How's he doin by the way? Any of his color come back?"

"Sorry to say, no he's still still out of commission," shaking her head. "But I found a bit of magic on him and it lead me back here, and..." she said shakily as she pointed out over the edge of the stands. "Gulp...out there."

Spitfire looked out to the arena and then back to Twilight with a smug look. "Still haven't found your sky legs I see. Well the bulk of the arena is covered in clouds. You should be able to walk around out there easily enough. I need to check on the rest of the guard, but let me know if you find anything." And with that, she flew away, leaving Twilight to her own devices.

Twilight nervously looked out over the edge at the clouds. She once used a spell to walk on clouds but she hasn't tried walking on them without it since getting her wings. She mentally prepared herself to jump off the solid ground onto the less than solid clouds, reminding herself all the while that everything will be fine. Besides, if this goes wrong she can always glide to safety. Right?

She jumped off the edge, a little panic welling up inside her as she did so. She quickly descended to the cloud layer, the fluffy white mist growing ever closer. And then she bounced off it a few times and she found herself standing on it just fine. "Well I got worked up over nothing," she berated herself.

She managed to keep her horn glowing through that whole ordeal, and although it took her a minute to find the thread of magic again, find it she did and she followed it as close to the edge as she dare get.

Twilight just about ran out of cloud when the thread suddenly ended in a big ball of...mess?...yarn?...whatever you want to call it. It wove in and around in one big mess and then it seemed to lead out straight down for a couple feet before fading into a different color, a green color.

"Commander Spitfire," she called up to the pegasus. "Can you get me a chariot? I think I found something."

Night was starting to set in the Whitetail Woods and it was a lovely evening despite how Random's day started. He had to utilize astral magic in front of others. Fortunately the ponies he had to use it in front of had secrets of their own they wished to keep.

But before that he had to use a bit of the stolen pegasus magic to get free from the pin that mare had him in. He didn't expect somepony to jump him that badly. Well, serves him right for dropping his guard like that and hopefully Cloudkicker didn't understand what exactly he did. I mean, the pegasus tribe stopped the mandatory training of their young in elemental arts shortly after the founding of Equestria. Well, some probably still keep up the tradition.

He looked up the stars that started to peek out from night's veil. So many nights just like this one and only a few more were left before he had to accomplish what he came back to Equestria for.

"There you are, you crazy stargazer," Whisper flew up to him while carrying something in her hooves. "You always have to pick a different spot every night, don't you? Do you have any idea how many places I have to check just to find you, you crazy colt."

A grin plastered his face, "oh come now, I'm not that young."

"Yeah, yeah. Get out your walker, you old fart. Anyway, I found it." She flew over to him, holding the object in her grip out to him.

Random unwrapped a cloth from around the object and looked at it in the moonlight, his eyes going wide at the item. "Can it be? We found the real one?" He reached out to place a hoof against the charm she held. It was a silver triangle with a red gem and out of the top of it was the head of a unicorn sporting a pair of wings.

"The Alicorn Amulet," as his hoof rested against it, long dark tendrils wrapped up his foreleg and bringing a grin to his face. "It is the real one! Do you any idea how many imitations I found over the centuries?"

"Probably a lot," Whisper shook her head as she relinquished the amulet. "So are sit there reminiscing all day or are you get on with it."

"Heh," he laughed while taking the amulet in his magical grip and bringing it closer. "I guess I am tempting fate, aren't I?" He placed it against his neck, latching it into place.

"Yeah, you are. So get on with it."

"Pushy fairy. Well let us begin then." He looked out to the sky while the gem against his chest started to glow an angry red.

Twilight flew through the sky on a chariot while following the green thread south. She'd been holding this spell for the last several hours and if it wasn't for the large magical reserves she had at her disposal, she would've passed out a long time ago. That didn't mean it wasn't taking its toll on her. Her eyes were drooping along with the setting sun.

She slapped herself across the face to wake herself up. There was no guarantee she'd be able to find this trail again if she dropped the spell. But she was so tired.

"Everything alright Ma'am," came from one of the two guards pulling the chariot, having heard the impact.

"Just having trouble staying awake," she got out between gasps as she looked out at the path before them. "It helps the path is in a straight line. I'll be fine, just keep flying."

They followed the spell back to the outskirts of Ponyville before making their descent. Twilight recognized the place they were landing as the place of her flight lessons the day before. She stumbled out of the chariot and her horn flickered a bit as they touched down.

"Are you OK, Princess?" One of the guards looked over to her.

"I'll be fine," she stumbled up to the cliff edge. The thread of magic traced down to right in front of the cliff edge...and then it just vanished.

In a panic, Twilight looked all around the cliff edge to try to find where the signal had gone. She went back to where it disappears and tried to increase the intensity of the spell. The effort of keeping that spell up for so long though finally caught up with her and exhaustion hit her like a hammer. She fell over on her side as the spell fizzled out.

"No no no no," she scrambled back to her hooves in a panic and tried to get the spell working again, but she couldn't even find where the signal broke anymore. "We lost the signal," she told the guards. "We'd probably have to go all the way back to Canterlot to get a signal again."

The guards looked at each other for a moment and seemed to come to a decision amongst themselves. One of them faced her, "forgive our forwardness, Princess. But you are in no condition to make the trip back to Canterlot tonight. We think it would be best if we instead took you home since that's much closer."

Twilight was feeling a little dejected after coming this far, "yeah, you're right. Besides, I don't think going back would help anyway. There was no mistake while I still had it, the signal just vanishes there." She pointed at the cliff. She slowly got back onto the chariot. "OK," she sighed. "Take me home."

They got back into the air and started to head towards the library when they noticed a bright red glow coming from the Whitetail Woods. "What is that?!"

"Are you sure this is safe?!" Whisper shouted to Random from behind some rocks at the edge of the clearing as Random himself glowed as bright as the midday sun.

"Oh it's definitely not safe. But don't worry, I got this." His horn was glowing brighter and brighter. "I may want to hurry though before somepony sees this."

"Is there a reason you keep tempting fate?!" Whisper worriedly shouted back from her hiding spot.

"Old habits, I guess. Too often interesting things happen when I do." Red electricity was arcing down his body to his back. His eyes were glowing a bright red and he was cringing in pain. He took a deep breath and then arced his back, pointing his horn skyward. Red light shot out of his horn like a lance and out of his back like a pair of wings. The light spiraled upward like a drill until it collided with the sky.

The Dreamer appeared in the dreamscape in front of his door. Not even a moment later, the Dreamwatcher appeared a couple of paces away and just sat there watching, not saying a word.

He took a few steps forward and used his horn to cut open the empty space in front of him, causing shadows to pour through the crack he made.

The door behind him flew open and the beast stuck its head out, opened its mouth wide and just started inhaling the encroaching shadows eagerly. Growing larger as it did so.

Random continued to pour more energy into his horn, the amulet growing hot against his chest. The space above him started to crack and tear as shadows wrapped their way down the lance of light and onto his body. Despite his pain, he smiled with glee as he started to pull the shadows into himself. They rushed into him like water into an endless void, never being able to fill the space no matter how much it rushed out.

He could see Whisper trying to shout something to him out of the side of his vision but he couldn't hear her and he couldn't stop what he was doing now. He pulled harder and harder until the shadows trickled down to a thread and he took that thread and pulled on it with all his might.

The fissure above him started to bulge and break, spilling out light as it did so. Excitement overwhelmed him as he pulled a green orb out of the void. He licked his lips as he pulled it closer and closer, savoring the end of a long hunt. Opening his mouth wide, the orb fell into his mouth and he swallowed it with no small effort. As the lump ran down his throat, he felt something at his chest crack but he paid it no mind. The energy hit his stomach and rushed through him like a river, filling his soul in a way that he hadn't felt in many years. Parts of him that were broken, mended themselves and fortified themselves.

As the last of the shadows were consumed by the beast, a green star fell through crack towards the Dreamer's waiting embrace. The beast's maw stretched around its jailer, ready to feast on this morsel that had escaped it for so long.

Jaws snapped around the Dreamer as he held the star to his chest. As soon as he did so, the teeth of the beast stopped their descent and it started to retreat back towards the door. Green chains burst out of the beast's body, causing it to howl in pain as it was tightly bound and dragged back into the door.

"I did it, Whisper," a manic grin crept across his face. "Thank you my friend."

Whisper gave a half smile, her eye twitching a bit. "Well I'm happy for you but you want the bad news or the worse news?"

Random's smile fell at her response, "what happened?"

"I think someone spotted your lightshow, even though they're probably not close enough to see all the details." She pointed in the distance where he could see a golden chariot flying through the air being pulled by two stallions in Canterlot livery.

"Is that the bad news or the worse news?" Great...what kind of excuse was he going to have to come up with to deflect Princess Twilight?

"The worse news is I think you broke your necklace," she suddenly hid behind the rocks again, ducking for cover.

Random looked down at his chest, cracks were quickly tracing throughout the gemstone on the surface of the amulet and it was vibrating harder and harder. "Oh crap..."

Suddenly the amulet exploded and darkness took him.

Author's Note

Welp, I just blew up the OC and in spitting distance of Twilight. What's going to happen next? Not even I know for certain. My ideas seem to take on their own life when I start typing them out.
Join us next time on "This BS I'm writing"

Edit to chapter 4: 11/10/20
I had to change how Random got out of the pin Cloudkicker had him in. I really didn't like the idea I originally ran with. (I will try not to make a habit of retconning stuff I already published, I'm still a very new writer.)

Chapter 7: Close on the trail

"No! Not another one!" Twilight cried from the foot of the hospital bed.

"Twi? You gonna be alright, girl?" Applejack stood next to her and wrapped a foreleg across her back. "We really need your help on this one and Ah don't need you fallin apart on me too."

"I'm sorry AJ," Twilight sniffled a bit. "The last day has been really stressful and I guess this just pushed me over the edge."

"I understand Twi," AJ patted her on the shoulder. "Now buck up, ya'll said something bout another one. Do ya reckon you know what's wrong with my brother?"

Twilight stood back up on all fours before wiping away the tears in her eyes. "I do. I saw a pony in this same condition yesterday."

Doctor Horse stepped forward, reminding them he was in the room. "Excuse me Princess. But is this illness contagious? Should we be worried?"

Twilight looked over to the doctor and shook her head. "This isn't an illness, but before I say anymore, I need to ask both of you. Who has seen Big Mac in this condition?"

AJ rubbed the back of her head, "well, after I seen him like this, Ah got him into the cart we take to market. Apple Bloom freaked out something fierce once she saw his cutie mark missin, so Ah figured we should cover him up for the trip over. Don't need no folk stirring up a panic after all."

"And it was early enough when they came in," continued Doctor Horse. "That only a few of the hospital staff and myself have seen him in this condition and we came to the same conclusion as Applejack. This looks like something that would stir up a real panic if it became public knowledge. So we moved him to one of the out the way rooms that don't see a lot of traffic."

"That'll have to do," she pulled out a scroll and started scribbling on it. "The only other pony I've seen like this is in Canterlot hospital and Princess Celestia is doing her very best to keep this a secret for now."

She rolled up the scroll as she opened the door to find the guards that followed her standing there. "I need one of you to have Spike send this letter to Princess Celestia right away." One of them took the letter under a wing, saluted, and made for the lobby.

"Spit it out, Twi," Applejack took off her Stetson and held it to her chest. "What's wrong with my brother?"

Twilight took a few moments to steady her breath before continuing, "This was the result of an attack by another pony, a pegasus."

"How could a pegasus do that?"

"I don't know, but I do know what he looks like. We're looking for a pegasus stallion named Storm Chaser. He has a white coat, black mane, and a vortex shaped cutie mark."

"What the hay's does that look like?" Said Applejack. "Stop speaking in fancy, girl."

"It's what water looks like when it spirals down a drain," Twilight deadpanned. "It shouldn't matter too much, only one or two pegasi in look remotely close to him.

"Well why didn't you say so," AJ put her hat back on, a stern look on her brow. "So all we gotta do, is find this fella, truss him up like a goose, and find out what he did. Sounds simple enough."

"I can only hope its that simple," Twilight said as she stepped over to Big Mac and started casting a spell. "I'm going to try a tracking spell I've been working on. It led me back to Ponyville when I used it on the other patient but unfortunately we're a step behind him." She casted the same spell she used on Soarin, laying a field over him until she found a thread of magic leading out of him. It was a red color this time, and it led out the door, same as last time.

"I've got a lead," She looked to AJ. "If this works like last time, it should take me to Sweet Apple Acres before going somewhere else. Applejack, can you round of the girls and meet me there? And keep an eye on the sky. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"Ah'm on it, sugarcube." AJ galloped out of the room.

Twilight looked to Doctor Horse, "sorry I couldn't help more. But I don't know anything more that could help."

"Well his vitals seem stable enough," he said while looking over the charts. "You just go do what you need to do. We'll take care of Mr. Macintosh here."

"Thanks doctor," and she ran out of the room, following her new lead.

Twilight galloped across town, following the new thread. The two pegasus guards stayed behind to guard Big Mac's room. Apparently Princess Celestia had sent a reply to her letter only moments after sending it, stationing them at the hospital until she could send a proper contingent out that way.

It didn't take too long to get to the farm while following the thread since it was moving along the same path that the apple family's cart took to the hospital. She took a few minutes to catch her breath once she got there and waited for her friends to get there.

Rainbow Dash was the first to arrive, touching down next to her. "Hey Twilight, what's up? Applejack said you needed us for something."

Twilight sighed, "we need to chase down a pegasus."

"Is that all! Why do you need everypony for that?! I can chase down any pegasus in ten seconds flat."

"Rainbow, you do everything in ten seconds flat."

"No I don't, I..."

The rest of her friends ran up at that moment.

Applejack was the first to speak, "ok sugarcube. Ah found everypony. Still don't know why you need all of us to chase down a pegasus. Ain't no pony faster than RD."

Rainbow puffed out her chest, "told you, Twilight."

"Rainbow Dash...I'm not so sure in this case," admitted Twilight. "We're looking for the one that attacked the Wonderbolts yesterday."

"What?!" Screeched Rainbow Dash. "The one that outflew Princess Luna?!"

"That's right. We're going to need everypony to bring him down," said Twilight. "I've developed a spell to help us track him down, but it's going to take time to work and we might get lucky if we're all keeping a lookout for him in the mean time."

"Oh my," said Fluttershy. "This sounds serious. So what does this pony look like?"

"Oh, right, he's..."

"He's a handsome stallion with a white coat and a black mane and he's got a vortex cutie mark which kinda looks like the way water drains and the only good picture any pony has of him is when they saw him on a date with a unicorn who was secretly Princess Luna in disguise. Oh! And I have a picture of them right here," Pinkie Pie pulled a photo out of her mane.

The girls hudled around to see the picture while Twilight sat there for a moment with her eye twitching. She almost ended up losing the spell she had to hold for an extended period of time again. Where does this pony get her info?

"Oh good heavens," exclaimed Rarity. "He is quite the looker and they make such a cute couple."

Twilight moved over to get a good look at the picture. It looked like they were enjoying a very nice evening. "Pinkie?! Where did you get this photo?!"

"Oh Twilight, don't be silly," Pinkie gave a dismissive gesture with a hoof. "I got it from my mane. You were right here when I did."

Twilight took a few steps back as she felt her mind fall out of touch with reality. It's fine, she's just being Pinkie Pie. Don't question it.

"Ok, back on topic. I just need to find a signal for us to follow. Right now I'm only tracking Big Mac and I know where he is right now." Twilight followed the red thread up to the front door and into the house.

Behind her she heard Rainbow ask AJ, "Where is your brother anyway? I haven't seen him this morning."

Twilight followed the thread up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. It stopped over a particularly large bed, most likely Big Mac's, and just like before, it twisted into a big mess before a green thread led away from it. She followed it to the window where the trail dropped down to the ground. Carefully leaping out the window, she was able to flutter her wings a bit so she didn't fall too hard. She was getting better at using these things on her back.

Following the magic it brought her back around to the front of the house where the girls were waiting. None of them were smiling, except Pinkie, but even that looked a bit forced. "I take it you told them, AJ."

"Ah did," admitted Applejack. "You girls are like extended family. It didn't feel right to keep them in the dark when my family is in a crisis."

"Yeah, and now I got a reason to pummel that pegasus when I see him." Rainbow Dash grinded her hooves together.

"Not just you Rainbow Dash," Rarity said with some flourish. "We'll show him that if you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us."

"We're with you Twilight," even Fluttershy had some fire in her eyes.

"No one messes with our friends," shouted Pinkie.

"I'm glad to have you girls with me," Twilight cried a bittersweet tear. "Nothing can stop us when we stand together!"

They followed Twilight as she raced through Ponyville on hoof. All the while her horn glowing as they followed the trail the assailant left behind. Rainbow and Fluttershy flew overhead trying to find the wayward pegasus from the sky. Meanwhile, the rest of Twilight's friends looked up and down the streets they passed trying to find him.

The trail led them back to the library, which left left Twilight feeling a bit nervous. The thread of magic ran over a couple shelves, through the kitchen, and went into a couple of the other rooms, including her bedroom. That last one left her a bit unsettled and kind of glad she slept downstairs last night. Speaking of downstairs, the trail stopped just before the door down to the archive, went back and forth over it a bit, and then trailed back out the front door.

Applejack piped up as they started running away from the library, "hey Twi? Quick question."

Twilight stopped to catch her breath, "What is it?"

"If we're following the path he took, how did he get past the guards Ah saw here this mornin?"

"Maybe they were asleep darling," Rarity answering for her.

Twilight shook her head, "I don't think so Rarity. Shining Armor told me that royal guards are trained to go without sleep as long as possible if they're still on duty. Chances are neither of them have slept and won't sleep until the reinforcements from Canterlot get here."

"So what you're telling me," Pinkie looked around with shifty eyes. "Is on top of this pegasus being a daredevil speedster, he's also a ninja?!"

"I don't know what to think," She shook her head. "But I do think it's strange he hasn't taken off into the sky yet. He may still be in town. Come on!"

They continued following the trail into the park. A few ponies were up at this time. Cheerilee could be seen going for a morning run. Lyra and Bon Bon were sitting on a bench relaxing. Some earth pony stallion was smoking a hookah. Another one was filling a wooden tub with...jelly? But no sign of their missing pegasus.

The thread continued its journey back into town before stopping at Sugarcube Corner. It led them inside and up to the front counter where Ms. Cake was sitting.

"Well hello dearie," she cheerily greeted her. "What can I get ya?"

"We're looking for some pony this morning," Twilight said while Pinkie passed her the picture. "Have you seen this pegasus?" She pointed to the white pegasus in the picture.

"Can't say that I have dearie," she explained. "Seen all sorts of folks in here this morning, but I think I would've remembered a face like that." Ms. Cake gave her an apologetic look, "sorry I couldn't be more help. Anything else you need? I just took out a fresh batch of banana bread."

"No...thank you for the offer though," Twilight followed the thread back out front of the shop feeling a bit crestfallen. That's twice now he should've easily been either caught or spotted. Yet no sign of him.

"Twilight," came Rainbow Dash from overhead. "Still no sign of him from the air. You gonna be ok there?"

"I don't know. Somehow I feel like we're on a wild goose chase."

"I've chased a wild goose before, they can be tricky," said Fluttershy before receiving a glare from Rainbow. "I'm not helping, am I?"

Twilight sighed, "let's keep looking."

The path took them back into the park where a few more ponies had found a reason for enjoying the sunny weather. The earth pony was still enjoying his hookah, Bulk Biceps was bench pressing...the bench, Lyra and Bonbon were still on the bench giggling, the other earth pony was now bathing in jelly, and a pegasus stallion with a white coat and a black mane was sunning himself on the grass. Wait, what?!

They ran up to him as fast as possible. Rainbow Dash was the first to get there as she dove out of the sky and tackled him to the ground.

"Ow, Rainbow Dash! What gives? Is this because I skipped out on weather duty that one time?" Said Starry Eyes.

Twilight slowed her pursuit when she realized it wasn't the pegasus they were looking for. White coat, black mane, but the cutie mark was all wrong. "Rainbow, let him up. He's not the one we're looking for."

"What?!" Exclaimed Rainbow while jumping off of Starry Eyes. "Sorry Starry, thought you were some pony else."

Starry grumbled a bit before taking to the air and flying away from them.

"Sorry Twilight," blushed Rainbow facing her. "I guess I got a little overexcited."

"It's fine," said Twilight. "I think we're all getting a little high strung."

She got back on track following the thread, it took them back into the Whitetail woods up to the edge of the crater she was at the day before. It stopped there for a moment before turning around and heading back into town.

"Uh Twilight?" Came Pinkie who was running next to her with a worried look. "What do you suppose happened back there?"

She kept running as she answered the pink party pony, "Oh that? Apparently Random went and blew himself up with the Alicorn Amulet last night."

Pinkie reflexively held a hoof to her mouth. After being reassured some pony hadn't removed her speaking parts, she relaxed a bit but still looked worried. "Wait. He blew himself up?! Is he ok?"

They kept running back through the park...again. "Yeah, he's ok. Looks like he just needs to sleep it off right now," said Twilight. Scootaloo was zipping down one of the park paths on her scooter now while another pony watered the flowers.

The path took them back to Sweet Apple Acres but instead of going up to the house, it broke off into the trees. It took them up to one of the trees that looked like it had been freshly bucked that morning.

"Sugarcube," said Applejack. "This is getting plum ridiculous. We're right back where we started...sort of."

Twilight panted a bit as she kept up a her run, "Trust me, I wish this spell didn't need me to trace the exact path he used."

"Wait," Rainbow Dash swooped down, "you said we're following the exact path this pegasus we're chasing took? Then why hasn't he gone airborne yet?"

They found themselves back in the center of the park where Twilight came to a dead stop while thinking over that question. "You know...pant...that's a good question. He would've had to run all through the town to leave a trail like this."

"Wait," said Pinkie thinking. "Are we following a trail, a path, a scent, or a thread? I'm confused."

"I DON'T KNOW!" Twilight shouted as her nerve broke. "I found the spell in a really old book, it sounded weird, but I tried it anyway. It told me all I had to do was believe the thread exists and low and behold it appears. Maybe I've been using it wrong all this time. Maybe I'm no good at this kind of magic. Maybe Princess Luna won't trust me with stuff like this again." She was rubbing her hooves together now while a few hairs of her mane fell out of place. "Maybe I've had no idea what I'm doing this whole time!"

Rarity moved in front of Twilight and used her hooves to pull the gaze of the the princess in full panic mode to meet her eyes. "TWILIGHT!" She shouted at her. "Keep it together, it's been a long morning and we can't do this without you. I want you to take a few deep breaths and CALM DOWN!"

Twilight continued to hyperventilate for a few more moments before breathing in deeply with a hoof placed against her chest and pushing her hoof outward as she exhaled. She repeated the exercise a few more times until she had steadied herself. "Thanks Rarity, I guess I got a little worked up. I'm just so worried we'll never catch him and find out what he did to Big Mac and Soarin."

"We're all worried," said Rarity. "But we can't have you falling apart on us. Previous experience has shown us that nothing good can come from losing one's nerve."

"Hey Twilight," came Pinkie. "I was wondering. We keep passing through here an awful lot. Is it possible you can grab the thread and pull on it. Maybe pull out who's on the other end instead of us chasing him all over Ponyville."

"I don't think that's how magic works Pinkie," Twilight smiled.

"There's that smile you've been missing, I thought it was gone for good." Pinkie gave her trademark grin. "By the way, you said a moment ago you had to believe the thread existed to be able to see it." She rubbed her chin thinking. "Maybe you just have to believe you can pull on it." She started hopping in place, "it might be worth a shot."

"You know Pinkie," chuckled Twilight. "Why not. It can't hurt anything to try." She stepped up to the thread she'd been chasing and dipped her horn into it. Then with nothing really backing it up except Pinkie believing she can do it, she pulled on the thread. Surprisingly, the thread started to move with her. And it wasn't just the one thread. About two dozen other green threads passing through the same space made themselves visible as she pulled on them. All of them led from one end of the park to the other. All the threads...all except one.

She mentally grabbed the stray thread and pulled it taut. It snapped like it was tied to something at the other end. She followed it as she pulled it in, taking herself off the path and up into the grass. Past the mares on the bench staring oddly at her, past the stallion enjoying his jelly bath, and stopping at the earth pony stallion who was laying on the grass and peacefully enjoying smoking his hookah. She tugged a bit more on the thread but it lead right into him. Even more disconcerting was the way his head snapped to look at the invisible thread as she pulled on it. "Well that's something that just happened," Twilight said as they stepped up to the pony.

Twilight took a moment to take in his features a bit better. He had light green fur, a blond mane, brown eyes, and... smoke curling around twisted vines for a cutie mark. Huh, that's an unusual mark.

His eyes calmly focused on her as he took another slow pull of smoke from his hookah, "is there something I can help you with, Princess?"

Author's Note

This be writing rampage week. I had something possess my keyboard yesterday and next thing I knew, I had a 7000+ chapter written out. Kinda promised myself I wouldn't make another chapter as long as the first one.
So instead, gonna post 2 chapters this week. One now and I'm planning for the other one on saturday.
Ya'll have a good turkey day.

Chapter 8: Where there's smoke, there's fire

The stallion enjoying a good smoke focused on the purple princess before him as he took another slow pull from his hookah, "is there something I can help you with, Princess?"

She hesitated for a bit, "...Yeah. This is gonna sound weird, but your name wouldn't be Storm Chaser? Would it?"

Smoke come from the stallion's mouth in staggered puffs as he started laughing at her question. "Hahaha!...Cough...Cough...Do I look like that clown of a pegasus who would attack a Wonderbolt in the middle of Canterlot? My name's Smokey Vines. Anything else I can help you with?"

Twilight narrowed her gaze at him. Sirens started going off in Twilight's head as she put the pieces together. Nopony else should know the name Storm Chaser. No pony, except Princess Luna. That combined with the fact that the tracking spell brought her directly to him was too much evidence to just be circumstantial. She widened her stance and scuffed a hoof at the ground with a snort. Silence fell over the park. Everypony knew the sound of a pony spoiling for a fight.

Applejack was the first to assume the position and entered a combat stance of her own. "What is it sugarcube?" She asked through her teeth.

"It's him, AJ. I'm sure of it," Twilight declared. "We've been chasing the wrong pony."

Smokey looked back and forth between them as realization dawned on his face. "Well oops. I'm not supposed to know his name. Am I?"

The rest of the girls caught on to what was happening at this point as they began to circle around him. Cutting off all escapes. The other ponies in the park started quickly backing away from the circle of six ponies that had a knack of finding every bit of trouble in town.

"There's nowhere for you to escape, Smokey. We have you surrounded," Twilight announced. "Come with us quietly and we won't have to get rough."

Smokey took one last deep pull of smoke as he stood up, cracking his neck as he did so. "Points for tracking me down with spirit threads, Twilight Sparkle. But I think I'll have to take those back for not getting the jump on me while I was prone. How do any of you hope to protect what you care about when you make such poor decisions?"

"Ya'll ain't in any sort of position to lecture us here buster," AJ growled, muscles bunching up in her legs, ready to spring forward at the drop of a pin.

Smoke leaked out of the corner of Smokey's mouth as looked sideways at the apple farmer. A savage grin creeping across his face. "Why Applejack...Losing one's temper never helped anypony. What would Big Mac say?"

"That's it!" Without further warning, Applejack charged the grinning fool. Determined to pound his face into the ground.

"Don't do it! It's a trap!" Shouted Pinkie Pie.

But it was too late.

Right before She would've connected her hoof with his face, the center of their circle exploded into a cloud of blue smoke. They didn't hear anything connect but they could no longer see either of the ponies. As the smoke cleared, neither pony was still in the circle.

"Wow. It didn't take much to goad her on like that. She may want to consider anger management courses?" Came a voice directly from Twilight's side.

She leapt back from the source of the voice. When had he gotten right next to her? She looked around in a panic but couldn't find AJ. "What did you do with her?!"

"Relax, she's fine." He pointed a hoof to the top of the abandoned hookah, where a tiny Applejack was sitting looking dazed and very confused.

"Poison joke?!" Was Twilight's first reaction upon seeing her shrunken friend.

Smokey whistled at her response. "You ARE a sharp one, lady."

Twilight grabbed at him with her magic, hoping to lift him into the air and end this here and now. She couldn't get a hold of him though. It was like her magic couldn't find anything to grab hold of. "What?! How?!"

"Well this has been fun," he rubbed idly at a shoulder. "Let's do this again some time." He turned and started walking away.

"I don't think so buddy," Rainbow Dash was on him like a flash. He spun to face her even as she tackled him to his back. She growled in his face, "no pony does that to my frien...mffff." Rainbow's words were cut off as she suddenly found her lips locked with the stallion under her. The shock of suddenly being prench kissed made her roll off of him as her face was quickly becoming flush. "What's the big idea?!" She yelled at him as purple smoke started dripping out of her mouth.

The spot she had him pinned found itself short one earth pony even as misty smoke curled around it. They quickly looked around the area, trying to find where the slippery stallion ran off to.

"Careful girls," Twilight said as she scouted the surrounding area. "He's a slippery one."

"Bleh..." Rainbow was rubbing at her muzzle as more and more smoke poured out of it. "What did he do to me?!"

"You mean to tell me no pony's been brazen enough to try and steal a kiss from you yet?"

Pinkie was the first to spot the source of the voice, "Rarity look out!"

Rarity turned around to find the troublemaker standing right over her. She tried to stop his advance with magic but ran into the same problem Twilight did. Her magic just seemed to roll off of him as he planted a kiss on her as well. Her eyes went wide as she pushed him away and started spitting on the ground in a very unladylike fashion. "You brute!" She yelled at him as purple smoke started pouring out of her mouth as well.

Smokey just stood there with an evil grin plastered across his face, making no effort to run. "You two make a cute couple. How close are both of you anyway?" He jumped over Rarity, grabbing her by the barrel as he did so and using the momentum to flip her over his back. Next thing Rarity knew, she found herself airborne and flying headfirst for Rainbow Dash.

Rarity flew through the air towards the prismatic flyer. Rainbow Dash, being the loyal friend she is, made to catch her, but the moment their bodies touched they were enveloped in a cloud of purple smoke.

Twilight slowly approached the edge of the smoke, "girls? Are you ok?"

"I don't know," came a distorted voice from inside the cloud. "I feel funny."

The smoke cleared to reveal a white unicorn with a curly rainbow mane. A pair of white pegasus wings were on her back and her cutie mark was a diamond being split by a rainbow bolt.

Silence ruled the five mares that were previously six. "What the hay!" Shouted Appletiny from the top of the hookah. "Ah git turned into a pip-squeak and they get turned into that?!"

"Oh my stars," came a voice from the newcomer that was clearly sounded like Rarity. "How bad is it, Twilight? He didn't mess up my mane, did he?" She reached up to inspect her mane.

"Who cares if you got a little dusty, Rares." Came the voice of Rainbow Dash as the same pony snapped her hoof down and straddled the ground in a ready stance. "Where did he run off to?!"

"Um...girls?" Twilight carefully approached the strange pony, "is that both of you in there?"

"What are you talking about?" "Whatever do you mean?" Came the dual voice response.

Twilight cringed as she conjured a mirror and held it up to them. A face with one blue eye and one magenta looked back at them from the mirror.

"Ahhh!!!" Came the scream from both of them. "What did he do to my coat? Your coat?! Look at my poor mane. I don't have anything that compliments this look. Rarity, I don't think this is the time to think about clothes. You're right Rainbow Dash. We need to find that scoundrel." They looked around and spotted him as he was running out of the park. "There he is!" shouted Raridash as they spotted Smokey running into the middle of town. They made to chase by both running and flapping at the same time, but their new body had horribly thrown off their balance. All they accomplished was an epic face plant.

"Are you girls going to be ok?" Asked a very worried Twilight.

"Worry about us later!" "He's getting away!" They shouted at her.

"I'll come back for you. Keep Applejack safe." Twilight turned on her heel and chased after the earth pony along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"Oh don't worry," said an exasperated Raridash as she laid on the ground, shaking. "We're not going anywhere."

Smokey galloped through the streets of Ponyville. Looking over his shoulder he saw that only three of the original six were chasing him. How had she figured out how she could pull on the strings already? He knew she was reading some primers on the subject a few days ago. But it should've taken weeks at the minimum for her to grasp the subject to this degree. Was it her special talent? Maybe. Either way he needed to find a way to lose them until he could pass on the earth pony spirit he was carrying to his host.

He should be far enough ahead now to pull off a getaway. He spun in place and skidded to a stop as he breathed in deep and channeled earth pony magic up through his body and into his lungs. He wouldn't have been able to use magic to this degree if he hadn't already completed the first part of his mission.

He exhaled hard as he blew a rolling smokescreen over Ponyville's streets, obscuring the sun from his pursuers. Watching for a moment to make sure they got covered up by the black fog, he ran down some side street until he found some crates to hide behind next to one of the buildings.

Taking some time to catch his breath, Smokey sat down and let his weight lean into the crates.

"Hi!" Shouted a cheery voice. "That's neat trick you got there."

He snapped his gaze to the top of the crates, where the Pinkie was looking down and grinning madly at him. How had she caught up like that? What was so funny? Wait...there was something funny about her just appearing there. Just not funny for him. Combine that with some of the earlier antics he'd witnessed already. Only time a pony was able to do the impossible for no reason was...

Eyes went wide as the last pieces clicked into place, "you!" He shouted at Pinkie. "It all makes sense now. You're a seed of chaos!"

Pinkie tilted her head, looking at him crooked. "A what now?" She turned over her shoulder and shouted, "girls! I found him! He's over here!"

Twilight and Fluttershy were violently coughing up the black smoke when they heard Pinkie shouting from a side street. They pushed their way through the fog until they found the alley that Pinkie and Smokey were in. Pinkie was standing on top of a crate and Smokey was...backing away? Backing away and looking at Pinkie with a look of panic and terror.

"Pinkie!" Shouted Twilight. "What did you do? He looked scared."

"I didn't do anything," said Pinkie. "He just spouted some nonsense and started freaking out."

Smokey was backing away from the pink terror, eyes darting back and forth. "Funny. Unexpected. Strange. I need something to twist the chaos," could be heard under his breath in a bare whisper. "Will dark humor work? Twisted humor?"

They all saw him focus his eyes on the yellow pegasus next to Twilight. That creepy grin returning to his face as the manic stance he had taken started to lessen. "That'll work."

"Fluttershy! Run!" Shouted Pinkie as a trail of green smoke traveled up the wall and started pooling behind the girls. Smokey jumped at her from out of the pool even as the body that was standing where he was before started to evaporate.

Fluttershy jumped into the air, unfurling her wings to take flight, but she was a bit too slow as she found a pair of forelegs wrapped around her. The momentum of Smokey's jump carrying them both back to where Pinkie was standing. A cloud of green smoke covered the two of them as they landed, the edge of it just barely missing Pinkie.

"Fluttershy?!" Twilight shouted after the pegasus. "Speak to me!"

"I'm ok Twilight," came a deep voice. "Eek."

The smoke cleared leaving a very embarrassed and suddenly male Fluttershy and an even more confused Pinkie. "That's it?!" Exclaimed the party pony. "You turned her into a stallion?! What's that supposed to accompl...ack!"

A pink explosion of smoke covered both Pinkie and Flutterguy as Smokey dashed past Twilight out of the alley. Twilight tried again to grab him with her magic but still couldn't get a grip on him. What in the name of Celestia is going on?!

"Girls are you ok?!" She shouted as the smoke cleared. "He's getting away, we need to..." Her face instantly went beet red and her wings involuntarily flared back as she stared at the state the two of them were in.

They both had hearts in their eyes as their bodies entwined, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. Flutterguy was gently nipping at Pinkie's neck. Pinkie had a dazed look on her face as he head was thrown back, drool rolling down the side of her mouth. Flutterguy's started to nipple her way down Pinkie's back, eliciting moans of pleasure from her as he made his way down to her...

"Nope!" Twilight levitated both of them apart from each other as she conjured a rope to tie them both up. Both of them making various lude sounds as she quickly tied them up, none of it doing anything good for her either as she started to feel her own heat rise.

"This is getting way too out of hoof," panted Twilight as she desperately teleported the three of them to the library.

They appeared in the lobby of the library. Fortunately it was empty. She didn't need anyone else seeing both of her friends in this state. Quickly teleporting back to the park, she picked up Appletiny and Raridash and dropped them off in the library as well.

Twilight made sure the door to the library was locked before she made her way over to the wall and started banging her head against it.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

"Twi," came the squeaky voice of Appletiny. "Did you catch him?"

"No." Twilight slid to the floor as she started sobbing. "And he's left all of you in this state."

Raridash shook a bit as she stood back up and gingerly turned to look at the two of their friends bound on the ground. "What happened to them?" Came their combined voice, both asking the same question.

"From what I could tell...sniff. He turned Fluttershy into a stallion and then supercharged their libidos. He made his escape as they started to...Sob," Twilight started bawling on the floor. "I couldn't just leave them like that!"

Raridash slowly made their way over to Twilight, carefully pacing each step to avoid tripping any more than they already had. "Twilight," came Rarity's voice from the combined mares. "I think I speak for all of us when I say you need to get back out there and find him. He's hurt more than a few ponies at this point." "Yeah," Rainbow's voice picked up. "We'll hold down the fort until you get back. Now get out there and show him what happens when you mess with us."

"But I've lost the signal. I don't know how to find him now."

"The Twilight we know," came both of them. "Wouldn't quit so easily." She placed a hoof on her shoulder, "now get out there and make us proud."

"You heard em girl, get out there and give em what fer!" Appletiny cheered from the nearby table.

"Ok ok, I'm going." Twilight got up and made her way to the door. She placed one hoof on it before turning back with a small smile on her face, "where would I be without you girls?"

"You still here?!" Appletiny yelled at the top of her lungs. "Git goin girl!"

"Right," and she turned and walked out the door.

Twilight stood in front of the library, searching for threads again. Unlike before, it seemed she was starting to get familiar enough with them that she didn't have to start at one end or the other to be able to find them. It only took a moment to locate one.

As she grabbed it, another emotion started to bubble up within her, this feeling refused to let anypony mess with her and her friends like this. That earth pony had played with her friends, tossed them around like they were small foals and walked all over them like they barely mattered.

This feeling burned from the center of her being and it refused to be simply dismissed as she poured her magic into the thread. As she empowered her hold on it, the thread broke in her grip and turned to face in another direction before reconnecting and making a new path.

