A Silent Night in the North

Chapters

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
The Mirror of Tomorrow
Breathless Dread
Epilogue: The Herald of the Dawn
The Future's Precipice

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Luna’s night would always be beautiful, no matter where anypony saw it. They could be all the way down south in the rotten city of Klugetown, in the far off Zebra lands of Farasi, or even up north in the coldest place on Equus, yet no matter where they were, the stars would always shine, and the moon would always smile at them.

But every so often, those stars and that smile would be hidden. Not by choice, for they had no control over the storms that raged below. Such was the case on this night, when a massive blizzard gathered upon the slopes of Mount Everhoof and soon enveloped all of the Frozen North. For once, the stars and moon would refuse to be the snowbound traveller’s guiding light, and deny the filly at the window her wishes. Tonight, as quietly as nature could be, the North was buried by a sea of white.

Thus, the Crystal Empire slept, knowing that they would be safe. The Heart that beat in the center of their home would protect them, and defeat the storm that raged against the city’s shield. The light might have been gone, but their spirit wasn’t, and so the Crystal Ponies closed their eyes, safe and secure in their beds.

Had somepony looked outside, they would’ve also seen a sea of black on the horizon, and a subtle streak of purple tumbling through the sky towards the icy fields below.

In the Crystal Palace, precious few lights remained to be seen, although one continued to shine through a partially open window close to the top. Through the window lay a darkened room filled with an assortment of books and all manner of magical components, and upon a chair behind a desk sat the room’s solitary occupant, who shivered from the cold draft that wafted through the window behind him.

Pulling his starry robes closer to his body, Sunburst flipped through a page in the book he was reading atop the desk, eyes transfixed on the words within. Near him, three tall white candles burned bright, wax beads dribbling down their sides. Their flickering flames were perhaps not the healthiest or most optimal light to read in, but it was enough to illuminate the words on the page without disturbing anyone else or casting a lot of light throughout the room. The book had been a birthday present from Starlight Glimmer, carefully packaged and sent to him from Princess Twilight’s personal library in her castle in Ponyville. He smiled fondly at the memory, picturing Starlight in his mind and sighing.

Hoof steps jolted him out of his thoughts and he lifted his head up, seeing Prince Shining Armor enter his study. The Prince tilted his head and smirked as he met his gaze. “Still here, Sunburst? I thought you’d be heading to bed by now, now that Flurry’s finally asleep.”

“O-oh, no, not tonight,” Sunburst replied, adjusting his glasses. “Too much to do, too much to read...”

“You’re just like my sister, always burning the midnight oil.” Shining rolled his eyes and sided up to him, closing the window with his magic. “So, what are you reading?”

“It’s a book Starlight sent me for my birthday last month, but I’m only just now getting to it,” Sunburst answered, then chuckled at Shining’s bemused reaction. “Yeah, I know. It’s really quite interesting, though!”

“How so?”

“Well, it’s a fairy tale, of sorts,” Sunburst replied, then stroked his goatee with a hoof. “Well...maybe not a fairy tale, per se. More like a historical legend.”

“Historical?”

“Yeah, kinda, although there isn’t much to go off of,” Sunburst hummed. “It’s about the exploits of the Founders of Equestria, as well as some artifacts called the ‘Eternal Flames’, sort of like the Elements of Harmony. Supposedly, after their first time appearing in history, they then vanished to various corners of the world, hidden from prying eyes until they’d be needed again.”

“Eternal Flames...have I heard of those before?” Shining murmured, tapping his right temple with a hoof. “Gah, at the tip of my tongue, I hate that.”

“Well, there’s the odd thing. The only other reference to them I could find was in the Prophecies of Faust.”

“Ah, the Prophecies,” Shining wistfully mused, thinking back to his teenage years. “That’s where I remembered them from. I took that as an elective in college. Kind of a waste of time really, but they were still interesting enough, I suppose.“ At Sunburst’s behest he lifted the book up with a levitation spell to flip through its pages. “How could you tell it was historical?”

“The book was written by one Clover the Clever,” Sunburst replied with a smirk.

Shining snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, that'd do it. I can see why Starlight sent it to you. Did you try the looking through Empire’s Archives?”

Sunburst shook his head. “No luck. Not even Sombra’s journals yielded anything.” He shivered again, this time not from the cold. “I never wanna look in those again...”

“You and me both, buddy,” Shining affirmed with a grim nod, setting the book down again. “Well, even if it is just a legend, it sounds cool. Maybe I can try reading it to Flurry one night as a bedtime story, if you don’t mind me borrowing it.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Sunburst nodded.

The window behind them suddenly shuddered as it was buffeted by a strong wind which whistled against the Palace walls. There wasn’t supposed to be any wind within the shielded city limits tonight, and with a startled jump both stallions gazed quizzically at the window for a moment before shrugging and returning to the book illuminated by purple candlelight.

...Purple?

Both stallions blinked, having seen the same thing at the same time just as the candle flames flickered back to orange. The flames licked back and forth, but seemed to be pulled somehow towards the window. The two of them stared at the candles for a few seconds before turning towards each other. “Did you just see...?” Shining started.

“Yeah, I saw it,” Sunburst finished his thought, adjusting his glasses once more and leaning towards the candle in careful examination. “These aren’t enchanted candles, they shouldn’t be doing that.”

They suddenly both shivered and instinctively looked out the window again. “And did it just get colder?” Sunburst asked, pulling his robes around him tighter and putting his forehooves on the window sill with a frown.

“It’s possible, that storm’s a nasty one,” Shining mused. “Odd though, the shield is supposed to keep the wind out.”

Silence overtook them before Shining yawned and stretched his back. “Well...I’m calling it a night. I think I'll ask Flash to check on the shield before--”

KNOCK-KNOCK.

Shining blinked and called out to the door, “It’s open, enter.”

The study door opened, and a nervous, somewhat fearful Crystal Praetorian stepped in. Unlike the Solar or Lunar Guards of Canterlot, these Ponies wore enchanted crystalline armor, made to withstand most weapons and magic. Few were ever afraid of anything wearing such armor, especially with the Heart protecting the Empire.

Which is why the fear in this one’s eyes spoke volumes to Shining Armor.

“Your Highness, you...you’re needed at the Heart.”

“What’s happened, soldier?” Shining asked, any traces of sleep departing his eyes.

“That’s just it, sir...we don’t know.”

Shining and Sunburst sent curious glances at each other before deciding to follow the guard outside the room. As Shining and the guard left, however, Sunburst’s horn lit up and a black wand that had been resting on a rack on the wall floated over to him and swiftly disappeared under his robes. He then closed and locked the door before trotting after the two stallions.

Had any of them stayed but a moment longer, they would’ve seen the candles blow themselves out and a pair of disappointed red eyes glimmer from under a hooded face in a darkened corner of the room.

Cadance shivered under all three blankets on her bed, her eyes closed tight. The cold night was only part of her discomfort, the rest came from within the mind. No matter which way she turned, she couldn’t get comfortable, visions of storms and memories of Sombra returning to haunt her. Luna may have been the guardian of dreams, but tonight she was oddly silent in her duties. The nightmares that were plaguing Cadance’s mind tonight were uncomfortable and persistent.

As if sensing her mother’s distress, her daughter, Flurry Heart, whimpered in her sleep, and instantly Cadance was awake, her eyes darting to the crib in the corner of the bedroom. Her daughter continued to whimper as Cadance rose from her bed, her nightmares quickly forgotten. She wandered over to the crib and gently nuzzled her daughter on the cheek. Flurry’s whimpers fell silent as she cooed in her sleep and rolled over, wrapping her larger-than-average wings over herself like a thick blanket.

