“I can’t believe it! A land of alicorns!” Dream Warper exclaimed as she, Sweetie Void, and Solis flew away from Canterlot. “Why isn’t there anything written about it?”

“The alicorns are isolationists,” Solis explained. “They wouldn’t like having ponies coming to them to worship them, so I’m keeping any record of them close to me. They rejoice in their daily routine away from the problems of the world. Their queen, Cosmo, only intervenes when absolutely necessary. This is why it will be difficult to convince them to help.”

“Being invaded by a dimensional army and potentially sacrificed as a battery for their leader risks not being enough to convince them?” Sweetie Void asked.

“Truthfully, this war is a bit our fault. The Subspace Army wouldn’t be targeting us if we didn’t personally make it an objective to stop them. Once we explain everything, Queen Cosmo may think that this is not our problem and try to convince us to stop this foolishness, getting us out of this war. She only has the good of our world in mind, nothing else.”

“Uh, this may complicate things, yes,” Dream Warper said.

“I’m sure we will find a way,” Sweetie Void reassured. “How many alicorns are they, by the way?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t been there in a while,” Solis answered. “However, the birth rate among the alicorns is extremely low, so I doubt that more than a few alicorns have been born since I left. So they are probably a bit over two hundred now.”

Sweetie Void whistled. “This may not be a lot, but considering how powerful a single alicorn is, two hundred is still very good. And if Phantom and Apple Death manage to convince them in their universes too, the number will climb to over six hundred.”

“Remember that not all alicorns are of equal power. Most only have dominion over a single element while others are best with just an emotion. Barely any of them know how to fight, barely being better than Cadance.”

“Elemental specialists would still be very useful. The emotional ones at least have raw magic. Are there other alicorns specializing in celestial bodies like you and Luna?”

“Yes, the planets. Like Jotunn who controls the far away icy planet of the same name, giving to her mighty powers over the ice.”

“One per planet?” Dream Warper asked.

“Yes.”

“So, eight in total?”

“Actually, you forget our own planet, Equus, which is overseen by two alicorns: Gaia, the ground, and Ouranos, the sky. They are my parents.”

Dream Warper became silent, gawping. “You… You mean we will see your parents?!”

“Certainly.”

“Oh-oh my gosh! The princesses’ own parents! I can’t believe it!”

“Only now you freak out? Not at the idea that we are gonna see the queen of the alicorns? A being certainly far superior to Celestia to whom we should show absolute respect?”

Before Dream Warper could freak out even more, Solis chuckled. “Actually, in the alicorn society, you both deserve as much respect as her. Your domains are pretty much equal.”

Dream Warper gawked again. “What?”

“In Skyros, there is a hierarchy. Elemental alicorns are at the bottom. Emotional ones are the equivalent of high class citizens. The ones who control celestial bodies are nobility. And then, there is Queen Cosmo, royalty, who has dominion over a primordial concept, like you two. Where you two are Magic and Void, she is the Cosmos.”

“I could have guessed it,” Sweetie Void deadpanned.

“You… You mean that in Skyros, I would be a queen?” Dream Warper asked.

“Yes,” Solis answered.

Dream Warper seemed lost after that.

“What can you tell us about Queen Cosmo?” Sweetie Void asked.

“She is as old as the universe, and she created everything as we know; Equus, the planets, the sun, the moon, the stars, and so on. Her dominion over the Cosmos allows her to connect with the universe itself, allowing her to see everything that the universe was, is, and will be. She thus made it her role to ensure that everything would go as planned or to stop something that would destroy the world, and ONLY if it threatens the world and there is nothing planned to stop it. This is why she let us deal with Tirek, she knew that we would prevail.”

Sweetie Void snorted. “Then comes DD, ruining everything.”

“You becoming the Alicorn of the Void certainly wasn’t planned. It will be quite the shock for her. Also, because of DD’s influence, she probably can’t see the past and the future anymore.”

“So she has no way to know how this will go with the Subspace Army, Galeem, and Dharkon,” Dream Warper said.