A menacing snarl climbed up her face as she honed in on the direction of her prey. The fire inside her continuing to bubble to the surface as small embers flaked off her fur.

The emotion tore through her like a raging inferno.

That emotion, was rage.

This was supposed to be so simple. He pegged the Apple family stallion as a perfectly compatible match too. All he needed to do was wait for nightfall, sneak into the farm house while everypony was sleeping, snatch his magic, and pass it off to his host. It should've been easy enough to do it all in the same night. But then his host had to go and blow himself up, and then have the bad luck of having somepony see him do it.

Smokey was on the edge of the Everfree forest. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath before trying to escape into the forest. He was burned out. That last spell may have been a bit extreme, but a chaos seed isn't something to handle with half measures.

"Maybe I overreacted. I mean, she has been here a long time and Ponyville's still here." He thought about it a bit more,...then facehoofed. Followed by hitting the sides of his head. "I did overreact. Stupid stupid stupid. She's bound to an aspect of virtue. That connection wouldn't let her tear reality apart so easily."

He was kind of hoping that as good a friend as Twilight was, she wouldn't let them take things too far and he could get rid of the last of his pursuers in one shot.

A thread lit up his chest and pointed in the direction of town. "Oh come on! How are you learning this so fast?!"

He should've rested after going into Everfree, it was more dangerous to do so but the wild magic would've easily masked his signal.

Smokey started running toward the signal while preparing the last of his smoke. He hardly had any left in him. Probably only enough for one last big trick before he burned out. Suddenly the line snapped and popped as Twilight appeared right in front of him. Heat washed over him and his instincts screamed at him to move out of the way. He jumped to the side and slid to a stop. He looked back he saw the spot he was just standing and saw that it was now just a bubbling scorch mark as he looked at the mare that almost fried him.

Her coat had turned bleach white while her mane and tail were a blazing inferno. Her eyes?! Oh her eyes had turned blood red as magic cascaded off of her, vibrating the air as it did so.

"SMOKEY!" Raged Twilight. "HOW DARE YOU COME INTO OUR LIVES AND PLAY WITH THEM LIKE THIS! WE WERE ALL HAVING A PLEASANT TIME UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP AND SET US ON THIS WILD CHASE! I HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH WITHOUT UPSTART VILLIANS THINKING EQUESTRIA IS THEIR PLAYTHING! FOR THE GOOD OF ALL OF EQUESTRIA, IN THE NAME OF ALL THE PRINCESSES...AHHHHHH!!!"

Pain shot through the muscles between her shoulders as she lost her hold on her magic, "what the...?" She tried to turn around as her legs gave out, finding herself pinned to the ground.

The dying fires licked at Smokey's coat and mane as he dug his hoof into the unicorn's magic node which, conveniently enough, also worked on alicorns.

Twilight looked forward to where Smokey was supposed to be standing as her body seized up. The body there was slowly dissolving into smoke. She should've seen that coming, he'd been pulling smoke tricks the whole time she and her friends had been chasing him.

"I realize the irony of monologuing after getting the jump on you for doing the same." Sweat was pouring off Smokey Vines body from the remaining fire that was still dying down. "But do you know why I was able to take all of you down despite only being an earth pony?"

Twilight coughed up a bit of the smoke her body was letting off from her own flames. "It's because of that weird magic you're using, you monster." She got out through gritted teeth.

"No Princess Twilight Sparkle," he leaned down over her and whispered in her ear. "Because at every turn you all demonstrated a lack of control. Applejack lashed out at me in anger and made a bad judgement call as a result. Rainbow Dash and Rarity's personalities are so out of sync with each other that despite them being stronger in the same body, they were tripping over their own hooves. And as for the last two. If Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy commanded better control over their own urges, that aphrodisiac would've been nothing more than mild annoyance."

Twilight hopelessly struggled under him as tears formed in her eyes, "why are you doing this?"

"Because there is darkness in this world, the likes of which none of you are ready to understand. And at this rate," he leaned in and whispered ever so softly, gently tickling the hairs inside her ear. "Equestria will fall."

Smokey breathed deep one more time and glistening white smoke poured over Twilight Sparkle as consciousness was denied her.

Evening was falling as a knock came at the door of the Golden Oaks. The rest of the girls were still there in the library in their altered forms.

"You two gonna get that?!" Appletiny poked at Raridash.

"I'm tired though." "It hurts to move." Said Raridash in her dual speak voice that no one in the room had gotten used to.

Another set of knocks came from the door louder and more forceful.

"All right, I'll answer it." "Fine, I'm getting up." Raridash gently got to her hooves and slowly edged her way to the door, stumbling a couple times but eventually making it there as a third set of knocking started up. She unlatched and opened the door.

The door opened to reveal Zecora standing there holding a small bundle.

"I was worried about bothering you at this late hour," she took in the sight of the anomaly in front of her. "But it seems your case has gotten quite dire."

"You may as well come inside, Zecora." "Yeah we've had better days, Zecora." Raridash inched along the wall to make room for her enter, leaning against the wall for support.

Zecora entered the room with a raised eyebrow as she took in the sight of the tiny pony on the table and the hogtied mare and stallion in the corner of the room with a...rather pungent smell coming off them. "I can see you've had quite the eventful day. I would hear the details, if you may."

"None of us really wanna talk bout it." Appletiny took off her hat started shuffling it in her hooves, abashed.

The bundle Zecora was holding shifted in her grip and soft muffled crying could be heard coming from it.

"Whacha got there?" Appletiny was taking on the job of doing the talking for the room since Raridash looked on the verge of collapse.

"It is the reason for my visit," Zecora set the bundle on the table and started unwrapping it. "Although now I see I must work my magic to see you all are fit."

She finished unwrapping it and a small purple bundle of fur rolled over and sat up.

A filly sized alicorn sat on the table with burns at the edges of her mane and tail as well as the tips of her wings.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the lot of them with tears pouring down her face, "sniff...sniff...I failed."

Author's Note

I'm just gonna say right now, Smokey Vines and this encounter wasn't near as dark and twisted in my head when I parsed out my ideas.

That being said, this chapter was a hell of a lot of fun to write.
Thoughts? Concerns? Cries of anguish?
Leave your comments below, I'd love to hear them.

Chapter 9: Shadows of the past

Luna flew out over the frozen wastes found north of the Empire. It was far too cold for anything to live here without the magic the crystal heart provided. So she was stuck with an endless search through unchanging scenery with nothing but her thoughts for company.

She did feel bad having essentially dropped the other investigation on Twilight's lap, but her own avenues of research had quickly exhausted themselves on that front. Maybe, if Luna was lucky, Twilight will have at least found something new for them to work with by the time she got back.

The silence of this place allowed her wandering thoughts to reflect back on her unfortunate date the other day. It really was a pleasant evening before it all went to Tartarus. Whenever she thought about it though, it made her so angry she wanted to...

Luna stopped herself in her flight as she felt the blood drain from her face. What was that voice in her head? It was in her head, right? She darted back and forth over the landscape trying to find the source of the voice even as a chill set into her bones.

"Who's there?!" Shouted Luna at the barren landscape. "Show yourself!"

The wind started to pick up, leaving an eerie sound as it passed through the icy mountains. Luna looked up at the moon even as storm clouds started to hide it from sight. A few moments later snow was caught by the wind as the weather started to churn itself up into a blizzard.

She was forced to land and find shelter as the growing gales threatened to tear her from the sky. Luna managed to find an outcropping in the cliffs that she could seek shelter in until the storm passed.

Luna shook the snow from her wings as she got out of the weather, "I ask thee again. Who art thou?" She asked the air. "Art thou a spirit?"

"A thousand years you say," Luna didn't have to think too long to come up with a feasible culprit. "Art thou Sombra?"

The shadows coalesced in the cave until they became an amorphous blob with green eyes that smoked purple, a blood red horn peeking up between their gaze. The sorrow behind those words permeated the air.

Confused tears came unbidden to Luna's eyes, "how art thou still living? We heard thou hast fallen when the Crystal Heart was recovered."

"So why hast thou not sought to pursue the empire yet again? We can but assume that thou art the shadow that made thyself known a few nights past."

The shadows slowly snaked along the walls as their gaze seemed to consider Luna from different angles. It seemed to come to a decision as it settled down on the opposing wall. he said with a growl,

This was the first real lead Luna had managed to find, she just needed to keep him talking. "What doest thou think called thee back?"

"So thou art just as lost as us?" Luna felt traces of despair seep into her being, she flew all this way for answers and only found more questions.

sadness rang from every word the consciousness said.

"So thou art trapped in this half-life?"

The shadow dissolved into nothingness and Luna was alone once more.

KNOCK KNOCK

Princess Cadence rolled over in bed, it was about an hour before dawn when a knock came at her door. She carefully slid out of bed, doing her best not to wake her husband. She opened her bedroom door to find one of her guards there, "Yes?" She asked sleepily.

The guard stood stalwart as he saluted, "your Highness. By your orders, you asked to be awakened when Princess Luna returned."

Her ears perked up a bit a that, "Auntie Luna's back?"

"Yes, your Highness. She awaits you in the sitting room."

Cadence followed her guard to the sitting room. It was one of the few rooms in the castle that had its own hearth and this one had a roaring fire going when she arrived. The Princess Luna could be found at the base of the fireplace, wrapped up in a blanket.

"I take it it's cold up there?" Cadence said as she sat next to Luna.

"Indubitably so," the lunar princess said through chattering teeth. "It didn't help we found ourselves caught in a blizzard once we found the source of the light."

"You found it?!" Cadence sat up in rapt attention. "What was it?!"

Luna seemed to hesitate as she prepared to deliver whatever news she had, "pray thee wait before inciting a panic. The news we bring is...of an unusual nature to put it mildly."

"Well don't leave me in suspense," she leaned forward, tension rippling across her fur.

Luna tightened the blanket around her freezing body before speaking a single word. "Sombra."

Cadence reeled back, wings flaring outward and eyes narrowing to pinpricks. "He's back?! We must prepare! We must alert the guard! We must..."

"Calm yourself, niece," she shifted a bit in her wrappings as another chill ran through her. "We told thee to but wait a moment before arising to a state of panic. We do not think the situation is as dire as thou wouldst think."

"How can it not be so bad?!" Cadence felt a shaking take over her body in equal parts fear and anger. "The last time he appeared, we barely survived."

"He appeared to us, talked to us, and he seems..." Luna took a moment to think of the right word, "lost. Sombra also seems to be unable to venture out from the frozen wastes. He just sit there, bemoaning his own existence."

"You think he's expressing sadness?" Cadence grit her teeth, "I've had a long time to talk with my subjects about the former king. He does not feel emotions like a normal pony would. I promise you Luna, conquest is the only thing that rules his thoughts."

"Perhaps you are right," she took slow breath as she let the warm air of the fire fill her lungs. "However that is not the emotion? Aura? What is it the young ones say these days? Ah yes, vibe. That is not the vibe we receive from him."

Cadence stony gaze broke a bit as she chuckled, "heh, nice try aunt Luna. But I don't think the humor is appropriate right now."

"Be that as it may," Luna said. "Everything we saw up there suggests that he is unable to advance on the empire in his current condition. We would personally prefer to wait before taking any further action. The current danger is minimal at worst and we feel there is something more going on here."

She resigned herself to the elder alicorn's wisdom, "very well auntie. We will wait before doing anything else...for now. So what happens now?"

"Now we would partake of a warm bath and then sleep," Luna smiled. "We are quite exhausted and would rest before returning to Canterlot."

Cadence smiled warmly, "I'll have someone draw you a bath then."

Blossomforth slowly made her way into the bedroom. She had felt much better waking up this morning without the feeling of something trying to crawl out of her skin. Which, as a member of the changeling race that is used to wearing a faux skin over their own, turned out to be very unsettling. She couldn't remember much of yesterday after Random had her step into circle that he had destroyed her roommate's room in order to draw. Some vague shadows, some stars, and a deep comforting voice that permeated deep into herself, deeper than the local DJ could shake a pony when they cranked up the bass.

As she stepped into the room, her breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the charred form laying on the bed. "Random?!" She shouted as she rushed forward to the bedside. She barely knew this stallion but tears still welled up inside her for the one that saved her life.

A small form flitted off the pillow as she approached, "shh, keep it down. Don't you know it's bad manners to yell at some pony who's sleeping?"

Her eyes snapped to the small light the voice came from. "Are you...?"

"Yes I'm a faerie. Name's Whisper," came the voice from the wind. "I swear you ponies, or changelings in your case, need to get out more. I feel like I've had the shock and wonderment talk a few too many times recently...Why are you bowing?"

Blossomforth had jumped back from the bed and pressed her nose to the ground, "please forgive this one's rudeness." She hastily explained. "We have not had an encounter with a creature of the fae in recent memory."

"Um...OK?" The little light wavered and bobbed, not used to this kind of attention. "I guess...Rise, my child?"

"This one is honored by your presence," said Blossomforth.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to ask you to knock that off," Whisper was blushing a bit. "Cause that's gonna get annoying really fast."

"This one apologizes," she made to bow once more only to find the faerie booping her on the nose.

"Stop. Now," now she WAS getting annoyed. "I've forgotten how much your people revere faeries. Please just talk to me like anypony else."

"But..."

"I insist," she put her hoof down hard as she landed on the bedstand. "And don't worry about Random, he's fine. Well, as fine as anypony can be who decides to take up self detonation as a late night hobby."

"He blew himself up?!" She was shocked to hear this. "How and why?!" Her gaze followed where Whisper was pointing and her eyes landed on the alicorn amulet.

"He found himself a toy to play with," Whisper said with a grin. "Broke it too."

"I remember this thing," she brushed some of the soot off of it. "Some crazy unicorn showed up with that and took over the town a few moons ago."

"I remember," said Whisper. "I was here when Trixie pulled that stunt. It was really funny to watch how Twilight pulled one over on her too. Random would approve of how she went about it too."

Blossomforth's eyes settled back on the blackened unicorn, "he's really gonna be ok?"

"Should be, I've seen him recover from far worse. Heh, this one time he..." Whisper's eyes grew wide as she focused on the ceiling.

"GET AWAY FROM THE BED!" She shouted as she flew away from the bed.

Blossomforth quickly jumped away from the sleeping unicorn. As she did so, she caught the sight of the circle that was spinning on the ceiling. Did she miss that when she came in? It appeared to be picking up speed as it was started to spin much, much faster. "What is that?!"

"That's a bad sign," said Whisper even as light poured off the edges of the circle, enshrouding the entire bed in a veil of light.

"What are you doing awake, little Luna?" Said the wizened, old stallion.

Little Luna looked up at Starswirl, "I couldn't sleep."

"Go easy on her, old timer," said the figure shrouded in a forest green cloak standing next to him. "She's been getting more and more nocturnal ever since she got her cutie mark."

"Shouldn't you think about finding your own student?" Starswirl snapped at Cloak

"Maybe I haven't found the right one yet. Besides, I think you just want to keep both of the new princesses to yourself." Cloak snapped back.

What is this?

"Must you insist on calling them by that title as well?" Said Starswirl while shaking his head.

"It's too late now, all the ponies have been calling them that ever since they sprouted wings."

Little Luna slowly walked up to Cloak, "my wings hurt." She tugged at his leg. "Help me?"

"Heh...She may be my student but she keep coming to you for things," laughed Starswirl.

"Well that's what you get for always going to bed so early, you old fogey." Cloak jabbed back.

"What's a fogey?" Little Luna looked up at Cloak.

Cloak lowered himself down to eye level with the young princess, kind green eyes that shone like emeralds looked at her from within the shroud. "A fogey is what we call old unicorns that let their beards get too fluffy."

A memory?

Starswirl stroked his fluffy beard, "I think it's rather dignified." And I would not call two in the morning early. Not all of us can sleep the day away."

"I've told you time and time again," he snapped back. "The night is the time for doing things, maybe if you just..."

Little Luna placed both her hooves on his foreleg, "wings..."

"Sorry Starswirl," his horn glowed and a wisp of green picked little Luna up off the ground and deposited her on his back, where she soon nuzzled into his neck. "You heard the princess, duty calls."

"Nothing good will come of you spoiling her like that," Starswirl called after him.

"Somepony has to," Cloak called back as he walked away. "Chronos knows the elder sister gets more than her fair share of attention."

He carried the little princess back to her room and gathered up a pile of pillows for them to sit on.

Is this the old castle?

Little Luna hopped off his back and landed in the pile of pillows, giggling. Cloak swiftly dug her out of the pile and placed her down between his forelegs as he sat down. "Why do you and Starswirl always fight?" She asked him.

He looked at her with shock, "we don't fight."

"You do too," Little Luna pouted. "I always see you fighting."

"We don't fight," smiled Cloak. "We just...disagree. It's something adults do. Now if you want to keep arguing with me, I won't do your wings."

"Nuh-uh," quick as a whip she turn her back to him and stretched her wings out as far as she could. "Wings."

Cloak pulled her close as he nuzzled into her feathers, looking for feathers that were out of place.

"Tee-hee," little Luna giggled. "That tickles."

This is so embarrassing.

He worked his way out, straightening and cleaning the small soft quills. "One of these days you're going to have to learn how to do this yourself."

"But I like it when you do it." She whined.

He make another pass, this time pulling out a secondary that was loose and was sticking out at odd angle.

"Eep." She squeaked as the feather came free.

"You ok?" He said as he set the feather to the side. "That one had to come out."

"It hurt a bit," she said as her primaries twitched. "But it feels a lot better now."

"Well I'm not done yet. Hold still," he dove into the other wing, looking for various flaws.

Who are you?

Her wings were still quite small so it only took a couple of minutes before the feathers were all lined up correctly and no longer causing any discomfort.

"All done," he said as he pulled out a stray piece of down that gotten bunched up all funny.

"How are you so good at this when you don't have your own wings?" Little Luna asked as she curled up in front of him.

"That's a secret," Cloak tickled her. "I can't tell you everything. How else am I supposed to be dark and mysterious."

"Hehe, you're silly," the little filly's eyelids started to droop as she got more comfortable. "But I like it when you're silly."

"Well I'm glad you approve," he leaned down and gave her a small kiss on the head as she drifted off to sleep.

Luna slowly opened her eyes as she laid in bed. Bits and pieces of the dream were slowly slipping away from her as she stared up at the ceiling. "Not a dream, but a memory." She mused.

She tried her hardest to remember the name of the stallion she was so close to in her youth. His name was on the tip of her tongue, but try as she might, it eluded her. The eternal march of time stealing precious moments from her as tears rolled down her face. Guilt plaguing her for forgetting one she was once close to.

Something stuck out in her mind though. It was the green cloak he wore. It looked exactly the same as the one the dreamer wore.

*CRACK* "RAAAAAIIEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Blossomforth and Whisper slammed their hooves down over their ears when the screaming started.

Not long after the diagram on the ceiling started spinning than a large crack had split open in the middle of Random's chest. Smoke started to pour out of the fissure and rolled across his fur and down the sides of the bed, stopping only once it hit the veil of light that had dropped from the ceiling.

A blood red spike started to push it's way out through the crack in his chest. His eyes generating their own green light as they cast shadows throughout the room. His hooves came up and wrapped around the protrusion even as Random could be seen gritting his teeth as he tried to pull the spike back inside himself.

Glass could be heard breaking as cracks started to form around his hooves and started to climb up his forelegs. More cracks also started forming down the rest of his body and up his face, and everywhere a crack formed, more smoke poured out from him.

The cracks formed deeper and deeper gouges as they continued to spread. Pieces of his fur started to shine and solidify. The pieces started to flake and break off, falling away from his body.

Suddenly the spike thrust out of him several inches, throwing his hooves away as his back arched upward. One of his forelegs striking the nightstand as it came down upon it. The leg shattering into a million pieces as it scattered and bounced off the veil.

Random's head lay against the bed with his mouth soundlessly hanging open. The cracks slowly creeped from his face to the green orbs that were his eyes. They quickly resembled a web as the cracks spidered their way through them.

Then, as if someone had dropped hot glass in the snow, his eyes shattered. As soon as they did so, the spike forced the rest of they way out of his body with the smoke forming a mass around it. Lines started to form around the spike as more of the shadows collected themselves. A few moments later, the lines had formed into a face framed by two green eyes with red irises, purple smoke pouring off of them. A gleaming white, fanged smile cut the most sinister grin as it started to laugh.

"HAHAHA! At last!" Declared the shadow. "At last I'm free! That fool finally bit off a bit too much." He glanced down at the wrecked, still body. "Still, you were a mighty foe to keep the mighty King Sombra at bay for so long."

As soon as the king said his name, small green chains poured out from the corpse and wrapped around him.

"Still refusing to admit when you're beaten," he turned to the source of his annoyance, several of the chains snapping just from him moving. "Pfff," he spit in disgust. "Good riddance."

The chains, proving to be no threat, retracted back into the broken body. As he turned to the rest of the room, his eyes fell on the occupants. "Ah, I see that lunch has been provided." Sombra licked his lips as he floated towards the two creatures shaking in the room. "I can taste your fear already, it must be delicious. Just wait right there while I..."

*Wham* He collided with the veil, lighting up as he did so. "So you had one last trick up your sleeve, my foe. No matter," he pressed his horn into the veil, causing it to sizzle and smoke. "This won't take long."

Luna had only managed a single step out of bed when it happened. She had felt the dreamer again through her connection with the dream world and was getting ready to pursue him when a consciousness slammed into her.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" She demanded.

Desperation was bleeding through the voice in her head.

"Who's getting away?" Luna asked the open air.

"The dream?" She gasped. "Art thou the dreamer?"

That was most certainly him, although this is the first time he's reached out to her in this fashion. Whatever is happening, it doesn't sound good.

Luna closed her eyes and reached deep within herself. It only took but a moment to tap into the power that filled her domain and sent her into the world of dreams.

Luna flew down the starry corridor. Most of the passages to pony's dreams were faded and barred tight since most were still awake.

She poured on the speed and could feel his presence getting stronger as she did so. Racing ever faster down the starry road, it didn't take much longer to spot her destination.

The rift! The one she had sealed the previous night...was torn wide open!

Luna hurried to the edge of the rift, finding the dreamer lying in front of it buckled over. The collapsed dream lay behind him in ruins. Shattered crystal lay strewn throughout the broken passage.

The dreamer, still shrouded in same green cloak she had grown used to seeing, looked up as she approached, "You made it."

"What hath occurred?" Luna asked him. "Last we saw thee, thee did not appear to be having a pleasant time." She looked at the rift, dreading to ask the next question, "where is the shadow?"

"Escaped. It hasn't gone far though," said the dreamer. "My body had been placed inside a spiritual containment circle before it had a chance to break free, but...it won't hold."

"What do you need me for? My power doesn't work in the waking world as it does here, and last I tried to used it here, I was completely overpowered."

The dreamer looked up at her, soft green eyes radiating from his cloak even as he held a hoof forward to her. "I need you to lend me a portion of your power. It'll only be for a moment but I'm far too injured to resort to my normal tricks. I need a source of raw power to pull the shadow back before it escapes."

"Thou hast quite the audacity to request this of us," Luna looked deep into those eyes of his. "How are we to know that thou won't abuse our power if we were to lend it to you?"

"You don't. I'm putting myself out here and even though I haven't given you any reason to believe in me, I want, no, need you to trust that I'm doing this for a good reason."

The rift started to spark and rumble.

"Please decide quickly," the dreamer asked her. "It won't be much longer before it escapes and wrecks indiscriminate havoc."

Luna continued looking deep into those pleading eyes, remembering the memory she just relived. "Ponies will end up hurt if I don't, will they?"

"It's a guarantee if it escapes." He continued to hold his hoof out to her.

She stepped forward, placing her hoof in his. "You and I are going to have some words once this is over."

"I will answer what I can." A smile broke out across his face, "are you ready? This is going to feel weird."

Luna took a deep breath, "do whatever thou intends to do."

She suddenly buckled over as she felt the center of her being press in on itself. Small lights began to shine all along her fur. The lights began to form lines as they traveled across her body and down the hoof that held that of the dreamer's.

As the lights flowed up into the dreamer, a bright blue form riddled with stars could be seen from underneath the cloak. "Just a little more Luna, I almost have enough."

Her vision started to go a bit blurry as more light left her. Just as she was about to pass out, she felt his hoof fall away from her.

She looked on as moonlight cascaded off his body. He walked to the front of the rift and stood straight with his horn pointed skyward. "I've spent too long digging up all the pieces," she barely heard under his breath. "I'm not letting you get away when I'm so close."

Blossomforth looked on in horror as the creature that declared himself King Sombra pushed against the veil. Cracks were starting to form as Whisper landed on her head.

"Move! Now!" She shouted. "It's coming!"

The veil shattered and Sombra grinned a savage grin as he advanced on the retreating mare. Just a little closer and he can...

"AARRROOOUUU!!"

The room started to shake as the howling of a wolf shook the very air itself. Sombra turned to look behind him. "No! I beat you! How can you..."

His words were cut off as a bright blue...thing clamped it's jaws around him. Fangs piercing his ethereal body, preventing him from escaping as he was pulled back to the shattered corpse on the bed. Large blue links of chain reeling him back in.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" The chains continued to pull him in, unhindered by his struggling. "I'M NOT GOING BACK! I'M NOT..."

The head of the lunar beast dragged him the rest of the way in. As the last of bit of it retreated into the broken form, the room's light returned to normal.

Whisper was the first to say something, "I'm not ashamed to admit it. That was scary."

Blossomforth edged forward to the burnt and broken form on the bed, "what about Random? Is he...?"

*Crack* *Crumble* *POP* The still form on the bed shattered into dust as a figure sat up on the bed and began coughing and hacking over the side.

"I hath forgotten how unsavory the taste of burnt crystal can be."

As the dust settled, a stallion that nopony could've expected sat on the bed. He still had the same green eyes but he now he sported a coat of goldenrod and a light brown mane.

Across his back was a deep green cloak. The dreamer had awoken.

Author's Note

I feel like such a rookie writer when I take all week to write a chapter like this.
Are you enjoying the story so far?
Please leave your comments down below.

Feedback is the lifeblood of a developing author.

Chapter 10: Patch work

The new pony in the room kept coughing up bits of crystal as he stumbled out of the bed. "Would somepony," he said to the two winged creatures. "Please get me some water? I got Random bits of crystal stuck in my throat."

Whisper facehoofed, "that may be one of the worst puns I've ever heard. And that's especially dark, even for you."

Blossomforth's breath caught a bit in her throat as he spoke, "that voice. It's you, isn't it? The one I heard in that dark place."

He coughed a few more times, wiping a bit of spittle from his mouth as he turned to face her. "Hello Blossomforth. It good to see you have recovered so well."

"I'm feeling much better thank you," she looked around them at all the shattered crystals messing up the room.

Whisper flew over and landed on his head, "so what happened to Random? And more importantly, where's Sombra? I don't sense him on you."

The figure sighed as he looked to the faerie on his head, "Random was too damaged to keep Sombra held back. It was too much for him and he broke."

"He's dead?" Blossomforth took a few steps back, her eyes narrowing to pinpricks. "Random's dead?!"

The stallion looked back to her in a hurry, "Oh no, that's not what I meant."

*WHACK* "Ow!" He looked back up to the faerie that just stomped on his head.

"Random!" Shouted the faerie at him, "pick your words better, you fool. You're going to traumatize the girl."

"Is that you?" Blossomforth stepped closer to him, meeting his gaze. "Are you Random?"

Random sighed, "It's not a simple question. I both am and am not. Random Fact is the name of the construct I use to keep the darkness known as the former King Sombra locked up."

Whisper tapped on his head a bit more, "back to my original question. What happened to Sombra and while you're at it, what was that magic you used? That magic didn't feel like yours."

His eyes lit up, "oh, right. I need to work quickly. I don't have long to fix this mess and it would be rude to keep Luna waiting." He turned and started digging through the wreckage of crystal that used to be Random Fact's body.

"Wait? What?!" Whisper jumped off his head and started hovering there. "Luna? You mean Princess Luna?!…What did you do?"

"I convinced her to loan me some of her magic. Since she's much stronger than me, I could just imprison Sombra by brute force. However," he pulled something out of the wreckage, smiling. "Right now she's stuck keeping him trapped until I can put Random back together."

Blossomforth was getting a rapidly increasing headache trying to follow everything that was going on. "I'm so...I dunno...I'm so confused." She laid down, holding her hooves over her head.

"Here we go!" He held up a small gemstone with a small pulsating light inside it. "It looks like the core's still in tact, I won't have to do anything too fancy to reconstitute him."

Random made his way out of the trashed bedroom and up to the smashed trick door in his office..."Um, Whisper?" He asked her with an annoyed look on his face.

She blushed while hovering there, "Yes?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "why is this broken?"

She turned her head away, her pink mane covering her face a bit. "Would you believe it was a rampaging elephant?"

"Whisper," he said in a very flat and direct tone. "Who carried me down here?"

"Twilight Sparkle," she said under her breath in a barely audible tone.

Random Coughed loudly.

"Ok it was Twilight Sparkle!" Whisper shouted at him, looking a bit annoyed and red in the face. "She landed almost immediately after you blew yourself up and she would've taken you to the hospital if I hadn't done some quick talking."

"Sigh..." He climbed over the broken wreckage that was his lab door, "and you had her mix up a revival potion and shoved it down my throat. I get it. Ok, lets see the damage."

Random looked over the mess that was his lab. Most of it didn't look that bad, except for one of the combining diagrams on the floor had various solutions spilled all over it. He carefully levitated a small gem out of the middle of the sludge and, after giving it a tentative sniff, licked the glassy gem.

He scrunched up his face and started spitting out the foul substance. "Bleh, that a revival potion alright. A very weak one, but still the genuine article."

"Revival potion?" Asked Blossomforth who just walked in the room. "Actually, nevermind. My head already hurts enough as it is. Bad enough that my queen is already making sure I'm ok through the hive mind."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "well tell her I said hi. And if this is too much for you, you can wait outside. You did just recover from your own ordeal recently."

"I'll be ok," she rubbed her head a bit. "She wants me to witness whatever happens here since we haven't seen the fae in so long."

"Suit yourself." Random started to scoop up several flasks and mix them into several small vials. He set them up at another array since the first one was a mess from having an unexperienced alchemist work at it and now it needed cleaning. He topped off every container with a gem of some kind and when he placed a gem on the empty vial in the middle, it caused all the contents of the other vials to evaporate into light. The lights spun and swirled through the air as they weaved through each other. The lights slowly and gradually made their way down to the gem capping the empty flask in the middle. The gem burned brightly as the light rapidly flew through it and filled the flask with a light so bright, it looked like a star. A few more seconds and it was all over. Not a single drop spilled and none of the gems or vials broke, ready to be used again at a later time.

"Yeah that's definitely not what happened when Twilight tried that." Whisper sheepishly admitted before suddenly going rigid and looking up at the ceiling in the direction of the stairs.

"Did something happen?" Random asked as he picked up the vial.

"Um, yeah..." She looked at him concerned. "Twilight just teleported in with two of her friends and...well...they feel weird."

"Weird how?" He walked out of the room with his prize as Whisper and Blossomforth followed behind.

"It's like something corrupting their magic. Oh! She left again."

"Yeah it sounds like there's something happening up there." He said as made his way down past the archive's shelves into another side room.

The room lit up as they stepped inside. The walls of the room were one large circle and various gemstones covered every inch of the walls, giving off the glow that lit the room.

"She's back again. Brought another two of her friends with her...wait...maybe there's three of them?" Whisper looked a little confused. "It's like two of them are taking up the same space."

"Yeah that can't be good. I better finish up here before Twilight sees me. She's well read enough that she may actually recognize me from one of her books and I really don't need that kind of attention just yet."

Random moved to the circle in the middle of the room and uncorked the small star he was holding. "Ok, stand back outside the circle. This shouldn't take too long. Well unless Luna tries to hold me up with a conversation." He brought the star to his lips and chugged down the whole thing. The room grew darker as the light was extinguished. He held the small gemstone he pulled from the ruins of Random's body to his chest, "Ok, here we go."

A shockwave blasted through the room as his eyes and horn lit up with a bright green. His cloak flew back and another bright green light could be seen where his cutie mark should be. As the light flooded the room intricate circle lit up on the floor and started filling itself in with all sorts of intricate designs. The design eventually lifted off the ground to eye level and started to shirk in where Random was standing. The light getting brighter and brighter the closer the circle got to him. Once it connected with his body, the whole thing became too bright to see anything anymore.

Luna was sitting there in the dream world holding the chain the dreamer had made of her own magic to pull Sombra back in. However when she looked at where the chain went, it eventually became the tail of this very large lunar wolf that kept Sombra in its jaws. Had that magic really come from her? She didn't know what was more unsettling. That her magic was capable of that or that she herself couldn't do that with her own magic. She looked up again at the limp form of the Crystal Empire's former king in the jaws of this beast. Probably best not to think about it too hard. She'll have to ask him how he did that once things calmed down a bit.

The doorway to the dreamer's home soon started glowing and the various pieces of crystal lifted away from it, making way for the dreamer to step through.

"Thou art late!" She yelled at him. "We hath thought thou wouldst have forgotten about us."

The dreamer turned around and looked at the broken doorway, giving her a good look at his light brown mane. Wait! He wasn't wearing his cloak over his head anymore. Maybe she could finally get a good look at him. She tried to spy a peek at his cutie mark, probably the easiest way to tell ponies apart. Unfortunately his cloak completely covered it, leaving her feeling a bit moody that she still couldn't figure out who he was.

The pieces of the doorway started to come back together, flashing brightly as they connected with one another and becoming a solid whole. This process went on for about a minute, until finally, the door was whole and looked like it had never been broken.

"Bring that chain with you, lets get him checked back in." The dreamer opened the door and stepped back into his dream. Luna held the chain in her mouth as she followed him, the wolf casually walking beside her. As she stepped through the doorway, they found themselves in wide open field between Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. She heard the door close behind her as she caught up to where the dreamer was standing, giving her a good look at his face. She had already seen his mane, but now she got a good look at his goldenrod colored coat. GRRR. She should know who he is, she just knew it. She looked at his eyes again and they were definitely the eyes she had just seen in her dream.

"Ok puppy," he addressed the wolf. "Go home." At those words the wolf placed its prize at his hooves and then turned to Luna, looking down at her. The form of the wolf gradually began to dissolve into mist and as more of the mist collected in front of Luna, it began to flow into her. Her magic feeling stronger with every passing moment until the last of the beast had gone, leaving her feeling very refreshed.

Luna breathed a sigh of relief, "we hope to never have to do that again." She looked over to the dreamer as he sat in front of Sombra.

"Hopefully I won't have to ask that of you again either," he said as he conjured chains of all sizes from the ground and bound the shadow beast. Some time after the wolf had pulled Sombra from the rift, he had started to lose his form until he once again resembled a shadow of some ancient monster.

"So pray tell," Luna didn't want to pass up this chance since he was actually talking. "Who are you?"

The dreamer looked lazily at her as he finished chaining up the beast, "somepony who can't wait to be done with this whole mess."

So more riddles then, very well. "Why are you keeping Sombra prisoner?"

His labors done, he turned to face Luna, "cause I have need of this portion of his soul."

Luna's eyes grew wide at that answer, "and doest thou also have need of the rest of it?"

The dreamer smiled at her, "ah, you're in the Crystal Empire right now and you just found the other part. I'll be coming for that soon."

That was unnerving how he discerned so much from a simple question. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

The dreamer sighed as he reached up and covered his head with his hood again. "Luna, do you know what happens when someone tries to ask more than three question of someone who's purposely being cryptic?"

"I'm not getting any more answers tonight am I?" It was too good to be true that she find all the answers tonight.

"Unfortunately during my brief respite in the waking world, it sounds like something else has come to my attention. I must attend to whatever has happened. Perhaps we shall talk again some other time."

"But wait?!" She was desperate for answers. She lunged at him as she suddenly found herself falling through a door in the floor. She looked up at where she had fallen from but the passage had already snapped shut.

It took a moment for her to realize she was no longer falling. As she took in her surroundings, she once again found herself in the corridor of dreams. He had kicked her out again.

Random opened his eyes as he felt the last of the excess magic he consumed from the potion fade away. He was already missing the freedom of movement he had felt before during the short while Luna had held the beast for him.

"Welcome back," came Whisper from her perch atop Blossomforth's head. "I see you're back to your other colors again."

He looked over himself. Grey coat, green mane, and he looked back at his flank. Cutie mark in the shape of a scroll. "Yep, looks like everything checks out. How's the noise upstairs?"

Whisper gave him a defeated gesture, "it feels like all the elements are up there right now plus one more. All of them except the plus one have something corrupting them. I didn't take the time to look."

"Well, want to go take a look then?"

"Sure," smiled Whisper. "It can't be near as eventful as what happened down here. One thing though...before we go upstairs."

Random raised an eyebrow, "and that is?"

"Ok, do it Blossomforth," she said with a giggle.

"Sorry about this." Random's attention snapped to Blossomforth just in time to see her pull down on some rope.

He figured out what the rope was for a little too late as it tore open a bag from overhead. Black soot poured out from the bag in one big cloud, covering him completely.

"Cough...cough...Whisper!" He shouted at the troublesome fairy. "Why?!" He shook the soot from his body, causing large plumes of the black dust to fall from him but still leaving him with a rather ashen appearance.

Blossomforth looked like she was about to burst at the seams while Whisper just gave him a contemplative look. "Oh I don't know. Maybe it's cause the last time Twilight saw you, you were pitch black from an explosion. We can't have you go up there looking perfectly clean."

"I could've just said I took a bath!" Random retorted.

Whisper snickered, "but then we would've had nothing to do while you went on your spiritual journey. Besides, it was kinda funny, wasn't it Blossomforth?"

Blossomforth was visibly chuckling, "heh, she's not wrong."

"Ok fine," he gave up, defeated. "Let's go see what's going on up there."

Random make his way up the stairs, continuing to shake and trying to brush more of the soot off himself. Blossomforth and Whisper were following up behind him, chatting it up about something or other.

He could hear raised voices behind the door to the lobby as he finished climbing the stairs. As he pushed it open though, the voices suddenly went quiet. Random looked out into the room, eyes going wide as he saw the state everypony was in. "Did I miss something?"

"Random?...Sniff, you're ok..." The little filly with singed feathers sat on the table and wiped tears from her eyes.

He slowly walked over to the table, "Twilight? What happened to you?"

"Sniff...Sniff...BWHAAA." She started crying again, tears just pouring down her face.