Cadance smiled, happy to see her daughter sleeping peacefully again. Truly, there was nothing like the love between a mother and a daughter to bring peace to a troubled heart. With a less urgent, lighter step, she made her way back to her bed and once more slipped under the covers, closing her eyes and sighing softly.

Had she kept them open for one second more, she would’ve seen a dark, purple mist emerge from the shadows above the window leading out onto the balcony, gliding over Flurry briefly before pausing over Cadance. Without a sound, it moved closer to completely encase her head, before vanishing once more.

Within the Crystal Palace was a secret known only to the royal family and to a select few Praetorian Guards. It wasn’t a tome of knowledge, nor was it an artifact of great power, nor even was it a verbal secret or a hidden message. It wasn’t even a secret room.

No, it was a resident. Few Ponies saw him, and when they did, they spoke of him in hushed whispers, and he would scurry away like a spider and hide in some corner where they wouldn’t see him again.

Thorax knew many hiding places within the Empire and the Palace, even some that the guards never knew about. He was, after all, a Changeling, and Changelings thrived in being undetectable. He was also the only Changeling in the Crystal Empire, as far as he knew. At least, he was the only one that was welcome to stay.

Still, despite not exactly having that many friends in the Empire yet, he knew it was only a matter of time. The royals had accepted him, as did the few Praetorians that knew of him. The maids tolerated him but never spoke to him, only in gossip when his back was turned, thinking that he wouldn’t hear. He always did, but it didn’t bother him. He knew what he was, but he wasn’t like the others. He wasn’t an emotional vampire, nor was he a killer. He was a friend, someone you could rely on and trust to keep a secret or to find one.

For the moment though, he was alone as he roamed the halls of the Palace. Nighttime was when he did his usual “patrol”, looking around and exploring. Despite having been at the Palace for almost half a year now, he was still finding new places to explore, new rooms to check, new artworks to see, and new hiding places for his little game of “go-seek” with the Praetorians. He loved seeing their annoyed looks when he would disguise himself as a spider and wave at them from the wall.

Besides, he knew they secretly enjoyed his game too. It kept them alert.

Still, all that aside, he loved silent nights like these, where he could relax in his natural form and simply roam the halls, taking it all in and breathing the fresh, chill air of the Empire. No voices in his head, no orders to follow, no need to steal love...it was great!

Wasn’t it?

Thorax sighed and lowered his head as he prowled the Palace hallways. Banishment, he had concluded long ago, was a difficult thing to overcome. Granted, he now had all the love he needed to survive and thrive, but sometimes he missed the Hivemind he had long since been disconnected from. He missed the voices of his fellow Changelings, the soothing hum and buzz of their wings, and even the gruffness of his brother.

Not the screams, though. Or the killing. He didn’t miss those.

He trembled slightly as he recalled the memories of the Canterlot attack. He was there, all those years ago. It had been his first and only battle, and he could still remember what it was like. Changelings and Ponies fighting, brawling and cutting each other up in the streets. So much screaming...he had never heard such noises before. For all his life, all he knew was the relative peace and order of the Hive and his fellow drones. He had seen them train and duel before, of course, but he never knew how vicious they could be until the day came when they had to fight for real. The transformation was unlike anything he had ever seen, and there were no green flames to accompany it.

Were all Changelings like that? Was he? Even when he found friendship in Spike and the others, could he suddenly transform at the stamp of a hoof and become...that?

No, he thought desperately. Princess Twilight and her friends changed your life that day. Had it not been for them, you wouldn’t be here. You’re not like the rest of them. You’re not a killer...not a monster...

He glanced down at the holes in his hooves and body, and whatever defence he had for himself failed. Spike could sing all the songs he wanted, Twilight could stand up for him until the end of time, and Cadance and Shining could say whatever speeches came to mind. None of it mattered in the end when his own body betrayed him. Ponies wouldn’t see Thorax the friend, they’d only see Thorax the invader, the soldier who marched under Chrysalis’s banner and helped take down the shield around Canterlot, leading to hundreds of Pony casualties and kidnappings that were never solved. They’d only see a Changeling.

A monster.

And he was alone.

He stopped and stumbled over to the wall on his right for balance, tears welling up in his eyes as he curled up. He had brought this upon himself, and now he was paying the price. He had his freedom, but he had lost his future, and he had no pride left in his heart.

His only comfort was no longer hearing Chrysalis’s voice in his head. For once in his life, he no longer had the Queen’s demeaning comments weighing him down and breaking his mind. Her voice was gone forever, replaced by silence. Blessed, blessed silence.

Sighing to himself, Thorax wiped away his fledgling tears and stood up, moving once more down the hallway, although this time it felt aimless. His good mood was gone, and he doubted it would return. Nevertheless, he needed to stay strong, if not for himself then for his friends. After all, a Changeling with no love in him was a dead Changeling, and he very much doubted that Twilight and the others would like seeing one of their newest friends pass on to the next world so soon.

Despite himself, he allowed a small, sad smile to form on his face as he remembered the day that Spike stood up for him. He had never felt such love before, and even to this day he still felt it. Twilight had been the first Pony in the Crystal Empire to offer him a hoof in genuine friendship, and even such a simple gesture had been enough for him to feel as if all his sins had been forgiven. He would never forget her kindness...

Perhaps a Changeling could change, after all.

Are you sure?

His ears flicked back as the voice in his head jolted him out of his troubled musings. Looking around, he saw nopony near him at all. The empty hallway was filled only with the last, faint glimmers of starlight through the window above him left uncovered by the storm clouds in the sky, giving it an eerie sheen. As he looked up to watch the stars flicker and hide behind the clouds once more, he squinted, having seen something peculiar staring back at him in the corner of his vision.

That’s strange. Were those...two yellow eyes?

He looked, and looked some more, yet nothing was there to see.

He shuddered involuntarily, then turned away from the window and trotted away, eager to escape the glare cast by the window. He didn’t know what it was that he saw, but it gave him the creeps.

He also didn’t remember his inner voice sounding so...deep. Dark and scary too. Had he really been apart from the Hivemind so long? Or maybe it was just his disturbing thoughts making him feel weird. Regardless, he began whistling a tune that Spike taught him to cheer himself up, and went on his way.

A pair of yellow eyes reopened on the window’s surface and followed him.

As soon as Sunburst and Shining exited the Palace and made their way down the stairs towards the courtyard, they were met by a massive blast of cold air, which puzzled them. It was supposed to be cold, it wasn’t called the Frozen North for nothing after all, but the shield that surrounded the Crystal Empire was supposed to hold most of it at bay, allowing the weather teams outsourced from Cloudsdale to do their job and create more temperate weather for the city. Cold fronts weren’t ever scheduled.

Shining furrowed his brow in dissatisfaction with the wind before he and Sunburst continued following their Praetorian escort to the center of the courtyard, where the Crystal heart lay shining and bright.

Or at least, where it was usually shining and bright. Tonight, for some reason, it seemed duller and more sluggish. Even sickly, if such a thing were possible. As they got closer, they could could both hear and feel the Heart’s beat reverberating throughout the courtyard, thumping in their ears and causing their fur to stand slightly on end. It was slower than normal --- much too slow.