“With all the new universes coming, it would be impossible to predict anyway. There are constantly new variables,” Sweetie Void said. “And Queen Cosmo could only see what would happen in our universe. This war is beyond even her.”

“Which is why she may think that it would be best to give up. While she may want to stop them as much as us, she will see how risking it will be, and for the better of Equus, she may try to avoid the bloodshed. Worst case scenario, she will join the ones who want us to join the Subspace Army,” Solis said.

“Well, she will find a terrible opponent with me. I refuse to take the risk of sacrificing countless innocents for a plan that may or may not work. If she doesn’t want to join us, then alright, but if she wants to make us join the Subspace Army, then she will find out the hard way that she isn’t alone in taking decisions for this world anymore.”

At that, Sweetie Void took her phone and sent a message to Apple Death and Phantom.

Sweetie Void:
Be ready to have a serious debate with the Alicorn Queen.

Phantom:
I know, Celestia just warned me.

Apple Death:
Me too. I think that I already know what I will tell her to convince her. Good luck girls.

Sweetie Void:
Good luck.

Phantom:
Good luck.

After a long journey, above the ocean, the three alicorns reached islands floating in the air. The islands were of various sizes, at various heights. Some had rainbow-colored rivers and lakes, with waterfalls disappearing into the ocean below, others had forests, or mountains. Rainbows weren’t rare to see.

All of it was extremely breathtaking.

“It’s beautiful,” Dream Warper said.

“Yeah. I know that everything is possible with magic, but I still never expected to see floating islands on Equus,” Sweetie Void said.

“It’s a very unique landscape even in our world,” Solis said. “Queen Cosmo made it this way to keep the alicorns isolated. The islands are also constantly moving above the ocean, so even if you manage to find them once by luck, if you don’t know better, you won’t find them again.”

Before long, they were starting to see houses on the islands. Small hamlets of four or five houses. Very simple ones made of wood and stone. They also saw a farm or two. They then saw their first alicorns, flying between the islands or doing some activity, like painting or sculpting or sharing a meal.

The islands were very well decorated now that they paid more attention. Gardens not unlike in Canterlot, with lots of flowers and columns of marble and sculptures and fountains.

As Sweetie Void and Dream Warper looked around in awe, the three were quickly spotted by some of the alicorns, some of which immediately approached them.

“Is that you, Celestia?” a brown male alicorn, an Alicorn of Water judging by the Cutie Mark, asked once he was close enough.

Before Solis could answer, another exclaimed, “It is her! Celestia, you are back!”

“Hey! Everypony! Celestia is back!”

“Oh! Look at you! All grown up!”

“Welcome back, Celestia!”

“I LOVE your mane!”

“How is Luna?”

“Oh! You have two more alicorns with you! Where do they come from? I don’t remember seeing them before.”

Celestia chuckled. “Everypony, calm down, please. I’m happy to be back and to see all of you again. Let me presen-”

She was suddenly interrupted by a cold voice. “Well well well… Look who's back around town…”

The voice revealed to be an alicorn with a deep purple coat and white mane with sky blue highlights. Her blue eyes looked at Solis with disdain.

“So, trouble in Paradise oh chosen one? Why would you leave your cushy life of being worshipped by mortals if not?” she said with venom in her voice.

Dream Warper and Sweetie Void looked at Solis and were surprised to see her actually stay silent and shrinking back, looking uncomfortable.

She looked at the other alicorn, but before she could say something, another alicorn spoke.

“C'mon Opaline, that’s mean. Why the cold shoulder?” a male alicorn with a bright yellow coat and spiky blue mane said. By his Cutie Mark, Sweetie Void deduced he was an electric alicorn. “You guys and Luna were like, the only foals to be born since forever ago back then. We're quite close too, so why don’t you chill?”

That seemed to end Opaline's patience. With one last resentful look at Solis, she turned around and flew off.