Random couldn't help himself, he scooped up the tiny alicorn and sat down as held her to his chest. He slowly stroked her mane as she cried into his fur. "Just let it all out," he looked around the room, raising an eyebrow at the other alicorn in the room. Wait? Another Alicorn? That's not quite right. He squinted at the strange creature, taking in the rainbow mane.

"Rainbow Dash? Is that you?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's me." "Don't forget about me, darling." The abomination answered back. His face went stark with the realization of what he was looking at and one of his eyes started twitching in irritation.

He took in the sight of the other two ponies bound and laying on the floor, but the smell coming off them told him more than he really wanted to know.

"Ok," he took a deep breath. "Can anypony tell me what happened?"

"Ah'll tell ya what happened," came a tiny voice from a tiny mare on the table. "We got our flanks kicked, that's what."

"By what?" He continued to stroke Twilight's mane as she cried into his chest.

"Sniff...Smokey," was the only word she said.

A chill ran down his spine at that word. Oh ponyfeathers, Smokey was capable of this kind of chaos. But only if...he made a steal. Who was it? Who did he catch?

He made eye contact with the zebra in the room, "and you are?"

"Allow me to keep it plain, Zecora is my name. I felt a disturbance near my home, but I did not expect to find Twilight young and alone. It is good I found her, for you see, she was sleeping on the edge of Everfree." Zecora answered him in her way.

"Well Zecora!" Shouted Appletiny. "Think ya can fix us up?"

Zecora looked at the tiny mare, "the cure for you, I surely can do. And I'm sure I can beat, what has those two in heat. But as for those that are winged and horned, I fear my best efforts will truly be scorned."

"I'll take a look at them if you can fix up the other two," Random offered the zebra.

Zecora nodded to him, "If you believe you can find what ails, then I shall tend to the other three without fail. Young Blossomforth, if you don't find it rude, I could use an extra pair of hooves."

"Oh," Blossomforth took a moment to realize she was being addressed. "Sure, I can help."

"Ok Twilight," Random pulled her away from his chest. "Let's take a look at you." His pupils lit up a bright emerald green as he looked down at her.

Little Twilight stopped crying as she looked up at his eyes curiously. "What spell is that? What is it doing?"

"Oh this," he smiled down at her, glad to see she stopped crying. "Nothing special, I'm just inspecting the magic in your body."

"You can do that?" Little Twilight looked at him skeptically.

"Of course you can. You've been studying ley lines recently haven't you?"

She blushed a bit, "yeah but that line of study is only theoretical. No pony even takes it seriously. My magic instructors even treat it like a joke."

Random scowled, "maybe I should have a word with your teachers sometime." He got out through gritted teeth. "I can see what's wrong with you by the way. You can't use your magic either can you?"

"Um," little Twilight was taken aback by the obvious displeasure he showed by her education. "No I can't." She answered timidly.

With a little green flick of his horn he picked her up and turned her back to him. Placing her in front of him, he pressed a hoof in between her wings and at the base of her head. "This is why ley lines and related topics aren't a joke." He gently massaged his hooves into her until she started to shiver under his touch. Eventually she collapsed onto the ground with a blissed out look on her face as the magic in her body started to flow normally again. "Feeling better?"

Little Twilight's horn lit up like there was nothing ever wrong with it. "Yes I do, but...I'm still small."

"Between having your magic unblocked and your own alicorn physiology," He explained. "That should clear up on its own by morning."

"Really?" She sat up and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes really, but right now I need to take a look at the other two. They don't look too good." Random's eyes continued to glow as he stepped in front of the white-coated rainbow-maned...thing in front of him. He leaned down to look them in the eye, "so I can guess at a glance that's there's two ponies in there. Rainbow Dash, the one who stole my paper, but I don't know the other one." His horn and eyes lit up as he looked them over.

"I'm stuck with Rarity." "My name is Rarity, good sir." Said the joined pair.

"Ok that's painful to listen to," Random cringed at the sound they made. "You two are polar opposites, aren't you? Personality wise." He inspected their magic and wasn't happy at what he saw, "you're also deteriorating, how much pain are you in?"

"I can take it!" "It's not so bad."

"Uh huh," he reached out and poked them in the side of the neck.

They immediately started flailing backwards, shaking all over until they collapsed back to the ground. "What did you do that for!" "Watch it, you brute!"

Random sighed. "Yeah we need to see about getting you two unstuck right away. Wait here. Don't go anywhere," he said right before going back down the stairs.

About half an hour later Zecora had brewed up a tea that got Flutterguy and Pinkie Pie out of their hormones induced rampage. In the meantime, Zecora had Blossomforth run out to the local spa where they kept the bath salts used to treat poison joke. Flutterguy was nursing her tea while still acting a bit nervous from being the only male in the room. Applejack walked back into the room, having just finished her bath and was back to being normal size when Random made his way back up the stairs.

"Ok Raridash or whatever I call you," he held a vial with a purple fluid in it to them. "Drink this."

They lazily looked at the vial and tried to pick it up with magic but it just left them twitching.

"You're worse off than I thought. This is going to taste nasty." He stepped forward and held her head held back as he poured the fluid down her throat. Raridash's eyes went wild as the vile substance hit her senses. However she was too weak to do much more than shiver and twitch as the potion worked its magic.

"That is the grossest thing I've ever tasted." She said in perfect unison. "Hey, I can talk normal. What was in that stuff?"

Random pulled out a book and flipped to a page, eyes flying over the text. "You really don't want to know." He closed the book and tossed it aside. "Alright, lets get you two unstuck. Just sit right there." He brought out a piece of chalk with his magic and drew a big circle around the merged mare. Once the circle was done he started writing tiny formulas all along the edge of the circle. Little Twilight moved her small legs to sit next to him and watched him work. The precision with which he inscribed the floor left her sitting there slack jawed as she watched with wonder.

A few moments later he finished writing and put his chalk away. "Don't worry girls, I'm almost done." He lit up his horn and a bright green light appeared over Raridash's head and caused all the chalk to light up the same color. The design floated up off the ground and started to spin slowly as Random lifted his hoof up. Raridash whipped her head around in panic as she looked at the circle spinning around them. In one swift movement, he slammed his hoof down and at the same time, the ball of light and the diagram converged in on them with a bang. The light settled after a few moments to reveal a collapsed Rarity and Rainbow Dash back to being two ponies instead of one.

"What the?!" Said a shell-shocked Twilight. "How?!"

Random steadied his breath as the last vestiges of magic faded, "it would take too long to explain how a spell like this works, just know that it does. That being said, I'm tired."

"Aren't you still recovering from your own ordeal?" Asked little Twilight.

He got back up and looked down at her, "I am, but I'll be ok. I could use a little fresh air though. I think I'll go for a walk and then go back to bed."

"You sure you'll be ok?"

Random ruffled her mane, "yes I'm sure. Your friends need you now princess." He gestured to the two freshly separated mares as he walked to the front door. "I really do need some fresh air though."

He opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

Little Twilight ran after him, struggling a bit to open the door. As she looked out into the night air, he was nowhere to be found. "Random," she said to no one. "Who exactly are you?"

Author's Note

This story has been the most writing I've ever done towards anything. I'm still enjoying it and I still have a plan on where this story is going.

A shout out to everyone who's still keeping up with my writing. Just remember to stay awesome or at least 20% cooler.

On another note.
Zebra rhymes...yeah, those are a thing.

Chapter 11: Bad dreams

Shadows stretched out from the trees as the nocturnal beast stalked its prey. Its fibrous limbs gradually creeping through the brush, carefully avoiding all the loose sticks as it didn't want to alert its next meal. A source of light in its territory drew its attention to the sleeping form laying by the fire. It didn't know nor did it care why this prey was so far from the rest of its herd. All that mattered was that it was alone and didn't appear to have noticed its approach.

The beast felt itself salivate as it drew closer, savoring the kill that would soon make. But just as it was about to pounce, its attention was drawn to the fire, or more importantly, what was inside it. The form in the fire resembled its own, the limbs a broken mess as the smell of smoke carried its rancid smell.

As it turned back to the unaware prey, a pair of eyes looked back at it. Not the look of something being hunted, but the look of a predator. A savage grin was reflected by the firelight as the monster ambled to its hooves, causing the beast to shirk back.

Instincts kicked in a moment too late as it made to break and run for the monster swiftly pounced the beast and snapped its neck.

As it turns out, timberwolves make good kindling.

Smokey Vines pulled his latest guest toward the fire and started breaking it into pieces. The pieces of enchanted wood that made up a timberwolf's body made for good burning as long as you got it into small enough pieces. He tore off a small piece and started chewing on it as he worked.

He breathed in the smoke created by the magical wood as it burned. The fouled air invigorating him as it filled his lungs and made his eyes water.

"Here you are," came a voice from the darkness.

Smokey leapt away from his work, spinning to face the noise that came unbidden.

Random Fact walked out from the dark forest, a tired look on his face. "You're not the easiest to find, you know."

Smokey relaxed after seeing who it was, "well well well, look who finished his nap. You picked a really bad time to start a career in demolition."

Random settled down next to the fire and stretched his neck, "And you did quite a number on the elements. Was all that really necessary? I had to manually separate two of them before either decomposition or insanity started to set in."

"It's their own dumb fault for not learning how to work as a group," he snapped back. "Has nopony bothered to train them to work as a cohesive whole?"

"I think education has fallen into disrepair in recent years," Random shook his head in disappointment. "The words straight out of the element of magic's mouth were, and I quote, 'no one takes the study of ley lines seriously and my magic instructors treat the topic like a joke.'"

Smokey's mouth hung open at these words, "you're kidding me! That's just downright irresponsible! What is old Sunbutt thinking?!"

"She might not know. The 'third' has been busy gathering intelligence and according to him, Celestia has stretched herself far too thin across her duties."

Smokey grit his teeth so hard that the piece of timberwolf snapped in his mouth. "That's no excuse! However, it does explain why they kept trying to grab me with magic. Don't they know an earth pony can ground themselves against that? His eyes grew wide in realization, "they don't do they...Damn unicorn nobles and their damn egos." He cursed. "Don't they realize how much damage they're causing?"

Random stretched as he stood back up and threw a few pieces of timber into the fire, "I doubt it. Starswirl and I were always fighting an uphill battle with them when it came to things that were good for Equestria and not just the unicorns."

Smokey rolled his shoulder and then chucked the rest of the wolf in the fire. The fire crackled and blazed as it greedily consumed the wood. "That Twilight mare surprised me though."

"Oh? How so?"

"I was sitting in the park, having a good smoke and minding my own business," he started. "And every so often she'd run by with all her friends frantically looking for something. It was cute for a while, until I watched her grab a cluster of magic threads and use them to pinpoint my location. I realized then that I had just watched her figure out magic tracking."

"Is that all? It's impressive but not unheard of."

"I'm not finished," he held up a hoof as he continued. "Then when I almost managed to get away, she used magic tracking as a teleport guide and showed up right in front of me AND...she was using the firebird technique."

Random buckled over while holding his gut, "HAHAHA! Sounds to me like you made her mad. I guess what you did wasn't completely overkill then."

Smokey huffed indignantly, "and I hope blowing yourself up was worth it." Smokey moved to stand in front of Random and held out his hoof, "anyway, I think I've had enough talking to myself for tonight."

"Well I need to bounce my thoughts off someone. It was worth it by the way, blowing myself up I mean, I managed to get a piece of myself back." He placed his hoof against that of the other stallion and Smokey started to turn transparent.

"Awesome! I guess that'll teach us to go and make artifacts like that and then let them go missing for years on end. At least we know where the last piece is." Smokey smiled as he finished disappearing, the stars in his body flowing into Random.

"Unfortunately that's gonna be the messiest piece to get." He reflected on his new memories as he looked down to the clear gem depicting a green apple. It shone for a moment before slowly dissolving into light and pulling itself into Random's hoof. "Just one more and I can finally end this nightmare." He spoke to the now empty camp before turning away and walking back into the forest.

Twilight was running down the path with her friends, determined to find the pegasus that hurt Big Macintosh.

What are you looking for, little filly?

At the sound of the voice, she spun to face it, only to find herself in Sugarcube Corner. "How could ya let em do that to ma bruther." Came a small voice from a nearby cake that was decorated with a Stetson. Her mentor, Princess Celestia, was floating a knife over to the confection while eyeing the cake hungrily. A spot of drool escaped the side of her mouth as she brought the knife down.

Tsk, Tsk. Temper, temper.

In a panic, Twilight dove at the cake, determined to save Applejack from the hungry alicorn. Just as she reached the cake she found herself in Carousel Boutique.

"What the..." She stared around in confusion at the change of scenery.

"Coming!" Came a voice from the back room. A few moments later Rainbow Dash came in from the back room. Her mane and tail were properly pressed and curled with some white mascara highlighting her long eyelashes. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique. Where everything is twenty percent more sheek. Ah Twilight, always a pleasure."

How bout a kiss?

"Rainbow Dash?!" Twilight looked around in a panic, "where's Rarity?!"

"Oh, she training to try and get into the Wonderbolts, like always." Rainbow gave a dismissive gesture and batted her eyelashes.

"She's what?!" Twilight ran from the boutique to the center of town. There she found Rarity doing pushups while wearing a track suit, her mane and tail were ragged and messy. Sweat glistened in the sunlight, dripping every time she went back down.

You are weak.

She shook her head. What was that voice? "Rarity! Since when have you been training to get into the Wonderbolts?"

Rarity sat up and drank from a water bottle, pouring some of it over her head. "Why, whatever do you mean darling? I've been working day and night to get in since the day we met. They said a unicorn could never get in, but I'll show them!" She gave Twilight a concerning look, "my word, you look awful. How bout you head down to the spa and try to relax."

She shut her eyes hard and massaged a hoof into the bridge of her muzzle. When she opened her eyes, she found herself on one of the spa's beds.

"How did I get here?" She made to get up, but then two stallions walked into the room with a swagger in their step.

You like what you see?

"Twilight!" Came the voice of Pinkie from the stallion on the left with the fluffy pink mane. "So glad you could join us today. Isn't that right Fluttershy?"

Twilight snapped her attention to the yellow stallion on the right.

"Um...right...woohoo." Came the voice of Fluttershy as she majestically strode up to her. "You've been carrying so much tension in those wings." She reached up and grabbed one of her wings and started massaging it.

Pinkie joined in and started massaging the other one as well. Twilight started to melt into the seat as their ministrations caused a shiver to run down her body. Hooves worked their way down into her shoulders and down her back, causing a warming sensation to creep up on her.

Suddenly remembering what she was doing, she spun around to look at them, but found herself standing in a dark forest. A shadow converged on her from the trees, creeping up her legs and wrapping around her torso.

You're all so weak.

Twilight charged her horn and teleported away from the shadow. Now finding herself back in the library, she struggled to catch her breath. Maybe she just needed to go to bed, sort this out in the morning. She took one step towards the stairs only to trip over her now much shorter legs.

Equestria will fall.

Smokey was sitting at the nearby table, embers burning in his eyes as he stood up and slowly strode towards her. Filly Twilight backpedaled her small form away from him as he towered over her. She found herself pressed against a wall as he drew closer. His mouth slowly opening to reveal large pointed teeth that dripped with venom. She tried to push him away with magic but she couldn't muster up a single mote of energy. Smoke wrapped around the two of them as his fanged maw grew closer to her neck. His warm breath causing her to tremble while her eyes narrowed to pinpricks, waiting for the inevitable.

"ENOUGH!" Came a booming voice.

A flash of light enveloped the room, causing everything to stop moving. Twilight continued to stare up at the monster hovering over her, afraid that if she moved a muscle, it would pounce.

A cool blue aura wrapped around her, picking her up and moving her away from the mad earth pony. She floated through the air for a moment until she was eventually placed at the hoof of Princess Luna.

"What is happening here?" Luna looked on in horror as she knelt down and scooped Twilight into a hug. She stroked the mane of the hyperventilating filly until she stopped shaking. "Are you ok, Twilight Sparkle?"

"No, I'm not," she quivered in Luna's hold as she turned to point at the still frozen form of Smokey Vines. "Him...He..."

"Relax, dear child." Luna said in as calming a voice as possible. "This is only a dream and he cannot hurt you here."

Twilight continued to breathe hard as her eyes stayed locked on the stallion. Luna continued to keep her wrapped up in her embrace, wings folded around her as a warm blanket. Eventually the little filly calmed down and was able to start thinking rationally again.

Luna, realizing that her charge had finally calmed down, slowly asked her, "now. Tell me what happened."

Twilight slowly covered the details of everything that had happened since that morning. Everything from finding Big Mac in the same state as Soarin to tracking down the one responsible and ending with the thorough trouncing she and her friends received by the one they found. She was crying again by the time she finished.

Luna stared at her unblinking as she took in the details, "we...are sorry you had to go through that." She held her tight while the tears flowed. "Had we known that you would've faced such an opponent, we would've gone in your stead. How dost everyone now?"

Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes as she clung to Luna's wings, "between Zecora and Random, they've more or less got us put back together."

"Ah Zecora, we remember her from the last nightmare night. It was she that set the stage for us finally feeling accepted that night." She then tilted her head, "we are not familiar with this pony named Random though."

"He was amazing," started Twilight. "He just took one at me and cleared up my stunted magic with a touch. Then he took a book and some chalk and separated the other two."

"He sounds to be an individual of particular skill," Luna mused. "And he's been in Ponyville this whole time?"

"No," she gave some thought. "He showed up in town only three days ago."

Luna's eyes lit up at this revelation, "three days you say?"

Twilight looked back to Luna, "is that important?"

"We've had another incident that started three days ago as well," Luna mulled over her thoughts. "Describe what this 'Random' looks like."

Twilight took a moment to think about it, "well he had green eyes." Luna sat up straighter, her eyes going wide. "He has a grey coat, a green mane, and his cutie mark looks like a scroll."

Luna settled down a bit crestfallen after hearing the rest of the description, "it's not him."

"So Princess Luna, if you don't mind me asking." Twilight asked with a little reservation. "What's the other incident?"

"We do not wish to alarm you, Twilight Sparkle," reflected Luna. "But it has to do with King Sombra..."

Twilight sat and listened to Luna tell her story, her own nightmare slowly fading away as Luna talked.

"Do you think there's a chance everything is connected?" She asked Luna.

"We suppose it's possible...although, it does worry us as to what the end goal may be." Luna mused as she watched the dream fade. "We will have to talk more of this later since thou appear to be waking up. Please do try to get some rest after your harrowing day."

Twilight yawned, her eyelids starting to droop, "I almost forgot I was still sleeping."

Luna smiled softly as she floated the little filly up the stairs and into bed, "rest now. Our problems will still await us on the morrow."

Twilight's eyes slowly fluttered open as she awoke to find herself in her own bed. Every part of herself felt sore since she apparently more than doubled in size overnight. She slowly stumbled out of bed and stretched her sore limbs. Everything hurt to move but she was still happy to be back to being a full grown mare.

She carefully made her way down the stairs, her hooves still aching with every step. The smell of something cooking drew her into the kitchen. Spike was there with a big plate of pancakes waiting for her.

"Twilight!" The little dragon rushed up and tackled her in a hug, causing her sore body to wince a bit. "You're ok. Applejack told me what happened after you left the hospital."

"Sorry to worry you, Spike," she returned the hug before sitting down to her breakfast. "Have you seen anypony else this morning."

He shook his head, "Applejack told me everyone else went home after you went to bed. The only ponies here right now are you and Random."

Twilight looked around, seeing no sight of the strange unicorn, "any idea where he is?"

"He's went downstairs about an hour ago, said he's looking for something."

"And I found that something," came a male voice as Random entered the room. He was carrying a book with him as he sat at the table. "Is there any more coffee, Spike? I had a bit of a late night."

"I'll get you a cup," Spike went to go fill a cup of the black ambrosia.

"Here Twilight," Random slid the book he was carrying over to her. "Spike said you'd most likely be running around in a panic trying to do research when you should be resting. So I took the liberty of tracking down something I think you'll find interesting."

Twilight looked down at the book as she took a bite of her pancakes. "An advanced guide to ley line placement and its relation to the body by," Twilight choked a bit as she read the last line. "Clover the clever. You've got one of Clover's old books! Do you have any idea how rare these are?!"

Spike returned then with the coffee, handing it over to Random, "thank you Spike." He took a slow sip of the black brew before turning back to Twilight, "They're quite rare. Clover was well known for enchanting his books so no pony could magic up a copy of them."

She was on him like a flash, a manic gleam in her eyes as she hovered over him, forcing him back a couple steps while floating his coffee out of the way. "Do you have any more of them?!"

Random choked down the mouthful of coffee he had in his mouth, doing his best not to spew it up at the alicorn that was right up in his face. "Yes..." He got out with tears in his eyes from the exercise. "I've got a number of rare volumes from a number of dead ponies." He reached a hoof up and pushed Twilight back down so he could breathe.

Suddenly remembering herself as she started blushing profusely, "sorry," She apologized. "I guess I forgot myself for a bit there. So what are you doing today?"

"I'm going to be cleaning my lab and fixing a door, looks like someone broke in there a made a mess while I was sleeping." He gave her a knowing look.

Twilight winced at that glare, "sorry about that. I didn't know what else to do. HEY!" She perked up, "I haven't had a chance to ask. What were YOU doing with the Alicorn Amulet anyway?"

Random blanched a bit, looking a bit sheepishly at her. "I knew that was going to come up sooner or later." He reached to his side and pulled up a scorched piece of metal and gemstone, placing it on the table. "I was trying to see if I could use it to treat my old injury...it didn't work." It's not completely a lie.

Twilight looked at the piece of scrap like it was a snake ready to pounce, "is it safe to have that out?"

"It's completely broken now. Whatever made it work is no longer there." He downed the rest of his coffee. "Well, the day isn't getting any younger." He stood up and turned to leave. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

Twilight spent the next several hours going through the book that Random provided. It was written in old Equestrian dialect, but aside from that, the amount of detail inside it was staggering. It covered everything from the way plants and animals coexisted with the environment on both a physical and spiritual level; and went as far as the movement of the planet and the stars and how to predict patterns in them.

More than once she had to put the book down and walk around while her headache subsided. What really got to her was if everything in the book was right, then so much she had come to understand as fact was...wrong? How could that be? She had been taught that unicorn magic was a result of the body converting biomass into a usable energy source for casting channeled through the brain and horn. But according to the book, unicorn magic was based on one's connection to the stars and one's ability to channel the will of the universe through a central medium that was located in the heart and stomach. And on top of that, if that wasn't strange enough, it wasn't limited to unicorns. Unicorns were just better equipped than the other tribes.

Twilight's headache kept coming back every couple pages until she eventually had to take a step outside. Hoping the fresh air would do some good, she went on a short walk. Unfortunately her mind kept wandering every time she saw the sun from the corner of her vision. The sun is more than a source of light that brings light and heat and helps plants grow. It also symbolizes life itself and it is from that life that power is drawn along with respect for that life. Where as inversely the moon's rising symbolizes the soul, its internal wellspring, and the nature of understanding itself.

Was all this true? What would the Canterlot scholars think of the knowledge in that tome? Would they treat it as fact or fiction? Which is it actually? And if that tome was really written by Clover, what does that say about Equestria's own history? She could assume that Random had already read that book himself. Was that how he knew how to treat them after having their bodies and their magic get all kinds of messed up?

She HAD to know more. Twilight raced back to the library, picked up the book, and flipped through the pages until she found a section she had recently become familiar with. "Whence one finds magic that thou art familiar with, thou may soon see what draws it forth to meet its kin." It sounded like gibberish when she said it out loud but it had some associated diagrams that she could draw and use to hopefully make a connection with errant magical signatures.

After Twilight made a quick trip downstairs to get some chalk from Random, which he gave her with a sly smile and a "good luck." She ran out to the Apple farm where she knew the closest cluster of bound up magic was from...where Smokey attacked Big Mac. Her heart went out to Applejack's family. Nopony should have to go through what they're going through.

The Apple's family home was empty as she let herself in and made her way to Big Mac's room. She took a moment to move the big guy's bed out of the way and draw a circle on the floor under where she knew the cluster was supposed to be. It took a few minutes to draw out all the symbols, or as the book called them, runes around the circle and by the time she was done, doubt was starting to creep back into her. What would this mean if nothing happened? What would it mean if something DID happen?

Nothing for it. She'd come this far already, only way to know would be to see it through. "Once preparations are complete, simply step inside and cast light with thine horn." She read the last step aloud as she set the book aside and stepped into the circle.

"Ok, here goes." As she lit up her horn, the diagram lit up with her and errant motes of...something started to jump up and connect with her horn. And as they did, the ball of yarn, or cluster of spirit as she now knew it was called, lit up.

The amount of detail she could see now completely dwarfed what she could see before. She looked and found the line she chased before that led them to Smokey. She now saw the the green thread she followed before was far more complex than she once thought. She sat up and looked around and was shocked that her sight now allowed her to see through solid objects and with absolutely insane amounts of detail and clarity.

As she raised her line of sight, she found it was easy to pull on a single thread and follow it without having to run the whole way. She could see the path they chased the earth pony from miles away, she could see the place where he had eventually escaped into the forest, however it disappeared beyond that point. Wild magic can cause natural interference when you try to follow something more structured.

She raised her vision further and she could see a broken line at the cliff where she lost Storm Chaser's signal. A headache started to build at this point, caused by the massive drain on her magic. She forced herself to follow that broken line as far as it would go. She saw further and further and by the time she was able to see as far as Canterlot, the headache had turned into a mad throbbing pain.

Twilight squinted as she saw something in Canterlot, a collection of lights in the streets that appeared pony shaped. It had the same signal as the other two. But this one was currently moving.

Suddenly it stopped, and she saw its head turn and glowing eyes looked right at her.

"AHHH" She jumped back, startled, as the voice rang through her already pounding skull. One of her hooves accidentally scraped through the chalk, causing the far away vision to fade into nothingness.

"Nononono NO!" She scrambled to try and fix the circle she just broke. However the magic in the room was fading and as it faded, the chalk disappeared until there was none left. She looked at the amount of chalk she had left, there wasn't enough to draw the whole circle again.

Twilight sat there, sweating in the middle of Big Macintosh's room and reflected on what she learned. The information in that book was true, that much was crystal clear. It also strongly went against what they taught in Celestia school for gifted unicorns. Should she bring this up with her mentor? Yes, probably, but...privately. This didn't seem like the kind of information she should shout from the streets, lest she create either a panic, or more likely, she be labeled a mad mare.

But one last thing stuck out in her mind. Storm Chaser and Smokey Vines had another ally, and he was currently in Canterlot.

Author's Note

Damnit Twilight! You're looking the wrong way. :facehoof:

Also it seem I have a penchant for how the subconscious likes to mash stuff together.
Yes I like writing dreams.

Even I'm not sure anymore how this is all going to pan out anymore.
I do have a general idea behind each character's personality, goals, and drives.
However, my story is slowly getting hijacked by my own characters.

Chapter 12: Revelation

Luna made her way into the dining room where her sister was waiting for her.

Celestia sat at the head of the table entertaining various nobles. Her pink mane and tail flowing over the edge of her seat. "Ah Luna, sister dear. I'll be with you in a minute."

Luna sat alone at the other end of the table and just waited. It was always like this. All she ever seemed to do was wait. Wait for the rising of the moon, wait until it was time to set the moon, and...wait for her sister to make time for her. They only had a few hours a day they could be together and it was always taken up by those fawning over her.

This was when my fall started. Why am I remembering this?

She heard the door open and close behind her. Probably just somepony else to take up her sister's time. She sighed with discontentment.

"Well if that's how you're going to be then maybe I'll just show myself out." Came an all too familiar voice.

Oh, that's why.

Luna sat up straight in her chair, her wings perking up a bit as she turned to face him. There he was with his kind face and piercing green eyes peeking out from under his cloak. Her heart skipped a bit as he approached, "you're back! We haven't seen thee in years."

He tilted his head at her, "we?"

Luna sat up straighter, "yes. We speak with the royal 'we' when addressing our subjects."

"Oh so I'm just one of your subjects then." A mischievous grin crept up his face. "Guess I shall come back later when I can schedule a proper audience." He turned to leave.

"Ok fine," she hissed while reaching for him. "We...I mean...I desire your company."

How did a thousand years rob me of all these pleasant memories?

"Now that wasn't so hard." He pulled up a seat next to her.

"EM HEM..." Somepony was clearing their throat from the other side of the table.

He turned to face the noise, "somepony want to get the princess some water?"

Celestia sat there giving him a haughty look, "aren't you going to greet your princess?"

That's right. Sister had quite the ego back then.

"I was greeting my princess until somepony interrupted me." He shot back.

A collective gasp came from rest of the court followed by murmurings of, "you can't say that. How barbaric. Somepony should teach him some manners."

Celestia held up a hoof, silencing the petitioners. "We see thou art as sharp tongued as ever. Then we shall ask of thee the usual question. Have you found him?"

He sighed, "No I haven't found Starswirl. Nothing I've tried turns up any leads either. It's like him and his friends just dropped off the map."

And to this day, we still don't know what happened to him.

"And our offer? Hast thou reconsidered?"

"No, Princess Celestia. I'm still not interested in the position of court mage." He gave her a small but somehow mocking bow. "The idea of being tied down to a single place does not appeal to me. And besides, I have my own student to instruct now."

Any murmuring around the table died off in an instant. He had been well known for being particularly adamant against taking on any pupils.

Luna rested a hoof on his foreleg and was the first to speak, "thou hast truly taken on a disciple? Wherefore art do they hail?"

"Well," he said, taking a pause. "Far to the north, past the endless blizzard, there lies a kingdom of made of crystal."

"HA! I knew it was too good to be true," said one of the laughing nobles. "Did you come here to regale us with ridiculous tales? Next you're going to tell us it was inhabited by ponies made of crystal."

"Why yes Viscount Blueblood," he said with a sneer. "I didn't know you were familiar with them." He turned back to Luna, "anyway Luna. They all have this amazing crystalline gleam to their coat and even though they're all earth ponies..."

"So you took on a farmer as a pupil, I didn't think you could demean the noble unicorn tribe any mfffff.." With a pop, the viscount suddenly found himself sucking on a pacifier.

"That's enough out of you," he said from his place next to Luna, the green spark from his horn dying down.

"Hehe," Luna chuckled at the sight of the noble being babied.

He did always find a way to make us laugh.

"Anyway," he continued his tale. "After living among them for a couple moons, I found out they have a legend about a pony being born with special abilities every hundred years. A unicorn."

"And you made this unicorn your student?" Asked Luna.

"I did indeed," he turned to the door. "Come on in, Onyx Shard."

The door slowly opened and in walked a small unicorn colt with a grey coat and a black mane. He looked nervously about at the nobles around the room that glared down at him. Onyx quickly found a spot behind his master to hide.

"So you have indeed found yourself a pupil," sighed Celestia. "I don't know why you felt the need to go to the ends of the earth to find one. There had to be at least one child of the noble houses you could've taught."

I think it's pretty clear by now he can't stand their attitudes.

"I think I've made it pretty clear by now that I can't stand their attitudes." He snapped back at Celestia.

While they continued to argue, Luna smiled down at the small nervous colt, taking note of black crystal that made up his cutie mark. "So little one," she said to him, catching his attention. "What's your special talent?"

Onyx snapped his attention to the lunar princess, "yes your majesty," he answered nervously. He closed his eyes, seeming to focus as a white aura lit up around his little grey horn. A little black gemstone slowly grew in front of him, flowing like glass until it took on a flowerlike shape. The stone wavered a little bit in the air before suddenly falling. Onyx tried to catch it but his hooves were too slow. Luna swiftly flicked a blue bolt around it, scooping it up into her hooves before it could hit the ground.

She looked at the object she held. It was a small rose made of the blackest crystal. "It's quite beautiful," she complemented him.

"Why haven't we banished thee from Equestria yet?!" Shouted Celestia.

"Thou hast! Twice! Thine border guard is of foul refuse!" He shouted back.

Onyx looked up at Luna, "should we stop them?"

Luna had a menacing smirk. Lighting her horn, she picked up the quarreling unicorn, a shocked face appearing on his face as he realized what was happening.

"Luna?! What are you doing?! Put me down right...mffff!" His words were cut off as he was floated over to Luna. Where she promptly wrapped her wings around him and started smothering him into her fur. Onyx's cheeks turned a rosy color as he watched his master get marehandled.

"Dear sister," said Luna to her sister who looked as if she was about to throw something. "We believe we will take dinner in our chambers this evening." She unwrapped the unicorn from her embrace and made her way out of the room with him floating behind her, crossing his hooves and scowling at the sun princess.

Luna didn't set him down until they got back to her chambers. The whole trip through the castle, she struck up a conversation with Onyx. They didn't talk about anything too big, mostly just how he liked Equestria and what life was like in the Crystal Empire.

He seems to be such an innocent child. Wonder what became of him?

Her old friend adjusted his green cloak as he was once again able to move under his own power. "I guess I should thank you for stopping me when you did."

Luna gave him a skeptical look, "thou seems to delight in arguing with my sister."

"Sorry about that," he said looking ashamed. "I just can't stand her high and mighty attitude. I keep holding out hope that she'll grow out of it one day."

"My sister is...very strong willed. Starswirl the Bearded was the only pony she'd ever listen to." Luna admitted reluctantly.

"He'd get a laugh if he knew that's what ponies were calling him now." He sighed, "I just wish they'd stop calling me his disciple. We've worked together on many projects but I've never once studied under him."

"If thou hadn't made an enemy of the court, they wouldn't have sought such a petty revenge to levy at thee." She retorted.

Luna suddenly remembered Onyx was in the room, "I'm sorry little one, I seem to have forgotten your presence for the moment. Art thou hungry?"

Onyx jumped a bit from finding himself suddenly addressed, "oh, no your majesty, I'm fine." His stomach rumbled, betraying him.

Luna looked down at him, "you dare lie to royalty." She clapped her hooves, summoning a maid. "Take young squire Onyx down to the kitchens and see that he is fed. And send up enough food for me and his master. I must scold him on teaching his student proper discipline."

The maid bowed, "at once, Princess Luna." The maid beckoned Onyx to follow her. He turned around as the door closed behind them to see his master facehoofing.

"Was that really necessary?" The unicorn asked Luna.

We demand snuggles!

Luna stepped up and began to nuzzle him as soon as the door was closed. "I missed you."

He smiled softly, reaching up and wrapping a foreleg around her. "I noticed. How have the nights been lately?"

"Lonely...sniff," she sniffled while releasing some of the pain in her chest. "All the ponies tend to sleep at night and the night guard doesn't talk at that much."

"Have you talked to your sister about this? I mean, I hope you get along with her better than I do."

Luna chuckled a bit, a small smile breaking onto her face, "heh, especially since the enmity between you two has become legendary in the court." Her smile fell a bit, "Celestia has become...distant. She acts like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders with the court and she keeps turning down my offers to help."

"And how's your dreamwalking been?"

"It's been getting better," Luna admitted. "However, some of the ponies have been getting mad when they realize someone's been looking in on them." She sat up straight, causing him to jump a bit. "Now though, I'd like you to do something for me."

He raised an eyebrow, "and that is?"

Luna ran her magic through the room, picking up all the pillows and anything soft and depositing them into a big pile in the middle of the room.

"Luna...aren't you too old for this?"

"Never!" She settled into the pile of pillow with her back turned to him and extended her wings. She looked over her shoulder at him with a warm smile as she shook her feathers.

He approached her, looking a bit defeated, "there's a lot more feathers here than there used to be. You do realize this could take all night?"

Luna gave him a sinister smile, "oh, I'm counting on it."

Luna awoke in her bedchambers, feeling very well rested. "I dreamt of him again," she spoke her thoughts aloud. She looked out the window to see the sun starting to settle on the horizon. She made her way over to her dressing mirror and slowly brushed out her mane while thinking over the latest dream, and more so, why she couldn't remember his name.

It felt like they had a budding romantic relationship. And you'd think that one would remember the name of some pony you got that close to. Unless her thousand years trapped on the moon in a state of anger caused her to forget details like that.

Still, even if she didn't understand everything that was happening, it was good to see him again. At least he had been taking care of himself all...these...years...wait?

Her brush fell from her magical grip as her brain put some of the pieces together, "a thousand years..." She spoke her thoughts aloud. "It can't be him. He would've died about a millennium ago."

Twilight burst into the library in a mad panic. She hopped from hoof to hoof as her neck whipped around the library, thinking of what to do next. "Oh this is bad, this is very very bad."

Startled, Spike tumbled off a ladder he had climbed to put a book away. "What is it Twilight? He said as he pulled himself out of a pile of books.

"Spike! I'm so glad you're here! I need you to take a letter." Twilight rushed over attempting to pull spike out of the pile, her magic fizzled out though, making her feel light-headed.

"Spike! I heard a crash, are you ok?" Random came down the stairs wearing a pink apron, bits of flour splotched his coat.

"It's Twilight!" Spike shouted back while holding up the alicorn. Random looked up at Twilight, taking note of the spaced out look on her face.

"Let's lay her down," he ran down the rest of the stairs. "She looks like she's about to pass out."

They carried her up the stairs to her living quarters and found a couple pillows to rest her head against. Random retrieved a glass of water and held it to her lips, making her drink.

After a few minutes, Twilight seemed to come back to herself. "What happened?" She asked.

"You overextended yourself, Twilight." Random set the glass down. "Tell me what happened after I saw you last."

Her eyes widened as she remember the reason for her rush, "that's right! Spike!" She tried to get up, but a headache was her only reward. Settling back into a reclining position, her eyes rolled back while her body continued to tell her how much she was still hurting. Another minute after that, her breathing slowed again as she looked down at the baby dragon, "Spike," she whispered with a rasped voice. "Take a letter."

"Ok Twilight," Spike pulled out a quill and some parchment. "Take it slow, you don't sound that great."

Twilight took in a few deep breaths before dictating. "Dear Princess Celestia. My research and continued studies in Ponyville have led me to believe that there we be another attack soon in the city of Canterlot. I will be on the next train to help you with the search."

Spike looked up worried, "Twilight, I don't think you should be traveling right now."

"He's right, Twilight," said Random. "You're not going anywhere except to bed."

"But..."

"No buts," Random cut her off. "Spike, amend that letter. She'll be on the first train in the morning." He turned back to her, "so...Twilight...you used a finding circle to see as far as Canterlot, didn't you?"

"Um..." She looked a bit ashamed, "...yes?"

Random sighed as he picked up Twilight in his magic, carrying her up the rest of the stairs as she squirmed in his magic. "Bed. Now. You're no good to anypony if you're going to fall over at the first errant breeze." He tucked the madly blushing alicorn into bed. "Now you hear me little princess. You're going to stay there until morning and rest. Have I made myself clear?"