A small crowd of Praetorians, Unicorn scholars, and Solar Guards on loan from Canterlot had already formed around the Heart, their faces a mixture of concern and concentration as several Unicorns from each group attempted to discern what had caused the Heart to go haywire. One of the Solar Guards, a Pegasus, noticed Shining and Sunburst’s approach and turned to face them, giving the Prince a stiff salute. “Sir, thank you for coming so quickly. A dozen apologies for the late-night troubles, but I thought you might want to see this immediately,” he said.

“Captain Sentry,” Shining greeted with a nod. He stole a quick glance at the Heart once more. “What’s the situation?”

Captain Flash Sentry pursed his lips and then gave his report: “We’re...not entirely sure, Your Highness. We were guarding the Heart as instructed, and all was well until about twenty minutes ago. It just suddenly lost some of its color and luster, and its beat slowed considerably. I had the area cordoned off to prevent a panic from any Crystal Ponies that may be out and about, and then sent for you, Sunburst, and any other court mages we could find. So far, the Crystal Ponies don’t seem to be affected, but the Heart’s condition has diminished the shield integrity.”

“By how much?” Shining asked.

“About forty percent,” Flash replied with a grimace.

“Forty? Brr...no wonder why it’s so cold out,” Sunburst muttered through chattering teeth.

Shining glanced at the orange Unicorn questioningly. “Think you can figure it out?”

Sunburst shrugged and summoned a notebook with his magic. It popped into existence in the air next to him and flipped open to a new page somewhere in the middle. “I can try. I’ll gather what information the others have, and hopefully I’ll have some answers for you soon.”

Shining nodded, letting Sunburst go to work on the Heart. Flash made a nervous face and, dropping all formalities, asked quietly, “Should we wake the Princess, Shining? Sunburst is a smart Pony, but he’s not the best mage.”

Shining shook his head. “No, let her sleep, she needs it. If the problem persists until the morning, then we’ll let her know that we might need her magic. Until then, Sunburst and I can take it from here. He may not be the best with using his own magic, but he’s studied the Heart extensively and knows more about how it functions than anypony else I know. He’s got this.”

Flash glanced at the orange Unicorn, who was scribbling some notes into his book while holding up a peculiar pink lens to the Heart. “Understood.”

Sunburst’s eyes then narrowed, and he looked closer at the Heart through the pink lens, humming to himself. His mouth moved in unheard words, as if doing some mental calculations, and he lowered the lens, replacing it instead with a tiny red crystal he pulled out from under his robe. He held up the crystal with his magic, and when the crystal suddenly shattered in the air, Sunburst craned his neck over to Shining and called out, “I think I’ve got something.”

Shining sent Flash a cheeky grin before trotting over to Sunburst. “What’s up?”

Sunburst stood up and looked over his notes one last time before snapping the book shut and clearing his throat. “Some of the other Unicorns had noticed that the Heart’s thaumatic potential had decreased, and is still continuing to do so at an exponential rate. This can only occur if something, or somepony, was either draining the power from direct touch, or siphoning it off with a spell and sending it somewhere else remotely.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ somewhere,” Shining noted.

Sunburst nodded, although it was clear he didn’t want to. “I used Ariscolt’s Obscure Lens technique to confirm the findings. I was able to see where exactly the leak is occurring, but not where it was going.”

Flash raised an eyebrow. “Leak?”

“You know, like a faucet?” Sunburst replied, launching into his ‘lecture mode’. “The valve’s been opened, but instead of the main flow of power going to the shield, it’s being siphoned away by something else, like a leak or another pipeline. Only problem is, that power leakage doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere that we can see, almost as if it’s just dissipating in the air, which is impossible, because the other Unicorns and I would be automatically detecting a change in the ambient magic around us just by standing here, which we don’t.”

“So plug the leak,” Shining said with a shrug. “It’s a simple magical graft to fix the Heart’s thaumatic field. Seems easy enough to me.”

“And normally we’d do just that,” Sunburst agreed. “But the other Unicorns have already tried that, and the Heart...rejected them. It won’t respond to their commands, almost as if--” He froze mid-word, and then turned and looked up at the Heart, a thought having occurred to him. “Almost as if it’s being controlled from a remote location...”

Shining frowned, and he let out a soft nicker of confusion. “Controlled? Who would have the power to do that?”

“I...am not sure,” Sunburst admitted, deflating somewhat. “But it’s the only explanation I can think of! Think about it: remote spellcasting, but instead of using a conduit to the Heart, they’re using some kind of automatic teleportation spell to siphon the power and transport it directly to them. That’s why we can’t see the direction of the leakage, or why we can’t sense any change to the ambient magic. It’s brilliant!”

Flash whistled. “You were right Shining, he had it. How far would such a spell go?”

“Unicorn-level, probably a few kilometers, five at most. There may even be some scrolls or wands that could cast the spell at roughly the same level, allowing anypony of any tribe with a modest amount of magical knowledge to do it. But an Alicorn...” Sunburst shook his head. “I don’t know. Too many variables there.”

Shining nodded. Unless his wife or daughter were secretly sucking love from the Heart in their sleep, it was doubtful that it was them. They were most likely dealing with a greedy Crystal Pony, or maybe a few of them. “Flash, get a squad together and meet me here,” he ordered. “We’re going hunting.”

Flash saluted with a wing and flapped into the air, but before he reached the Palace doors, he stopped as a sudden thought occurred to him. Flying back to Sunburst, he asked, “Could Changelings do something like this?”

Sunburst and Shining both paused and looked at each other, with Shining tilting his head as if to ask the same question. Sunburst adjusted his glasses and shrugged, acknowledging the possibility. The Prince looked back to Flash and said, “Better get Thorax too.”

“And hurry,” Sunburst warned, looking up at the Heart. “At the rate the Heart’s power is draining, I’m predicting a total shield failure by mid-morning.”

“I’m not called ‘Flash’ for nothing,” Flash boasted as he disappeared into the Palace.

The Prince and the Royal Crystaller remained quiet, observing the Heart as it spun slowly above its spike. The Heart’s beat had gotten fainter, and the color continued to drain at an alarming rate. Shield failure would be the least of their worries if it stopped beating.

Far away from the Palace, just outside the Crystal Empire’s shield, a lone plantation house lay at the foot of a small hill, surrounded by corn fields. Its windows were faintly lit by candles and rustic lamps, and the harsh winds whistled as they blew past the house and various tool sheds around it.

Normally, such a house and farm out in the middle of the Frozen North outside the shield was already strange enough, but with a storm as strong as this, it was nearly impossible for any normal Earth Ponies to grow anything out here. But the Crop family was no ordinary family of Earth Ponies. Their little clan had lived on this land for centuries, before the Crystal Empire had returned. They had turned the lands of the Frozen North into a “proper, civilized frontier” (as they called it), enriching the ground and strengthening any plants that grew in such harsh conditions. As a result, the corn fields prospered, as did the Crop family name.

Of course, when the Empire returned from its thousand-year absence, the Crop family had to make some concessions, by decree of Princess Celestia and Cadance. The Crop patriarch, Crop Duster, was already wary and distrusting of most other Pony tribes, and having a long-forgotten new one appear right on his doorstep wasn’t something he relished. Nevertheless, he relented, and the Crystal Empire allowed him and his family to stay, providing that he kept his prejudices outside of his business dealings with them, which he was willing to do in exchange for protection.

Tonight though, the Crop family needed no protection. Storms were nothing new, and they knew how to deal with them. Once the family of four had used their Earth Pony magic to ensure their fields were protected, they had retreated into their home for the night to enjoy a hearty supper. After eating, the four of them were ready to call it a night when a sudden flash of lightning had drawn their attention to the window.