The alicorn shook his head in an unconcerned way. ”Eh, she will bounce back. Little Opal always was kind of a grumpy foal.” He turned to look at the group. “Good to see you again Celestia, and you newcomers, welcome to Skyros! Name's Storm Chaser,” the alicorn presented himself.

Solis smiled at him. “I’m glad to see you again, Storm Chaser. Let me present to you Twilight Sparkle and Sweetie Belle. They are unicorns who ascended into alicornhood.”

The alicorns began to talk excitedly at that.

“Oh! So it is possible to ascend!” Storm Chaser exclaimed. “It was pretty much a legend here in Skyros. What are you two the alicorn of? It’s difficult to say with your Cutie Marks.”

Sweetie Void grinned. Dream Warper hesitated. The filly hit her on the rib. “Go on!”

Dream Warper glared at Sweetie Void, then took a breath and said, “Magic.”

The alicorns all gasped at that.

Sweetie Void’s grin grew. “Void.”

Silence followed. You could hear a grasshopper chirp.

Storm Chaser laughed. “Eh, good one! I almost fell for it!”

“They aren’t joking,” Solis said. “I can confirm what they said. They are respectively the Alicorn of Magic and the Alicorn of the Void. The six-branched star in Twilight’s Cutie Mark is magic’s symbol. Ask around and you should get confirmation. Sweetie Belle’s black blotch represents the void.”

At once, Storm Chaser's layback attitude was gone and he looked at Solis with a serious look in his stormy blue eyes.

“Celestia… If what you… What they say is right, you know what that-”

“I know Storm Chaser. I know.”

Storm Chaser looked at her, then at Sweetie Void and Dream Warper.

Just like that, his previous attitude came back as if it never was gone.

“Weeell that sure was a surprise! No problem I suppose. I think you three are gonna need to talk some things out with the queen tho… But why don't I show you around Skyros before that? Celestia here hasn't been around since she was a foal and I'm sure you two would appreciate a look around before diving into business. So whaddya say eh?”

Both Sweetie Void and Dream Warper looked at Celestia who nodded. “Very well. We can take some time.”

“Great! Well then, follow me!”

At that, they began to fly around, following Storm Chaser and leaving behind the other alicorns who started to spread the unbelievable words.

They flew toward the largest island which seemed to be the main inhabited island.

“What has Celestia told you about Skyros?” Storm Chaser asked.

“The hierarchy of the alicorns,” Sweetie Void answered.

“Good start. Alright, so, at the bottom are Elemental Alicorns like me. Ten different elements in total: fire, water, wind, earth, ice, lightning, metal, wood, light, and darkness. There can be more minor elements such as sand or magma, but these ten elements are the ones that come most often. And so, there are ten districts for us, more or less big. Without surprise, the four main elements, Ignis, Aqua, Geos, and Aero, are bigger. Cryo, Fulgur, Ferrous, and Silva are much smaller. Lumen and Umbral are the smallest ones.”

One by one, Storm Chaser showed the districts. They looked identical except for details like the heavier presence of chimneys in the Ignis District, more fountains in the Aqua District, more statues in the Geos District, and so on. The Ferrous District was also loud with the sound of smithing.

“As you can hear, the Metal Alicorns are our smithies. Wood Alicorns are generally the ones who build our houses and other buildings. Wind Alicorns blow wind into the mills, Earth Alicorns are the farmers, Water Alicorns make sure that we are never thirsty, Fire Alicorns warm us up during Winter, Ice Alicorns cool us down during Summer…” He chuckled. “Also, their elements can show up in their personalities. Fire and Electric Alicorns can be very hot headed while Ice Alicorns tend to be cool. And the Darkness Alicorns, eh… They are so edgy that it’s funny.”

Storm Chaser then pointed at a neighbouring island that had more houses, surrounded by beautiful gardens beside a large lake at the foot of a mountain with snow at the top. The houses were bigger.

“There is an eleventh district for the Emotional Alicorns on this island, Motus. All emotions are welcome there. Joy, sadness, anger…”

“Anger? Wouldn’t they be… problematic?” Sweetie Void asked.