Twilight shuttered a bit at how firm he was being as she slowly nodded.

Random relaxed his shoulders as he patted her on the head, "now you just relax. I'll be back with something to help you sleep."

He made his way down the stairs just in time to see Spike send the letter away, "can I count on you to make sure she stays in bed?"

"Um...sure thing, Random," Spike saluted. "You can count on me."

"Thanks," he said as he made his way downstairs. He was getting too old for this.

Random was down in his lab mixing up a small potion for the reckless alicorn when Blossomforth stepped in.

"Hey Random," said Blossomforth. "You got a minute?"

"I can spare a moment," he said facing her. "What's up?"

"I just want to let you know I'm leaving town for a couple days. Family's kinda worried about me."

"So you're heading to Manehatten then?" Random said.

Blossomforth's wings flared back in surprise, "how did you...?"

"Can I count on you delivering a letter to Queen Cocoon for me?"

Blossomforth continued to look more and more panicked, "how are you doing that?! The whole hive is in a panic after you found me out and now I find out you not only know where my hive is, but you also know the name of my queen."

Random corked the vial he was working with and carried it with him to his desk. He pulled out a piece of paper and starting writing a letter. "If it will ease your immediate fears, your white carapace labels you as part of Queen Cocoon's brood. And I've traded with the Manehatten hive in the past even if I haven't traded with the current queen."

He finished writing the letter and placed it in an envelope along with a small pink vial. Then he took a green candle and out of a drawer and used the wax to seal the letter, causing the rest of the envelope to shimmer before settling back to a muted white. "I received this candle from one of your queen's predecessors. Only the current queen will be able to open it now," he said as he floated the letter over to Blossomforth.

She looked at the letter, the wax had some kind of flower symbol pressed into it. "Random...Who exactly are you?"

"A friend," he said with a smile. "However if you want to know more, that'll be up to your queen to tell you."

Random parted ways with Blossomforth as he passed through the lobby, although she was still giving him a cross look as she left. He made his way upstairs to find Twilight still lying awake in her bed.

"I didn't keep you waiting too long did I?" He said to her.

Twilight looked at him with tears in her eyes, "no. I'm fine."

Random looked at the tears, "are you in pain?"

She shook her head, "I'm afraid. Afraid that I'm going to close my eyes and that monster is going to be waiting for me."

He pulled out a small vial and held it out to her. "What's that," she asked.

"Something to help you sleep and recover," he said as he removed the cork.

She took it in her hooves and gave it a tentative sniff before bringing it to her lips. It went down smooth and left and aftertaste of sweet honey and lavender.

He collected the vial from her and turned to leave, only to find a purple hoof holding onto him. "Stay with me until I fall asleep?"

Random settled back down next to her bed and slowly stroked her mane, "I'll stay here til you fall asleep, but only on one condition."

"What condition?" She asked as her eyes started to droop.

He leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the head, "no bad dreams tonight."

"Yawn...I'll try..." Her eyes drooped a bit more as the potion took effect, carrying her off to sleep.

Once he was sure she was asleep, Random carefully made his way out of the room and after stopping by the kitchen to pick up the remains of the Alicorn Amulet, he made his way back down to the Archive.

He entered one of the many side rooms that ringed the Archive. This one had a forge with all the various equipment needed to work all sorts of metal, or in this case, rework a piece of metal.

Random placed the remains of the amulet in a crucible and started to melt it down. "Lets make something useful out of this cursed thing. Something to help that poor mare out."

He thought back to the princess he put to bed, "I'm so sorry Twilight. But the next time we meet, you may not like me anymore."

Luna rushed through the dream realm, determined to get some answers tonight. She ran past all the doors leading to other dreams until she found the place she had spent many of her recent nights. She threw the doors open and jumped inside.

She took off running as soon as she felt the grass beneath her hooves. Where is he? Where is the one with the answers she needs?

As she crested the hill, she almost tumbled down the other side. The dreamer was just lying there, sleeping and enjoying the sun.

"We would have words with you," she said.

The dreamer shifted under his cloak, "five more minutes..."

Curiously, Luna walked over to the sleeping form and poked at it with a hoof, "are you actually sleeping within a dream?"

An eye shot open and looked at her, "I am. Maybe I dream of finally getting some rest. And now you have two questions left."

Luna stepped back grimacing, "doest thou find thyself clever?"

The dreamer sat up and smiled at her, "I doth find myself quite clever and now thou only retains a single question."

Luna was about to say something but she reached up with her hooves and held her mouth shut before she was tricked out of her last question. She only had one question left, what did she really want to know?

The dreamer had a look of mirth in his eyes as he watched the lunar princess's inner struggle.

What could she ask? How old are you? He'd probably just say something like "old enough" and that'd be the end of it. Do you know somepony named Onyx? He would just say yes and then wouldn't say any more. The one thing she really wanted to know was...

She walked slowly around him, trying her best to learn something just from his appearance. To an untrained eye, she may just look like she was checking for his prospects as a romantic partner.

"I fear that nothing I can ask will give me the answers I seek," she worded carefully. "So I shall not seek to inquire anything." She turned to leave, walking a few steps before seeming to consider something. "Actually there is something you could help me with."

"Oh?" He tilted his head. "And what might that be?"

She walked up to him with swagger to her step, making sure that she swayed her hips just enough to make it seem like she was about to ask for something shameful. She leaned in and whispered softly in his ear, "I've got an itch I can't quite scratch, maybe you could help me."

The dreamer's eyes were honed on her, she had him.

Luna slowly turned her back to him and unfurled her wings as she sat down, "would you help me preen these?"

"Luna...aren't you too old for this?" The dreamer said, shaking his head. However after a moment his eyes went wide as he realized what he just said. What he gave away. His eyes traveled up her back to her head and she had her neck turned to face him, a look of victory on her face.

"It is you!" She exclaimed. "How are you still alive?!"

The dreamer recoiled at her proclamation. "Sorry Luna but you're out of questions for today. Thanks for playing." He reached over and pulled a lever next to himself, causing the ground to fall out from under the princess.

She didn't flinch or scream as she fell. She just stared at him, a wide smile across her face as she was ejected from the dream.

"NEXT STOP! THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!" Shouted the train attendant. "End of the line. Make sure you have all your personal effects and exit the train in an orderly fashion."

Random Fact slowly opened his eyes and just stared at the ceiling of the train car, his thoughts racing.

"Well played Luna. Well played."

Author's Note

Never underestimate a lady getting what they want.

And yes. I am portraying Celestia as someone who went through some character growth before she got where she is today.

Parts of this chapter felt a bit rushed, but that's probably more about where I am with my current writing level.

Chapter 13: Sins of the past

Twilight awoke the next day feeling very well rested. She looked down at the side of the bed, Spike was waiting for her there.

"Hey Twilight," said Spike. "You sleep ok?"

She stretched her limbs as she climbed out of bed. "I'd say I slept pretty good," Twilight said. "Whatever was in that stuff Random gave me looks like it worked."

"Yeah...About Random..." Spike rubbed the back of his head.

"What is it, Spike?"

"He's gone!"

Twilight rounded on the dragon, "what do you mean gone?"

"He's not in Ponyville anymore," came a small voice from overhead.

She looked up to see Whisper floating there holding a letter. Twilight took the letter, "what's this?"

Whisper crossed her hooves and looked sternly at her, "open it on the train. By the way, it leaves in ten minutes."

"Train? What train?" Her brain slowly started to wake back up as she remembered...

"The Train?!" She exclaimed, "that's right I need to get to Canterlot before somepony else gets attacked. I need to get ready, I need to pack a bag, I need to send a letter to the Princess, I need to..."

"Calm down, Twilight," reassured Spike. "We already have you all packed up and ready to go."

"But you need to be on that train," Whisper continued. "Get going."

Spike and Whisper herded the sleepy alicorn toward the front door, only giving her five minutes to make the train by the time they got her out the door.

Twilight was out of breath by the time she boarded the train, only making it with seconds to spare.

"You really cut that close princess," said the train attendant. "Please have a seat, we'll be moving shortly."

She made her way to one of the open seat, thoughts still racing as she thought over what the day might bring. She dreaded that she might be heading off to face another soul stealing monster like Smokey Vines. Maybe with being in the capitol, she could at least get some extra protection.

Twilight practiced one of her calming breath exercises as she looked at the passing scenery. She reached down to her saddlebag to see what Spike had packed for her.

It was a lot of the stuff she normally packed. Plenty of writing materials and a snack for the road, she did miss breakfast. Clover's book she had been reading lately and...Random's letter. She had almost forgotten about it in the rush to get out the door this morning.

She pulled the letter from it's envelope and caught the ring that she almost dropped when pulling out the letter. The ring was a smooth piece of black metal with inscriptions on both the inside and outside of the metallic surface.

"I wonder what this is for?" She asked herself as she set aside the ring and looked at the letter.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,
Hopefully this letter finds you well and you've fully recovered from your ordeal the other day. Do be careful when you head out to Canterlot today, I don't want to find out you've run off and gotten yourself hurt again. On the topic of getting hurt, you've clearly learned what happened when you try to push runic magic too far. Don't try to use that kind of spell to look at something a city away again, please. That being said, I know I can't stop you from pushing yourself when pursuing what you believe is right and while that is a noble pursuit, you must always be vigilant and exercise caution.

With this letter you'll find a black ring. I forged it out of a piece of the Alicorn Amulet. Don't worry, it's completely safe. I've already attuned it to the magic cluster out at the Apple family farm and if you place it on your horn, you will just need to channel a small amount of magic into it to find what you're looking for.

I'll already be in the Crystal Empire by the time you get this letter. I'm running low on reagents for my potions and there a wonderful shop I've heard of out this way. Plus, I've always wanted to see the northern lights and now seemed like as good a time as any to check them out.

Sincerely,
Random Fact.

Twilight looked at the ring again. This would make tracking down whoever was hiding in Canterlot a lot easier. Hopefully she could catch him before somepony else got hurt.

Luna lifted her head up from the side of the bed, sheets soaked from the tears running down her face.

So...where are we now?

She looked up at the sleeping form, his golden fur was matted with dirt and grime. A Bandage was wrapped around his head, obscuring most of his face.

"How is he, Luna?" Came her sister's voice from the door.

Luna looked over to see her sister, Celestia, standing in the doorway. Her pink mane billowing behind her as she looked at the pony sleeping in the infirmary.

"He still sleeps," said Luna as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "We would think him dead if he wasn't still breathing. What of the Crystal Empire?"

"Still no trace of it," said the solar princess. "We've sent countless scouting parties, hoping to find something, but it's like the city never even existed."

"We wonder," said Luna, lowering her head and trying to fight back tears. "If we had respected his wishes and not interfered, would everything have turned out for the better."

"Perhaps," answered Celestia. "Unfortunately we shall never know."

So the Empire is no more.

A contingent of guards walked up at that moment and saluted to Celestia. "Your Highness," said one of them. "Per your orders, we are here to escort the prisoner to await trial."

"Trial?" Luna perked up at the words, "what's the meaning of this, sister?"

"Proceed captain," she told the guard. "Luna, please come with me."

Celestia left the room in silence with Luna storming in behind her. "SISTER! What is the meaning of this?! What hast thou done?!"

Oh no.

Celestia turned on Luna, a fierce look in her eyes, "I've only done what a good ruler should do! The ponies are angry, Luna. The war with Sombra took many lives and we never brought him to justice." She took a few deep breaths before continuing. "We respected his wishes and tried to let him handle the situation on his own. But when he came back here half dead and the last words from his mouth before falling into a coma was 'it's all my fault', we couldn't just sit idly by."

"But why is he standing trial?" Luna pleaded with her sister.

"When we stood at the front of our army, sister," continued Celestia, ignoring her sister's question. "And his student Onyx stood at the head of a slave army and declared himself King Sombra, our options became limited."

"Sister! We would appreciate it if thou wouldst stop dodging the question!" Shouted Luna. "And why art thou telling us this?! We were there!"

Celestia gaze was unwavering, "when the losses were mounting and we were forced to end the war by banishing Sombra to the ice, and he ended up taking the whole city with him...Someone needed to be held responsible."

Luna gasped, tears in her eyes, "sister. Thou can't mean? How can thou think of doing such a thing?"

"It's already done, Luna," a single tear rolled down her face despite her stalwart expression. "All the noble houses have already agreed it's the right move to make. His trial will start once he wakes up but...it's not looking good for him. I know you two are close but...I'm sorry, my hooves are tied."

Luna sat alone in the dark, crying in her room. How could her sister do such a thing? She didn't even talk to her before rending judgement on her closest friend, someone for who she felt...Was this her fault? Could she have done more to influence the court? Does her sister not trust her?

So now it begins.

"What's that?! Who goes there?!" Luna shouted at the room.

Luna whipped around trying to find the voice in the room. "Enough games! We are not in the mood! Show thyself!"

We know how this drama plays out. We don't wish to see it again.

Luna forced herself awake and sat up in her own bedchambers while gazing out at the morning sun. She'd only been asleep for a few hours when the dreams started again. She stood up and made herself presentable before leaving the room, she needed to speak with her sister.

As she made her way through the halls of the castle, she noticed a surprising increase in the number of guards on patrol this morning.

"Guard!" She stopped one of the passing patrols, "what is the reason for the increase in the guard this morning? Is Canterlot under attack?"

The guard gave Luna a stiff salute, "as per the orders of Princess Celestia, the guard has been increased fourfold today and we have standing orders to detain any suspicious characters."

"I see," said Luna, thinking of what might have happened. "At ease soldier, continue your patrol." The guard saluted and went on with is patrol.

The increased guard was prevalent through the rest of the castle ground as she made her way to her sister's office.

As she entered, her sister jumped a bit, her rainbow mane was bedraggled and she looked like she hadn't slept.

"Luna!" Celestia almost spilled the coffee she was drinking she jumped so bad, "you startled me. What are you doing awake so early?"

"Coffee, sister?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Thou usually takes thine mornings with tea. Art thou feeling well?"

"No," admitted Celestia, "I'm not feeling the best. I've been in a panic since I got Twilight's letter last night."

"Thy student sent thee a letter? And this letter is reason for concern?"

"She believes that another attack is going to happen soon, here in Canterlot." She waved the letter on her desk. "I've been up all night doing everything I can to keep my little ponies safe. Twilight's supposed to be in on the next train to help us search as well."

"I see," said Luna, a stony expression on her face.

"What's bothering you, Luna." She said placing her cup back on the desk.

"I had a dream," she said averting her gaze. "About some of the events that lead to Nightmare Moon."

"Luna..." Celestia stood up and started moving around her desk to wrap her sister up in a hug.

"Specifically about the unicorn that was to stand trial in the wake of the Crystal War." Luna stared straight into her sister's eyes, freezing her in place.

Celestia slowly collapsed to the ground, shaking, as she wrapped her wings around herself, "I'm not particularly proud of that moment in my life. I spent a long time blaming myself for being so weak, for not standing up to the court that day," she looked up at her sister with tears in her eyes. "For hurting the two of you."

Luna stepped in front of her sister, causing her to flinch when Luna knelt down and wrapped her up in a hug. "The thousand years I spent on the moon were a blur to me due to being trapped in a nightmare. I can't imagine what it was like, having to live through all those long years with the burden of those memories."

"It wasn't easy," said Celestia. "I had my own mental break shortly after you were banished to the moon. Daybreaker, some took to calling me. I walked the land as the living embodiment of a vengeful sun, locking up anyone who opposed my rule and any criminals were then dealt with...harshly."

"Sister," Luna looked aghast at her sister. "You never told us of this. What made you stop?"

"Somepony was caught stealing in a small village," Celestia broke into tears. "During that time I didn't care how large or small the crime was, so I summarily executed him in front of the whole village with my favorite method. As I watched his body burn away to ashes, I felt something strike at my side and I turned to face who would dare strike at their ruler, fully intending to add them to the pyre."

"Celestia," consoled Luna, holding her closer. "You don't have to tell us any more if you don't want to."

"No..." Celestia's breath caught in her throat as she wiped away tears, "I need to finish." She took a deep breath, "it was a small colt that had swung his wooden sword at me. The toy had caught fire when it hit me, singeing the colt in the process. His mother ran forward and she pushed him behind her. She pleaded with me to spare the child, that he was only seeking to avenge his father. She..." Her voice cracked, "she offered her life to me if I would spare him."

"What did you do?" Asked Luna.

"Something in their eyes got through the armor I had built around myself. I don't know if it was the fear I saw in their eyes or the realization of the monster I had become. I...I fled. Just took wing and flew away. Found some secluded corner of the world to be alone." Celestia chuckled a bit, "I hoped to spend the rest of my life there. It wasn't hard, I could move the sun just as easily there as I could in Equestria. I didn't yet realize how long lived we became upon becoming alicorns, if we even have an end to life."

"What made you return?" Luna was tearing up as well at this point.

"One day, I had a visitor," she said. "An adventurer or something, come to slay the monster of the mountain if I had to guess." Celestia took another deep breath, "well to make a long story short, it was that colt. He had spent the last fifty years tracking me down. When I realized who he was, I just laid down and begged him to take my life."

Luna gasped, "sister!"

"The blow never came. He just sat down and looked at me, seemingly lost in thought. He told me about all his travels over the years, seeking out the monster that killed his father. He told me about the things he had seen and the adventures he had lived. And then he told me about the pony tribes back in Equestria, how they had started quarreling and warring with each other again. He talked long into the night, didn't even pause when I stopped to lower the sun and raise the moon. I don't remember when I fell asleep, but by morning he was gone."

Celestia settled into a more comfortable position, "I flew down from the mountain that day. I don't know if I was hoping to find the adventurer or if I just wanted to be around ponies again. When I arrived back in Equestria, the tribes were indeed fighting amongst themselves again. I sought out and eventually found representatives of each tribe. It took the next fifty years getting them to work together and build what would eventually became Canterlot. By that time, my potentially immortal life had become far more apparent to me and I resolved to make the best of it. I never did find out what became of that adventurer or if he had even existed in the first place. It may have just been my own guilty conscience reminding me to take responsibility for the mess I made by leaving."

"Doest thou feel better now, sister?" Asked Luna.

"I do. I've carried that weight alone for so long," she looked over at her sister with puffy red eyes. "Do you think less of me now?"

"The way I see it," said Luna. "Thou hast been treating your life since then as your atonement for past wrongs. Do you feel that pony society would say you've done a good job of ruling since then?"

"I'd like to think so," confessed Celestia.

"Then let that be enough," Luna slowly blinked her eyes as if in reflection. "Now, I believe you said that you were expecting miss Twilight Sparkle on the next train?"

"Oh, right," she perked up. "It should be arriving soon. I should really get down to the station."

"You should really look in a mirror, sister," Luna chuckled. "Thou art a mess."

Celestia conjured a small mirror and took in her features. She really was a mess. Her mane was all over the place, she had bags under her eyes, and her eyes were really red and puffy from crying. "I don't think it would be wise to be seen like this in public.

"No it would not, dear sister. Thy time would be better spent attending to thine appearance." She held her head high, "fear not. We shall head to the station in your stead and await Princess Twilight Sparkle. Besides, we think it would do her more harm than anypony else to see you like this. Like many others, she sees you as a symbol of strength."

"You're right, Luna. Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," said Luna. "Thou does not have to carry thy burdens alone anymore."

The train pulled into the station and Twilight stepped onto the platform. The first thing she noticed was all the guards, it was like her brother's wedding all over again.

"There you are, Princess Twilight." Luna called to her as she stepped forward.

"Princess Luna!" She shouted as she ran over.

"How fare thee? We know thou recently suffered an ordeal and we did not sense the presence of nightmares from thee this previous night."

"Random gave me a sleeping draft and put me to bed," explained Twilight. "I would've been here last night but he insisted that I get some rest after I...overdid it on a new spell." She flinched, remembering why she was hurting last night.

"This is the second time we've heard of this Random coming to your aid," Luna inclined her head in interest. "He seems to be a rather reliable individual. Maybe we should enlist him in our search, his aid would be most valuable."

"Oh," said Twilight as she reached into her saddlebag. "That reminds me. He did give me something to help us in our search." She pulled the black ring out of her bag, drawing Luna's gaze instantly.

"Twilight..." Her breath caught in her throat. "We read about this. Isn't it the current custom to exchange rings with one thou seeks a romantic encounter with?"

"Huh?..." She pondered for a moment before turning beet red. "What?! No! I mean yes, it is the custom, but no." Twilight sat down and played with the ring between her hooves. "I mean...he is smart, and kind, and not too bad to look at..." She looked up at the lunar princess, and noticed her holding back a laugh. "Luna?!"

"Haha, we apologize Miss Sparkle," chuckled Luna. "We could not resist the opportunity to have a lark at thine expense."

"Very funny," Twilight scrunched her nose as she looked away, blush still apparent. "Now if we can get get back on topic." She held up the ring in her magic. "Random made this ring, it's got runic inscriptions that'll allow the wearer to track what it is currently attuned to."

"Interesting," mused Luna, eyeing the ring. "May we see it?"

Twilight passed the ring to Luna, who inspected it in her magic, before taking on a very astonished expression. "Twilight Sparkle..."

"Yes?..." Asked Twilight.

"This is artifact level work," she said with all lack of mirth as she passed the ring back to Twilight. "I don't know if we could find a jeweler or enchanter alive that could reproduce this kind of work. If this 'Random' is really capable of this kind of work, we will indeed have to meet with him once everything calms down."

Twilight held up the ring with newfound reference, "it's that well made?" She pondered as she settled it on her horn.

"If it works as well as it appears its made, you could either buy a castle with it or secure a position as court mage." Explained Luna.

"You're not joking are you?" Twilight looked at her with a stark expression.

Luna shook her head, "we do not jest about this. So, Miss Sparkle. Does it work?"

Twilight followed the instructions in the letter and flowed a little bit of her magic into the ring on her horn. Suddenly her vision sharpened, showing every detail of the world around her. She focused a little harder and tiny threads became visible in her sight, leading into the city.

"I think it's working, Luna." Twilight breathed slowly as she took in the city in a surprising amount of detail that she hadn't seen before.

"It does indeed seem to function," said Luna while bending over to look at Twilight's face. "Art thou aware that you have runic script circling your eyes at this moment?"

"I do?" She blinked a couple times, trying to see the script at the corner of her vision but to no avail.

"You do indeed," said Luna. "Now, doest thou see what we're looking for?"

Twilight looked through the city trying to find the form from before. It didn't take long and she once again found a pony shaped out of the light, who immediately turned to face her.

"I found him, Luna," she said. "It's different though, when I drew a circle to find him before, he could see me as well. This seems to be one way."

"If thou can point him out," Luna said. "We can apprehend him now. There are plenty of guards on which we can call, it shouldn't be too hard to apprehend him."

"I think we can, yes." Said a determined Twilight.

Twilight pulled a few effects from her bags before teleporting them them away. They ran through the streets once she was free of that burden, a small contingent of guards followed behind them.

"We're getting closer, Luna. I don't think anypony's been attacked yet."

"Tis always good news to hear," said Luna as she ran beside her.

The ran down through the shopping district where Luna had her date a couple night's past. Everypony was going about their day, although a few did turn their heads to see what had two princesses running through town with a bunch of guards in tow.

"I think he's at some kind of restaurant," said Twilight.

"Then to restaurant row it is," proclaimed Luna. "Mayhaps if we're quick we can find a late snack."

"Luna! It's almost noon!"

"I know, I'm not usually up so late."

They made their way onto restaurant row. Hundreds of ponies were milling about. None of them in a panic yet. So they weren't too late.

The crowd eventually got so thick that they had to stop running, worse yet...

"I can't get a solid lock on him, but he's here...somewhere."

"Maybe we should find some food and hope they drop their guard," said Luna.

Twilight turned to glare at Luna when someone trotted up to greet them.

"Ah, Princesses," came a white stallion with a blue mane and sporting a fine suit. "What brings you out this way?"

"Ah, Fancy Pants we believe it was," said Luna, being cordial. "we just thought it was a nice day for a walk."

"Luna..." Twilight started before she found Luna lock eyes with her and slowly shake her head.

"Having a bit of a spat are we," Fancy chuckled. "It's quite all right, me and Fleur don't always see eye to eye either. Do we?"

The tall white unicorn with the pink mane just smiled back at him while leaning on his side.

"Twilight and I were just expressing a difference of opinion," said Luna while glaring at her. "Weren't we?"

Twilight, finally catching on that Luna was trying to avoid arousing suspicion, nodded back.

"Well don't let me get between the two of you then. Come along Fleur." Fancy and Fleur made their way away from the group.

"Luna...I found him," Twilight barely breathed those words as her eyes snapped to a pony in the crowd, guided by the magic in her ring.

Luna joined her in a whisper, "do have a clean shot?"

"I do..." Said Twilight, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Then take it and make it count."

Twilight charged her horn and spun around. She locked her eyes on the target and fired a magic blast.

The bolt of magic flew through the crowd, causing several ponies to jump back and curse. It flew at the couple that just passed them...and hit Fleur de Lis square in the back, causing her to tumble end over end. Sliding on her face in front of Fancy Pants.

Silence reigned over the plaza.

"I say!" Exclaimed Fancy Pants, looking back at them angrily "What is the meaning of this?!"

*Cough* *Cough* Fleur got up from the ground, coughing up a green sticky substance that pasted the ground where it landed. "Do you mind?!" The voice had a definite buzz to its tone, like someone was talking into a fan, and the voice was definitely male. She blinked a bit as she wiped the slime from her face, her eyes a solid purple, lacking pupils.

As she stood there, staring at Twilight, long gossamer wings unfurled down her back.

"Hello Twilight," said the creature pretending to be Fleur.

"Hello changeling," said Twilight.

Author's Note

Parts of this chapter were really hard for me to write, especially when I got to the Daybreaker part. I wanted it to portray certain emotions and I hope I hit the mark.

And before you ask. Yes, I'm wholeheartedly of the opinion that someone like Celestia doesn't become as kind as she is today without having some baggage.

So a single changeling in the middle of Canterlot on high alert. What's going to happen?

Chapter 14: Hide and seek

Queen Cocoon was enjoying a nice bath in her penthouse suite when she heard the elevator ding open.

"My Queen," said Blossomforth, currently in her native form. "I have returned."

"Approach," Queen Cocoon said lazily while sipping on some wine she had on hoof. "You said you had a letter for me and I would see it."

Blossomforth reached into her saddlebag and floated the letter over into her queen's waiting hoof. The moment she touched it, the green wax sealing it lit up into a little green flame and evaporated, leaving the contents in tact.

"Well that's an old bit of magic," Cocoon quipped as she opened the letter and read its contents.

Dear Queen Cocoon,
I hope this letter finds you well. I want to say first and foremost I'm sorry for causing a panic within your ranks. Your hive has always been a friend to me in the past and I hope we will continue to maintain good relations in the future. That being said, I would appreciate it if you weren't too hard on Blossomforth, nothing she could've done would've stopped me from seeing through her disguise. I noticed her real identity moment I saw her and didn't tell her I knew until her life was in danger. With this letter I've included a small vial of liquid love as a sign of good faith.
Sincerely...

Cocoon choked on her wine as she read the name listed there.

"My Queen," said Blossomforth. "Are you ok?"

Cocoon held the letter out for Blossomforth and pointed to the name.

Blossomforth's jaw hung open as she read the letter, "you're kidding!" She exclaimed, losing all sense of decorum before her queen. "That's who he is?!"

Cocoon looked back to the letter after setting the small vial aside, she'd look at it later.

P.S. I'm still making good use of the gift I received from your hive. Although I have modified it quite a bit.

Cocoon and Blossomforth looked at each other, "what did we give him?" They asked each other.

Ponies started to back away from the scene building in Restaurant Row while guards moved in and leveled their spears at the changeling pretending to be Fleur.

"Stay right where you are!" Commanded Luna. "Thou art completely surrounded."

"Any chance we could just talk about this?" Said the fake pony while trying to back away from the spears.

"You'll have plenty of time to talk from behind bars," said Twilight, her eyes focused on him.

"And what have you done with my dear Fleur?" Demanded Fancy Pants.

"Fleur's fine. I haven't hurt her, I swear." The changeling was darting its head back and forth trying to find a way to escape.

"You'll find no easy escape, villain," Luna looked down at him. "And drop that disguise, you insult the mare you impersonate."

"Ok fine," a spark of green fire started at Fleur's horn and raced down her body. Fur and hair burned away as the magical flames passed over them, leaving a glistening surface beneath it. The creature they found did not, however, look like the ones that attacked Canterlot during the royal wedding.

This changeling had a dark green body for one instead of the normal black, a silver shell lay across its back, making room for a long elegant set of wings on its back. It hooves were far different than a normal changeling in the sense that they weren't covered in holes. Their eye's passed over the three black gems embedded on his chest and up to the wicked curved horn between his purple eyes, it was the same color as the rest of his body except it had a silver aura wrapped around it. Wait...What?!

"What are you casting?!" Shouted Luna. "Stop that!"

The changeling grinned back at her, "we'll talk in a minute, without the audience."

Suddenly he spread his legs, bringing his body closer to the ground as he flared his wings. The glistening surface of his pristine wings started to spark as they glowed the same silver as his horn before a bright light engulfed them.

As the light surrounded them...

...

...

...

...

Twilight and Luna found themselves in Restaurant Row in the middle of Canterlot. They looked around confused. What were they doing here? That's right! they were following a signal from Twilight's ring when they found...they found...what did they find again?

Said a voice in their heads.

Both princesses whipped their heads around, looking for the source of the voice.

Twilight looked to Luna, "do you hear that as well?"

Luna nodded back, "We do indeed."

"Um..." Said Twilight hesitantly. "It's going ok, I guess."

"Twilight," Luna looked at Twilight's horn. "The ring is gone!"

"What?!" Twilight reached up to her horn to find it missing the present from Random.

"Give it back!" Shouted Twilight, "that was a gift from a friend."

The princesses looked around and saw that the ponies in the crowd were indeed staring at them and looking really confused. Also the guards they brought with them were beating a hasty retreat.

Luna stepped forward to call them back.

Luna stepped back next to Twilight and whispered under her breath, "you think he uses mind control?"

"I don't know," answered Twilight, also in a whisper. "That's a scary thought though."

"If thou doest not use mind control, then explain thy actions." Said Luna.

Twilight looked at Luna in horror, "harvested love?" She whispered to her. "Is Chrysalis planning another changeling attack?"

"Wait," said Twilight. "So you're not here to attack another pony and put them in the hospital?"

"So you know who's behind all of this then?" Asked Luna.

The two princesses looked at each other. "What do you think, Luna?" Asked Twilight. "Is this a good idea?"

"Doubtful, Twilight Sparkle. It makes us feel like we're being played for fools," mused Luna. "But the opportunity to learn something is something I would rather not pass up."

Both princesses nodded in agreement.

They looked at each other in confusion. "Doest thou have any idea, Miss Sparkle? We are ashamed to admit we don't know the city that well."

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking." Twilight paced back and forth.

"Wait?! There's a time limit?!" Shouted Twilight.

Twilight fumed and stomped her hoof on the ground until Luna draped a wing over her, calming her. "It would be best not to give into provocation." She said.

Twilight took a few calming breaths while she thought over the hint, "chaos and victory..." She thought aloud.

"Discord was known for spreading chaos. Does that help at all?" Offered Luna.

Twilight's eyes lit up, "of course! The statue of victory in the sculpture garden. It was a right next to Discord's statue prison."

They took off running through the city, ponies dodging out of the way as they had several near collisions on their way to the gardens. "So Twilight. How hath thine flying lessons been faring?" Asked Luna as they continued to run.

"Well," said Twilight between breaths. "I can't do much more than glide right now. But it is getting easier. It would be nice if I could just fly across the city right now."

"Indeed it would," said Luna. "Keep to thy discipline and thou art sure to be flying soon."

Eventually they found themselves in the sculpture garden and walked through the paths until they found a statue of a pony holding up a flag in their forehooves. The statue of victory. They found Rarity sitting at the foot of the statue with a book laid out in front of her. She placed a bookmark in the book and closed it as she saw them approach.

"Well hello darling," She said to Twilight Sparkle. "I was just reading a fascinating book about magic while waiting for you. I believe today scholars would find it absolutely ghastly that anypony would think this way though." She floated the book over to her.

Twilight looked to the book, realizing it was the book she got from Random that she was carrying on her earlier. When did Rarity get a hold of it? More importantly, how could Rarity be in Canterlot. Unless..."Is that you Spectrum?" She asked.

"Why darling, who else would it be?" She stood up from her sitting position and tossed her mane, letting it elegantly resettle on her side. "It took the two of you a rather long time to find your way here and I was getting quite bored." She said while casually strolling towards them. "So, what should I reward you for the first round?" She flourished her tail as she walked around them. "Oh I know!" She squealed joyfully. "Why don't I tell you when the third attack is to happen?"

"Thou would surely tell us such valuable information?" Questioned Luna.

"Sure, why not," said Rarity. "Tomorrow. It happens tomorrow." She said while turning her back.

Luna fired her horn at the imposter, hoping to incapacitate him while his guard was down, but the beam of energy passed through him and the form of Rarity dissolved into the air as if made of mist.

"So where are we looking for round two?!" Shouted Twilight.

She shirked back a bit, "sorry."

"Um...sure, ask away." None of this was going as Twilight expected.

Suddenly a wave of darkness started at her hooves and rapidly washed over the landscape, blotting out everything. She spun in a circle, looking for anything other than complete darkness. Eventually she found a faint light in the distance and ran towards it with everything she had in her.

The darkness was oppressing and felt like if she stopped moving it would quickly consume her. As the light got closer, she felt herself almost suffocating under the pressure of the darkness, but she continued to press on.

The light picked that moment to rush up and meet her, finding her meeting a pair of floating purple eyes.

A booming voice filled her whole being, "You stand at a crossroads. Two paths lie before you. On one road lies a friend in suffering. On the other lies a suffering nation. You can only help one. Which do you choose?"

Twilight tried hard to think with the oppressing darkness around her. Her ability to reason becoming more and more clouded with every passing moment.

"I would help my friend," she said in a gasp.

"And your reason?"

"Because a true friend never turns her back on her friends."

"Hmmm."

Twilight thought her answer might not have been good enough when the darkness washed away from her, leaving her once again standing next to Luna.

"Are you alright, Twilight Sparkle?" Said a concerned looking Luna.

Her legs buckled as she fought for breath, "what happened?"

"It was as if the shadows were trying to consume you. They filled your eyes and started to spread down your coat." Luna turned to the open air, "Spectrum! What pray tell was that?!"

Twilight got to her hooves with Luna's assistance, "not really, no."

"Are you going to be all right, Twilight?" Luna continued to hold up the other alicorn who gradually started to take her weight under her own hooves.

Twilight nodded, "I think I'll be ok. What do you think that question means though?"

Luna looked a bit abashed, "we are not familiar with the names of modern day textiles. Mayhaps you might share a few?"

Twilight took a few deep breaths as she thought over all the materials Rarity talked about in her shop. "Let's see, there's cotton, silk, wool, satin, and velvet. There's probably more but my head feels kinda fuzzy right now."

"Red velvet," said Luna.

"Excuse me?"

"Red velvet is a type of cake, one of the many I've seen my sister stuff her face with." Said Luna. "However Doughnut Joe has best shop in town. It's also the only shop that sells red velvet doughnuts."

"That's a lot of really specific information, princess." Said Twilight.

Luna looked away blushing, "we may visit that place more than a few times a week." She admitted. "It's also the only bakery open all night."

"That's probably it then," Twilight staggered a bit. "Shall we go?"

"Hold on but a moment Miss Sparkle. You don't appear to be in any condition to be galloping through the city at this moment."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "what are you suggesting?"

Luna landed in front of the doughnut shop with a blushing bundle of embarrassed equine on her back. She folded her wings as she levitated Twilight Sparkle and set her down next to her.

Twilight felt a bit wobbly on her hooves for a bit while she glared at Luna with an evident blush on her face, "Luna, that was so embarrassing."

"Oh? How come?" Luna looked obliviously curious.

"Because it's...it's...nevermind." Twilight decided to drop it as they reached the door to the shop.

Luna pushed the door open and was greeted by a very friendly shop owner.

"Princess Luna!" Cheered Doughnut Joe. "My favorite customer. I had a feeling you'd be stopping by sometime soon."

"Thou were expecting us at this hour?" Asked a confused Luna. "Tis not our normal hour."

"It's strange," said an embarrassed looking Joe. "I just had a really strong feeling that you'd be by soon looking for red velvet doughnuts. I even set them at your usual table and everything. Was that ok?"

"Thank you fine baker!" Announced Luna. "We shall gladly partake of your confectionary delights!"

"Anything for my number one customer," Joe said cheerily as he returned to behind the counter.

They sat down at the table with a full plate of doughnuts and all three of them grabbed a few. Suddenly realizing they weren't alone they turned to find...

"Pinkie?!" Said Twilight. "When did you get here?"

"Oh silly filly," said Pinkie. "I'm still back in Ponyville, but I just couldn't let you eat all these by yourself." She proceeded to stuff another 3 doughnuts from the towering plate into her gullet, making her shiver. "Oh these are so good."

It was then that Twilight noticed her purple eyes, "wait? Pinkie has blue eyes. That's you isn't it Spectrum?"

"Oh Twilight, you're such a crackup. Of course I'm Spectrum, that would only make sense with this chapter." She paused and started scratching her head, not really sure why she said that. "Besides, I think you two get another question answered."

"Ok," said Luna. "Who are you working for?"

Pinkie giggled, "oh loony Luna, you don't get to pick the question I answer. How bout why the holders are stealing magic? Yeah that'll do. It makes them stronger...A lot stronger."

Luna was intrigued by this information, "how much stronger are we talking?"

Pinkie rubbed her chin with her hoof, "hmmm...technically that's another question, but I suppose I'll answer it. Strong enough to outfly an alicorn, and give another one and her friends the biggest beatdown of their life." She finished eating the doughnut she was holding, "Now I have a question for you, Luna."

They both blinked as Pinkie suddenly jabbed her hoof at her, making her disappear when their eyes reopened.

Twilight watched as Luna's eyes turned black with shadow and veins of darkness started to creep down from her face. It only lasted a moment before rescinding from her face. "Interesting," said Luna, holding her head up with her hooves that were resting on the table.

"Luna, are you ok?" Asked Twilight.

"We...are fine. It was just a test of mental fortitude and an ambiguous morality test."