Normally, lightning wouldn’t be any worry for them, but there was something off about it tonight. The flash they saw wasn’t white, it was purple. It could only mean one thing: something magical was afoot. Maybe even Crystal Empire-related.

Crop Duster sneered at the window and mumbled something dark under his breath before exiting the dining room, returning a moment later from the living room with a crossbow slung over his right shoulder, a small quiver of bolts slung over his left, and a hunting knife in his right hoof. “Gem!” he called out to his wife. “Take Maggie and put her to bed. Snapshot, take this.” He handed the knife over to his son. “Stay here and wait for my signal.”

“What’s goin’ on, pa?” Snapshot asked, taking the knife and giving his father a concerned look. “I ain’t seen any lightning like that before. Gave me the willies.”

“Probably some no-good Unicorns or damned Pegasi kids makin’ off with my corn again,” Crop Duster grumbled, loading a bolt into the crossbow and hoisting the butt of it up against his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll scare ‘em off real nice-like. You just keep your ma and sis safe, ya hear?”

“Will do, pa,” Snapshot said with a nod.

“Crop, be careful,” Gem warned as she carried a little filly on her back. “It’s a blizzard out there. Don’t get lost in the fields.”

“Gem, the day I get lost in my own fields is the day King Sombra comes back from the dead. Again,” Crop Duster boasted with a grin. He blew her a kiss. “I’ll be back in a jiff, don’t ya worry.”

His wife’s smile was the last thing Crop Duster saw before he opened the front door and rushed outside, closing it again after him with a heavy grunt. He wrapped his coat around him and shivered slightly. It was gonna be a rough night tonight, even with all the protection magic he and his family used on the estate.

Steeling himself against the wind, he trudged through the snow towards the path leading through the corn fields, his large hooves making sharp crunching noises against the thin sheets of ice that were starting to form on top. He could barely see twenty feet in front of him, although he was able to make out a subtle purple glow in the distance towards the nearby hill. With another grunt of irritation, he began to slowly make his way towards it.

Upon cresting the hill and staring down over the rest of his precious corn fields, he finally found the source of the purple glow emanating from them. A large hole had appeared in their midst, destroying several stalks and causing the ice and snow around it to melt. Even this far from it he could feel the heat. The glow was coming from something within the hole, although what it was he couldn’t quite tell.

More interesting, however, was the fact that several purple and black crystals had seemingly emerged from the ground around the hole. This wasn’t the work of Unicorns or Pegasi.

“Damn crystal wyrms...” he grumbled, rolling his eyes skyward. He lifted up his crossbow and stormed down the hill towards the hole, ready for a fight. “Alright you varmint, come on outta there or I’ll fill ya so full of bolts you’ll be whistling ‘Faust Save the Princess’ with every step you take!”

Nothing answered him, not even a hissing snarl like he had expected. Still the glow persisted, and almost seemed to brighten slightly as he approached.

Crop Duster sighed and peered over the edge, preparing to fire his crossbow. “Alright, I warned--” The words died on his lips and his eyes widened slightly. What he saw in the hole was no crystal wyrm.

It was just a crystal; a strange, swirling, spiralling crystal that was black on one half and violet on the other. If he listened closely, a faint heartbeat could be heard from it, and as he got closer, the heat that he had initially felt suddenly went away as his fur got colder. But this was no mere chill from the wind...this cold felt unnatural and foreboding. Even evil.

Crop Duster had been fortunate to stay well out of King Sombra’s path when he had returned alongside the Crystal Empire, the mad Unicorn king having no need for corn fields or farmers. Still, even well out of Sombra’s path of terror, Crop Duster could feel the evil and darkness emanating from him and the crystals he had left behind. But this...was worse. This crystal made his skin crawl, as if a hundred centipedes suddenly attached themselves to his spin and dug under his skin. With Sombra he had felt disgust, but with this he could only feel fear; not just his own, but fear from a thousand others, a million, tens of millions, clawing from within and telling him to run...

There was no way in Tartarus he was going to deal with this himself. He needed to call the guards. He needed to--

Take...me...

Crop Duster blinked, shaking his head and stepping back. His eyes widened even more and his ears flattened in dismay. Where had that come from? Who--

Still weak...take me...home...

He took another step back, and the crossbow fell to his hooves. And yet, oddly enough, he also felt a strange pull. Towards the crystal. He clamped his hooves down on the ground, feeling the Earth magic beneath him as he struggled to stay put. But the magic felt wrong. It felt...tainted. Alien.

Don’t resist. Take me home...

“It’s in my head...” Crop Duster gasped as he felt the magic in his hooves give way and pull him closer to the crystal. “Faust above and Malice below, it’s in my head! Gem! Snapshot! Anypony! Help me! HELP--”

Take. Me. HOME!

A shadowy purple mist suddenly swept up over the crystal and enveloped Crop Duster’s head before his cries for help could continue. Silence fell upon the field, and soon as it had happened, it was over.

Crop Duster could see himself dumping the bolts out of his quiver and placing the crystal inside, before slinging it over his shoulder once more. He didn’t say a word as he climbed back out of the hole, and he remained silent as he walked back to the house, but with each shuddering, shambling step, his mind was screaming at his body to stop. Even as he had touched the crystal he could feel his life draining from him. His Cutie Mark faded, as did the magic in his hooves. Even the color of his fur seemed to grey. But his body wouldn’t listen, and it continued to move closer to the house.

By the time he had reached the first tool shed, he knew he was dying.

By the time his body had reached the house and began opening the door, a single tear was running down his face as he thought of his family. He would never see them again, not with his own eyes.

By the time the door was opened, Crop Duster was no more, yet his body entered the house and latched the door behind him. He blew out the candle in the foyer, then went to the dining room and place the crystal on the table in front of his wife and son.

Before any words could be exchanged, the remaining lights blew out, and the crystal began to grow...

It didn’t take long for twenty Praetorians to assemble in the courtyard at their Prince’s command and form two ranks in front of Flash Sentry. Shining Armor and Sunburst stood off to the side while Flash Sentry prepared his squad. Most of the guards were Crystal Ponies, but there were a few Unicorns and Pegasi in Praetorian armor as well, as requested by Sunburst.

And hidden in the shadows, one timid Changeling stood shivering in the cold, a thick parka bundled around him. Some of the guards cast wary glances over at him, but otherwise didn’t say anything. Thorax didn’t mind the attention that much. If anything he seemed more distracted than normal, although Shining couldn’t say as to why. He decided to ask him about it later.

Flash turned to Shining and nodded, stepping aside to let the Prince take the lead. Straightening up and clearing his throat, Shining stepped forward and said, “Platoon! Atten-tion!”

Once both ranks had snapped to attention, Shining continued, “I don’t know what you’ve heard or seen, but I’ll make this quick so we can all get on the same page. As you can see behind me, the Crystal Heart is being drained of the love within it. I’m sure we all know what that means: if it goes down, we all go down. I’m equally sure that none of us want that, so here’s the plan: we’re going to track down the root of the problem, and stop it before it gets any worse. Sunburst here has assured me that if he can get closer to wherever the source of the energy theft is, he can pinpoint its location. All we’re mostly certain of is that it’s close by, either within the confines of the Empire or just slightly outside of it.”

Some of the guards in the back rank glanced at each other in concern.