“You would expect that, and they know that, so they keep a leash on their emotions and try to remain calm. However, if you anger them, run. It makes them very good fighters. Thankfully, the Joy Alicorns are very helpful in keeping them from exploding. Such happy-go-lucky fellows, it’s impossible to get angry at them.”

“Eh. Pinkie Pie would love them, I’m sure.”

“It isn’t without problem with all these emotions clashing. Fear, jealousy, anxiety, disgust… But we do what we can to avoid things from going too badly. Thankfully, there isn’t a Hate Alicorn… yet.”

“Excuse me,” Dream Warper suddenly said, raising a hoof. “Where does this liquid rainbow come from? I have been wondering that since we reached this place.”

“Oh, easy. It just magically appears. You can thank Queen Cosmo for that.”

“I heard rainbows taste spicy,” Sweetie Void said.

Storm Chaser laughed. “Not this rainbow. It’s just rainbow-colored water. It tastes like different fruit juices depending on the color.”

“What is it about all these decorations?” Dream Warper asked.

“They are just a way to pass time. We constantly build and destroy and rebuild. We have various activities, like music, or fighting.”

“Fighting?!”

“Just for fun. Nothing bad. Besides, if anypony is hurt, there are many healers on these islands. The Light Alicorns are especially good at it, as well as the Water and Wood Alicorns. Joy Alicorns are also good at healing, but they are more mind healers.”

“I see…”

“We also do contests of all kinds. Anything we can think of, it generally ends up being a contest, like flying, running, swimming, fighting, sculpting, eating, drinking, playing music, and so on. I remember Celestia winning a cake-eating contest,” Storm Chaser finished with a shit-eating grin at Solis who blushed.

Sweetie Void laughed. “I’m not surprised!”

Even Dream Warper couldn’t stop a giggle that she tried to hide.

“What about the Celestial Alicorns?” she changed the subject.

“They are over there, behind this mountain.”

Storm Chaser flew toward the mountain beside the Motus District, and the visitors followed him. They flew around the mountain, eventually seeing a group of islands that were very different.

There was an island that was one giant farm with a small jungle and a small volcano, and it was quite windy there. Another island was covered in ice while another had volcanoes, and another was very stormy with winds going at hundreds of kilometers per hour. Another was just a floating rock with nothing on it, and another was a desert.

There were probably more islands, but they couldn’t be seen. However, in the center was a large island with a beautiful castle not unlike the one in Canterlot. The castle even had a waterfall and a giant tree coming out of one of its towers. Another tower was like a prism reflecting the sun into rainbows.

Storm Chaser pointed at the islands surrounding the one with the castle.

“These are the home islands of the Celestial Alicorns. Each island represents the planet they have dominion over.”

“I think that I recognize all of them!” Dream Warper exclaimed before she pointed at the islands one by one. “This one must be Equus. So, here we have Jotunn, Pyros, Stratos, Lythos, and Mars. The remaining planets, Hydros, Diamond, and Neptune are certainly behind the island with the castle.”

“You got all of them right!” Storm Chaser congratulated.

“And I conclude that the island with the castle is Queen Cosmo’s,” Sweetie Void said.

“Exact!”

Solis looked at the island representing Equus with a smile. “This island is my childhood home. This is where my parents like. Mostly my mother, but my father comes there regularly. Yes Twilight, I grew up on a farm. Mother is actually the best farmer of Skyros. Her products are the absolute top quality you can find in this world.”

Sweetie Void giggled. “Of course. She is the planet, including all the plants growing on it. She is pretty much the incarnation of Mother Nature.”

Solis laughed. “That’s right.”

“Want to go visit them now?” Storm Chaser asked.

Solis shook her head. “After our talk with Queen Cosmo.”

“Very Well. I can confirm that she is in her castle. However, I have no idea where exactly in the castle she is. Try the Throne Room first. It’s where we generally find her, but we also often find her in the Rainbow Tower, or in the Tree Tower.”