"What did he ask you?"

Luna shook her head, "the answers to questions of this nature are not meant to be shared with anyone. So we would wish that thou not ask us again and keep thy own answers to thyself."

"You plan to test Twilight again then?"

Twilight tensed up as the oppressive darkness enveloped her again. Her legs felt like they were sticking to tar this time as she struggled to move.

After a bit of searching, she eventually found the light and ran towards it as best she could. The weight on her legs impeding her progress as she pushed forward.

She came to the light again.

The voice filled the space again, the feel of it pounding against her chest. "The knowledge contained in a scroll will bring you joy but will you lose something dear. Do you take take the risk?"

"Do I know what I will lose?" Twilight asked the empty space.

The empty space did not answer back.

"I...I...would probably read the scroll." Twilight hesitated with her answer.

"Why?"

Twilight felt the darkness start to build up its pressure on her, making it hard to breathe. "Because knowledge itself isn't bad. It's what you choose to do with it that matters." She managed to say before it got much worse.

"I see."

The darkness rushed away from her, leaving her in the doughnut shop again.

"How fare thee?" Asked Luna.

Twilight took a few slow breaths, "better than last time. Ok Spectrum, I'm ready for round three."

"Princess Celestia? Why?" She asked the air.

Twilight and Luna made their way up to the palace, the guards took notice of them as they passed but otherwise did not break from their patrol.

"Any idea where Princess Celestia is?" Twilight asked Luna.

"My sister would usually be holding court at this hour. However given current circumstances, we will probably find her in her office."

"Current circumstances?" She gave her a tilted expression. "Did something happen to her?"

"Tis a private matter. Leave it at that." Luna gently shook her head.

They came to the guarded door leading to Celestia's office and walked in. Celestia herself was sitting behind the desk, looking a bit bewildered.

"Twilight. Luna. How goes the search?" She said getting up from her desk.

"It's been a strange day sister dear." Luna shrugged her shoulders a bit.

Celestia made her way across the room and gave Twilight a hug, "and how's my favorite student?"

"Tired," she said. "Spectrum's been having us run all over town chasing him."

Celestia raised a questioning eyebrow, "who's Spectrum?"

The other two princesses readied themselves, expecting him to make himself known again. But one moment turned into two and then three, and then the silence dragged on.

"How odd," said Luna. "Based on what we've seen thus far, that would've been the moment he made himself known."

They waited a bit longer, but the elusive changeling remained silent.

"I suppose I should set the sun," said Celestia after an hour passed with nothing happening. "It is that time of day."

Both Celestia and Luna made their way over to the window behind her desk and moved the heavenly bodies, changing Equestria to night.

Luna made her way back over to Twilight, "he must have fled. How do you presume we should resume our search? He still has thine ring we used to track him the first time."

Twilight shook her head, "I don't know, Luna." She turned to her mentor, "what do you think Princess Celestia?"

Celestia turned around, her eyes were black as pitch and lines were bleeding down her face. A scowl appeared on her face as they watched golden light build in her horn.

"Princess Celestia?" Said Twilight, concern evident in her voice.

At the proclamation, Celestia leveled her horn at them and they were just barely able to leap out of the way as a column of sunlight burned a streak across the floor.

"Spectrum!" Shouted Luna. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Luna!" Shouted Twilight as she dodged another blast from the solar princess. "What's happening?!"

"I think Spectrum's controlling her!" She shouted back.

"Why are you doing this?!" Cried Twilight. "Who are you working for?"

Celestia spun on Luna, firing the full force of the sun at her. Luna slid out of the way and returned fire. However it was blocked by a magical shield brought up by her sister.

"Luna!" Yelled Twilight. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm only doing what my sister would wish," panted Luna after putting up her own shield and blocking a series of blasts. "She would rather fall in battle than be used to hurt anypony."

"Luna! That's crazy talk!" Shouted Twilight over the sound of the explosions. "We can't attack Princess Celestia."

"We can and we must, Twilight Sparkle." Luna was buckling under the assault, the stone under her hooves starting to crack from the force.

"Twilight Sparkle," Luna was on her knees now, her shield starting to crack under the assault. "I can't last much longer. You need to take her out."

"Shut up, Spectrum!" Twilight shouted as she charged her horn, tears streaming down her face as she leveled her horn at her teacher. She grit her teeth so hard that it was making her vision fuzzy. "I...I can't..."

"Twilight! Help!" Cried out Luna.

Twilight's tears soaked her coat as she fired upon her teacher.

The blast of magic hit true, impacting Celestia square in the chest.

"AHHH!" Celestia screamed in pain as the magic coursed through her like a live bolt of lightning. A shadow tore away from her body along with the blast, flying away from her and leaving a sizable crater as it impacted the wall.

Tears continued to pour down her face as Twilight Sparkle ran up to where her teacher had collapsed after she shot her. "Princess Celestia! Please be ok! Please wake up!" She cried out as she fell down next to her and started looking for signs of life.

"Twilight?" Celestia said weakly. "What happened?"

Twilight buried her face in Celestia chest and just started crying her eyes out, "you're ok."

Luna picked herself up from the rubble, staggering a bit as she fought to stand back up. "You had a us worried for a moment there. You were trapped in an illusion and started attacking everypony in the room. We had to stop you."

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Sobbed Twilight. "I didn't want to hit you but...I didn't see any other way."

"Shh," whispered Celestia as she wrapped her hooves around her student. "Everything will be all right. I'm so proud of you. That could not have been easy."

"It wasn't...sniff."

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of a body hitting the floor followed by a rush of air. They looked up to see Rainbow Dash pick herself up from the wreckage where the shadow had collided with the wall.

"Spectrum, no more games," said Luna. "We know it's you."

"Maybe I just wanna look awesome," the prismatic mare gave a smug grin and using a wing feather, flicked a small object to Twilight. She looked up in time to catch it and examined the object, "my ring?" She said curiously.

"The Crystal Empire is where you need to need to go. The last of the holders and my master both await you there," said Rainbow as she turned to walk away. "Your friends will be on the ten o'clock train as it passes through Canterlot if you want to travel there with them. You could use their fellowship after everything I put you through today."

The lines around Rainbow blurred for a moment and before anyone knew what had happened, Spectrum was gone.

Author's Note

We are approaching the end, it is coming. I don't know how many chapters I have left in this but it was always intended to end in the Empire.

Fun fact if you've made it this far: Spectrum was originally Random's secret identity. I changed it cause it wasn't fitting in with the narrative once I started writing.

Chapter 15: Daybreaker

The Crystal Empire had a heavy fog rolling through that night. Granted it was by design, Storm Chaser and Smokey Vines had outdone themselves.

"Ok boss," said Smokey. "That should be enough to provide cover for the next hour." He said while lighting up a small cigarette. "Still wish we had Spectrum here for this. He's far better than any of us at creating a window of opportunity."

"That's why he's in Canterlot right now," said Storm. "Besides, between our special talents, making a fog of sleep is easy enough." He said while puffing out his chest and ruffling his feathers. "How's the third holder holding up, is he ready to act?"

"He's ready to go," said the barely visible unicorn. "Good job on the fog you two. I can hardly see my hoof in front of my face." Random Fact stepped forward, nodding to both of them. "I'll collect the last shard. Make sure you're both ready to perform your roles. I'm expecting we'll have quite a lot of company in the morning."

The two ponies nodded to him before disappearing into the fog, leaving him alone in the middle of the city.

Random carefully walked into the plaza under the crystal castle. He carefully stepped around the sleeping guards that had been caught by the fog as he made his way to his goal. The Crystal Heart.

The ancient artifact glowed as he approached, recognizing his presence. He felt a wave of spiritual pressure directed at him as he pointed his horn at the gemstone, "I know you object to this, but I need that back."

He poured his magic into the refracted surface of the heart. It began to pulse angry colors as it started to spin. A small green light could soon be seen within its facets. Random smiled as he pulled at the light, tendrils of power held onto it as the crystal heart refused to let go of its prize.

The unicorn refused to give up as he doubled his efforts. Shadows started to pour out of the heart and into him as the energy that held onto the light slowly began to fray and snap. With one last concentrated effort, Random pulled the star free of the heart and held it to his chest, tears filling his eyes.

"Finally," he wept as the star and the last of the shadows were slowly absorbed into him, filling him with a sense of rightness. "After all these years, I finally have all the pieces of my soul again." He wiped away the tears from his eyes, one of his pupils flashing red for a moment, "I haven't forgotten. There still is one last problem to sort out."

The light of the Crystal Heart dimmed as he left the plaza, the magic protecting the empire failing as a storm rolled in.

The three princesses waited on the platform as the train pulled into the Canterlot station.

"Are you sure we shouldn't bring any of the guard with us, Princess Celestia?" Asked Twilight Sparkle, looking upon her mentor with concern.

They had taken some time to collect themselves after their little scuffle had left Celestia's office quite trashed. They had discussed a lot of what had transpired over the last week. Celestia was particularly distraught over the media fallout that she had been expecting since the original incident at the cloud stadium. It was less about what ponies were saying and more about that...they weren't saying anything at all.

They had done their best to clean up the wreckage from her office while they talked. Discussion had temporarily stopped when they found a very thick dossier on the solar princess's desk with a note reading, "Here's a record of every media leak I've stopped over the last week regarding our activities. You're welcome, SunButt. -Spectrum."

It was hard to tell whether Celestia looked more tired before or after she found out how thorough Spectrum had been in his efforts. Granted the details he stopped from getting out would've caused her no end of grief, but it was just a little too unnerving how easily he was bypassing every level of security Equestria had.

"I'm sure Twilight," Celestia finally responded after sighing heavily. "I want them to stay here in Canterlot where they can do the most good. Besides, I fear they won't be up to the task of whatever we may find in the Crystal Empire."

The train finished sliding to a stop at that moment and the door was barely half open when Twilight found herself tackled to the ground by none other than Pinkie Pie.

"Twilight!" Cheered the pink party pony. "You're here! I mean of course you're here. If you weren't here, where else would you be?"

The rest of her friends poured out of the train as she stood back up. All of them scooping her up into one big group hug, their warmth filling her up with much needed companionship. "I'm so glad you're here, girls." She returned their affection.

They made small talk right there on the train platform until the whistle blew, at which point they filed back onto the train due for the Crystal Empire.

"So all of you received letters to be here?" Twilight asked as they sat down.

"Sure did, sugar," said Applejack, adjusting her hat. "Shucks, it was the strangest thing too. We all got letters like how we usually see ya get 'em from the princess. Just a puff of smoke and a letter dropped in ma lap."

"Yeah, it scared Fluttershy pretty bad when we got our letters," said Rainbow Dash. "Poor girl fell right out of the bed it scared her so bad."

"And what was Fluttershy doin in yer bed, Dash?" Asked Applejack with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing special," said Fluttershy, blushing slightly and shuffling her hooves together. "I didn't want to be alone that night after we dealt with Smokey, and Rainbow Dash was still pretty weak by the time I got her home, so I stayed with her."

"Wait a minute," said a shocked Rarity. "Fluttershy, Darling? Weren't you still a stallion when you two left?"

Fluttershy started turning even redder after that, and she wasn't alone in that reaction either. Rainbow Dash had also started blushing furiously and was doing her best to appear smaller.

"Ooo hehe, Darling" said a high spirited Rarity, batting her eyes with a mirthful glare. "You simply must share the details."

Celestia and Luna were sitting several seats away, watching Twilight and her friends giggle and gossip.

"Twilight truly is something special, isn't she dear sister?" Stated Luna.

Celestia smiled softly as she looked upon her student, "it warms my heart that she can still bounce back after that little episode. Such is the power of friendship I suppose." She gave a heavy sigh as her thoughts turned inward.

"What troubles you, sister?" Luna shuffled up beside Celestia and leaned into her.

"All these events that have taken place recently. Between the cutie mark thefts, your dreams, and what you found in the frozen north...I guess I'm just worried that it's all connected somehow," Celestia reflected quietly so no one else would hear. "And if it is...Who or what are we dealing with?"

Luna kept her thoughts to herself. She had identified the dreamer, but she feared that knowledge would just burden her sister further. Could he possibly be behind the attacks as well? No pony really knew what he could do since he always played his cards close to his chest, as the modern vernacular would put it.

Luna was about to speak when she felt that itch in the back of her mind that was becoming all too familiar. She realized the dreamer was asleep again as her ears perked up.

Her reaction didn't escape her sister's notice, "is it him again?"

Luna nodded slowly as she stood up, "we do not wish to alarm Twilight Sparkle and her friends in case I cry out again. I shall see if I can not avail myself of one of the sleeper cars."

Celestia placed a comforting hoof on her sister's side before she walked away, "be careful, Luna."

"As always, dear sister," Luna left the passenger car to seek out some privacy.

He awoke with his back on a cold stone surface and a splitting headache, "did anyone see which way that runaway buffalo was heading." He mused aloud as he sat up and rubbed at his head. However when he did so, he heard the very distinct sound of rattling chains next to his ears.

"Huh?" He felt around in the darkness for the source of the sound. His hooves soon found the cold links of metal laying in the bed beside him. He gave them a small tug only to feel them pulling on his legs. He tried to light up his horn to better assess his situation, but a small ring he soon found at the base of the magical appendage made it apparent that he wouldn't be casting spells anytime soon.

He was a prisoner, but where was he? He stood up from the cold surface and felt his way around the room. Eventually he found his passage blocked by iron bars. He used the small amount of slack the chains allowed him to bang his manacles against the bars, leaving a resounding ring to echo down the hallway.

"Is anyone there?!" He shouted. "Hello?! Anyone?!" The darkness refused to answer.

Hours passed like this with nothing but his own thoughts and his dark cell to keep him company. He did manage to find a barred window that allowed a small breeze to creep in.

"What was I doing last?" He wondered aloud as he strained his memory. His thoughts were a bit hazy, but given enough time he could...

Onyx! What have you done?!

I did what you never could, master. I tamed the darkness.

He grit his teeth as he slammed a hoof down on the stone floor. "That's right...my foolish student."

I've told you. The darkness cannot be tamed. Only communed with. It'll take everything if you give it too much!

You're too proud to admit that I'm more talented than you. Watch, I'll show you the darkness isn't something to fear.

"Why didn't he listen to me?" He grit his teeth. "Where did I go wrong?"

Master...It hurts...Help...Me...

"I should have done a better job."

So this is what the mortal world is like now...a bit musty in here.

Give me back my student!

And give up such a willing sacrifice? Not likely.

"Foolish...Foolish...Fool," he smashed a hoof against the wall with each word from his mouth, tears of despair running down his face.

What is this magic? How are you hurting me?!

I will have my student back!

"I almost managed to free him, but then..."

What's that light?

Celestia?! What are you doing here?!

"Celestia!" He pounded on ground as he clenched his jaw. "I told you to let me handle it!"

Something didn't feel right as his heart pounded against his chest. He sat down on the ground and meditated, reaching inside himself to try and figure out what was wrong.

He was broken. Parts of his soul were missing? How'd that happen? He inspected the fragmented edges, hoping that he had just misread something. As he did so though, he felt a wave of despair wash over him like a dive in a frozen mountain stream.

He buckled over. Globs of various fluids churning up from his insides as they splashed on the ground. A dark mist settled over his eyes, letting him see in the darkness for the first time. "Oh that's not good."

A sound came from down the hallway as he heard a metal latch being released. So he wasn't forgotten. He took a minute to concentrate on the foreign entity within him, using one of the oldest techniques he had been taught to lock that corruption inside a metaphysical box.

As the torchlight started bleeding down the hallway, he managed to pull in the last of the corruption and seal it, the mist around his eyes dissipating as he did so. He'd have to deal with his most recent acquisition later, when circumstances allowed.

Hooffalls sounded down the hallway as the light got brighter, his eyes having to adjust to the light after being trapped in absolute darkness.

"Well what have we got here," said a smarmy voice. "I see you're finally awake. You were making quite a ruckus in here."

That voice sounded familiar, "Viscount Blueblood? Is that you?" He asked only to feel a blinding pain cross his vision.

"You will show the Duke proper respect." Said the guard that had pummeled him with the butt of his spear.

He chuckled as he picked himself up off the ground, "hehe, a duke now. Somepony's moving up in the world. What deems it necessary for someone of your station to play warden?"

"Harrumph," Duke Blueblood scoffed. "I wanted to be the first to congratulate you on becoming Equestria first inmate on death row."

"Good one," he laughed. "Equestria doesn't invoke the death penalty. And what did I do to receive such an honor?"

"Read him the charges," Blueblood instructed the guard.

The guard saluted, "at once, your grace." He unrolled a parchment. "For the crime of genocide against Equestria and her allies, and for the utter destruction of the Crystal Empire, the court sentences you to hang at dawn."

His eye's narrowed at the charges, "what...happened?" Any kind of joviality he might've had was rapidly dissolving.

"After your little...escapade with your disciple," Blueblood spat out words like they were something foul. "The Equestrian military mobilized against the Tyrant King Sombra. After a long battle and many casualties, the royal sisters banished him to the ice. But not before he took the whole kingdom with him."

He sighed, it wasn't hard to draw conclusions from this. "And you needed somepony to pin the blame on, and that pony is me. What do the princesses have to say about this?"

"I see that your incarceration has not dulled your wits," Blueblood smirked. "As for Princess Celestia, she has locked herself in her chambers after her victory over Nightmare Moon."

He tilted his head at the name, "Nightmare Moon? Did we have another big villain attack since turning Discord to stone? Have we added another statue to the garden? And where's Luna?"

The smile that crept up Blueblood's face was unnerving, "I suppose we could let you stretch your legs a bit. Guard, bring him."

"But your grace, protocol dictates..."

Blueblood grabbed the collar of the guard that dared to talk back, "I said bring him."

"At...At once," the guard saluted and hastily produced some keys.

He didn't put up any kind of struggle as the guards poured into his cell and after removing his chains from the wall, proceeded to escort him through the castle. Whatever this...Duke wanted to show him, it was clearly something he was taking great pleasure in.

As the entourage traveled through the castle, he took note of several destroyed pieces of masonry. Had the castle been attacked? Did it have something to do with Nightmare Moon? Whoever that was.

They made their way into the royal garden, moonlight visible for the first time as they could finally see by more than just the light of their torches. They stopped in front of the statue garden. Many of these statues were just for show, except for the one of discord. That one was actually an enchanted prison.

"I don't see any new statues here," he observed the lack of changes since he was last here. "What was the point of bringing me here..."

His words caught in his throat as he saw the moon, or more importantly, what was in the moon.

"Luna?" He stared at the equine form that was imprinted into the lunar surface as he felt the blood run cold. He didn't need his magic to feel the pain that was emanating from the moon. His chest tightened as he collapsed to the ground and cried out. Tears streaming down his face as he howled his pain to the world.

He must have cried for several minutes before the guards started to nudge at him with their spears.

"Oh stop that babbling," Blueblood said cheerfully. "Ponies everywhere will be celebrating their beloved princess's defeat of Nightmare Moon. Now I think it's time to get you back to your cell. Our beloved princess will eventually recover from her wounds and raise the sun again and then we can finally get on with our lives. Well...most of us will." He said after giving him a devilish smirk.

"Where is Celestia?" He said in a cold voice.

"On your feet prisoner!" Shouted the guard.

He didn't move as he looked deep into the Duke's eyes. Blueblood saw no fear in those eyes, only fierce determination and anger.

Blueblood took a step forward and struck him across the face, "prisoners don't get the luxury of gazing upon our goddess. Know your place."

He didn't even blink as he stood up and took a few steps toward the insolent whelp that dare think himself somepony important. The guards holding his chains tripping over themselves as their efforts to hold their charge in place met little success.

He reached inside himself for the power he stored away a long time ago. He wasn't so foolish that he'd use that corruption he just finished locking away, especially in his charged emotional state. It only took a moment to realize that he wouldn't be able to bring his full might to bear with his soul being fractured the way that it was.

"What are you fools doing?!" Shouted Blueblood. "Restrain him!"

"We're trying, your Grace!" The guards continued to be dragged along as he stepped forward. The ring around his horn glowed and hummed loudly as his magic fought against the restraint.

"The convict has proven to be a threat to the crown! By my authority as Duke, carry out his execution now!" Blueblood was quickly backpedaling as he shouted orders.

More...He drew upon his broken self for whatever it could give him. He needed more.

The guards dropped the chains he was dragging them by and drew their spears as they surrounded him. A few more armed guards poured into the courtyard and took up positions around the prisoner.

At a signal from their captain, they all stepped forward, thrusting their weapons with the hopes of taking down the furious unicorn.

Just before the sharpened metal would've pierced his skin, the restraint around his horn shattered and his magic cascaded outward like a shockwave. The force of magic pushed outward and picked up all the guards, throwing them backwards across the the yard and smashing them into bushes and statues. Some of them got some air and smashed into walls, and some unlucky few got blown straight through some of the more damaged walls.

He rushed forward. Light crackling down his fur as the remains of his manacles broke and fell away as he barreled toward the foolish duke.

Blueblood tried to cast a shield spell, but due to either his pampered upbringing or the sheer magnitude of what he was trying to stop, the unicorn shattered his shield as he charged straight through it. Blueblood's vision flashed white as he was picked up from the ground and soon found himself slammed up against a wall.

"Where is Celestia?!" He roared at the foolish pony through pointed teeth.

Blueblood looked down at his captor and was one step away from soiling himself as he looked down into those blazing green eyes that had focused into vertical slits. "I...I..."

"Put him down! I'm right here!" Shouted the voice of authority from behind him.

He leaned next to Blueblood's ear and hissed, "if I ever see you again, this night's going to look like sunshine and rainbows. Have I made myself clear?"

The duke hastily nodded his head, not once taking his eyes from the monster than held him.

"Good, I'm glad we can be reasonable adults." He lovingly patted the side of his face before dropping him hard to the ground. Blueblood scrambled upright and wasted no time fleeing once he had his hooves under himself again.

He turned to face Celestia from across the courtyard when his eyes fell on her mane. What he saw taking some of the heat from his rage, "oh poor sweet child, what have you done?"

Celestia stood before him with bags under her puffy red eyes and her mane, while messy, wasn't its normal pink color. Instead it had taken on several pastel hues. "I...I didn't mean to...It was just..."

"You used the Elements of Harmony against your sister," he narrowed his eyes while pointing an accusatory hoof at her. "It's as plain to see as the hair on your head that the Elements have left their mark on you. I'll even bet they've also turned to stone after being used so callously."

"I had no choice!" Celestia shouted back as tears rained down around her. "Luna refused to lower the moon and then she turned into that...thing."

He sighed, "Nightmare Moon I believe they're calling her now..."

"Don't call her that!" Her voice broke as she screeched, her hooves slamming over her ears as she broke down. "It killed me on the inside having to go along with the nobles plans of having you take the fall for the Crystal Empire, knowing how it would affect her. Sniff...she loved you, you know."

"Sigh...I knew," he sighed. "She was already hurting with the way ponies were not appreciating her night," he reflected. "You had to know adding anything else to her burdens was going to hurt her immensely," he continued to direct his ire at her. "You mean to tell me you couldn't keep those nobles controlled?"

"You're right," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Wait? I am?" Something about the way she said that unnerved him greatly. Celestia never agreed with him.

"If only I had a little more control," Celestia lifted her head slowly and cocked her head at him slowly. He looked into her eyes which had shrunken to pinpricks but other than than showed no emotion, and that smile...that smile was unnaturally wide as it stretched across her face.

"I should have more control...heh...heh heh," her chest bounced a bit with every chuckle that escaped her lips. "Heh, my little ponies can't be trusted with their own well being. They need to be taught, like a mother who looks after her foals, and who better to teach them than the sun itself! Heh...heh heh...HAHAHAHA!" She started laughing maniacally.

The sky started to lighten at that point, the sun starting to peek up over the castle walls and pour it's light into the courtyard.

"Celestia, you need to calm down," he tried telling her as he watched the clear signs of something disastrous beginning.

"Celestia!? Who's that?!" The solar princess snapped her attention to him as small flames started to lick off her coat. "Celestia was a weak little pony who let her subjects tell her what to do! Celestia was a sorry excuse of a sister who banished her own sister to the moon!"

Celestia narrowed her cold eyes at him. "Celestia was a pathetic little ingrate who let a silly little unicorn stand against her instead of doing what she should've done all along."

The light from the sun blazed down upon her in that moment, enveloping her in a pillar of fire. The flames poured out over the courtyard, incinerating most of the plant life and scorching what remained. He had to put up a shield to keep the flames from washing over him as well.

As the flames died down, Celestia stepped out from the pyre she was standing in. Her pastel mane and tail were now a blazing inferno, her eyes had turned pitch black except for the yellow irises that now filled them. His gaze met hers and she smiled at him with the jagged teeth of a predator.

"Celestia, what have you done?" He back away slowly, fear guiding his actions as a cold sweat started to run down his face. He was not ready to deal with an insane alicorn.

Celestia looked around her like he was talking to someone else, "oh you meant me?" She said with a measure of joviality and just a pinch of lust. "Celestia is dead! She couldn't do what needed to be done! Now there is only...DAYBREAKER!!!"

Flames erupted from the ground as she announced herself to the world, "now where was I? Oh right." She smiled manically at him as concentrated beam of sunlight poured from her horn and headed straight for him. He dove out of the way, just barely making it, except for the last couple inches of his tail, which were cleanly burned off.

"Celestia! Remember yourself!" He shouted as he desperately raced around the outside of the room, collecting the spears dropped by the guards when he tossed them away.

"Oh how cute," she watched him gleefully. "Think you can handle me with a few sticks. And don't forget, its Daybreaker now!"

"I'm not calling you that!" He shouted back as he threw one of the spears at her, which she casually knocked away with a brush of her feathers, the metal of the spear glowing a cherry red as it struck the ground.

She breathed a gout of fire at him that he slid underneath and had to immediately pad out the flames at the tips of his ears. He returned fire with two more spears which she deftly stepped out of the way of.

"It's all your fault you know," she said. "If Luna had never met you, she would've been much happier. She would never have had to feel that loss." She nonchalantly tossed a few fireballs at him that detonated when they hit the ground and sent a shower of stone shards in his direction.

He took shelter behind one of the pillars to guard himself from the explosion, a piece of shrapnel still managing to leave a shallow gash across his back. "That would've been no way for her to live and you know it!" He peaked around the corner and threw three more spears, he threw them wide though and she didn't even have to dodge.

"Your aim is getting worse," said a bemused Daybreaker. "Are we getting tired? I'm just getting warmed up!" She shouted as she let loose another stream of flames from her maw.

He jumped into a corkscrew as he leapt over it, throwing one of the last two spears he had at her. Daybreaker opted to catch this one in her magic and she eyed him menacingly as she charged at him.

Just before hitting the ground, he teleported to where she had just been standing. She quickly spun around and vaulted high into the air hoping to bring the spear down on him as she sailed right at him.

Daybreaker had forgotten about the last spear he was holding though. He cocked it back and emerald light lanced through the spear as he aimed it at the sun goddess. He threw the arcane lance with all the might and magic he had left, however, a grin broke across Daybreaker's face as she casually used her wings to push herself out of the way. The magically imbued lance sailing past her head and through her mane as it sailed up into the sky and out of sight.

She brought down the spear she was holding and pierced him through his shoulder. She kept her momentum going as she pinned him to the ground, leaving him on his back and looking up at her. Pain becoming evident on his face as the scorching lance seared his flesh.

"Didst thou really forget that I could fly?" Daybreaker grinned down at her prey as she licked her lips for a moment before snarling at him again. "She would have still been here if it wasn't for you!" She relished having him underhoof as she twisted the spear, taking joy from making him squirm and sweat from the pain she was causing.

To his credit he didn't scream out, but he...smiled at her? "Well this was fun...heh heh...ow." He flinched and coughed up a bit of blood when he tried to laugh. "What do you say we call it a draw?"

"HAHAHAHA!...haaaa, very amusing my little pony." She looked down at him hungrily, savoring the kill to come. "What makes you think there will be a next time?"

"Next time...I'll be ready for you." He smiled a savage grin at her as the last spear he had thrown impacted the ground several feet away from them. The emerald light it gave off started to the fly through the air like a verdant fountain. The light of the spear connecting with the other six spears he had thrown and began to trace a circle around the two combatants. Next thing they knew, the light interconnected between the spears and left the flaming alicorn standing in the middle of a seven pointed star.

"What is this?!" She wondered aloud as she felt something invisible impact her and left her feeling woozy as she staggered back from him. "What did you do?!" She demanded in confusion as she tried to jump forward at him, but her hind legs had stuck to the ground and as she turned to look at them, she could see them slowly turning to stone.

He reached over and pulled the spear from his shoulder, unpinning himself from the ground. "Ow..." Blood pouring down his foreleg as he sat up and looked at her. "That right there is the best I could do on such short notice."

She breathed fire at him as he stood there, but they only came out as a few embers. "I demand you release me!" She shouted in rage, half of her barrel having turned to stone at this point and the change was climbing up her wings.

"Oh don't be such a baby," he said as he conjured up some medical bandages, guess he had a bit more magic after all. He groaned as he bit down on the haft of the spear and floated the bandage around his injured shoulder. With one last force of will, he tightened the makeshift tourniquet around his open wound. His eyes almost popping out of his skull from the pain as his teeth dug into the wood of the spear.

With the bleeding sufficiently staunched, he looked back up to his opponent. Most of her neck had taken on the grey of the stone by this point. "You'll be back to your grumpy self in about a day or so. Although, I'll be long gone by then."

"How dare you do this to your princess! I am the sun! I am Daybre..." Her words were cut off as the stone fully encased her.

He limped up the hillside, still favoring one leg over the other. The grass rustled a bit off to his right and he sighed deeply, "ok Luna, how much of that did you see?"

"So that was Daybreaker," Luna said as she faded into view. "I've been here since you awoke in the cell."

"So you saw everything then," he laid down on the grass and kept his weight off the injured leg. "Any questions?"

"That would depend on whether we are to play the same games of the other night." She stated very cleanly, not even giving it the chance to be taken as a question.

"No games, I'm too tired," he said as he steadied his breathing.

"Ever since I found you that first night, we've been having trouble with ponies going around, stealing magic, and getting away in fantastic methods that redefine what the tribes can actually do." She took a deep breath before continuing. "And if that wasn't bad enough, we just got finished dealing with a changeling that forced Twilight Sparkle into a position where she had to attack her own teacher. Didst thou have anything to do with that?"

"Heh," he laughed, and then flinched from the pain of his shoulder. "Old Spectrum got you girls good did he. Yes Luna, they're mine. All of them," he said with resignation.

Luna's eyes narrowed as she took a few more steps forward, "what exactly art thou planning?"

"You'll find out tomorrow," he said calmly. "That's when everything ends. Be careful though, I sort of started a blizzard and it's not the kind of storm that only needs us to chase off a few windigos.

Author's Note

A bit longer than I intended.
Definitely a more aggressive a chapter than I originally intended.

(Fluttershy? What did you do to Rainbow Dash? I turn my back for one minute and ponies start stirring up trouble.)

Chapter 16: Walking in from the past

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!

Chapter 17: Return of a legend

"Shining Armor!" Twilight and Cadence rushed to the place he had fallen once the initial shock had worn off.

They fought back tears as they kneeled down beside him and checked for signs of life. Twilight, having already seen this case twice before wasn't surprised by what they found. "Still breathing and maintaining a steady pulse. But missing any sign of magic or consciousness." She said aloud for Cadence's benefit. "Same as the other two. So have you been responsible for Soarin and Big Macintosh as well?"

Clover simply nodded to her somberly, his face a mask of sadness.

"Are you really Clover the Clever? The same one who chased off the windigoes on hearth's warming eve?" Twilight asked while Cadence tried to heal Shining with her magic.

"That is indeed the same Clover, Twilight Sparkle," said Luna. "We expected him to show up today but did not anticipate he would make such a dramatic entrance."

"You knew?!" Snapped Celestia, turning to her sister. "How long have you known he was still alive?"

"We've known these past two nights and as to why we deigned not to tell you...It's complicated," Luna said with some mild blush rising to her cheeks.

"But why is Clover standing against us?" Inquired a confused Twilight.

"I'm sure he has some reason," said Celestia sternly. "But that does not excuse his actions."

"You have no right to judge me, Celestia," Clover said as narrowed his cold eyes at her. "It's your fault it took me a thousand years just to fix this mess and then you went and open fired on my student without even once considering another option or even asking why Storm Chaser went out of his way to retrieve him. Both you and Cadence are a disappointment."

"Your student?!" Exclaimed Cadence as she turned her face from her husband, her eyes now a little bloodshot from the tears she was crying. "You taught that...that thing?!" She pointed her hoof at the dark king who looked like he trying to sneak away.

Clover turned and took one look at Sombra before shouting with authority, "Onyx! Sit down! I'll get to you in a minute."

To the shock of everyone in the room, Sombra instantly sat down with a wide-eyed look on his face like he was some foal that had just gotten caught with his hoof in the cookie jar.

Clover turned back to Celestia, "he is not yours to punish. As his teacher, his punishment falls on me. However, before I address his disobedience, I have one last thing to attend to." He narrowed his eyes on the solar princess, "Celestia, this is the only chance I will give you to stand down. What will it be?"

Celestia's horn lit up its golden glow as the magic wrapped around Clover, lifting him into the air.

Clover sighed as he looked down from his lofty perch, "I was afraid of that. So be it."

"AAHHHHHHHH!!" Came Cadence's ear piercing scream but a moment later. They all turned to look at her as she stood rigid. Her wings were extended to their full length as she slumped over Shining Armor. Her face a ghostly white and her eyes had rolled into the back of her head.

What happened? Twilight had been right beside Cadence and hadn't seen anything even come close to her.

"Ret..." Clover held a hoof to his head in an exasperated gesture. "Wasn't that a bit overkill?"

They scanned the room to find the unicorn that had been silent this whole time. She was standing by the door to the throne room and only bothered to give them a passing glance when Clover called out to her.

"What did you do to Cadence?!" Shouted Twilight as she whirled to face her.

Ret's red eyes met Twilight's for a moment before turning back to the door. With a flick of red aura, the door flew open and she sauntered from the room.

"Go after her!" Shouted Celestia. "Whatever Clover has planned we can't let his accomplice run free!"

Twilight nodded sharply to her teacher, "come on girls." She beckoned to her friends and they all followed her from the room.

Clover started chuckling in Celestia's magical grip once Twilight and the rest of the Elements left, "I can't believe you just split the party. You really should try playing that Ogres and Oubliettes game sometime. You never split the party."

"You're really not in any position to make jokes," said Celestia as she looked at the smug unicorn in her magical grip. "Luna and I are more than enough to keep you contained."

He clapped his hooves together like he just remembered something important. He also didn't seem to have any trouble moving despite being in Celestia's magical grip. "Oh I almost forgot." He looked over to Luna and gave her a pleading look. "Luna, I need a really big favor."

"Luna! Don't listen to him!" Celestia desperately pleaded with her sister.

"With me awake and Ret separated from me, the beast has no warden." He said to her cryptically.

Luna felt a cold sweat run down her body as she grasped the meaning behind his words, "that...thing can escape?!"

"It was getting close to breaking free before, and with Onyx here in the room," he looked over to his student who still looked very afraid upon meeting Clover's eyes. "It's going to be very anxious to snatch up this tasty morsel."

"Sorry sister," said Luna, shaking her head and regaining some composure. "But that thing scares me more than you can imagine. We cannot allow it to run free."

Luna stepped to the side of the room and took a few deep breaths before focusing on a distant wall and letting her mind slip into the realm of dreams.

Luna once again found herself in the starry corridor that was the dream realm. Very few ponies were asleep this time of day but she had a very clear goal on what she was looking for.

She wouldn't be able to find Clover's mind that easily while he's awake. Although that tear in reality from the last time the beast escaped should still be there. Such an wound on the infinite should still leave some scars and it wouldn't have had enough time to fully heal yet.

Luna flew down the dreamscape, ignoring the few ponies that were asleep midday and even though some of them suffered from nightmares, her search took a higher priority. She saw a light in the darkness and drew closer to it. It was the previously opened rift and...Heavens above!...It was trying to tear itself open again!

As she floated next to it, she could just barely make out the traces of an invisible opening. It's rather hard to see a shadow moving through the cosmos if there's no light to back it up. But close as she was, she could barely make out the door the shadows were tracing.

She lashed her magic out at the obscured door and felt for the edges of the passage into Clover's dreams. How he had managed to trap such a foul creature inside his subconscious was still a mystery that would have to be solved later. But for now, all she needed to do was prevent this dark creature from escaping.

Luna laced her magic through the doorway, reinforcing it. The beast must've sensed her efforts, because not shortly after she started to defend her realm then the beast started to pound furiously on the obstacle barring its path.

Light spilled through cracks in the now much more visible door. The damage grew in size with every passing moment and she healed the damage as best she could while bracing herself against the onslaught.

However, try as she might, it was taking everything she had just to stall this monster.

"I do not appreciate you using my sister like this," Celestia said while she looked up at the suspended Clover.

Clover didn't seem too overly concerned about being at the solar princess's mercy as he looked down at her. "I wouldn't say I'm using her, but I do need her help," he spun in her grip till he took a laying down position in the air.

Celestia felt the strain against her magic just from him moving around. How was he still able to move so easily? He hadn't once tried to break free, but it was clear he wasn't really bothered by being under her control. "What exactly is your end goal here, Clover?"

"Are you really trying to get me to monologue?" Clover smiled at her. "That's why I had Spectrum tag along to give you all that lecture. Saves a lot of time that way."

"I still don't see how you plan to get out of your current predicament." Celestia said while masking how much she was struggling to hold him.

Clover sighed dejectedly, "did you really forget what I said when last we fought? That next time I'd be ready for you?" Clover gave her a sad smile that reflected his own disappointment.

Celestia only had a moment to register his words before something really fast slammed hard into her side. She lost her magical grip on Clover as the impact caused her to slide across the throne room.

Clover for his part, didn't seem to mind too much that he was suddenly freefalling. He smoothly spun his body in mid-air and caught himself on the ground, "took you long enough," he said to the newcomer.

"Oh I was just waiting to see if you'd actually start monologuing," said the new voice in the room.

Celestia fought to catch her breath as she struggled to her hooves, it had been a long time since she took a physical blow like that. Was that smoke she smelled? As she looked to where she previously stood, she saw a glowing green earth pony with a blazing golden mane. A golden haze rolled off him as if he was the source of a raging inferno.