“We’ll be working in teams of four, one Unicorn in each team, designated Charlie-One through Charlie-Five according to the numbers stamped onto your helmets,” Flash Sentry spoke up. “Prince Shining Armor, Sunburst, Thorax, and myself will be Charlie-Actual. We’ll be spreading out throughout the city, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Each Unicorn in each team will be doing periodic magic detection spells. Your job will be to sift through the ambient magic and the Crystal Ponies to find any active spell signatures and investigate them, the stronger the better. We’ll be communicating through the Comm-Gems on your fetlocks, all of which have already been tuned into the correct channel. Any questions?”

One Praetorian raised a hoof, and Flash pointed to him. “Yes?”

“Why’s he here?” the Praetorian growled, nodding towards Thorax. Thorax flinched and stepped back.

Shining sighed, not wanting to get into that particular discussion but clearly having no other choice. “There’s a possibility, however remote, that Changeling spies have infiltrated the Empire and are trying to bring down the shield so that they could invade. It would certainly be within Queen Chrysalis’s MO to do this, given how the Crystal Empire has a huge concentration of love energy within it. Thorax has offered his services to help us track them, should they be around. Treat him as you would me or Captain Sentry: with respect.” Thorax nodded meekly but didn’t say a word.

The Praetorian bristled but accepted the answer, returning to attention.

Shining nodded and glanced over the rest. “Anypony else?” When he didn’t receive an answer, he stamped his right hoof twice in quick succession. “Very well then. Organize yourselves into teams of four, and begin your patrols. Platoon! Dis-missed!”

The Praetorians dispersed and set off in their respective teams, and before long only Shining, Thorax, Sunburst, and Flash remained in the courtyard with the Unicorn scholars monitoring the Heart. Flash coughed into a hoof and nodded towards the city. “Shall we?”

“Yeah, we should get going. The sooner we find the source of the spell, the sooner we can stop this catastrophe,” Sunburst agreed, already on the move.

Flash and Shining turned to follow him, but Shining stopped when he saw Thorax remaining where he was. “Thorax? You okay there, buddy?”

Thorax didn’t answer for a moment, and continued to shiver. His breathing was rapid, and he looked scared. Shining couldn’t really blame him; Changelings didn’t do so well in colder conditions, and the possibility of more Changelings being out there would scare Thorax more than anypony gathered here. Eventually, Thorax blinked a few times and shook his head, as if snapping out of a daydream. He gazed back at Shining and stammered, “O-oh, sorry...y-yeah, I’m good. Let’s go.” With that, he scampered on after Flash and Sunburst, his wings buzzing.

Shining pursed his lips, not entirely believing him, but not exactly willing to press the issue just yet. They only had one Changeling on their side, after all, and the Heart didn’t have much time left. Without a word, he turned away from the Heart and trotted after the group, leaving the Unicorn scholars behind to keep watch over things.

From the shadows a purple mist materialized, with two beady yellow eyes watching them as they left before vanishing into the night.

The Mirror of Tomorrow

The light of morning shone down upon Cadance’s face, bathing her in a golden glow. It was an absolutely horrid thing for it to do. She lifted up a hoof and held it above her eyes, a scowl forming on her face as she sat up. Would it kill Aunt Celestia to tone down the sun for once? Cadance already lived in the brightest and shiniest place on Equus, having the sun be this bright and intense on a city like this was pure torture. Every surface was practically a mirror, and it felt like all of them were aimed at her tower bedroom.

Cadance knew she could probably throw the blanket over her head and squeeze another half hour or so out of her sleep, but the sun was relentless in its rudeness, and she knew that Shining would need help with Flurry this morning, so with a grumble and a pout, she sat up fully in her bed and stretched her wings and hooves into the air. With a grunt, she arched her back and felt something pop back into place before relaxing back against the headboard with a sigh of contentment. Despite the less-than-stellar dreams, her sleep had been adequate.

Looking around, she first thing she noticed that Shining wasn’t in bed with her, which wasn’t anything new; he often got up a few hours earlier than her to get a head start on the day’s activities while giving her time to spend with Flurry at breakfast. The second thing she noticed was that Flurry’s crib was empty, the little blankets made and fluffed up nicely, just the way her daughter liked them. This, however, was a little odd, given that Flurry usually woke up with her mother. Still, it was nothing to worry over --- Shining probably decided to care for Flurry this morning instead. She’d have to thank him for that later.

Kneeling down in front of the tower’s window, she whispered a silent blessing for the Ponies of the Crystal Empire, followed by a thank you to Celestia for the good morning (along with a muted request to make it less bright), before rising to her hooves to begin her morning routine. Trotting over to the wardrobe, she fished out her peytral and crown, and while donning them, she summoned a mane brush to pull out any knots that had formed in the night, while also smoothing out each hair to a level of precision that would’ve made Twilight’s friend Rarity blush from jealousy.

After a quick check in the mirror to ensure she looked presentable, Cadance nodded to herself and flashed a smile before trotting out of the room and into the hallway beyond. She watched with a bemused smirk as two Crystal Praetorians stood to attention on either side of the door.

“Good morning, Princess,” the one to her left declared. “Sergeant Rope Knot reporting. Do you require an escort at this time?”

Cadance shook her head. “At ease, sergeant, I know my way around well enough. Do you know where my husband is?”

“The Prince is in the dining hall with Mage Sunburst, Your Highness.”

“Ah, good, so Flurry’s likely getting fed already. Thank you sergeant, carry on.”

The sergeant blinked, seemingly distracted by something. A look of concern flashed over him for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by a cooler countenance. “Er, you’re welcome, Your Highness. Enjoy your meal.”

Cadance nodded in thanks and began walking down the hallway, not even noticing as the two guards behind her stared at one another in confusion.

The Palace seemed quieter this morning, but Cadance supposed that the maids and servants were elsewhere at the moment, possibly preparing for some of today’s events. That didn’t explain the lack of guards in the hallways, however. In fact, the two Praetorians at her door were the only ones she had seen since she had started her walk. Normally there would be at least one patrol on each level of the Palace, but as she continued to make her way two levels down towards the dining hall, she had not seen anypony around.

She’d have a chat with Captain Sentry later, she decided. Even though the Crystal Empire was largely secure against any threats from the Frozen Empire, that was still no reason to be lax in security.

Ignore it. Focus.

She shoved those thoughts out of her mind, however, as she finally arrived at the dining hall, where she did indeed find Shining and Sunburst sitting at the ornate royal table, enjoying a humble breakfast of eggs and toast. Flurry was nowhere to be seen.

Shining’s yellow eyes lit up when he saw his wife step into the room. “Cady! Good morning honey! How was your sleep?”

“Marvelous,” Cadance replied, giving him a brief, gentle kiss on the lips before sitting down next to him. Then she raised an eyebrow. “Shining, are you wearing contacts?”

Shining blinked. “Not that I’m aware. Why?”

Cadance looked closer, and Shining’s cerulean eyes stared back at her with a curious tilt of his head. “Oh, nothing, must’ve been a trick of the light, forget it.” Shining seemed to accept that and returned to his breakfast, and Cadance turned to the other Unicorn at the table with a smile. “Good morning, Sunburst!”

Sunburst returned her smile and raised a mug of coffee with his magic in a small toast to her. “And to you, Your Highness. You’re in good spirits this morning, that’s good to see.”

Cadance let out a titter. “Oh, come now Sunburst, you’ve been with us for how long? We’re all friends here, call me Cadance.”

Sunburst shrugged and sipped at his mug.

A maid soon joined them at the table, bringing a plate of eggs, toast, hay bacon, and orange juice with her and setting it in front of the Princess. Cadance thanked her with a smile and began to dig into the eggs with a fork. “So,” she said after she swallowed her first bite. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Well, barring any of the usual, uh, complications, you have to make a speech for the Crystal Ponies at 9 AM, followed by overseeing a changing of the guard at 9:30, and from there you’ll be--” Shining started.