“Thank you Storm Chaser. We will see you again soon.”

“Goodbye, thank you for the tour,” Dream Catcher said.

“Bye!” Sweetie Void said with a wave.

The three then flew toward the castle. They easily entered it, but now, they had to find the Throne Room, and the castle was empty of servants and guards. Thankfully, Solis knew the way.

The inside of the castle was huge and full of decorations, statues, including ones of what seemed to be Cosmo herself, and tapestries of various things.

Eventually, they reached the giant doors to the Throne Room with, on them, the picture of a sparkling galaxy.

Solis opened them.

And there, sitting on a large throne at the top of stairs, in front of a banner with that same sparkling galaxy, was Cosmo herself.

She was an alicorn as black as space, with an ethereal mane and tail that were like the cosmos itself, full of stars and nebulae and Sweetie could swear she even saw a shooting star. Her eyes were also sparkling like the stars, and her Cutie Mark was exactly like the picture on the doors and banner. She was also very tall, easily double the size of Solis.

The three advanced into the room, Solis at the lead.

Once they were in front of the stairs, Solis bowed down not unlike ponies did to her, Sweetie Void and Dream Warper following suit.

Once she got up, Solis spoke. ”Queen Cosmo, we've come to share with you news of vital importance not only to Equestria but all of Equus, and even more.”

Cosmo just looked at Celestia, then everyone heard an ethereal voice directly speak into their mind.

Long have I anticipated so, young sun. The constant fluctuations into the fabric of reality alerted me there was a frequent traveling between dimensions.

As she said this, her actual mouth didn’t actually move. She then got up and started descending from her throne. And with each step she got closer, both Sweetie Void and Dream Warper could see more and more of her sheer size.

And while I remain thankful to the cosmos nothing dangerous has come out of it, I remain concerned for one single detail…

Finally, Cosmo came down and stood just in front of the trio who had to step back and crank their necks in the case of Dream Warper and Sweetie Void to look at her properly.

Cosmo looked at them. First at Dream Warper at one side, then at Solis in the middle, and finally at Sweetie Void.

And her gaze stood there.

Slowly, Cosmo crouched down and lowered her neck almost unnaturally so she and Sweetie Void were looking face to face.

If she were any other filly, she would have likely fainted at this point. Even ignoring all that Cosmo was, she was still a giant of a mare that towered even Celestia. Her head alone was nearly the size of her entire body!

Sweetie Void just stared back, an innocent smile on her snout.

Finally, after what appeared to be several tense minutes for Dream Warper and Solis, Cosmo stood up and stepped back with her eyes still on Sweetie Void. Her gaze narrowed ever so slightly.

...Foreign. That which you carry is the reason why the curtains of time have been closed to me.

Sweetie Void rubbed the back of her head. ”Yeah, sorry. Not much I can do about it. It was not on purpose and if I ever knew how to, I would like to revert it, for what it's worth.”

Cosmo didn’t say anything for a bit, then her gaze softened back to normal. ...I know, Sweetie Belle. You never are that kind of pony.

Sweetie Void's eyes widened slightly before something clicked and she relaxed. ”Oh, right. You… used to know the future.”

I know the fate of all that lives in Equus, and am the sole protector of it… Or at least, that’s how it was meant to be. You have neither the fate you were supposed to have nor other acceptable variables… Instead when I gaze into you all I feel… is an emptiness not unlike that that stretches beyond the universe, Cosmo said.

“Now, I believe you have come to say something before me. Does this ties with the fluctuations in reality or where you got such a… troublesome influence haunting you?”

Sweetie Void nodded. ”Yes. It’s a bit of a long story, but basically…”

And so, Sweetie Void, alongside Dream Warper and Solis, explained to Cosmo all about DD, about the two Gods of Light and Darkness, and how Sweetie came to be the Alicorn of Void.

“So yeah uhh, Dream Warper and I here wanted to know if there wasn’t going to be any… problems?” Sweetie Void was saying when she noticed Cosmo’s face.