The look on his face, for it was a stallion, was almost gleeful as he approached her. "Time to put a princess in time out."

She did the first thing she could think of and tried to stop him with her magic. Her confusion at being unable touch him with said magic quickly devolved into panic as he charged straight at her. She reflexively threw up a shield around herself, but she had barely done so when felt something wrap around her barrel. The next thing she knew, she found herself airborne and slamming into a wall.

The wall cracked and crumbled as she pulled herself from it. What was happening?! She looked up to see Clover talking to Sombra, having seemed to stop caring that she was in the room. Sombra for his part, still seemed terrified of Clover. Where did that earth pony go?

A golden fog obscured her vision as the smell of thick smoke filled her nostrils. Celestia shook her head and beat her wings in an attempt to blow the foul smelling smoke away. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't clear the air of the stench. She soon found herself short of breath as she broke into a coughing fit.

She took a few steps, only to stagger. What was going on? Her magic didn't feel right. Her connection to the sun was being...strained? How?!

"Smokey, how long are you going to play with her?" Said Clover as he looked over his shoulder at them.

"Hold your horses, I'm working on it," came a voice directly from Celestia's side. "She's a bit hardier than Twilight was."

Celestia jumped back from the pony beside her only to hear his voice even closer, "it's a shame that Equestria doesn't teach earth ponies how to use their magic outside of farming. "Are the unicorns still so afraid their power will be challenged? Those foolish nobles need to be taken down a peg."

She continued to feel herself get weaker as she scanned the room looking for him. However, she continued to feel the drain on her magic the more time passed.

"Tell me Celestia," she felt her chest shake from the words being spoken so close. "What's the plan if the princesses fall? Will the rest just be left to the slaughter?" With those words she fell to her knees, her mane falling flat as she could no longer feel any connection to the sun.

"Why?!" She cried out. "Why are you doing this?!" She began to cough up a plume of golden smoke that started to trickle from her mouth and spiral around her. Her vision growing clouded as a set of eyes looked at her from within the smoke. Eyes that looked sad as they looked down at her.

"Because," said Clover, turning from his charge for a moment. "I cannot risk you interfering again."

Those were the last words she heard before the golden smoke rushed out of her like a torrent. It was but a moment later that she found herself being smothered by the golden miasma as she drifted into unconsciousness.

Author's Note

Did you think we forgot about old smokey?

Day 1 of the finale.
Next chapter tomorrow.

Chapter 18: Ret Conned

Twilight ran down the corridor with her friends, eager to stop the unicorn that stole her brother's magic and just attacked Cadence.

She still was having a hard time believing what just happened. Clover the Clever, THE Clover the Clever had been living in her house for the better part of the last week. But still, why was he doing all this? Wasn't he supposed to be one of Equestria's biggest heroes? Was he an imposter? Luna said he was the real thing? He couldn't be a changeling could he? A long dead unicorn would be a really poor disguise.

"Could he be an evil zombie?!" Proclaimed a Pinkie Pie who was shuddering all over.

"Huh?" Twilight train of thought was derailed as she turned to look at her twitching friend.

"Darling, we're worried you're overanalyze everything," said a concerned Rarity. "You do have that look on your face."

"Gosh darn it, Ah'm more worried about this Ret gal we're chasin," said Applejack. "If she's anything like that Smokey fella."

"I'm more worried bout Pinkie's twitchin," said Rainbow Dash. "That's not usually a good sign."

"I don't know D-D-Dashie," Pinkie was still shuddering quite violently. "It started right before Cadence screamed. Whatever happened, it was a d-d-doozy. And I don't think we've seen the last of it."

They ran down the hallway until they spotted Ret sitting at a balcony overlooking the city. She had her back turned as she sat there levitating an open book in front of her. She didn't really seem to notice them approaching as she starred at the book, chewing at the end of a red quill.

"She's distracted Twilight," said an enthusiastic Rainbow. "I'm gonna get the jump on her."

"No Rainbow. Wait!" Twilight shouted after her friend.

Her shouting seemed to catch Ret's attention as she looked back at them. She gently floated the red quill to the page in front of her as she watched Rainbow fly in to tackle her. At that moment, Rainbow Dash's wings seemed to be no longer able to catch the air as she tumbled to the ground and rolled to a stop in front of her.

Pinkie stopped on the spot and started to shake more violently than before. "What was that?!" She cried out.

"I didn't even see her magic touch her, what happened?!" Twilight said in a panic.

"Ah got her," said Applejack as she lassoed a rope around Ret, eliciting an adorable squeak as the rope tightened around her.

Ret braced herself as Applejack tried to pull her in. She calmly glanced at the rest of them as she placed quill to parchment again.

Applejack held the rope taut as she braced herself on the ground, giving one last pull to bring the unicorn to the ground. That was the plan, but at that moment, gravity decided to go on vacation in regards to a certain apple farmer.

Applejack's eyes went wide when she suddenly found her hooves no longer on the ground as she started to drift upward. "Whoa nelly!" The only thing that kept her from flying away was the rope she now desperately held between her teeth.

"There it was again?!" Screamed Pinkie Pie. "Do you girls seriously not see that?!"

Rarity had managed to sneak up behind Ret in the confusion and was getting ready to pounce on her. And then she turned orange.

"AAHHHHH!!" Rarity high pitched scream broke any silence that remained as she ran away crying.

Pinkie looked up to the empty space above her, "I know what I saw, I'm not crazy!" She shouted to no one in particular.

Rainbow Dash managed to pick herself back up off the ground and after shaking the cobwebs from her head, leapt at the unicorn in front of her and managed to wrap her forelegs around her this time.

Ret buckled under the added weight and gave her new passenger an annoyed look as she tried to buck her off. However in the middle of trying to get free, the rope that was still wrapped around her proceeded to get tangled around both her and Rainbow Dash.

Eventually the struggle bore fruit as it found both of them on the ground and tangled up in the rope, leaving two very annoyed ponies laying there.

"It's ok girls, I think I got her," proclaimed Rainbow from her hogtied position.

Ret rolled her eyes before teleporting out of the mess of rope, leaving Rainbow to be dragged away by the Applejack shaped kite that was still on the other end of the rope. "Nevermind! I don't got her!"

Ret surveyed the remaining ponies on her battlefield, her eyes locking on Fluttershy as she slid to a stop in front of her once she had been spotted. "Eep!" She cried out before collapsing due to a sudden caress of the

SPLAT!!!

Ret dropped her book as she found her concentration broken. Her vision filling with...Banana cream pie?

"No more red letters!" Shouted Pinkie Pie before pelting her with another pie.

Ret staggered backward when the second pie hit her, a look of confusion on her face as she wiped away the desert. She steadied herself as her red magic scooped her book up from where it had fallen. She pressed her red quill to the pages and Pinkie found herself having

KERBLAM!!!

She suddenly found herself surrounded by an explosion of confetti, causing her to tumbled backward as her book flew away from her again.

"Twilight! Fluttershy!" Shouted Pinkie Pie, snapping her two remaining friends out of their reverie. "Quit staring and keep that book away from her!"

Fluttershy was the first to spot the book laying abandoned on the ground as she ran over and picked it up in her mouth. She only made it a few steps before a red bolt of magic came tearing through the air and sent her flying back down the hallway they came from.

The book flew through the air towards Ret as she whipped her magic back up in an attempt to catch it. However, she soon found herself on unsteady hooves as a mattress of balloons came up underneath her. Ret scowled at the balloons as she popped them one by one, her book forgotten for the moment.

Twilight saw the book fly through the air and dove after it, her wings catching the air as she jumped. She caught the book with her outstretched hooves and held the strange tome against her chest. Panic overtook her for a moment when she realized she was airborne under her own power. She looked back down to see Ret standing there with a look of fury on her face while Pinkie floated there strangled by a ribbon of magic fastened around her neck.

Ret's angry red eyes met Twilight's as she spoke the first thing they had ever heard her say since she appeared.

Four simple words were spoken by a soft singsong voice.

Whatever meaning those words carried however were lost as pain rushed through Twilight like a tidal wave and set every nerve ending on fire. She limply fell from her airborne perch, her body screaming out in agony just before she impacted the ground and lost consciousness.

"Twilight!"

Who am I? The consciousness barely scraping her thoughts together over the river of agony that surged through her. Everything she was seemed to burn as if someone had set a torch to her.

"Twilight!"

Was someone saying something? All six of her limbs burned and ached. Six limbs? That's right. She had wings didn't she? Why did she hurt so much?

"Twilight!"

Her eyes shot open as she starred at the cloud covered sky above her, a blurry orange form hovering over her.

"Applejack?" She said weakly.

"Hrmph," the current speaker said sardonically. "Normally I'd be offended if you mixed us up, but given current circumstances I'll make an exception just this once."

Twilight's eyes came into focus as she looked at the orange unicorn crouched over her. "Rarity?" She pulled the name from her addled mind. "Why are you orange?"

"I'll...I'll be alright darling, but you should really be more worried about yourself," said Rarity with deep concern in her voice. "You were bleeding pretty badly."

"Blood?!" Twilight jumped with a start, only to noticed the cloth wrapped around her midsection with splotches of red fluid bleeding through it. "What happened?"

"Ret lost her temper is what happened," came a very familiar voice from dozen feet away. "There's a good reason why she doesn't speak."

Twilight slowly sat up with some assistance from Rarity, the muscles in her back burning as she got all four of her hooves back under herself. She looked over to see Fluttershy bandaging...Twilight?

There was another Twilight a dozen feet away from her, similarly wrapped in bandages marred with dark splotches. However this version of herself, was a unicorn and thus was missing a set of wings adorning their back.

"Spectrum?" Twilight guessed. "What do you mean? What exactly happened? And how are you hurt?"

"You ponies never make things easy, do you?" The fake Twilight said between wet coughs. "In her anger, Ret tried to remove your wings and if I hadn't acted quickly, that would have been your reality...in the messiest way possible. Pinkie's randomness got her so worked up that she lost her self control and tried to tear your wings off. I strongly advise you don't try to fly for a while, that kind of damage doesn't heal quickly.

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around herself as she shuddered, the implications of what he just said sinking in. She looked up to her twin's battered body, "What happened to you then? Why are you hurt?"

"Reality doesn't like it when you create a paradox," she coughed up some green and red mucus that splashed on the ground. "I'm paying the price for that."

"What?!" The gears in Twilight's head were catching on something that didn't want to click.

"Don't try to understand it, you'll only hurt yourself," Spectrum said weakly. "Other than Ret herself, Clover's the only one who even remotely understands the magic she uses. But even he'll admit it give him a headache."

They looked over to find Ret sitting against the balcony with terrified stare on her face. She shook violently while desperately hugging her book protectively against her chest as if were the only thing in the world that mattered.

"Finish the spell, Ret," Spectrum wheezed out as he stood up, Fluttershy catching him as he staggered.

Ret slowly climbed back to her hooves, glaring daggers at Pinkie who slowly retreated to stand by Twilight. She took a few deep breaths before reopening her book and floating her red quill over to touch the pages.

As Ret stood there on the balcony overlooking the Crystal Empire, she knew that this kingdom, if it ever existed in the first place, fell because a great evil was unleashed upon it. The kingdom itself was banished to keep that evil contained and even though the palace at the center of the city had returned from that banishment, the city and its ponies had not.

Ret staggered forward, her book tumbling to the ground as she struggled to keep herself upright. The air around her rippled as everyone else felt a wave of warm air rush over them. Arcs of power rippled up her body as her horn lit up as bright as the sun. She staggered a few times as tears of blood poured from her eyes, her fur starting to take on the red glow of her horn as cracks began to appear all over her body.

With one last push, she arced her back and a pylon of power shot into the sky, eliciting a scream of agony from the unfortunate unicorn. She sounded like a banshee as she cried out her pain to the world, the sky turning red as her power filled it.

Twilight and her friends looked on in fear as the light from Ret grew brighter and brighter. The whole world reflecting the light as it glowed as bright as an inferno, washing out their vision from being able to see anything.

When it looked like the light would never die down, the world came back into focus. As Twilight looked upon the unicorn that the spell had originated from, all she found there was a statue of red crystal. Steam poured off the sculpture as it started to rapidly cool, cracks forming as the hot crystal fizzled against the cold air.

Ret's body soon met the same fate Storm Chaser as pieces of the crystal started to rapidly break and fall away. As the last of the crystal collected in a pile, Twilight saw her brother's cutiemark of shield and stars rise up from the pieces before dissipating into nothingness.

"Shining Armor..." Twilight gasped as her thoughts finally caught up with her. What did Ret releasing his cutiemark mean? Was he going to be alright?

"This isn't funny," said Pinkie Pie from the edge of the balcony, her voice absent of its normal joy. "Twilight, you need to see this."

Rarity helped Twilight over to where Pinkie stood, the pain in her back and wings causing her to wince with every step. As she followed Pinkie's gaze, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

All she could see was a frozen wasteland as far as the eye could see.

It was gone.

The Crystal Empire was gone.

Author's Note

Ponies are editing my story while I'm trying to write it!
Next time this happens I'm gonna sing a happy song about sunshine and rainbows.
Damn it all!

Day 2 of the finale.
Tune in tomorrow.

Chapter 19: The ancient mage

It was gone.

Did a single unicorn just erase a country?

"What?...What happened? How is this possible?" Twilight wondered her thoughts aloud as she stared over the empty expanse.

"Ah don't rightly know, sugarcube," AJ said from her airborne position through the rope she still held between her teeth. "However, ya'll think ya could git me down from here?"

Twilight used her magic to pull Applejack in closer and after a few failed attempts of running her magic over her, she just sat there rubbing her head in confusion. "I don't know what this magic is. I can't feel any spells on you."

"Yeah that's the problem with Ret's magic," said the Twilight Double as she staggered over with Fluttershy's assistance. "However, it'll wear off on it's own eventually."

"How long is eventually?" Applejack raised an eyebrow while she continued to float at the end of her rope.

"Twenty-four hours would be my best guess," said Spectrum flatly.

"A full day?! Ah gotta float around like this fer a full day?!" Exclaimed Applejack in disbelief.

"And I have to stay this positively dreadful orange color? No offense Applejack." Said Rarity apologetically.

"None taken," said an annoyed Applejack who definitively wasn't offended.

"Wait a minute," said Twilight, perking up. "Does that mean..."

"No," said Spectrum cutting her off. "Ret poured everything she had into that spell. The Crystal Empire is truly gone unless the spell is undone. As for Applejack, I think I know a temporary fix."

"What exactly are you thinkin?" Asked Applejack a raised eyebrow.

Applejack was glad to have her hooves firmly on the ground, her body still felt strangely light and this stuff she was wearing didn't feel all that good on her fur.

"Why Applejack," said a blushing Rarity. "You look simply dashing as a royal guard."

"If'n you say so, I don't rightly feel myself wearin all this metal, even if it does weigh me down." Complained a now armored Applejack. "So why you helpin us? Why'd ya stop yer friend from hurtin Twi? Don't mean to sound ungrateful or nothin, but why?"

"Clover doesn't want to see anypony get hurt and I take it as a point of pride that so far, nopony has." Spectrum said weakly.

Applejack had him pinned up against a wall by his throat so fast that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash barely had a chance to stop her from pounding his face in. "Mah brother is in the hospital because of this Clover. And Ah still don't even rightly know if he's alive or not."

"Applejack, stop!" Twilight grabbed hold of her shoulder despite her own pain. "I'm worried for my brother too, but hurting him isn't going to help anything."

"You're brothers are fine," Spectrum choked out. "Shining's probably waking up right now and Big Mac will probably wake up within the hour once Smokey finishes kicking Celestia's flank."

Applejack glared at him as she reluctantly lowered him back to the ground, not once taking her eyes from him, "Ah'll hold ya to that partner."

Twilight however, just tensed up as the rest of what he had just said registered in her head. "Smokey's doing what?!"

The seven of them rushed back to the throne room as fast as they could with two of their number severely injured. Twilight's back still hurt immensely, but at least the bleeding had finally stopped.

When they got there, they found Shining Armor standing guard over Cadence. His colors were still looking a bit faded and if the look on his face was anything to go by, he looked like he was going to drop at any minute.

"Shining Armor!" Shouted Twilight, crying a bit. "You're ok!"

"I'm fine little sis," said Shining without taking his eyes off of the golden unicorn in front of him. "However does anypony wanna explain what's going on?"

"Random Fact was Clover the Clever," Twilight gasped out between breaths. "Where's Princess Celestia?!"

"Ah Twilight," said Clover. "I see that Ret finished her mission...What happened to you?!" He exclaimed after noticing her bandaged state.

"Ret happened," Twilight's twin gurgled out. "She lost control and I had to intervene. Don't worry, she still managed to remove the city."

"Spectrum, my friend..." Clover shook his head, a look of concern on his face. "You look terrible. Are you going to be ok?"

"I'm going to need some major healing after everything's done, but I'll survive for now." He said through painful breaths.

"Clover!" Shouted Twilight. "Where's Princess Celestia?!"

"She's uh...taking a smoke break?" Clover offered unhelpfully.

"That was bad, even for you," came a new voice from the corner of the room.

Twilight followed the sound of the voice to the corner of the throne room. She had missed it before but now she could see a golden cloud of smoke billowing in the corner of the room.

"Princess Celestia!" She cried out as she ran up to the edge of the cloud.

"I wouldn't get any closer if I were you, Twilight," cautioned Clover. "That spell was specifically designed to take down alicorns."

Twilight skidded to a stop as she snapped her attention back to Clover, "what have you got against Princess Celestia?"

"The two of them have some less than pleasant history together," came the voice from inside the dissipating cloud. "I'm done here."

Out from the smoke cloud strolled a face that Twilight hoped never to see again, causing her to jump back as the earth pony, Smokey Vines, stepped in front of her. His glowing body quickly dimming as he looked to Clover. "My best guess is Celestia will be of commission until midnight. Sorry, but that's the best I can do."

"Don't worry Smokey, it'll be enough time to finish this up." He nodded to the last of his holders.

Smokey pointed a hoof at him as his face narrowed into a concerned scowl, "you be careful. This is a dangerous game you're playing." At those words the color rushed out of him as his body quickly turned into black crystal before falling to pieces. Same as the other two holders, as the crystal piled up, Big Mac's green apple cutiemark appeared for a brief moment before disappearing.

Twilight looked past the pile of crystal to the mass forming where the golden cloud of smoke was clearing. Disregarding her own safety, she rushed to the side of her mentor as soon as she could make out her multi-hued mane.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight called out when she came to her side. However as she stood there, she had to steady her breath when she saw the state of her teacher.

"Twilight?" Celestia responded weakly. "How bad is it? I don't feel quite myself."

"Um..." Twilight blushed sheepishly. "I don't know of any other way to put this, but you seem to be a bit...uh...beside yourself?"

Celestia had diminished quite a bit in stature, but that wasn't the strangest part of it. Twilight was now looking at three normal sized ponies, all with white coats and Celestia's mane colors. However they were split into one of each pony tribe.

Confusion painted Celestia's face as she slowly sat up and looked at her two doppelgangers. Confusion slowly made way for anger as all three of them looked back to Clover, who was currently biting back a laugh.

"What's the meaning of this, Clover!" All three of the Celestias shouted at him.

"Celestia," Clover snickered. "You look good. Why, you could be your own buckball team!" Clover started to roar with laughter.

The rest of the ponies in the room didn't find this particularly funny as they started to rush him in mass. He couldn't take all of them, right?

Clover was still buckled over laughing and holding his gut with one foreleg when he noticed their sudden desire to pound his face in. "Oh...hehe, none of that now."

Emerald light glowed around his horn as a web of ephemeral chains collected in the air around him. Without warning the chains shot throughout the room. As the green chains snaked through the room, anywhere they found a limb, that limb soon found itself tightly bound. Twilight and the three Celestias found themselves covered in chains in a matter of seconds. As the chains collected on the bodies of her and her friends, their charge quickly ground to a halt as the chains left them suspended mid air and mid run.

The chains did more than stop their movement as Twilight and the unicorns in the room soon found themselves unable to use their magic.

"You know, I really don't like seeing ponies get hurt," Clover said calmly like he hadn't just stopped a dozen ponies with a single spell. "Sigh...you lot at really making it hard to not want to gloat like some kind of super villain from a cheesy comic book." He turned to the Celestia trio, "we really need to talk about what you're teaching these ponies, cause this is just embarrassing."

The unicorn Celestia was the first to speak up, "so what happens now. You don't plan to keep us locked up forever, do you?"

Clover ignored her question as he looked over to the corner of the room. Twilight followed his gaze to see Princess Luna standing the corner of the room with her eyes shut tightly in concentration. Sweat was pouring down her body despite how cold it was in the room and the chains cast by Clover seemed to have left her alone.

"It looks like Luna will hold up for a bit longer," he said as he looked to Twilight.

"What exactly is she doing...ahhh," Twilight suddenly found her chained body flying over to where Clover was standing.

"Don't you touch her, Clover!" Shouted all three Celestias in anger.

"Celestia, you really need to relax," as Twilight grew close, the chains turned her body so her back was facing him.

Twilight started to fight harder against the chains as she struggled to see over her shoulder, "what are you doing back there...Cold!!!" She shrieked as she felt a cold hoof rest between her injured wings.

"Ret really did a number on you, Twilight. I blame myself for that and I can't in good conscience leave this untended." Clover said somberly.

Twilight suddenly felt a shock go through her whole body, making every part of her go numb. While she hung there limply, she had the unsettling sensation like a hundred tiny snakes were crawling under her skin and pulling on various parts of her back. She felt her body warm up as Clover did whatever he was doing. About a minute passed before she could feel her limbs again and once she could, everything ached with a dull throb.

"What did you do?!" Twilight loudly protesting her rough treatment.

"How are your wings feeling?" He tenderly asked her. "Do they still hurt?"

She took a moment to calm down as she processed his words before slowly extending her now unbound wings and slowly flapping them. "No...they feel fine. A bit sore, but they don't hurt like they did before. Um...Thank you...I guess." She said sheepishly.

Clover nodded to her before floating her chained body back to rest by Celestia.

"Ah don't understand ya," said Applejack from across the room. "You start all this trouble, but then you turn around and patch us up when we're all beaten and bruised. What exactly's yer game?"

"I told you before," said Spectrum from his place on the ground. "He doesn't wish to see anypony get hurt."

"Spectrum's right, you know," Clover said softly. "I really wish there was a more peaceful way to go about this, but this mess is more tangled than any of you can possibly realize." He staggered a bit as he buckled over, holding his chest. He didn't seem to be holding his chest in a fit of laughter this time. Clover scrunched his face up in pain as light started seeping out of his chest.

*Cough* "...it looks like I'm out of time," he spit up a small amount of blood as he held the long glowing fissure that was forming on his chest.

*GASP* Luna suddenly fell to her knees from her corner in the room, her eyes shooting open as she did so. "I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly as she fought for breath. "I can't hold it back any longer," she paused in confusion as she looked at the other ponies suspended in the room. "Did I miss something?"

"Hnurrr," Clover's breathing was very labored. "Just a small disagreement. You did well Luna, although that thing was always going to get free, you bought the time I needed to make sure the city was out of the harm's way." He staggered up to where Sombra was shaking with his head in his hooves.

"Onyx," he said quietly to the tyrant sitting before him. "Have you prepared yourself?"

Sombra looked up at Clover with black tears streaming down his face, "will it hurt?"

"I won't lie to you. It's going to hurt a lot." He leaned forward and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder.

Sombra nodded his head stiffly while he still trembled, "I'm...I'm ready."

Clover turned to face the room, determination painting his face, "let this be a lesson to all of you. When your teachers give you a warning, there's usually a good reason behind it. Spectrum..." He focused on Twilight's double for a moment. "I'm counting on you."

Spectrum nodded to Clover, "may Chronos watch over you, my friend."

As Clover stood there, his eyes turning black with the appearance of a star filled night sky. He reached out and a starry dagger with an unearthly glow appeared in his hoof. The room fell silent when, in one fell swoop, he plunged the dagger deep into the fissure in his chest.

Author's Note

Well, that escalated quickly.

Day 3 of the finale.
See you all tomorrow.

(Not gonna lie, I kinda want a picture of the annoyed Celestia triplets.)

Chapter 20: Sombra

They all watched as Clover limply fell backwards into the waiting forelegs of Sombra. However, before they even had a chance to voice their confusion as to what was happening, thick shadows began to billow out from the fallen unicorn's chest.

"Clover..." Luna looked on in horror at the scene before her. "What have you done?!"

Celestia fought against her chains that held her in place, "sister! What's happening?!"

"He...he just cut a hole into the dream world." Luna stuttered as the words left her mouth. "He's setting that beast free!"

"He's setting what free?!" Shouted Shining Armor.

"Clover has been keeping some sort of powerful shadow beast locked within his dreams," Luna hastily explained. "I first believed it to be Sombra when it tried to escape a couple nights ago. But now," she looked to the Sombra that was holding Clover's head. "Now I'm not so sure."

"Well how are we supposed to do anything with these chains holding us down," said Rainbow Dash as she struggled against her bindings.

Luna used her magic in an attempt to remove the chains holding Twilight, however all she got for her trouble was a headache. "It's no good, I can't remove them. They start draining my magic the moment I touch them."

The shadows continued to pour onto the ground, billowing into a mass as they continued to rush out of Clover.

"If'n Ah'm bein honest, that thing is givin me the creeps something fierce." Said Applejack as she continued to struggle. "Gosh darn it, ain't there nothing we can do about these chains?"

"Sorry, no," said Spectrum from the spot he laid on the ground. "You're stuck in Clover's chains unless you can either overpower them or he releases you."

"You ever say anything useful?" Snapped Applejack in frustration.

"Um, girls?" Said a scared Fluttershy. "I think it's getting bigger."

They turned their focus back to the shadows that had collected so much that they now reached the ceiling. From the center of the shadows, a pair of green eyes tinged with purple started to form.

Luna jumped forward and started to blast the forming shadows with her magic. The shadows flowed out of the way of the incoming blast and they began to slowly snake their way towards her.

"Luna! Look out!" The Celestia trio called out while pointlessly struggling against their own binds.

Luna panicked as she started to backpedal from the shadows that relentlessly pursued her, every inch she moved was another two inches of lead she lost to keep ahead of it. She fired bolt after bolt of magic at it without success as it continued to close the distance between them.

She felt her rump connect with the wall as it arrested her movement. She pressed herself up against the wall as the thing in front of her closed the remaining couple inches. A space in the shadows below the eyes broke to reveal razor sharp teeth that added to its malice filled grin.

Luna eyes grew wide with fear as its razor-filled maw started to stretch around her neck and just when she felt the end would come, the creature suddenly jumped away with a roar of pain. It shook its body back and forth in an effort to shake free the black crystal shard that now protruded from its neck.

All eyes in the room looked over in shock to see the attack had come from Sombra. "C-Come get me," he said with a trembling voice as he stood over Clover on wobbly knees. "I-I'm the one you want."

The creature of shadow disengaged from princess Luna as it turned to face Sombra and the fallen Clover. It slowly stalked towards them, slowly swaying its mass as it morphed its way forward. Acidic drool dribbled from its maw, the viscous fluid gouging a groove through crystal ground as it brought itself up to its full height, towering over the dark king.

"W-What are you waiting for?!" Sombra seemed to be fighting to build up his courage as shards of black crystal materialized in the air before launching themselves at the monster.

The creature roared in rage as the shards impacted it. It staggered back a bit just before lunging forward, its jaw extending several feet as it pounced on Sombra and Clover.

Neither Sombra, nor the downed Clover even tried to get out of the way as the shadow's maw snapped shut around the two unicorns that were once there.

The creature bellowed in delight as they heard ominous crunching noises from deep within its body. This went on for several moments, bringing shocked horror to the ponies in the room that could do nothing but watch in their current predicament. Slowly, it lifted its gaze to them and let out a loud belch that shook the very air they were suspended in.

As the noise died down, one by one Twilight and all her friends found themselves lowered to the ground as the chains that held them slowly dissolved. Whatever magic sustained them no longer holding.

"Clover...no..." Luna could be heard sobbing from her place against the wall.

"HEHEHEHE," a deep throaty laugh could be heard from deep within the depths of the shadow as it began to shrink in size. "Finally! After a thousand years of fighting that fool, I've finally won!"

The shadows continued to coalesce as the body of the thing solidified into an equine shape. As it turned to face them, they once again found the face of King Sombra looking down at them. Gone was the fear that had clouded his face but a few moments prior. Now that same face radiated fear and a savage delight that took joy in causing others pain.

"Ah, my new subjects," Sombra licked his lips as he settled into the throne behind him. "Come to pledge your fealty already? I haven't even made you watch the deaths of your loved ones yet."

"We will never bow to you," declared the three Celestias as they stared up defiantly at the evil that stood before them.

"Ah...the mighty Princess Celestia," Sombra stepped down from his throne as he approached the trio. "I remember you being taller."

"Stay away from her!" Declared Twilight as she took a battle ready stance, separating the king from the much weakened solar princess.

Sombra scoffed at her as he brought down a backhoofed blow that sent her sailing into her friends. "I will let that slide just this once, but only because I'm in such a good mood."

"Twilight?!" Her friends gathered around her, checking to make sure she was ok.

Sombra smiled a crooked smile to Celestia as he slowly strode up to her, "I should thank you, you know."

"And why is that?" Celestia spat back.

"A thousand years ago, when I fought against Clover, he had me dead to rights. Slowly draining my eldritch might with magics I couldn't understand." Sombra explained in detail. "If you hadn't interfered with our battle, I would've been cast into oblivion."

"You?...Huh?...What?!" Celestia was taken aback by this accusation. She had no memory of watching them fight, nor interfering with them. Was her memory failing her?

"Well, whatever the reason," Sombra took a step forward and held up the unicorn version of Celestia head under her chin, bring her eyes to meet his. "As your reward, I will make you three the finest of my concubines." He took great delight in the disgust plastered on her face, drinking in her ire with a savage grin. "Think of the fun we'll have."

Celestia took a few quick steps back from him, "We will never allow the likes of you to court us."

"It's a good thing you don't have a choice," he eyed her hungrily as he stepped toward the rest of the group. "Now there's only one thing that could truly make my victory complete." He focused his sinister gaze on the prince, "the Crystal Heart, where is it?"

"We'll never let you lay a hoof on it, Sombra," declared Shining Armor as he took a defensive position in front of the rest of the girls, his wife slung across his back.

*Cough* "...It's in the plaza," Twilight's twin said as she struggled to her hooves. "If you hurry, you can get it before the last of Clover's friends secure it."

"Hmmm," Sombra strode forward and the shadows rushed forward to surround the purple unicorn, throwing everyone else back and pinning them to the walls. "You seem awfully forthcoming with that information, why share it so willingly?"

"I follow the strong," Spectrum said sternly, a firm resolve in his eyes. "For the longest time, that was Clover. Now that he's gone, slain by your hoof. I wish to see where that power will bring you and do what I can to help you achieve it."

"Interesting," Sombra slowly walked past him with an approving grin on his face. "Ambition in a willing minion is something quite valuable. Once I secure the heart, you will be the finest of my generals." With those parting words, he wrapped himself up in shadow and rushed out the door, eager to claim his prize.

As the doors to the throne room shut, the walls of shadow holding everyone else back dropped and allowed the angry herd of ponies to converge on the now surrounded changeling.

"How could you do that?!" Accused Twilight. "I thought there was something good in you."

"Do you have any idea what Sombra getting the heart means?!" Shouted a teary Luna. "The amount of damage he could do..."

"Totally not cool," said an angry Rainbow Dash.

"Hehehehe, that was a whopper if I ever heard one," Applejack laughed heartily.

"Oh no," said a concerned Pinkie Pie. "I think Applejack just broke."

"Hehe..." Applejack smiled at the Twilight doppelganger. "You were lyin just now, weren't you partner?"

Spectrum made a strained bow, knees buckling a bit, "guilty as charged. *Cough* Leave it to the Element of Honesty to see through a cheesy lie like that."

"Wait..." Said the Celestias as they joined the group. "You were lying? So where's the heart?"

Spectrum responded by clutching his stomach and started making a sudden gagging noise. He buckled over as they watched a small lump travel up his throat before a small hoof sized slime covered bundle splashed on the ground.

Rarity was the first to stagger backward at the sight, looking like she was about to faint at any moment.

"That was really weird to watch my own body do that." Twilight said, looking a more than a little repulsed. "And definitely very gross."

Twilight's double had a dazed look on her face as she collected the bundle she had just expelled from her stomach and started to clean the slime off of it, "it's...it's not gonna be long before he realizes I tricked him and I imagine he'll be quite...quite upset about it." She said between labored breaths.

Spectrum opened the small bag once he extracted it from the slime and stretched it wide. Allowing the Crystal Heart to fall from what appeared to be a spatial enchantment. Alongside it, six gleaming metallic objects rested on the ground. Every pony's eyes grew wide and a grin broke out across their collective faces once they realized what they were looking at.

Spectrum appeared to be fighting to hold down a coughing fit as a bit of blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, "I...I trust you know what to do with these?"

Sombra soared from the throne room on his shadowy mantle and straight off the balcony. He descended on the plaza underneath the palace, taking note for a moment on the lack of a city surrounding the palace.

"I wonder where the rest of the city is?" He wondered aloud to himself before scoffing. "Hmnf, it matters not. Once I have the heart, there's a whole country south of here, ready to enslave."

He stepped from the shadows, smiling as he approached the Crystal Heart on its plinth. He almost dared to think this was too easy if not for the thousand year detour that accursed Clover had forced him to take.

He reached forward and plucked the artifact from its resting place, delighting in the power that now coursed through his hooves. With this he shall be unstoppable! All shall tremble before the might of King Sombra!

His thoughts were cut off when he noticed something was wrong. Where was the endless power? He shuffled the heart in his hooves, wondering what was wrong with the thing.

As he turned it over and over, he eventually noticed some text inscribed on one of the facets, which he read aloud.

"One to one scale replica of the Crystal Heart, curtesy of the Crystal Empire GIFT SHOP!!!" He screamed in rage as he slammed the fake heart to the ground, shattering it to a million pieces. His eyes shot up the way he just came. How DARE those ponies make a fool of him!!! He was already thinking off all the elaborate tortures he would subject them to as he took back to the sky.

"Looking for this?!" A voice shouted down from the balcony he just came from.

He looked up to see the white and blue prince holding something gleaming from the balcony, something blue and heart shaped. The Crystal Heart!

He glared daggers at the thief, "THAT'S MINE!!" He roared as his body turned back into black mist and he flew after him.

Sombra made it up to the balcony and saw the unicorn running down the hallway with his prize. How dare he deny his king his rightful due! He chased him in his shadow form, a small part of him laughing when the pony ducked into the throne and closed the door. The fool thinks that a simple door will stop him?

The shadow busted through the door, blowing it off its hinges. He'd soon have what was rightfully his!

However he slowed to a stop when he saw the stallion just sitting there holding the Crystal Heart with a smug look on his face. In his state of confusion he took stock of the rest of the room. Six of the mares were gathered up in a circle looking several levels of happy to see him.

That wasn't right. They were terrified of him only a moment ago. What changed? What's that they're wearing?

As he looked them over, he saw five of them wearing necklaces embossed with a gemstone of some kind. The alicorn that stood at the front of their little herd was wearing a crown. Was she trying to declare herself his queen?

"Hey Sombra!" The purple alicorn shouted. "You know what we say in Equestria?!"

"What?" He said through gritted teeth. He was in no mood to play these games.

"Friendship is Magic!" She shouted as the six of them lifted up into the air, beams of power began to connect the jewelry they wore.

Sombra didn't have any time left to wonder what was happening as rainbow colored magic gathered between the six mares and he found himself blasted with the full force of harmony.

Author's Note

And you thought I didn't have a reason why all of Twilight's friends were there.

Day 4 of the finale.
See ya'll tomorrow.

Friendship is Magic!

Chapter 22: Final Showdown

Twilight and her friends floated back down to the ground as the light of harmony surrounding them died down.

"Yeehaw," cheered Applejack. "That's how you do it."

They looked forward at where Sombra once stood, the magic of harmony still surrounding it in its many colored light.

"Uh Twilight?" Asked Rainbow, looking worriedly at the light show that was still going on in front of them. "Doesn't that usually die down by now?"

"Usually it does," Twilight wondered. What was that she saw just now? It wasn't a dream, was it?

"Who you got there, Twilight?" Perked up Pinkie.

Twilight then noticed the tugging at her foreleg. She looked down to see a young grey unicorn colt clutching desperately to her. His green eyes looking up at her.

"Keep Onyx safe. He's suffered enough."

"I don't think it's over yet girls." Said Twilight as she looked forward to the now fading light.

As the light of harmony finished fading, a mass of darkness was left in its place. This sludgy orb of black started to pulsate as soon as the light left it.

"But, the Elements have never failed before," said the still orange Rarity. "Why would they fail now?"

"Unless we banish him properly, this will never truly end..." She pondered to herself.

Her musing were broken as a long, claw-tipped limb broke the surface of the shadow orb. The claw impacted the crystal ground, cracking it slightly as it left long scratches with its hellish talons. The forearm of the creature solidifying as it sizzled against the air. Long oily fur coated the limb all the way up to where it connected the orb. Hardly a moment a later a second claw, mirroring the first, sprouted to join the first.

"What...What is that?!" Squealed Fluttershy, visibly shaking and breaking the trance Twilight found herself in.

"That's Sombra," Twilight affirmed as she tried to figure out what to do.

A raspy growl came from within the shadows as a gruesome back leg slithered out, just as clawed and disgusting looking as the others. A large red eye appeared at the center of the mass. It seemed to take in Twilight Sparkle with the utmost loathing. However that was nothing compared to the fury it exuded when its gaze fell to the colt clinging to her.

A deep-throated roar came as the rest of the orb broke, revealing a large canine beast. Its long snout protruding from its face, filled with dozens of razor sharp teeth. Dark oily fur rippling down its body and ending in several tails dripping with ooze. The smell of rotting flesh rolling off of it.

"Twilight! Watch out!" Shouted her twin moments before the beast leapt at her, claws and fangs extended.

Twilight teleported herself and Onyx out of the way at the same time as the remaining ponies leapt out of the way. The beast impacted the place she was just standing, leaving foot long gouges in the floor and cracking the space around itself.

It roared back at the escaping alicorn, spittle flying from its open maw as it turned to chase her.

"Twi!" Shouted Applejack from across the room, Spectrum being carried on her back. "Ah feel like the Elements just made things worse!"