“Wait, I thought you oversaw those?” Cadance asked.

Shining let out a dry chuckle. “Oh, how I wish I could these days, but no, I’m still standing commanding the defenders on the walls,” he replied. “Now then, after that Day Court will begin at 10, which will--”

“I’m sorry honey, but maybe I’m not fully awake yet, but something isn’t adding up here,” Cadance interrupted again, raising a hoof. “What wall? What defenders? We have the shield, isn’t that enough?”

Sunburst stopped mid-sip from his mug and looked up, meeting Shining’s gaze with a raised eyebrow. Shining looked back at Cadance and after a moment replied with, “Nooo? We haven’t had a shield in a long time, Cadance, not since the Heart was destroyed. The wall is the best we can do, unless you can find an artificer that can somehow restore the magic from a drained artifact.”

Silence fell upon the room. Thinking that her question was sufficiently answered, Shining cleared his throat to continue, but stopped when he saw his wife looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

“What...are you talking about?” Cadance asked slowly, looking between him and Sunburst. When she didn’t receive an answer, she let out a laugh. “Ooooh, I see what this is. Is this a prank you boys planned up? I’ll admit, it was good, you got me.”

Both stallions were now frozen in place, staring at her incredulously, but Cadance had already started looking around the rest of the room at the guards near the doors. “Were all you in on this too?” she asked with a smirk, but then she froze too as she noticed something odd about the guards she hadn’t seen when she came into the room.

Where normally there would be ten guards, there were only seven, and only two of them were Praetorians. Three of the remaining five were from Canterlot’s Solar Guard, one was a Thestral from the Lunar Guard, and the last one...was that a blue, quadrupedal Dragon in Dusk Watch armor?

“...Honey? What happened to the guards? Since when were was Twilight accepting Dragons into her guard detail? I commend her on the initiative, but I wasn’t aware of any deal with Dragonlord Ember to allow such a thing.”

“They...th-they’re not from Ember, Cady...” Shining stammered. “They’re r-refugees from Warfang. Don’t you remember? The other world?”

“Remember what?” Cadance exclaimed, throwing her wings out behind her. “What’s Warfang? What other world?”

Sunburst’s jaw slowly began to drop, and he glanced to Shining for direction, only to see Shining doing the same to him.

Cadance, meanwhile, was now examining the entire dining room with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow. Some of the guards wilted under her gaze, while others shifted uncomfortably as they sent glances towards their Prince, silently begging to be relieved. Cadance’s scan eventually concluded, and she slowly turned to gaze back at her husband. Yellow eyes gazed back at her before flickering back to cerulean, but she listened to her inner voice and ignored it. “Shining...something’s not right here. First I notice that there aren’t any guards wandering the hall, then you start speaking about a wall that doesn’t exist, as well as the defenders on it as if we’re facing an enemy, and now Dragons and another world. This is a prank, isn’t it?”

“You...you truly don’t remember a thing, do you?” Shining asked quietly.

Cadance studied his troubled expression and frowned. “Should I?”

“Yes!” Shining whisper-shouted, putting his hooves over his face. “How did this even happen?! How could you forget all that’s happened?”

Her frown deepened into a scowl. “What? WHAT has happened?”

Sunburst sighed and adjusted his glasses, looking between Cadance’s untouched orange juice and his coffee. “I think you’re gonna need this more than me, Your Highness...” he muttered, telekinetically hovering the mug over to her. Cadance rolled her eyes skyward.

“Well, let’s start with what you do know,” Shining said. “Do you remember the Rupture?”

“The what?”

Sunburst’s ears flattened and he made a face. “The event that destroyed the world as we know it? The Red Crusade? Aether? Any of this ringing any bells?”

“D-d-destroyed the world? What--” Cadance gasped.

“Not even the fall of Equestria?” Sunburst pressed. “Please, Princess, you have to remember something! You’re Ponykind’s last hope! If you don’t remember...the few hundred of us that are left are lost forever...”

Cadance had fallen silent, staring at Sunburst in horror. Shining took this moment to speak again, only his voice was plain and sounded defeated. “The Griffons fell first, followed by the Kirins and the Abyssinians. The Dragon Lands and Warfang tried to hold back the tide, but Chrysalis’s forces were too strong. Equestria fell soon afterwards, and most of the magic in the world fell with it. The survivors from Warfang decided to join up with us at the Crystal Empire. They figured that two dying races fighting side by side was better than both of them dying alone...”

Cadance’s unblinking eyes gazed into Shining’s, as if searching for any lie within them. There was none to be found.

This was no prank. This was serious, or Shining at least believed it to be so.

Sunburst reached over and put a hoof on her shoulder, and she jerked back as if she had been touched by a monster. Her eyes darted over to him, causing him to stumble backwards. “Y-Your Highness, please, maybe you should, um, lie down and rest?” he suggested nervously.

“I don’t need rest,” she replied calmly. Too calmly. “I need answers. But more than that, I need to see my daughter. I thought she was with one of you when I woke up this morning, but that’s clearly not the case. Is Flurry with Thorax today?”

All around her, the guards winced as if from an unseen blow, and the Dragon looked over at Shining with a worried look.

Sunburst’s eyes widened and he gasped. “Your High--Cadance, listen to me, there’s no need to--”

“No. No more listening,” Cadance interjected. “Where is she, Sunburst, Shining? Where is Flurry Heart?”

Shining trembled and didn’t dare meet her gaze. Without another word, he rose from his chair, hung his head, and left the room, weeping bitterly. The Dragon guard glanced between his fellows and the scene in front of him before gliding after the Prince. He landed next to him and reached out with a claw towards his shoulder, but the Prince shoved him away, roaring at him to leave him alone. Shining then disappeared around and corner, Cadance staring after him with shock written over her face.

Fear washed over her like a tsunami, a thousand times stronger than any other fear she had ever felt before. She lifted up a hoof and gazed it, watching it tremble like as if she was freezing. What was happening to her? What had happened to her beloved husband? What had happened to the world while she slept?

Behind her, Sunburst let out another sigh, this one longer and sounding more defeated than before. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose with his magic, feeling more tired than he had felt in days. Then he stood up and trotted over to her side, saying, “If you want to see your daughter, I can show you. She’s with Thorax, and far away from the world’s troubles. Come.”

Wordlessly, she followed him. Together they walked through the Palace hallways, never speaking and never meeting each other’s gazes. Those they passed looked upon her with yellow eyes full of curiosity and...indifference, as if she were barely a fly on the wall to them to study. But she ignored them all. They weren’t important to her. When they had reached the doors leading out into the courtyard, Sunburst hesitated just for a moment before opening them. Cadance shielded her eyes from the blinding radiance of the sun, and then, steeling herself, took her first few steps outside.

Into a broken world.

Her jaw dropped, and the fear that had overtaken her before came back with a vengeance. Her face had turned ashen, and any words or breaths she had never made it past her throat, which felt like it was being clamped down upon from all directions. Her wings slumped to her sides until they touched the ground, and her body instinctively crouched low in sheer abject horror.