She was frowning. It was a rather small frown admittedly but still noticeable at a first glance. She looked to the side, and saw that Solis seemed to be silently panicking while Dream Warper was openly worried.

“Uhh… Queen Cosmo? Is everything alright?” Sweetie Void braved.

still frowning, Cosmo looked to the side and spoke into their minds again. Nothing to worry about, vessel of emptiness. It has just been a long, long while since the last time I've been left deep in thought… Cosmo said.

She turned back to them.

‘Devourer’... Such a terrifying concept, yet one I can still picture in my mind. I can only hope we manage to somehow prevent such danger to claim our universe in the future.

Solis nodded. ”We will do everything we can, Queen Cosmo.”

Cosmo continued. And while unexpected, I can’t say I'm displeased all that much with your current path, Sweetie Belle.

“Umm, actually I go by Sweetie Void now to not confuse me with the other two Sweetie Belles. Actually… We may need to come up with names for you too Queen Cosmo!”

Cosmo hummed. We may. We may not. You should know, there exist an infinite amount of universes out there. In some, I am bound to not even exist, or at least not as I am now. I can only pity all those Equus left without a guardian…

Sweetie Void thought a bit about that. True, Solis said that was what she did. For a moment she wondered just how many times Cosmo possibly saved her own Equestria from doomed timelines. How many of those happened before that fateful day she walked in on one of Twilight’s experiments with magic.

What could she have ended up being…?

Deciding that was a line of thought she would very much rather NOT dive into, she said, ”Well before we arrived at Skyros we got confirmation that in the other two Equestrias you do exist, so yes, we will need the nicknames.”

Cosmo looked at her, then nodded. ”Very well. That leaves the last thing you came here to say which is…”

“About the Subspace Army, and about the Gods of Light and Darkness,” Sweetie Void said and looked at Cosmo, who looked back.

“Queen Cosmo, the Alicorns would be a great addition to the Alliance. YOU alone would already help us greatly! They dwarf the average pony in all categories, and with control over elements and emotions to boot? We would really value it if you would fight with us.”

Cosmo looked at Sweetie Void for long, agonizing moments. She looked to the side, and Sweetie Void looked up close.

It was actually a bit fascinating to look at. Cosmo was about the most ancient being in her universe and she could see how a million thoughts and ideas just came and went per second through her eyes.

“...Prove it.”

It was small, barely audible.

But for a moment, Sweetie Void could have sworn she actually just heard Cosmo speak with her actual voice.

Prove it, then. She didn’t have time to think much about it though as Cosmo immediately went back to speak directly to everyone's mind. You say you have felled mighty deities, right? I myself am aware of the limitless potential that the primordial element of the void possesses. A power greater than even my own… So, I will give you one chance, only to you: prove yourself to me, and I shall agree to lend you the strength of the alicorns, and mine, Cosmo spoke, her ethereal mental voice speaking with a tone that left it clear she will not renegotiate a different deal.

Sweetie Void stared at Cosmo in the eyes and simply said, “I agree.”

Cosmo nodded, then immediately teleported both Sweetie Void and herself somewhere in space, far away from Equus. Cosmo then looked behind Sweetie Void, and her horn lit. The next instant, a yellow star came from behind the filly, flying above the two. Then, the star began to shrink.

Before Sweetie Void’s amazed eyes, in the next few seconds, the star went from the size of a normal yellow dwarf to a planet, then to a moon, then it continued to shrink, smaller, and smaller, and smaller.

Until it was the size of Sweetie Void.

Then, Cosmo solidified space into a club with a chain that she put into the star. Grabbing the club in her magic, she began to do circles with the star.

I’m Cosmo, queen of the alicorns, and I have never known defeat.

Sweetie Void shook her head, then chuckled as her mane and tail turned into pure void and she grabbed her whip. There’s a first time for everything.

Cosmo narrowed her eyes.

Author's Note

The scene with Opaline and the one with Cosmo are written by Justalad.