"It's desperate," said Spectrum. "It want's its contracted summoner back and it won't stop until it gets him back. Sombra's nothing more than a mindless beast without it."

"Start making sense!" Yelled Rainbow Dash from her own corner of the room.

"Don't let it get that colt!" He shouted from Applejack's back.

The beast barreled its way down on the purple princess, Twilight just barely getting of the way in time. A few hairs from her mane looking a bit frayed with how close it got. "I think it's getting faster!"

The beast did a quick rebound off the wall, immediately leaping after Twilight again before she had even turned around.

She felt herself being lifted off the ground by a pink aura and pulled to the side just as a two beams of magic, one gold and one blue, collided with the beast. Causing it to miss her by the narrowest of margins.

Twilight looked to her saviors and saw that it was her brother than had pulled her out of the way, despite the obvious strain it was clearly causing him just to stay awake. Next to him was Luna and the smaller unicorn Celestia, being the ones responsible for deflecting the beast.

"I don't see how we're gonna keep this up..." Panted her big brother. "It's taking everything we have just to stay away from it."

The beast slowly turned to face them. Intelligence being reflected in its two red eyes as it sat down for a moment looking at them.

"What's it doing?" Inquired Luna.

A wet cough broke from across the room, "look out for its tail!" Came a desperate shout from Applejack's back.

The ground at their hooves broke and long slimy appendages snaked from the holes they created, wrapping themselves around the four ponies putting up a resistance and pulling them apart.

"Twiley, no!" Shouted her brother as he was pulled away from her.

Twilight could see the place where the beast had tunneled its many tails into the ground as it approached her. She tried her best to teleport away with young Onyx still clinging to her side. However every time she tried, her magic just fizzled out as the beast drew closer.

It slunk closer and closer, like a dog desperate for a drink as it licked its lips with a horrible forked tongue.

"Twilight!" She barely heard her friends call out for her as the beast stood over her, saliva dripping from its maw as it stood over her. She squeezed her eyes shut as she held the young colt close, sure that her time had come.

At that moment she heard the strange rattling of chains even as she felt the creature's hot breath wash over her.

"Sorry I'm late," she heard a confident voice above her. "He woke up a bit sooner than I did."

She hesitantly opened to eyes to see a sea of razor sharp teeth inches above her head. Blazing green chains snaked through the teeth, halting their position. They were doing more than stopping the beast as the distance between Twilight and her own death grew wider. She could hear the metal groan under the beast's assault even as it's head was pulled back.

"I thought I made it clear!" Shouted the voice of Clover. "You will NOT have my student! Not now, nor ever again!" As Clover finished his declaration, the chains vibrated violently just before hundreds of spikes exploded out of them and dug into the beast's mouth. The beast howled in pain as a red mist poured from the creature where the spikes pierced it. It started to thrash about as it lost its grip on the ground and began to tumble backwards.

The four ponies found themselves able to move again as the tails holding them in place began to retract. As they were able to stand on their own again, they looked up to where the beast had fallen. It was violently thrashing on the ground, causing immeasurable damage to the throne room even as the golden unicorn held his ground, chains wrapped around his hooves as he desperately tried to keep his balance with the much larger creature on the other end. It looked to be a losing battle, even with Clover using his wings to try and balance himself.

Wait...wings?

"Wings?!" Twilight exclaimed with a gasp. "Clover, you're a ali..."

"This really isn't the time for this!" Clover shouted back as the beast managed to get back to its feet and swung the alicorn on the other end of the chains into a nearby wall.

The beast shook the chains free from its head and turned back on Twilight and her charge. It sprung forward without hesitation. Chains then shot up from the hole in the ground where the beast had previously used its tails to perform a sneak attack. The bindings swiftly wrapped around its neck, pulling it to the ground.

Twilight looked up as Clover leapt on top of its back, his horn glowing furiously as a sea of chains ending in dangerous looking spikes appeared above him. In one fluid movement they all snaked outward before shooting straight downward, piercing the beast's four limbs and many of its tails, eliciting screeching howls of pain that reverberated through the air and shattered the windows. Clover's spell didn't stop there as it wove up and down through the floor and the many limbs, effectively sewing it in place.

The beast struggled and thrashed as rivers of blood streamed out of the holes made by the chains. Clover stood on top of the creature, wings glowing a brilliant blue as electricity streaked through his feathers. In on fell movement, he brought his hooves down on the beast's back, causing bolts of lightning to streak down through the chains, lighting it up like hearth's warming eve and making a disturbing frying sound as the smell of cooked flesh permeated the throne room.

A moment later, everything was quiet as the beast went limp save for a few involuntary twitching movements. Clover looked like several levels of hell as he stood there panting, a trickle of blood running down the side of his face and smoke was drifting from a few smoldering wingtips.

"Is...is it over?" Twilight shivered a couple paces away from the head of the beast. Onyx still whimpering in her grasp.

Clover took a few labored breaths before answering, "not yet. It'll never be over until this thing has been banished once and for all."

He took a few more breaths before magic arced from his horn into the air above him. Five spears, crackling with power appeared above his head. His eyes took on the green glow of his horn as they spread an equal distance apart before then descending on the ground surrounding the beast. Slowly they began to trace a circle on the ground, making a shallow groove on crystalline surface.

While that was happening, he turned his head upward and started to trace letters into the air with a golden quill. Every time he finished a letter, it moved outward to join a circle that was forming in the air above the one he was tracing on the ground.

As the last letter fell into place, the air inside the circle warped as a five pointed start began to form over the beast. Clover leapt off the beast to the edge of his circle as he placed his hooves at the edge of the ritual he just created. Energy could now be visibly seen flowing from him into the circle as the ground beneath the beast began to turn pitch black. Slowly claws began to reach up from the dark abyss and wrap around the beast, pulling him in.

Everyone watched on baited breath as it slowly began to sink into nothingness. When the last of it vanished, every pony in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was finally over.

However just when the last of the portal was about to seal itself shut, a long hairy black claw shot out from the center and grabbed for the ground outside the circle. The seal in the air began to twist and warp as more and more of the beast clawed it's way back out of the abyss. It reached out and wrapped a claw around Clover as it brought its now flaming maw to bear on the helpless alicorn. Just when it looked like the beast was going to finish him off, the throne room finally gave out after all abuse it had been receiving. The floor underneath the circle shattering into a million pieces as Clover and Sombra fell from sight.

They could heard the fighting continue in the room below them when Applejack came up to the royalty with Twilight's twin on her back. "Spectrum here said he needs to talk to ya."

Spectrum looked up from his place on the armored apple farmer's back, the look on his face was clearly sickly and he didn't have a lot left in him. "You need to COUGH COUGH..." Thick splotches of green and red blood painted the ground where he coughed.

"Easy there partner," Applejack consoled him. "Take it nice and slow."

Luna moved closer to Spectrum's head, hoping to hear what he had to say so badly that it was practically killing him.

Spectrum barely got out through a raspy breath, "if my first banishment fails, I plan to use my last resort. Get the Crystal Heart safely back to its pedestal and bring about COUGH COUGH...a solar eclipse."

Luna looked at him in shock, "a solar eclipse?! Are you sure that's wise? Starswirl told us never to do that even though he never said why."

Spectrum weakly nodded to her, "I'm certain." He wheezed out just before passing out.

"He seemed pretty desperate to tell ya that, despite us tellin him to rest," said Applejack.

"How did he get so hurt, isn't he one of Clover's?" Inquired Luna.

"He got hurt saving me from another one of Clover's," said Twilight. "One of his holders lost their temper and I think they tried to kill me," her words caught a bit. "Probably would have if Spectrum hadn't stepped in."

Luna let out a deep sigh, "Shining Armor."

Shining stepped forward, "Yes Princess."

"Can you get the Crystal heart back to its pedestal?" She asked.

"Luna, you can't mean to..." the much diminished Celestia triplets spoke up.

"I do sister," Luna resigned. "Clover seems to be the only one who has any idea of what's really going on here. His methods may not be the most altruistic, but it appears they're quite effective. I'm going to give him what he needs until this is over."

The triplets collectively sat on their haunches and pouted, "do as you will."

Clover fell through the floor in the beast's grip. He felt himself get launched from its claws when they bounced off the floor below them.

That was way too close. It probably wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe he was just saved by his lucky cutiemark. He shouldn't count on getting that lucky again if he wanted to finally beat this thing.

He rolled across the ground away from the beast before pushing himself up off the ground and vaulting away from it. As he looked back at the beast in the dark room, his glowing green eyes met the angry red eyes from deep within the beast's skull.

They slowly stalked around each other, neither wanting to make the first move. The beast's rampage being tempered by the amount of pain the small prey animal seemed to be able to inflict on it.

As for Clover, his first banishment failed, hopefully Spectrum was able to carry out the backup plan. He really didn't like the backup plan, mostly cause of how much this was going to hurt.

The beast made the first move as it lunged for Clover. Clover, continuing to show his ingenuity, ran up the outstretch claw and summoned another chain. While keeping that chain flowing from his horn, he wound it around the beast's neck and leapt out the window, shielding his face with his forelegs to avoid getting any glass in his eyes.

He kept his wings pressed against his body as he let the chain swing him to the outside wall. Once he had the wall under his hooves, he started to repel down the wall, pulling the chain with him as started to beat his wings to give him any additional downward force he could get.

The alicorn was able to make it several feet before he felt the chain stop and then start to pull him back upward. As he looked up at the window, he saw the beast leaning out the window and trying to force his way through it. The crystal around the window started to crack and break under the force of the massive beast as it crawled its way out onto the wall and stood there...on the wall.

"Oh that's not fair," complained Clover. "Is it too much to hope for you just to fall."

The only response he got from the hell beast was it racing down the wall, claws and fangs gnashing, hoping to gobble up a tasty little equine.

Clover dropped the chain he was holding as the slack from the chain already had him falling away from the wall. He kicked off the wall into open space as he spread his wings and flew into the sky. He looked back at the flying beast that had just sprouted a large set of hairy wings. "Of course it can fly, why wouldn't it be able to."

"Brrr..." He shivered as the frosty air nipped at his body. That's right, there was a blizzard and it was way too cold for anything other than a pegasus with a mark in storm flying to be up here right now.

He looked back at the beast chasing him through the air and after summoning a spear into his hooves, he let the air fall from his wings, throwing him into a dive as he soared back at the beast chasing him. The beast had a savage grin on its face, the deep thrum of its wings shaking the air as it extended its claws and reached for its adversary.

Clover may not have been a natural born flyer but that didn't mean he hadn't picked up a few tricks over the years. He corkscrewed out of the way at the last moment, drilling the spear into the beast's shoulder as he passed and causing it to howl in pain as he passed it.

The cold was starting to get to him however, as his wings were started to feel really numb. He looked back at the beast that had turned around to chase him in his dive, spear still sticking out of its shoulder as it dove after him. He spun in the air to fall back first and just let himself free fall as he launched bolt after bolt of magic at the beast in an effort to slow it down.

Moments before he hit the ground, he teleported high into the air and kept his momentum going as he summoned another spear for one last dive bomb. However the beast had been growing wily to his tricks as Clover soon found its tails colliding with his face and sent him sailing across the snow-laden expanse.

Twilight was watching the airborne duel from the balcony with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna as she struggled to bring the moon up for a proper eclipse.

"Did you see that Twilight!" Rainbow was getting all giddy as she pranced about in place from watching the two combatants duke it out.

"I see it, but I still don't believe it." Twilight was staring slack jawed as the sight before her. "This is the kind of battle legends are written about."

"If you two wouldn't mind," said Luna as she strained from her efforts. "I was already tired before I started trying to raise the moon in the middle of the day. Just be sure to let me know if it decides to come this way."

"Ouch," said Rainbow as she saw the tails connect with Clover. "That looks like it hurt."

Clover managed to avoid passing out as he slid across the snow. Fortunately he had a relatively soft landing due to the city being moved out of the way. That wasn't to say he still didn't hurt all over as he climbed out of the fresh snow bank.

He shook the snow free from his head as scanned the horizon for the beast. He spotted it bare moments before it was on top of him as he barely stumbled out of the way of its rampaging charge.

"Come on girls, any day now," he panted in the frozen wastes. "I can't exactly keep this up forever."

At that moment, the snow suddenly stopped and the sky started to clear, giving both combatants pause as they were bathed in the light of the sun with the moon slowly approaching it.

Clover smiled as he looked down. The stage was almost set for this dance to finally end. He saw the beast look to the side for a moment and he followed its gaze to where they could see a bunch of ponies gathered around the Crystal Heart. He half expected it to break off from their fight when, to his surprise, it turned back to him and they once again began to circle each other.

"Finally figured out that neither of us is leaving until one of us falls, did ya?" Clover carefully watched the beast as they paced around each other, ready to attack at any moment if the beast should drop its guard. The eclipse was coming, he could end this with the power an eclipse offered, provided he didn't go insane first.

He warned his old friend Starswirl exactly why you should never let an alicorn anywhere near an eclipse, the dangers it presented, and the potential lives that could be lost. Yet here they were, doing just that. Luna and Twilight were the only other alicorns in commission right now, and he needed to hope they could handle what was coming.

Celestia and her two doubles made their way out onto the balcony where the eclipse was starting.

"Sister," Luna said with some surprise. "We didn't think you were coming."

"I...well I guess right now 'we' would be more appropriate," unicorn Celestia said while looking at the other two versions of herself. "We've had some time to think as we watched Fluttershy tend to Spectrum and Cadence. We haven't exactly been acting like ourselves since Clover entered back into our lives. We want to say it's due to stress or our less than pleasant history with him. But that's no real excuse." Celestia was starting to choke up a bit. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...is that I'm sorry." The three of them bowed their heads.

"Come here sister," Luna beckoned her and scooped her smaller older sister...sisters up into a hug once they got close enough. "I can never truly stay mad at you, but it's not me you really need to be apologizing to, is it?"

Celestia gave a small sigh, "no, and I plan to have a proper sit down with Clover once this is all over."

"So pray tell, dear sisters," Luna inquired. "Was that the only reason you came out here?"

"I was a bit curious to see the eclipse myself, but the main reason was that Spectrum woke back up for a moment and said I needed to be by your side for the eclipse and to make sure Twilight had one of her friends close by as well." She said.

Twilight looked down at her teacher a bit confused, "did he say why?"

Celestia shook her head, "that's all I got out of him before he passed out again."

"We shall find out in a moment what actually happens during an eclipse." Said Luna as she finished raising the moon.

The moon finished settling over the sun, causing a reddish halo of light to be cast over the Crystal Empire.

"That's really pretty," said Twilight as she looked back down at the two combatants. "Anything happening down there, Rainbow?"

"Nah, there hasn't been anything happening for a couple minutes," she said. "They've been locked in a standoff for a couple minutes now...Uh Twilight, what wrong with your eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Twilight tried blinking a couple time before turning to Luna. "Luna do you see...AHHH!"

As she looked up at Princess Luna, she could see her eyes had grown into slits, just like with...

"Nightmare Moon!" She blurted out, starting Luna.

"Twilight, I assure you we are not..." Luna buckled over, her coat starting to take on a darker shade of blue and all she wanted to do was bring about eternal..."NO!" She shouted out as she started breathing heavily. "Sister...I...I think we just figured out why we need to avoid the eclipse."

The Celestia trio piled onto Luna as they clung to her, pleading, "end the eclipse Luna, I beg you. This is way too dangerous."

"I think...I think we'll be ok sister...for a little bit," Luna could feel the warmth of her sister's embrace calming the nightmare within.

"Must be perfect, needs to be perfect, only perfection will do," came Twilight's madly giggling voice from their side.

Rainbow was holding her friend tightly against her chest and she could feel Twilight's warm tears drip against her back. Twilight's face had taken on a manic gleam that Rainbow had seen several times before, although the glowing white horn and glowing eyeshadow was a new one.

"Rainbow?..." Cried Twilight as she desperately clung to her friend. "I'm scared. Don't let me go."

"I'm right here Twilight," said Rainbow, comforting her friend.

Clover could feel the eclipse beginning to claw its way into his psyche, threatening his very sanity. The physical change was almost immediate as he could feel his teeth sharpen into points. His vision becoming clearer and sharper as his pupils narrowed into slits.

The insatiable desire for destruction started flowing through him, demanding him to shatter the earth and rend flesh. He violently shook his head, he couldn't let those thoughts take a hold of him.

The beast took the break in its opponent's concentration as the opening it needed as it dashed forward. It eagerly leapt forward, claws extended as it went in for the kill. When the alicorn managed to barely dive out of the way, the beast turned upon landing and made as if to dive after it again. It would have done so if it hadn't started roaring out in anguish from the long line of carnage streaming along it's left claw. Pain bit deep into its body even as a river of blood rushed out of the gaping wound.

Clover tumbled out of the way as he heard the beast's unworldly scream. He hadn't done that hadn't he? He looked to the wing he felt brush that claw on the last dodge, only to see it covered in blood. The edges of his feathers had taken on a metallic sheen as they tapered to a razor's edge. The stench of the foul smelling blood sent his own racing through his veins as he wanted nothing more than bathe in the red liquid as he tore his enemy apart...NO!!!

He used a hoof to smack himself across the face as he tried to grab ahold of his slipping sanity. He couldn't let himself go now...oh but it would be so easy to... "NO!" He shouted out loud. "My name is Clover. Clover the ancient, Clover the wise, Clover the clever, Clover the one who skips out on his bar tab, I swear it was just the one time. I am not some mindless beast that gives into his violent instincts."

Clover took a deep breath as he channeled his magic and power emanating from the eclipse into one final spell. The arcane spear was pitch black and had a weak red glow to it. That wasn't going to be near enough power.

Even as Clover sat there talking to himself, the injury he inflicted on the beast began to rapidly heal even as the beast began to experience a monstrous burst in growth, the power emanating from the eclipse empowering it. Its spine began to stretch and crack as it grew several feet in length. The fur coating its body began to make way for interlocking scales.

It began stalking towards Clover even as its jaw cracked and jutted, making way for more teeth. Additional muscles rippled down its limbs as it coiled up, preparing to pounce.

Clover saw the beast round on him, even as his own mane slowly lost its brown sheen and made way for a black so deep, it seemed to suck the very life from the world around him.

As they slowly strode toward each other, the beast's many tails began to ignite into scorching flames one after another and rapidly heat the surrounding air. The frozen wasteland of the Crystal Empire began to quickly recede around them as the snow began to rapidly melt and boil. Steam rose around the beast's claws as it walked, each step being burnt black as the ground beneath the snow was singed.

They stood there only a dozen feet from each other, two nightmares in the frozen wastes. Each of them bent on the other's destruction. Time stood still while each waited for the other to make the first move. In the dead silence that followed, Clover's weapon let off a small spark as it started glowing a bit brighter and signaled the beginning of their conflict.

They both charged at each other, empowered as they were by the eclipse. The beast swiped a claw low and fast as Clover barely spun over the gnarled appendage. His bladed wings creating sparks as they scraped along the beast scaled forearm as they failed to find flesh to cut into.

The beast continued the movement as it carried through into a half spin and whipping its many flaming tails at the off-balance alicorn. Clover barely shielded himself with his wings in time, something he would normally never think of doing if it weren't for their transformed state. A loud crack sounded as they impacted, leaving Clover with the air driven from his lungs as he suffered from the hard impact.

He felt a tearing sensation as several of the sharpened quills were violently pulled free as they found themselves embedded in the flaming appendage. The skin breaking as the feathers were torn free left a trail of blood across the tundra as Clover was sent flying.

The beast flailed and beat its tail in a desperate effort to remove the small bayonets left embedded in its skin while Clover tumbled through some fresh snow. The snow quickly being dyed red by the liquid dripping from his wing. However, his focus was more on the magical spear he managed to keep shielded from the attack even as he continued to pour all the power he could into it, both from his own magic and the nightmare fueled rage that was rushing through him due to the eclipse.

A sharp pain bloomed from his flank, causing him to wince as he struggled to his hooves. His slitted eyes looked back to his cutiemark, past the blood running down his back. "That's not good," he said aloud as he noticed the four-leaf clover starting to turn red. His cutiemark was always the last thing to go before he lost control completely. That was how it had always been during past eclipses before the princesses took over.

Shoving the pain and his approaching insanity out of his mind, he redoubled his efforts to charge his weapon. The black lance still only had traces of red and green magic warping the outside of it. It hungrily drank in his essence as it began to glow brighter and brighter while he kept his eyes focus on the beast in front of him.

The brighter glow of the weapon seemed to snap the beast out of its thrashing madness as it brought its focus back to Clover. It hadn't failed to notice his desire to protect the glowing object in his grip as it began stalking forward again.

The beast dove forward just as the lance started to glow brighter, eager to end this fight. It extended its claws as it closed the distance and just as Clover made to dive over one of the protruding claws, the beast snapped it head and Clover screamed in pain as the beast's maw came crunching down on one of his wings.

Clover flailed in the air as the beast whipped its head around in an attempt to tear the limb free. In the middle of the struggle, he lost his grip on the lance as it flew across the tundra. Realization on what he just dropped steeled his resolve as he beat his other wing in the air in an effort to twist himself up in the jaws.

An unnatural crack and pop resounded through his shoulder and into his body as he wheeled up and brought his free wing down the beast's face and slashing it between the eyes. Blood filled the beast's vision as it roared in anguish, releasing his bite from the damaged wing and sending Clover sailing through the air.

He instinctually tried to correct his flight on the one good wing as he scoured the landscape for his weapon. He found it a dozen feet from where he eventually crash landed as its light began to rapidly dim where it laid in the snow. He scooped it up as soon as it was in range of his magic and began to stabilize the magic within it. His body screamed in protest as he pulled the lance closer, wrapping his hooves around it, not fully trusting his magical grip to keep a hold on it anymore.

Fear...Pain...

"No..." he fought for breath as his head began to pound. "Not now."

Rage...Betrayal...

Clover desperately fought to pour everything he could into the magical lance, hope beyond hope within him fighting to keep the nightmare at bay as the lance drank in his very soul as it tore at the center of his being.

They'll leave you...They always leave you...

Clover began to swell in size, his limp wing, which had been dragging through the snow, cracked and straightened as it was forcibly healed and pulled back into its shoulder joint.

End it all...Leave none alive...

A torrent of power coursed through Clover as the very world began to reject his existence, reality beginning to sizzle and crack in the space around him.

Azalea betrayed you...Alya left you...Dahlia cheated on you...

"Stop..." his vision was starting to fade as madness took hold. "Don't do this..."

Sirius never trusted you...Platinum never respected you...Starswirl vanished without a word...Celestia sent you to the gallows...Some day even Luna will...

"Luna!" His eyes snapped open as he looked up to the balcony. She must've heard him say her name, for their eyes met in that moment. "Luna is still here, fighting her own nightmare while still believing in me."

You still hold onto love. Hrmph, I almost had you this time. Very well...Take what you need...Just remember I'll always be here...waiting...

The power of Bad Luck Clover rushed out of him in one big wave as it was pulled into the spear, the last vestiges of nightmare fueled rage leaving him as the eclipse ended. He looked to the lance he held, all color it previously held within it was gone. All that was left of it was a spear shaped hole in the world.

He stood there as plain ordinary Clover, the once unicorn that had been cursed with this immortal life when he touched a fallen star. The poor soul looked onward as his foe of the last thousand years lumbered towards him. He held the spear close to his chest, a single tear ran down his face. "If this is to be my end, please let it have meant something."

The beast was almost upon him as he steeled his resolve, held the spear high overhead, and thrust it into the ground. The effect was instantaneous as dark cracks shot through the surrounding ground. The fissures webbed outward as it stretched beneath them. Shadowy tentacles squeezed through the widening cracks as the ground gradually fell away into oblivion.

They both staggered as the ground beneath them became unsteady. Clover not once taking his eyes from his opponent even as the tentacles started to wrap around his legs and pull him into the ground. The beast soon found itself tangled as it fought and struggled to get free. It looked to the alicorn that had trapped it, rage emanating from its face only to be met with a smile in return.

"Return to the abyss from whence you came," Clover said with a smile before falling below the carpet of shadows and out of sight.

The beast fought and clawed for solid ground even as it found itself more and more tangled. It tore at its bindings even as they left large gouts in its torn flesh. It fought and struggled and crawled, inch by inch it made its way to the edge of the portal until it finally landed a claw on solid ground.

It barely had one claw on solid ground when it felt something tear into its back, cutting straight to the bone. It looked up over its shoulder to see a large transparent green claw protruding from its back. Long corded and scaled muscles led back into the void as another claw just like it emerged from oblivion and wrapped around the beast's hind leg.

Desperately the beast dug into the ledge with both claws as it started to get pulled backward. As it failed to wrench itself free, a large reptilian face emerged from the darkness. The dragon's snout was the same transparent green and sported long whiskers that trailed behind it. As it opened its mouth to reveal long jagged teeth, it growled, "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"

The head lashed forward and bit into the beast's neck before wrenching it free from the ground and dragging it into the abyss.

As the last signs of life disappeared below the inky surface, the portal slammed shut with a loud crack and everything was once again silent.

Author's Note

That's right, Bad Luck Clover (or Nightmare Clover if you want the easy naming scheme) is part of my headcannon.
Damnit, this chapter left me tired. Still not done yet.

I'm sure ya'll noticed several oc names were dropped this chapter. Well I'm nowhere near done telling the story of Clover. But that's a story for another time.

Day 6 of the finale.
See you tomorrow.

Chapter 23: Finally at rest

Luna couldn't hold on any longer, she had to end the eclipse. Both her and Twilight were at their wits end as the power of the nightmare was trying to take hold of them.

She only moved the moon a small amount, just enough to stop the glow that radiated across the field, when she buckled forward and grabbed hold of the railing as she watched the last moments of Clover's fight. She saw as the darkness opened up and swallowed him, and she saw...no, she felt his magic come back through the other side of wherever he had gone and dragged Sombra kicking and screaming through to the other side, and she saw when the portal had closed on both of them.

"Twilight! Twilight!" Came Rainbow's voice to Luna's side, snapping her out of the grief that was trying to creep up on her. She looked down at the younger alicorn who had collapsed to the ground as her friend tried to rouse her. Her breathing was labored as her darker colors started to make way for her normal purple shade. The most surprising thing about Twilight's nightmare form was the hawk-like trait her wings had taken on.

"I'm here, Rainbow," said Twilight as she climbed back to her hooves. Her wings slowly reverted to their normal shape, same as how Luna's body was also taking on its normal appearance. Twilight looked to Luna, "what happened?"

"We learned something new this day," said Luna. "It would seem alicorns are forcibly changed into their corrupted nightmare forms under the light of an eclipse."

"So that power I felt...was Midnight Sparkle?" Twilight questioned as she steadied herself.

"Is that what you plan to call it?" Luna said with a raised eyebrow.

"It just seems to fit," she said as she stepped up to the railing. "So what happened? I don't see Clover or Sombra anywhere."

"We can't be sure what happened," admitted Luna. "It looked like he tore open a hole in reality. However I know somepony who can probably tell us what happened."

Twilight perked up, realizing who she meant, "or some changeling."

They met up with Shining Armor and everyone else as they made their way back to the sitting room. When they entered, they were pleasantly surprised to see that Cadence had woken up.

"Shiny!" She threw herself at her husband, tears rolling down her face. "You're ok! I was so worried."

"Cadence!" Cheered Twilight. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

Cadence looked up to Twilight, "you know, I had the strangest dream. My fur had turned all black and..."

Fluttershy flew across the room faster than anyone had ever seen her move and clapped her hooves across Cadence's mouth, silencing her.

"Fluttershy?" Questioned Twilight as Fluttershy locked eyes with Cadence giving her the patented stare and shaking her head.

"That wasn't a dream," Fluttershy said, her face a bright cherry red.

"Oh," Cadence mused. "Ohhhh..." She mused longer. "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry. I..."

The exchange went on a bit longer. Luna and Twilight made their way over to where Spectrum was resting around the time Cadence started going all goo goo over how adorable she thought her aunt Celestia looked.

Twilight's twin cracked an eye open when they approached, "so...is it over?"

"We...are not sure what we just saw," admitted Luna. "The ground broke apart and swallowed both Clover and Sombra."

"Then it's finally over...that's good." He lay there for a few moments while maintaining his steading breathing. "Sombra is no longer in this world and won't be coming back again."

"Clover told me that Sombra would've kept coming back if he didn't do anything," Stated Twilight. "But I don't see how he could've entered the Crystal Empire with the Crystal Heart protecting it."

"What if he decided the Crystal Empire was too much trouble and headed south?" Spectrum asked speculatively. "Canterlot might've been ok, but what of Ponyville? Manehatten? Appleloosa? Any of the smaller towns would've been wiped out overnight."

"So where is Clover now?" Inquired Luna. "Surely he isn't still..."

Spectrum nodded, "he's trapped down in the abyss, probably still fighting Sombra."

Twilight let out a gasp, "he's still fighting that thing?! Is there nothing we can do?"

Spectrum let out a weak chuckle, "hehe, you never read it did you?"

Twilight looked at him confused, "read what?"

Spectrum propped himself up as he looked at her, "do you remember when the two of you were chasing me around Canterlot. What was I doing in the statue gardens?"

"You were reading Clover's book after stealing it from me, and then you..." Twilight's eyes went wide as realization washed over her. She darted to the corner of the room where she had deposited her saddlebags when they first arrived. Her friends looked over when they saw her dashing around as she pulled a book from her bags and made her way back.

"Whacha got there, Twi?" Said Applejack as she made her way over.

"When Luna and I were chasing Spectrum around Canterlot," Twilight explained while she flipped through the pages. "We found him reading the book Clover gave me before marking a page and tossing it over to me. So much else was going on that day that it completely slipped my mind."

She found the page the bookmark outlined but when she touched the bookmark, it started to glow before being replaced by a large golden feather.

"Twilight? What's that?" Asked Cadence who had come over in all the commotion. She currently was carrying an earth pony Celestia with her and snuggling her pretty aggressively. Apparently that was the fluffy one.

"I think it's one of Clover's feathers," Twilight said confidently.

Cadence looked at her confused, "wait...wasn't he a unicorn though?"

"You weren't awake for that, dear niece," said Luna as she looked amused at Cadence's handling of her older sister. "Clover turned out to be an alicorn."

"What? Really?" Cadence asked confused. "What else did I miss?"

"Oh you didn't miss all that much," said Pinkie with a grin. "Well, except for the Crystal Empire disappearing and us getting attacked by shadows and then the shadows turned into a dog and then a super duper awesome fight scene that drove the writer up the wall for a couple days..."

"Wait...WHAT?!" Cadence recoiled, dropping fluffy Celestia in the process before running off to find the nearest window.

As she opened the door, they all heard a muffled grunt and clattering of armor against the ground on the other side. Through the door walked...one of the royal guard?

"Prince Shining Armor!" Said the orange pegasus with a blue mane. "I finally found you."

"What the?..." Came Spectrum's confused voice from where he lay. "How did Ret miss one?"

"Private Flash Sentry," addressed Shining. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Sorry sir. It won't happen again sir," Flash saluted. "I was off duty and practicing my guitar in the music room. I didn't notice until a couple of minutes ago that everypony else in the guard was missing. Then when I came to find you, I found the throne room was completely destroyed."

"This isn't going to look good on your resume, private," said Shining Armor. "You only transferred here a month ago and then you went missing in the middle of a crisis."

"That explains it," Spectrum said as he settled back into a pillow. "He's not a crystal pony. Ret's spell would've completely overlooked him."

"Speaking of Ret's spell," Twilight focused back on the injured changeling after getting distracted by the rather cute guard her brother was berating. "Is there any way we can undo her spell?"

"Clover would be able to undo it," said Spectrum. "You just have to get him back here first."

"But how?" said Twilight, confused.

"Stop getting distracted and read the marked page!" He snapped before clutching his chest and falling back onto his pillow. "...Ow."

Twilight started to read the marked passage, her eyes lighting up as she did so. "This is..."

Cadence burst back into the room a couple minutes later to find everyone gathered around Twilight as she was drawing on the ground with a piece of chalk.

"The city is gone!" She announced in a panic before noticing no one else was freaking out. "Why is everypony so calm about this?"

"Twilight's working on it," said Rainbow Dash. "Apparently if we can get Clover back, he can fix all of this."

"And done," announced Twilight as she stepped back. A simple double circle with a pentagram drawn on the floor in front of her.

Orange Rarity looked down at the circle, "are you sure, darling? There doesn't seem to be anything too special about it."

"Apparently it doesn't have to be if we have a piece of what we're trying to summon," she said as she held up the golden feather and the book. "Says right here that ancient summoners used to keep a lock of hair or something similar from what they summoned so they could easily be resummoned later."

"Come again?" Said a still armored Applejack with a raised eyebrow. "Cause this makes it sound like it'd be too easy to grab anypony from anywhere in Equestria."

"Seems like it only works if the target is in the nether realm," Twilight said, doublechecking the book. "Well, here goes nothing. Everypony stand back."

Following the instructions in the book she placed the golden feather in the middle of the circle and started to let her magic flow into it. Her magic had barely touched the circle when a sharp pop came from the center of the circle, sending a mass of fur and feathers tumbling across the room, bowling over a couch, and rolling until it rested against a wall.

"What just happened?" Came a voice from the center of the mass.

"Clover? Is that you?" Luna called out, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"Luna?" Said a confused sounding Clover as he picked himself up from his place against the wall. "What happened, how am I back?"

"I...I summoned you." Said Twilight hesitantly.

Clover narrowed his eyes at her before looking to the circle still drawn on the floor, the golden feather in the middle catching his eye.

He let out a deep sigh, "Spectrum, I told you that feather was for dispelling Ret's spell. I would've found my own way out after about a year or so."

"And I told you that you can take your self sacrifice and shove it," Twilight's twin snapped back with a chuckle before flinching in pain again.

"How did you even know that would work?" Clover asked in confusion

"Whisper..." He answered in one word.

Clover facehoofed, "of course she did."

He slowly dragged his hoof from his face before looking to the rest of the room who had just been silently watching their exchange. "Sigh...Ok, you want me to break Ret's enchantment then."

"How hard is going to be?" Asked Twilight.

"Not hard at all," informed Clover. "Ret should've had a book on her that would've survived her death. Did anypony pick it up?"

"Oh, you mean this thing?" Said Pinkie Pie, pulling a book out of her mane. "Its got a strange title to it. I mean, who names a book 'Walking in from the past'?"

"I couldn't even begin to tell you how her books get the names they do." Clover admitted. "Let me see that."

"Okie doki," said Pinkie as she tossed the book over.

Clover caught the book in his magic and began flipping through the pages, his eyes going a bit cross-eyed as he did so.

"Are you ok?" Said a concerned Fluttershy.

"I'll be ok," said Clover. "This is just the adrenaline wearing off. I'll need to sleep after I take care of this."

He continued to flip through the pages, "here we go," he said as he levitated the quill over from the center of the circle. "This is about the most I can do regarding Ret's magic but this should fix it."

The quill began to glow as he held it to the pages.

This has been a work of fiction and is only loosely based on real events.

As he pulled the quill away, the book began to glow as it floated into the air. Ever so slowly, the book began to fade from existence and when the last of it vanished, a wave of force washed over the room, blanketing everything in a soft glow.

When the light died down, the room had warmed up significantly and two of the ponies were particularly enthusiastic.

"Oh, my coat is back to its lovely color," Rarity struck a pose as she looked her coat over, it being back to its white color.

"I'm happy for you Rares," said an uncomfortable Applejack. "You wanna help me get this stuff off? This armor just got a lot heavier."

"Applejack, for shame," said Rarity slyly. "One does not ask that of a lady in polite company."

"Har har," deadpanned a bemused Applejack. "Just help me out."

"The Empire should be back as well," said Clover. "Now I just need to..." He didn't make it any further as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed on the spot.

Clover woke up hours later in a dark room, a soft bed underneath him. "What happened?" He muffled out through the pillow his head was resting against.

"You collapsed, dear Clover." Came Luna's voice from the side of the bed. "You must have been more exhausted than you were letting on."

"I'm kind of surprised I didn't wake up in a cell or something after all the trouble I caused." He said as he let his wings unfurl and hang over the sides of the bed. He was sore all over.

"There was some discussion about whether we should do just that," admitted Luna. "Two problems were brought up regarding that. One being the political nightmare of locking up Clover the Clever, seeing as you're a big historical figure. And second, due to the coverup that you were doing at the same time, nopony even knows that anything even happened. There were no deaths, no permanent injuries, and the damage to the landscape was completely covered up when the city reappeared."

"So what?" He wondered aloud, "I'm just going to be free to go?"

"Not quite," she amended. "My sister seems to have some plans for you, something she believes you're well suited for."

"And what might that be?" Clover asked.

"That will be between the two of you. However," she said with some mirth. "There's one thing you've done that I can not and will not forgive."

"Oh," he said with a chuckle. "And what is that?"

She climbed up further on the bed until she stood over him, "over all the years you helped me tend to my wings, you never once let me do the same for you."

"But Luna," he complained. "I was keeping them hidden cause I didn't want anypony to see them."

"No excuses," she snapped. "As punishment, you're going to have to stay right here until I'm content that your wings are in pristine condition."

"How thorough do you plan to be?" Clover wondered aloud.

"Oh," Luna licked her lips as she leaned down to whisper into his ear. "I plan to take my time."

Twilight was standing out on the balcony looking over the restored city as it was cast in the moonlight. She had a lot on her mind since her own encounter with the nightmare earlier that day. It was so tempting to give herself over to that power even despite the evil that seemed to permeated it. If Rainbow hadn't been there for emotional support...she shuddered at the thought of what might have happened.

"I'm not disturbing anything, am I?" Came a soft voice all too familiar to her.

She looked up to the source of the voice, "Princess Celestia! You're back to normal."

Her mentor settled down next to her, once again rising to her proper stature, "how are you feeling, Twilight? You've been quiet the last couple hours?"

"You noticed, huh." She sighed heavily. "I'm still thinking about the nightmare. That was really scary."

Celestia gently wrapped her up in one silky wing and held her close, "I'm so proud of you that you were able to resist it though."

Twilight snuggled into her teacher's warm feathers as she looked up at her, "have you ever had to deal with it?"

Twilight felt Celestia's muscles tighten when she asked her that question, "I...I have," she eventually answered. "It caught me in a moment of weakness right after I had to banish Luna to the moon."

Twilight could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke, "you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I thank you, Twilight," Celestia relaxed a bit. "Maybe some day I'll tell you the story, but not tonight. Right now," she pulled her student a bit closer. "Right now I just want this moment to last for a bit longer."