The world she was looking at was not the one she knew. Massive islands of stone and fire floated past her vision on the horizon, dripping pockets of lava into the vast sea of red below. The Crystal Empire itself was perched precariously on one such isle, the snow around it melted and evaporated long ago. Far above her in the sky she could see even larger, more irregular landmasses, aimlessly drifting through the blackened void of space. The horizon was tinged red and orange from the lake of fire below them, and several swirling pillars of shadow and purple energy could be seen rising from the lava like beacons. Sometimes they would intersect with one of the floating islands, and the islands would disappear into them and never return. Other times, eldritch abominations, the stuff of nightmares that even Luna would have trouble fighting, would crawl out of the pillars like dead things rising from unseen graves, gliding through the air on wings of bone and putrescence towards the various islands with intentions of conquest.

And among the ruins of the world once so bright, a dark and terrible castle loomed in the distance, seemingly untouched and unafraid of the evil that now surrounded it. The only thing standing between it and her was a thin wall of stone some distance away from the Empire, upon which stood hundreds of creatures of all shapes and sizes --- Ponies, Dragons, Griffons, Abyssinians, Deer, Yaks, Kirins, and many more she didn’t recognize. Too many for her to keep track of. At the end of all things, the world had united against a common threat.

It was all so silent, so cold, so...normal. The new normal.

She dared not speak, but she had to scream. She wanted to so desperately, but no sound emerged. She could only stare into the Rupture and let it stare back.

Sunburst put a hoof on her shoulder, but it felt cold on against her fur, and a chill went down her back. Her legs wobbled and she collapsed onto the courtyard, still unable to speak. Sunburst waved away the concerned guards that came to her aid, knowing that she would be alright.

Eventually, air was once more able to fill her lungs, and she gasped, choking and coughing. Sunburst patted her on the back as she dry heaved onto the courtyard, before helping her onto her hooves once more. Once she was able to speak, she turned to Sunburst and whispered, “This can’t be real...”

“It’s as real as I am to you,” Sunburst replied solemnly. “Come on, our destination isn’t too far away.”

“No, no more...” Cadance said, shying away and hiding behind her wings.

“You must.”

“I can’t!”

“Do it for her, Cadance. Do it for Flurry.”

Cadance peeked out from behind the primaries of her wings and met Sunburst’s gaze. Were his eyes always yellow?

No, they are cyan. Focus.

She blinked, and Sunburst’s eyes were cyan. Was she going mad?

Sunburst reached a gentle hoof towards her, and, surprising even herself, she took it, lifting herself up. Like two ghosts travelling down the River Styx, she followed him once more down a narrow path leading away from the courtyard and away from the wall. Past several empty homes and over a bridge overlooking an empty aqueduct they went, entering a thick mist that seemed to permanently lie over a section of the city.

Eventually, however, they broke through the mist and stepped into probably the only truly beautiful thing Cadance had seen that day: a small garden, made out of equal parts flora and crystal. Only the most pristine, flawless crystals were on display, and they shimmered in the resplendent sun in a rainbow of colors. The colors danced over the grass, making it look as if it was encrusted with jewels. Despite the horrors around the garden, it seemed as if this place was all that remained of the once peaceful and joyous Equestria she had known before she woke up. For the briefest of moments, she forgot about the fires, the despair, and the monsters as she gazed in wonder at the sight before her, her eyes lighting up with hope and joy. Could this be where Flurry was, safe from the ruins of the world? Had Thorax taken her here?

She was about to take another step forward when Sunburst held a hoof up in front of her. She glanced down at him, surprised to see him so crestfallen in a place of such beauty. “What’s wrong, Sunburst?”

He pointed at a nearby grove of trees, still shrouded in the mist. “Your daughter’s in there.”

The way he had said it felt so wrong, and an icy pit formed in her stomach. Suddenly the garden felt less beautiful, and the colors dimmed. Stepping off the path, she entered the grove of trees and saw several grey stones enveloped in the mist. There were four in total. Flurry was nowhere to be seen.

“Flurry? Flurry darling, where are you? Are you hiding? Thorax, are you here?” she called out. There was no answer. “Sunburst, I don’t see her.”

“Look closer.”

Cadance stepped further into the grove, now standing near the stones. She looked past them and still didn’t see anything. Then she looked down at one of the stones, and she recoiled in horror.

Here Lies Flurry Heart
Daughter, Niece, Princess
Taken Before Her Time
She Will Be Avenged
May Faust Save Her Soul

“No...no! Nononono...!” Cadance whispered, stepping back with every syllable. Her horn lit up and she mentally shoved the mist away, revealing the other stones and the words written on them. She glanced at one:

Here Lies Thorax
Friend To All Ponies
He Fought For Peace, Died For Love
He Will Dance In Elysium
May Faust Save His Soul

Then the next:

Here Lies Luna/Nightmare Moon
Aunt, Friend, Princess, Repentant Hero
She Died So That We May Live
She Will Be Remembered
May Faust Save Her Soul

And then the last:

Here Lies Twilight Sparkle
Sister, Friend, Princess, Element of Magic
She Died So That Harmony Could Fight One More Day
She Will Be Honored For All Time
May Faust Save Her Soul

Cadance stumbled back and screamed. She screamed until the crystals around her began to shatter. She screamed until her throat was sore. She screamed until she felt Sunburst tugging at her, begging her to stay calm. But she didn’t. All she could do was scream and weep.

They were dead. They were all dead. Her precious, sweet, innocent daughter! Who did this? How did this happen?! How was this the world she lived in? How could everypony be so calm?!

The Voice within her chuckled. Now do you see?

“Your Highness, please!” Sunburst pleaded, putting his forehooves on her shoulders. “Calm yourself!”

“Get away from me!” Cadance bellowed, slapping him away with a wing and stumbling away from him out of the grove. “Both of you, leave me alone! What have I done to deserve this?!”

Nothing.

Her ears began to ring and she fell to her knees, weeping uncontrollably. The ground shook beneath her, but she ignored it as the tears burned against her face. Everything hurt. Her brain, her legs, her wings, her eyes, her tears, it was all burning.

They were right to give up hope. They were right to despair. How could anyone do anything else in a world like this, where even hope was a lie?

The ringing in her ears grew louder and more desperate, until she finally realized that it wasn’t her. It was bells. Alarm bells. Sunburst shouted behind her, but the words were garbled. More cries erupted in front of her, all around her, above her, but she couldn’t hear them. All she could sense was the heat...the flames...the burning...

Then she opened her eyes and saw her. The demon. The Sun Witch. Daybreaker, staring down upon her with sharp teeth and maddened eyes, wings and mane blazing brilliantly with the fury of the sun. And yet the radiance she emanated couldn’t hide the yellow slits that stared impassively, calculatingly at Cadance through the mist from behind the fallen Alicorn.

Without a word, Daybreaker held up a hoof and gently caressed Cadance’s cheek. Their eyes met, and suddenly Cadance felt...kinship. Daybreaker had been crying too. She had wept until there were no more tears to shed. Then the madness had taken her, and she, like Cadance, had burned.

Daybreaker’s warm hoof suddenly turned molten, and Cadance screamed one final time.

“ENOUGH! BE STILL!!”

Like a cold blast of wind blowing through an open door, everything around Cadance was swept away behind her, vanishing into white mist. The flaky, cold grass under her hooves turned soft and vibrant, fluttering slightly as a comforting, light breeze tickled her body. The demon was gone, as were her flames. There was no sound but Cadance’s heavy breathing and quiet sobbing.

She was no longer in danger, but the memories of the nightmare remained, as did the pain and the tears. As long as they stayed within her mind, she would never be safe. She would never be free from them. Wrapping her wings around her body, she curled up on the grass and wept into her hooves, cringing as she felt something soft and warm envelop her in a gentle embrace.