The stayed on the balcony for a bit longer, just enjoying the night air and each other's company, when something in the sky caught Twilight's eye.

"Princess Celestia?" She asked with a question in her voice.

"Yes Twilight?" She said without looking down.

"Why is the moon pink?" Twilight asked her.

Celestia's eyes shot to the moon in the sky. It was indeed pink. She shook her head and let out a deep sigh, barely hiding how tired she was. "Luna..."

Author's Note

Where do I even start.
Lot of ideas and small jokes getting tossed around this chapter.

Day 7 of the finale.
I've got one more chapter for you today.

Chapter 24: Epilogue

Twilight woke up the next morning feeling very refreshed. She climbed out of the bed that Cadence had provided her and, after making sure her mane was presentable, made her way out of the bedroom to see who else was awake.

The sitting room had become their go to place to meet up since the throne room had been destroyed. She must have still been half asleep, because she bumped right into the pegasus guard from yesterday as she approached the door.

"Oh, sorry," she looked up at him sheepishly from the place she had fallen down.

"Are you ok, princess." Flash Sentry offered her a hoof.

Twilight blushed as she took it, "is everypony else inside?"

"They are," he responded stalwartly. "You're the last to arrive."

Twilight opened the door and stepped inside, but not before sneaking one last peek at the cute guard.

As she looked around the room, she saw everyone was up to their own activities. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were playing a game of checkers, and Fluttershy was still staying beside Spectrum, who still looked like Twilight's twin. Pinkie was playing some kind of game with Onyx involving a ball and some string, and Rarity was preening in front of a small mirror she had found.

"Twilight," said Cadence as she walked up to her. "I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up. It's almost noon."

"I must've been more tired than I thought," said Twilight as she looked around, noticing someone was missing. "Where's BBBFF, I don't see him this morning?"

"Shining Armor?" Cadence questioned with a tilt of her head. "Oh, I insisted he stay in bed today. After everything he went through yesterday, he seemed to be really worn out."

Twilight looked over to the colt playing with Pinkie Pie, noticing the blue streak going through his mane that wasn't there the day before. "So what's the story with Onyx?"

"Hmmm?" Cadence looked over to where Twilight was looking. "Oh, his name is Obsidian Rose now. Apparently he lost his all his memories from before Sombra possessed him. Clover gave him a different name and said he's going to be leaving with him. Plans to raise him in Ponyville."

"Isn't he originally from the Crystal Empire though?" Twilight questioned.

"That's the problem," Cadence sighed. "He looks too much like the pony that enslaved the nation even if he doesn't remember it. We're hoping Ponyville will give him a fresh start."

"That makes sense," said Twilight as she looked around the rest of the room. "I don't see the other Princesses or Clover anywhere."

"Oh, they're over there," Cadence pointed to a dark corner of the room where all three of them were in a deep trance with a tether of magic linking the three of them together. Next to them, placing steaming cups on the table, was also...

"Spike!" Twilight called out.

Spike turned and waved to her before running over, "Twilight!" He gave her a big hug. "You slept for a really long time."

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well," he started. "I just wanted to let you all know that Big Mac woke up yesterday. That and with the princess summit coming up tomorrow, I figured you'd want your number one assistant with you." He wove his claws together and looked up at her with puppy dog eyes.

"The princess summit?" Twilight's eyes went wide. "That's tomorrow?! With everything else going on I completely forgot about it. Spike, what would I do without you?"

Spike puffed out his chest as he stood there with a smug grin on his face.

"We all agreed to still go ahead with the summit," Cadence informed her. "All the princesses are already up here anyway and we're just taking today to rest up. I think we could all use it."

Suddenly they heard the sound of something banging against a table, followed by the sound of rattling teacups.

Twilight and Cadence looked over to the source of the noise to see the three ponies at the table with their eyes open, and Clover banging his head on the table.

"You've got to be kidding me," she heard him say as she walked up.

"Unfortunately, it looks that way ," Luna said regretfully.

"Who could've done this though," Celestia wondered.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Asked a concerned Twilight.

"Morning Twilight," said Clover from the place he rested his chin on the table. "Sleep well? How are your wings feeling?"

"I slept fine. Also my wings are feeling a bit better, thanks for asking," she said. "So what's the problem over here?"

Clover gave a very deep sigh, "remember how I told you that Celestia interfered when I was fighting Sombra a thousand years ago?"

"Yes?..." Twilight hesitantly said, not sure where he was going with this.

Celestia chimed in, "Sombra said something similar to me yesterday when he was...courting me. The problem is that I have no memory of doing so."

"We have two major points in a state of contradiction regarding this conflict," stated Luna. "So together we've been walking through our memories from a thousand years ago to try and make sense of it."

"And did you find anything?" Twilight asked curiously.

"As far as we can tell," Clover resigned the information. "Sombra and I did see Celestia interfere with out fight."

"But when we look at my memories of the same time," continued Celestia. "I was stuck in the middle of a really boring meeting hundreds of miles away."

"So which memories are real and why does this matter now?" Cadence inquired.

"They're both real," Luna stated. "Both events are true to the best of their knowledge and nothing in their minds shows that their memories may have been tampered with."

"And I'm even more annoyed because if what I saw was a falsehood of any kind," said Clover with some regret. "I may have taken a different approach to resolving the issue other than going behind everypony's back since the bulk of my actions were driven by my mistrust of Celestia."

"The worst part is that we can think of no other way to discern the truth of the situation," Celestia resigned. "It's going to have to just remain an unsolved mystery which doesn't sit well with any of us."

"You mentioned you knew divination before, didn't you?" Twilight asked.

"Tried that already," Clover sighed. "It just turns up a big blank."

"So what happens now?" Asked Cadence.

"Now we just go on with our lives," Clover said as he stood up from the table. "Dwelling on it isn't going to help anypony. Maybe we'll stumble across an answer someday, maybe we won't. Life still goes on."

Clover walked across the room to where Fluttershy was tending to Spectrum, "how's he doing?"

Fluttershy looked up at him, "he's still very weak. He hasn't eaten anything either. I thought he was getting better last night after the spell cast over the city was broken, but now he's not even waking up."

He leaned down and placed his forehead against that of the doppelganger, making the real Twilight blush as she watched.

"He's hurt worse than I thought," he said before teleporting out of the room.

A few moments later he teleported back in holding a pink crystal. "Hold his head back and keep his mouth open."

Fluttershy did as she was instructed while Clover positioned himself to hold the gem over Spectrum's open mouth. He gave the gemstone a squeeze between his hooves, causing a pink viscous fluid to drip in his open mouth.

They held that position for a little while until Spectrum started to convulse on the couch. A few deep gasps later, his eyes flew open and he started coughing.

"There we go," said Clover as he took a step back. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

"How long was I out?" He said between hard breaths.

"A couple hours," said Fluttershy as she looked up to Clover. "What's wrong with him?"

"He was literally starving to death," he looked down and gave him a stern look. "You can't feed on love right now can you?"

"Heh, you noticed." Twilight's twin said with no small measure of embarrassment.

"What else is broken?" Clover sat there tapping a hoof impatiently.

Spectrum gave a resigned sigh, "everything. Can't feed, can't transform, the extra mental abilities are completely shot. Heck, I can't even levitate a spoon right now."

"You know what we're going to have to do, right?" Said Clover with some resignation.

"Yes, I know. I Didn't want to burden you with it though." He pouted.

*Bonk*

"Hey, what was that for?!" Spectrum held his hooves over his head where he just got smacked.

"Now who's being self sacrificing," Clover stood back up and looked to the room. "Can I count on one of you to make sure Obsidian makes it back to the library in Ponyville?"

"I can!" Pinkie offered cheerily.

"Why? Where are you going?" Asked Luna.

"Spectrum's injuries are beyond my ability to heal. I need to take him back to the hive he originally came from and they wouldn't like me bringing a young colt along for the ride, at least not without permission." Clover said sadly. "Sorry, but I can't tell anypony where I'm going. Not even you, Luna."

"You'll come back won't you?" Celestia looked at him. "I was serious about that teaching position."

"I'll be back and we can hammer out the details then" Clover said as he started to glow. The bright silhouette of his body shortened a few inches before coming back into focus, revealing Clover without his wings.

"So you plan to keep your alicorn status hidden?" Luna wondered aloud.

"For now at least," said Clover. "Last thing I want is for ponies to start calling me prince and bowing to me wherever I go." He said the last part with a roll of the eyes.

"You do have a claim to that title though," said Celestia. "The law automatically grants alicorns a royal title. We had to implement it after Cadence ascended."

"I'm sure you can find something more to my liking if you absolutely must give me a title." Clover said as he conjured up a wheelchair for Spectrum. "Now if you excuse me, we have a train to catch."

Later that evening.

"So Random was Clover the whole time?" Spike asked Twilight in wonderment as they settled into her room for the evening.

"He was," Twilight gave Spike a smirk. "Only a week ago we had a legend show up on our front doorstep and we never even knew it."

"Kinda surprising so much happened so fast," Spike pondered as he settled into his little bed on the floor. "Shame I missed the big fight though. Rainbow Dash was telling me how cool it was."

"Of course you'd say that. It looked like something out of a comic book." Twilight said sarcastically as she placed her crown on the nightstand. "It was a bloody mess though. Something I don't think a young dragon needs to be seeing."

"Yeah yeah yeah. But it's not everyday something that epic happens." Spike pouted. "Still would've liked to see it."

"Yeah, well I'm just hoping to have a couple of peace and quiet." Twilight yawned deeply. "Well, it's time to get some shuteye. We have to be at our best for the princess summit tomorrow."

"Good night Twilight," said Spike as he pulled the covers over his head.

"Good night Spike," said Twilight as she tried to get comfortable despite her aching wings.

Later that night.

In a forgotten room of the Crystal Palace sat a mirror that Princess Celestia once gave to Princess Cadence for safe keeping. For many moons this mirror had lain undisturbed.

In the dark of the night, the reflective surface of the mirror began to ripple. Only moments before a unicorn with red and yellow hair jumped through it.

As Sunset Shimmer got reacquainted with her pony body, she had only one goal in mind.

"Now where is that crown?" She said before sneaking down the nearest hallway.

Author's Note

Twilight can not catch a break.

Insert shameless EQG stinger.
Nah, it's there mostly so you all remember when this story takes place in the timeline.

But thank you all for reading my story, be sure to leave a comment below.
I'm still not done with my version of these characters if you caught the several places where I made references to nothing else you've read.

Like and subscribe and all that.
Feel free to follow me if you want to tag along for what I do next.

2/12/21: Looking for OCs. Be sure to stop by if you're interested

Chapter 6: A stallion falls

It was evening by the time Luna woke up in the guest room of the Crystal Palace. Princess Cadence had insisted she get some sleep after seeing how tired she looked upon her arrival. She stepped out onto the balcony to watch her sister's setting sun as she raised her moon on the opposite horizon. It turned out her sister had indeed covered for her the previous night...the previous two nights actually. She had been lax in her responsibility and she wasn't about to make a habit of it.

A crystal pony guard was waiting for her as she stepped out of her room. "Your highness," the guard bowed to her. "Princess Cadence awaits you in the dining hall. Allow me the honor of escorting you."

She followed the guard to the dining chamber where Cadence was waiting for her alongside her husband, Shining Armor. "Princess Luna," she said excitedly. "You're looking a lot better now. Sorry for rushing you off to bed, but when auntie Celestia said you hadn't been sleeping, I started to worry."

"Tis all right, Princess Cadence, my sister's and your concern for us is touching." Luna sat down at the table where a serving pony soon brought her a salad which she tore into ravenously.

"I take it you're not visiting for some vacation time though. Care to tell us what brings you up north?"

Luna swallowed a mouthful of food and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Very well. I shall tell you what brings me," Luna steadied her breath to prepare herself for the retelling of events. "Two nights ago, I encountered a particularly powerful dream of the Crystal Empire in flames. I also saw a beast of shadow that was doing its best to try and escape the dream."

Cadence looked at Luna with a worried expression, "You were able to stop it from escaping though, weren't you?"

"I didn't get the chance," she idly sipped at the coffee that was provided. "The beast lashed out at me before I had a chance to fight back," she clenched the cup her hooves and grit her teeth. "I've never felt so powerless in the dream world before."

Shining Armor jumped up in his seat, "So you think it escaped to the Empire then?!"

Luna shook her head, "we do not believe so, but that's not what worries us most. The one who was dreaming that dream leapt out his own dream and dragged the beast back inside kicking and screaming."

"And this isn't normal?" Cadence was on the edge of her seat with rapt attention. "How often does anything like that happen?"

"It has never happened once in our memory," she stirred her drink in deep contemplation. "However it doesn't stop there. The second incident worries me even more."

"What?! There still more?!" Said Shining Armor who was just barely keeping up with the conversation.

"The dreamer pushed into the dream world this morning. I can't tell you how unusual it is see someone in the dream world once the sun has risen. However, this time the dreamer's action confuse me." Luna was a bit hesitant to share this part since she didn't fully understand it either. "This time the dreamer looked like he was pulling a shadow out of another pony's dream and feeding it to the beast. After its hunger was sated, it retreated back into the same dream as before, a dream of the Crystal Empire."

Cadence held back a gasp with her hooves, "so you think it's up here then?"

"Or that we shall at least find a clue. That's all I know so far."

Cadence shot a look at her husband, "we need to tell her."

He looked unsure of himself as he stared back at her, "are you sure? We haven't even confirmed anything yet."

Luna looked at the two of them inquisitively, "did something happen?"

Shining settled into his seat, "we haven't confirmed anything yet and we still have a large part of the populace in therapy after Sombra was banished. But some ponies have told stories of a shadow on the glacier north of the empire. Most have dismissed it as a trick of the light while others claim the king is trying to return. But then two nights ago, the whole empire shook as a pillar of dark light pierced the sky. We've only avoided a panic cause it was barely visible against the night sky and we've barely been able to convince the public at large that nothing is wrong."

"Two nights ago you say," Luna found this quite curious. "That's the same time I encountered the shadow in the dream world. This seems far too unlikely to just be a coincidence." Determination filled her as decided her next course of action, "With your leave, I would depart for the northern glacier to ascertain the nature of..."

Something suddenly clawed at her from inside her chest, making her jump back from the table. The chair flew away from her and the dishes scattered as she felt a throbbing from deep within her soul.

The two other royals in the room jumped to their hooves and rushed over to catch Luna before she fell to the floor. "Luna! Luna!" Shouted Cadence as Luna felt her vision fade. "What's happening?! What's wrong?!"

Stars filled Luna's vision as she stared down the corridors of the dream realm. The dreamer appeared a few paces away from where she sat, but he didn't seem to care much that she was there. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him step forward and tear a space open in the cosmos.

What was he doing?! She needs to stop him! He does not know what forces he plays with! Is she sure about that though? Every time she'd seen him, he'd exuded an uncanny amount of control over what he was doing. Would she even be able to intervene in whatever he was doing?

You used to be much more perceptive, Luna. Why was she thinking of him now? That accursed pegasus didn't have anything to do with this, did he? However, she did used to be the quiet observer when it came to arcane matters. It served her well when her first teachers taught her how to understand the secrets of the universe.

She steadied her breathing as she settled into her seat. If she wouldn't be able to interfere, then at the very least she could hope to learn something. So she sat there and quietly watched as he pulled shadows from the void and fed it to the voracious beast behind him. She almost jumped in to try and save him when it looked like he was going to get eaten by the ever growing monster at his back.

He didn't seem to be concerned about it though as he pulled a star from the void and held it to his chest. The beast's teeth stopped on contact with his body, even as she felt a smile radiating off of him. Something about that smile struck a cord in her memory. Did she know him somehow? That can't be though. Anyone she knew would've been from before she became Nightmare Moon and ponies don't live that long.

The star against his chest glowed bright as he looked back at the beast. As he made eye contact with it, the beast screamed as chains erupted from its body and wrapped their way around its body. The chains trailed back into the dream and seemed to effortlessly pull the creature back in even as the dreamer made to follow it.

Her attention snapped to the gap in space that he was pulling the shadows out of as it started to pulsate like an angry sun. She threw up a shield over herself as the dreamer looked back at his work with his mouth hanging open in shock. The void exploded, sending him crashing into the beast and they both went spiraling into the dream, shattering the doors guarding it as they passed through. The wreckage quickly filled the passage, blocking the chance for anything to squeeze through it.

She staggered as she was pushed back by the explosion, her shield cracking under the strain of the cosmic forces pushing against her.

As the dust settled, she looked over the damage. The dreamer was gone and the path to his dream completely shattered. Across from it, where there was once a small crack, was now a large fissure that she could feel trying to pull her into the waking world.

Luna rushed forward to the fissure with her horn ablaze with moonlight. Bracing herself so as not to get pulled through, she carefully sealed the break in reality. It took a couple of minutes to do so, but she was eventually able to repair the wound in the world.

Cadence and Shining stood over her as she opened her eyes. Cadence was the first to say something, "are you ok, Luna?"

She looked up at the pair hovering over her, she must've fallen down when she was unexpectedly pulled into the dream realm. "We...cough...we are fine. He showed up again."

"What happened this time?" Cadence wore a worried look on her face as she pressed for details.

"It is hard to say," Luna reflected. "But we believe that something hath gone wrong. His dream has collapsed in on itself."

Twilight was flying high above Whitetail woods in a chariot when she saw the explosion. The shockwave blew past her and the guards pulling the chariot, rocking their airborne position.

"Take us down!" Twilight shouted to the guards, the shock waking her up as adrenaline pumped through her system.

"Princess, it isn't safe! We are grossly underequipped for whatever that could be."

"I don't care! Everything else has been a dead end and this happened with us on site. If it's related, it may be the lead we need!" She was getting excited, whatever happened down there had some power behind it.

They both looked hesitantly back at her. Neither wanting to put the new Princess in jeopardy. They looked like they were going to argue with her further.

She looked down at the distance to the ground. She should be able to glide down easily enough, Celestia knows Rainbow Dash made her practice gliding enough the last few days.

She jumped off the back of the chariot and spread her wings. The sudden push of air against her feathers jarring her shoulders as she made her descent. The surprised guards quickly changed their course to follow her.

Twilight stumbled into the clearing, falling to her knees as she touched down. Her escort landed right beside her as she stood back up. She stepped forward into the smoldering crater at her hooves, ashen sticks crumbling underneath her. She found a pitch black and smoking body laying in the middle of the burned earth. "There something in here," she called back up to the guards. She leaned down to get a closer look. She could tell by the outline it was a unicorn, but she couldn't discern more than that. She cautiously placed a forehoof on its chest. It was cold under her touch but the chest was slowly moving up and down. "They're alive, we need to get them to the hospital!" She called back to her guards.

"No you don't!" A pink light flew down to her from the trees. "That's not what he would want and a hospital wouldn't be able to help him."

Twilight strained her eyes at the blinding light. That voice sounded familiar. "Whisper? Is that you?"

"You know any other fairies this good looking?!" The light snapped at her. "Of course it's me!"

She looked back at the smoking body, a look of horror dawned on her face. "Wait...If you're here, does that mean," she held her hooves to her face, eyes going wide. "Is this Random?!"

Whisper landed on her nose and she got a good look at the angry fairy. "You wanna play twenty questions or do you want to help? Get him home and ask your questions later."

She quickly loaded him up on the chariot and shouted to the guards to get her home as fast as possible. They didn't try to argue this time as they flew the chariot back towards Ponyville as fast as they were able.

They soon touched down in front of the library and Twilight carried the smoking ruin of a unicorn inside with Whisper leading the way.

"We've got to get him into bed and get one of those potions he's so proud of into him." Whisper guided her down into the Archive, past his office and into his room.

Twilight carefully laid him into bed and covered him with some blankets to try to keep him warm. As she did so, a magic circle lit up on the ceiling and started to spin in place.

"What's that?!" She excitedly pointed at the ceiling only to feel tiny hooves smack her across the face, jarring her head a bit.

"No questions!" Came an panicked Whisper. "Leave him be, we need to find where he's hidden his potions."

They scoured over all the shelves and through all the drawers looking for where Random may have hidden his potions. Finding nothing, they started to panic. "Can you think where else he may have hidden them? Like another room?"

Whisper stopped zipping around the room for a moment, her light dimming a bit as she floated there, thinking. "He may have set up a proper lab if he's been here long enough. Wait! I got it!"

She flew over all the open spaces of wall, stopping when she got near a particularly large section of it. "Right here, Twilight. There's a hidden door here. I should've known, he like things like this."

Twilight flooded her magic over the empty wall but didn't see anything, "How do we open it?"

"Not sure, but we don't have that kind of time. Just break it open."

"OK, I got this. Stand back." She stood back a couple paces from the wall and grabbed a firm hold of it with her magic. Bracing herself, she pulled with all her might until she heard the wall start to crack. Giving it one last pull, she felt the wall give way and it crumbled outward. Dust filled the room as debris crashed across it, causing Twilight to break down into a coughing fit.

"We found it!" Came Whisper's voice from inside the room. "Get your purple flank in here."

Twilight pushed through the wreckage she made while covering her face with one of her wings to filter out the dust. As she stepped through the door she made, she beheld Random's Lab.

Dozens of shelves filled the walls, all with various beakers and flasks. Crystals glowing all sorts of colors covered the walls and several magical circles were all over the floor and under the shelves, all with different designs to them. Most of the things in the room she had no idea what they did.

Her attention snapped back to Whisper, who was floating there looking annoyed with her. "Do you know any alchemy?" Whisper asked her.

"I do, but...I've never heard of any alchemy that looks like this." If this was going to count on her using unknown equipment, she didn't know what they'd be able to do to save the dying unicorn in the other room.

"Then I'm going to need you to follow my directions to the letter. I've seen him mix the potion we need a dozen times before."

Whisper directed her to several of the bottles against the wall, all in different colors and labeled in a language she didn't recognize. She first had her mix a combination that glowed a muddy brown. Twilight was a bit disheartened she messed up when she was told to place it on one of the magic circles on the ground. As she did so, the color changed from a brown to a pale milky color. The fairy didn't let her catch her breath and they mixed another potion, placed it in another circle, and this one turned blue. They mixed up a red one, a green one, and a purple one next over the next few minutes.

"OK, we're almost done. Place an empty flask in the middle of it and then stopper it with one of the clear crystals with no color in them."

Twilight did as she was told and suddenly all the magic circles faded to make way for a pentagram with each of the potions they made at each point of the star. The contents of each bubbled up and spiraled out of them in a big circle as they made lines that wove in and out of each other in the air before focusing in on the clear gem in the middle. The gem shattered as the magic poured into it, causing a chain reaction that caused all the flying solutions to sparkle as they filled the empty flask. It only took a moment before the flask started to overflow.

"Quick, Twilight! Pull it out of there."

She did as the fairy directed and stared at the black liquid that had little motes of light shining in it. "Did it work?"

Whisper looked closely at it, "it's sloppy but not bad for a first try. This will work. Come on." She flew out of the room with Twilight close behind her.

They made their way back to the room they laid Random in. He looked the same as when they left him, still a charred mess. Whisper landed next to him and tried to fiddle with something metallic on his neck, but her hooves were smoking as she did so. "We need to get this infernal thing off of him."

"What is it?" She asked as she set the flask down on the nearby table and bent down to help her remove it.

"It's the Alicorn Amulet. Even though it's broken, it's still metal and I can't touch it."

Twilight's tongue caught in her throat as she started fiddling with it. "What's he doing wearing this thing?!"

"You'll have to ask when he wakes up, I don't know what he was trying to do." She lied.

She managed to unlatch the necklace after about another minute of playing with it. It was stained as black as the rest of him was. It peeled off his fur, taking chunks of the charred mess with it.

"Good," nodded Whisper. "Now shove that potion down her throat, all of it. Don't worry if it sounds like he's choking. Lungs or stomach, either will absorb it. But get it in him!"

Twilight picked up the flask in her magic and held it up to his lips and started to pour it in. He coughed and sputtered a bit as she poured it in, but she didn't stop until it she had emptied the whole thing into him. As soon as she finished draining the concoction into him, he suddenly started to thrash about violently, almost knocking her out with his wildly swinging hooves.

"It's working!" Proclaimed Whisper. "Hold him down before he hurts himself."

She stepped back and used her magic to hold him down as he thrashed and pushed against his bindings. His eyes shot open and she saw a sea of stars in one of them, while the other one swirled with green and black colors. After a moment he stopped thrashing around and his breathing steadied as his eyes closed. Twilight stopped holding him down once she could see that he had visibly relaxed. "Well Whisper," she asked. "Is he going to be alright?"

Whisper settled down between her ears and let the alicorn take her full weight. "Yeah, he'll live." Damn, she was exhausted. "He might sleep for a day or two, but he'll be right as rain when he wakes back up."

Twilight settled onto the floor into a stray pillow, the adrenaline in her system over the last couple hours finally wearing off. "So Whisper...yawn," she asked through heavy eyelids. "What was that potion we mixed up?"

"It's some kind of revival elixir. We didn't get it perfect or else he'd already be up." She looked down at the princess but found she was already sleeping. "Thank you, Twilight. You did good, little filly." Whisper gave her a little kiss on the brow, curled up into her mane, and fell asleep.

"Hey Twi!," came a distant voice. "You down here, girl?"

Twilight stirred at the sound of her name. She slowly picked herself up off the cold floor. When had she fallen asleep? She felt something roll off her head as she stood, only for it to take flight and land on the bed next to Random's head.

Wait?! Random! The events of last night came rushing back to her. She snapped her head to look at the sleeping stallion. Aside from the excessive amount of burnt fur, he looked like he was sleeping peacefully.

"You can stop worrying, princess," came the fairy next to him. "He's already looks a lot better."

She relaxed a bit upon hear this. "That's good. Yesterday was way too eventful, hopefully today will be an easy day."

Whisper facehoofed, "I swear, both you and Random like to tempt fate when you open your mouths. I think someone's calling you by the way. It sounds urgent."

Twilight walked through Random's office into the main part of the Archive. She found an out of breath Applejack and Blossomforth waiting for her. "Hey girls, what's up? Yawn...I had a bit of a late night."

"Where's Random?!" Shouted Blossomforth while pushing in front of Applejack, "The guards upstairs said you brought him home last night and he looked half dead."

"He's asleep in bed now. He had a bit of an episode last night. I don't know what he was doing out in the Whitetail last night but I think it was a really close call."

"Do you think he'll mind if I wait for him to wake up?" Blossomforth looked at her teary eyed.

"I think that'll be ok." She looked over to Applejack as Blossomforth went into the room behind her. "What's up Applejack?"

"Ah need you to come to the hospital with me, right now!" AJ had a disheveled look to her, like she had been running around in a panic all morning.

"What's wrong, AJ?"

"It's too hard to explain, Twi. Ah don't reckon Ah can begin to understand what's wrong with Big Mac. But it ain't natural, that's fer sure." AJ looked like she was struggling to find the right words. "Ah'll tell ya on the way. Come on."

They picked up Spike as they exited the library. The Canterlot guards following them as they departed. As they made their way across town, AJ shared her story.

"The mornin started pretty normal," AJ started. "Up until Ah noticed Big Mac hadn't woken up yet. Now, we all have mornings where we don't wanna get up right away. So Ah didn't think anything bout it at first. Eventually, Ah figured he slept in long enough, we got work that needs doin. So Ah went in to wake him up and...and...Ah can't really say it, it's too confusin."

They made the rest of the way to the hospital in silence. However, something she saw in the apple farmer's eyes unsettled her even as a terrible wild theory started to gnaw at the back of Twilight's mind. She really hoped she was wrong.

As they stepped into the hospital, they found a couple ponies in the waiting room. In the corner, they spotted Granny Smith who looked like she was doing her best to comfort Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom herself though, was hunched down like she was trying to make herself as small as possible, shaking and with a distant look on her face.

"Spike," she looked to the dragon on her back. "Stay with Apple Bloom, she looks like she need a friend right now."

"You got it Twilight," he hopped off her back and ran over to join the apple ponies.

Across the room, Applejack pushed the door into the back without even waiting for the receptionist to let them in.

Twilight struggled to keep up with the farm mare. That gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach getting worse as they ran through the halls.

AJ stopped at one of the doors and taking a moment to catch her breath, stepped inside. "Ah found her doc."

"Wait here," Twilight told the guards as she stepped inside to find a very confused doctor step out from behind a curtain. The silhouette of a large body could be seen lying in the bed through the curtain. "Princess Twilight," the doctor gave a very hasty bow. "I'm glad she found you. Right this way. Maybe you can make some sense of this."

Twilight slowly and hesitantly made her way to the edge of the curtain. "Dear sweet Celestia, let me be wrong," she prayed under her breath. She reached up with a hoof and slowly pulled back the curtain. Upon seeing the bed's occupant, she collapsed to the ground. "No! Not another one!" She cried.

She looked up again, knowing that she had to confirm it before she sent her letter to Canterlot. She looked at the stallion in the bed. It was Big Macintosh alright. Applejack's brother lay on the bed not making a sound. His body was also missing any color to it and his cutie mark was gone.

Author's Note

Well, I guess Random had to go and blow himself up. I hate it when that happens.
So what's gonna happen? Will Twilight track down the culprit? Will Random recover? What will Luna find on the northern glacier? Will all the mares in town go on a murderous rampage when they find out Ponyville's most eligible bachelor is down for the count?
Find out next time on Dragonba...I mean...this...place...yeah.

Chapter 21: Master and student

Twilight found herself standing in the middle of a grassy field, wind rushing past her ears as watched the endless expanse of green ripple with the movements of nature.

"Wait a minute," she wondered aloud as her mind was coming up blank. "What was I doing just now?"

When no answer was forthcoming, she started to wander through the field. The smell of the grass mixed with a hint of clover filled her nostrils as she felt the warm sun radiating across her back.

She wandered for what felt like hours despite the sun seeming to remain stationary in its position. When she felt she would soon go mad with the emptiness surrounding her, she saw a figure standing in the field ahead of her.

Twilight broke into a gallop upon seeing the first living soul out here. Rushing through the grass, a couple of dandelions in full bloom broke with her passing, swirling with the movement of the wind to places unknown. She could see the figure more clearly as she drew closer and for some reason she wasn't even surprised to find herself face to face with none other than Clover.

"Twilight," he said to her with a wide smile on his face. "You did it!"

She slowed to a stop in front of him, her confusion evident on her face. "What did I do?"

"The Elements of Harmony of course!" He exclaimed as he rushed forward and scooped her up in a hug and twirled in a circle. "You were right where you needed to be, right when you needed to be there."

She could hear the joy in his voice even as tears ran down his face. "I'm sorry Clover, but I'm a bit lost. What happened? Last thing I knew..." Memories rushed back as she remembered what she was last doing. "The Crystal Empire! Sombra! My friends!" She grew a bit more panicked as she shuffled in place. "I need to get back there! Is everypony alright?!"

Clover set her back on the grass and wiped a few tears from his face, "calm down Twilight. I'm sure your friends are fine. Time doesn't exactly move the same way in here as it does out there," he said with a soft smile. "Only a few moments will have passed by the time you get back."

"Where exactly are we?" Twilight asked as she stepped back from him and looked around at the endless field.

"It's been called many things over the years. The spiritual realm, the astral plane, some would even call it heaven." He explained.

"Wait?! WHAT?!" Her mane started to stick up at odd angles when he named that last place. "Are we dead?!"

Clover let out a hearty laugh, the sound of it rolled over the fields and the very place they stood felt like it laughed with him. "No...no Twilight, we're not dead. I'm actually feeling the most alive I've felt in a long time."

"But I saw you get eaten." She gave him a confused look. "How are you still alive?"

"I've been getting asked that question a lot lately and I suppose some explanations are in order." He slowly walked around her while staring off into the distance. He took a few deep breaths before speaking. "A thousand years ago, I did something that none of the Equestrian nobles thought they'd ever see. I took on a student, a personal disciple."

"Why wouldn't they expect that? Was it because you were a disciple to Starswirl the Bearded?" She asked inquisitively.

"Heh," Clover gave a small chuckle. "I keep forgetting that history has me written that way." He turned to look at Twilight. "I was never his disciple. Don't get me wrong, Starswirl was as brilliant a unicorn as the stories make him out to be. But he was also a close friend of mine, one of the very few I've trusted with my closest secrets." His voice broke a bit as his eyes became a bit teary.

"Are you ok?" Asked a concerned Twilight.

Clover shook his head, "I'll be fine. We're getting off topic though." He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Anyway, I found my future student in the Crystal Empire. The first unicorn born to their nation in a hundred years. Young Onyx Shard was a talented young colt, so eager to learn and just as eager to prove himself. However, being the only unicorn in the empire, he didn't have anyone to teach him. I was very excited to find somepony with promise that I felt I could teach without the influence of Equestrian politics."

"Why did that matter?" Twilight gave him a confused look.

"It was no secret to the court that Celestia and I didn't get along. The power that came to her at such an early age left her with quite an ego and a pretty nasty attitude and I really didn't want any student of mine being influenced by her."

Twilight was quick to come to the defense of her teacher, "but Princess Celestia is the most kind and loving pony around, how could she be..."

Clover cut her off, "a thousand years is a long time for a pony to change, Twilight. I didn't care for her then and even if I never look fondly upon her, even I can see how much she's mellowed out over the years."

He took another deep breath, "anyway back to my story. I taught young Onyx many things. Everything from conjuration and abjuration to divination and astrology. He was a very enthusiastic student, eager to prove himself as he devoured every lesson set before him. However there was one topic I absolutely forbid him to learn or even study until I believed he was ready."

Twilight's blood grew cold as she looked at the stern look on his face, "what topic was that?"

"Demonology." He said solemnly.

"Are you crazy?!" Twilight's voice broke as her mane stuck out at odd angles. "Dark magic like that is forbidden for a reason."

"Twilight, you need to understand that Demonology is more than the study of how to summon demons. It's also the study of how to banish them. Are you going to let me finish my story or are you going to keep interrupting?" He looked at her crossly.

Twilight quickly patted down her mane as she collected herself, "sorry."

"Anyway," Clover continued. "As you can probably guess he didn't listen. As such is with the folly of youth, he believed that nothing could hurt him and that he knew better than those older and wiser."

"You mean he..." Twilight sat down on her haunches and held her forelegs to her mouth in horror.

"I'm not sure where he found that tome. When I went back to examine my collection on the subject, not a single book was missing. One day I found him in the middle of a summoning and while normally I would have just scolded him and then proceeded to educate him on his foolishness, the problem came with what he was summoning." Clover said with a distant look on his face. "It wasn't just a simple imp or even a succubus he was calling forth, the latter of which would've made for a very interesting and mutually embarrassing talk," he said with a snicker before getting deadly serious. "It was an elder demon and it wasted no time in possessing its summoner."

"What...what was its name?" Twilight quivered at the turn this story was taking.

"I've just been calling it what it called itself upon possessing my student." Clover narrowed his eyes, "it called itself Sombra."

Twilight let out a deep sigh at the name, "so what happened next?"

"We fought and I used what I knew of demons to break past its defenses. You see, it was only freshly summoned and as such it was still quite weak to spiritual attacks. I had almost succeeded in banishing it and freeing Onyx when Celestia..." He growled out her name. "Attacked Sombra and broke my concentration, causing catastrophic damage to me, Onyx, and Sombra."

"When you say catastrophic damage, what do you mean?" Twilight cocked her head.

"Spiritual damage. Soul damage." Clover explained. "I didn't figure out how bad the damage was until much later when I regained consciousness and the Crystal Empire had already been sealed away. Bits and pieces of all three of us were broken off and scattered, some of the pieces attaching to each of us at random, while others attached to the two artifacts that were closest at the time. The Alicorn Amulet and the Crystal Heart."

Twilight's ears perked up as she put some of the pieces together, "that's why I found you with the amulet that day! You were collecting the pieces."

He nodded, "indeed I was, same as with the Crystal Heart. I probably should've anticipated the amulet would react violently when I dismantled it, however I was fairly certain that the heart was going to temporarily lose its power. The blizzard that followed also served the purpose of getting the citizens to retreat to their homes, something I really needed to see happen before the final act of this drama."

Suddenly they found themselves standing in the shade as a cloud floated overhead. Funny, Twilight hadn't seen a single cloud since she found herself in this place. She tilted her head to the sky to look at it and everything inside of her screamed at how the thing she was seeing was just...wrong.

Clover followed her gaze and answered the unasked question as they looked at the dark cloud that pulsated and shifted with an occasional claw poking out of the edges. "That's Sombra you're looking at."

"What is he doing here?!" Twilight started breaking into a panic.

"You hit the three of us with the Elements of Harmony. The whole time we've been here it's been sorting out our broken souls and putting the pieces back together into their proper forms. Unfortunately, that also includes Sombra." He said with some regret.

"But...Why would the Elements put Sombra back together? Isn't he evil?" Twilight countered.

"He is. In order to restore harmony, all the evil that makes that up that demon first needs to be gathered in one place. However after that, it needs somewhere to go and the magic of harmony isn't capable of breaking into other realms. The elements are powerful, but they're not all-powerful."

"So all three of you will be in back in your natural forms?" Twilight still quivered at the thought of what Sombra really was.

"This is where the really bad news starts," Clover resigned himself. "Demons get stronger the longer they stay summoned and Sombra will have had the benefit of a thousand years to gather strength on top of the power he will have taken from Onyx in payment for his summoning. Not even the Elements can refund the cost of something like that." Clover shook his head in disappointment.

"Please tell me you planned that far ahead..." pleaded Twilight. "We have the Crystal Heart! Surely we can..."

"It won't work. Right now the heart would only be strong enough to clear away the storm outside and even if it could stop him, as long as Sombra stays in this world, he will keep coming back again and again, getting stronger every time until he eventually wins." Clover sighed heavily, his eyes looking far more tired and old than the rest of him did. "Unless we banish him properly, this will never truly end."

A crack of thunder came from the not-cloud above them, making Twilight snap her gaze upward.

"I guess it's time," said Clover as he stepped up to her. "This is going to be asking a lot, but I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." Twilight quickly responded.

Clover leaned forward and placed a hoof against her chest, causing the space between them to glow. That glow stayed with Twilight as Clover broke contact.

"Please keep Onyx safe," he requested somberly. "Sombra will be desperate to get him back and my student has suffered enough."

"I will," Twilight said as she held the light close to her chest.

"A thousand years I have battled against this darkness," reflected Clover as Twilight's vision began to fade.

"It's time I finally end this."

Author's Note

And now you know...the rest of the story.

Day 5 of the finale.
Don't miss tomorrow.