“Shhhh...it’s alright now, Cadance,” a soothing, beautiful voice whispered into her ear. “I’m here now, and the nightmare is over. You’re safe.”

The voice’s familiarity caused Cadance’s ears to twitch, and she dared to look up into the concerned cyan eyes that gazed down at her. Luna’s expression was one of understanding and boundless love, with only a twinge of regret and sadness.

With gritted teeth and a whimper, Cadance pressed her face into Luna’s chest and threw her arms around her, her tears splashing against Luna’s dark blue fur. “Aunt Luna, h-help me...” Cadance moaned, trembling with each word. “I...”

Luna leaned forward and kissed Cadance on the top of her head, wrapping a second wing around her. “Be at peace, Cadance,” she said softly. “Let it all out. Breathe the fresh air and feel the warmth of love once more.”

The two Princesses remained sitting on the grass in each other’s embrace for several long moments, neither of them saying a word. Cadance’s tears continued to fall, but her trembles grew more infrequent as she held onto her aunt, until finally they stopped altogether. Her mind was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she was safe again, although her tears continued to flow. Luna hummed a soft lullaby she had learned long ago, the words having been lost to time but its power just as strong as it was when it was first sung.

Eventually, Cadance let go of her aunt laid down on the grass, laying her head atop her arms. She then opened her eyes, once again meeting Luna’s gaze with a haunted look. Still neither of them said a word. Cadance wasn’t ready to speak yet, and Luna was patient.

A few moments later, Cadance let out a long sigh and asked in a scratchy voice, “Have you...have you ever thought that your dreams were something more? That they were trying to tell you something?”

Luna nodded. “Many times, Cadance. Dreams and visions are often one and the same. Many times they’re just fantasies of the dreamer, but other times they represent ideas, concepts, possibilities, signs, or portents.” She put a wing over her niece. “Do not be troubled by them, for not all of them are true.”

“How can I not?” Cadance whispered glumly. “This was no mere nightmare, Luna. This felt real, as if it was a vision of the future. A future meant to be...” She closed her eyes. “It’s like I’m walking through with through a field of the dead and dying, and I can only watch while they plead for my help.”

Luna frowned. “I very much doubt a future such as what you saw is meant to be ours.”

“How else can you explain it? As I said, this was no mere nightmare. I heard things...saw things...that don’t exist. That shouldn’t exist. Warfang and monsters and other worlds. I heard voices in my head telling me things, strange things that made no sense. How could I dream all of this? If this was not a vision of the future, what else could it be?”

“There are many things about dreams that are impossible to understand, dear niece,” Luna replied. “Many have tried to interpret them before, but ask ten different Ponies and you’ll get ten different answers, so I have learned to not only interpret them for myself, but also to wait and see. I do not know about this ‘Warfang’, nor do I know why your mind conjured such horrors, but they will not bother you anymore.”

Cadance attempted a smile at her aunt’s words, but she still looked glum. “Sometimes I wish I was as wise and patient as you.”

Luna bent down and nuzzled her cheek. “My wisdom was born from great mistakes that I still regret to this day. You, however, are far wiser in that you’ve learned that same wisdom without making the same mistakes. I envy you in more ways you could know, Cadance. And as for patience...” Luna smirked and waved a hoof. A faint trace of magic swirled around it and then poofed away. “I doubt I could be patient enough to deal with little Flurry Heart on a daily basis like her mother can.”

As if on cue, a faint, adorable giggle echoed around them both, and ghostly visions of mother and daughter playing in the field could be seen. This time Cadance’s smile was genuine as she watched her apparition play with Flurry’s, and she laughed softly along with them. Sometimes Flurry would cry, only for her mother to come to her aid immediately and bring a happy grin back to her little face.

There was a hum inside her mind, and the Voice returned. It will not last forever. All things must end, whether they be the world or a happy family.

Flurry’s cries echoed and faded within Cadance’s mind, and her smile fell as unbidden memories of the nightmare resurfaced. The Voice inside her gave a mocking chuckle then faded away along with the cries.

Seeing her niece’s frown, Luna hugged her tightly once more. “I may not know all the answers you seek, Cadance, but I do know this: your beautiful daughter is safe, as are all the others. And if this is a vision of the future, then it’s a future we shall fight to ensure it never happens. This I swear to you.”

“And Daybreaker?” Cadance asked quietly.

Luna pursed her lips. “I...will have to think on that. You are not the only one who has been having nightmares as of late. A few hours ago, Tia had a vision of her own, this one of the day I was banished. It had haunted her much like this one had haunted you, and for a moment, it looked as if history might repeat had I not stepped in and calmed her down. She had never been so close to transforming in many, many years...” She paused, as if searching for her next words. “Even my own thoughts have been clouded...”

Cadance sniffed and looked up at her. “Luna? Is everything alright?”

The Princess of the Night shook her head. “Trouble not yourself with these things, Cadance. Your dreams for tonight will be nothing but beauty and peace, as will the dreams of all those in the Empire. I will consult the Astral Plane and its vast knowledge for the answers to our questions. Until then, rest and be at ease.”

Cadance sniffed once, but her smile returned as she nuzzled the elder Alicorn. “Thank you, Aunt Luna. May Harmony bless your night and guide your hoof.”

Luna nuzzled her back and began to fade away. “And you as well, dear niece. Tonight will be a night of joy.”

Cadance sighed as the last remnants of Luna faded into the mist around her, and she closed her eyes once more, feeling the warm breeze and sinking her hooves into the soft grass beneath them as she laid down to rest her weary head.

Three Ponies and one disguised Changeling wandered the darkened streets of the Empire, dodging street lamps to avoid being spotted and occasionally stopping to allow Sunburst a rest from the constant scanning. Such was the case now, as Sunburst sat on a bench and rubbed the base of his horn in consternation. He did not doubt that the other Unicorns in the patrols were having a much better go at it than he was, given their natural affinity for magic compared to his lesser ability.

Flash stood guard a short distance away with a spear at the ready, while Shining kept watch over Sunburst to make sure he didn’t burn himself out. Unfortunately, Shining was in a different yet similar predicament as Sunburst. He was a prodigy when it came to shield spells, and his magic was stronger than the Royal Crystaller’s, but he knew little about the more scientific spells, and the less said about his thaumaturgical knowledge, the better. He was not his sister, though he was proud of the fact that his shield spells were stronger than hers, Alicorn wings or no.

Thorax, meanwhile, was off to the side disguised as a nondescript Praetorian, pacing back and forth with an increasing amount of worry etched onto his face. To Shining and the others, he seemed to be rather distracted and distant, or at least more than usual. Every so often he would shake or tap his head repeatedly with one of his hooves, sometimes even muttering things under his breath. Shining of Flash sometimes caught a word or two, but nothing concrete that could be discerned. When asked about it, Thorax insisted that it was nothing, but Shining still had his doubts.

It was no secret that Thorax still had secrets of his own, despite his newfound friendship wit the royal family. He would quietly roam the halls and look into every room at night, occasionally sneaking out of the Palace as a guard if he was feeling truly brave and adventurous that day. Shining trusted him. Well, more like tolerated. He knew that the young Changeling wouldn’t harm him or his family, least of all his daughter which he adored and doted on like her mother, so he wasn’t too worried about that. He also knew that Thorax wouldn’t ever betray that trust. No, it was how he clammed up whenever he was asked about the Changeling Hive and how it operated that made Shining doubt. Thorax had shared some details, like how Changelings communicated and sensed each other telepathically, as well as some minor infiltration techniques here and there, but to Shining, the former captain of Celestia’s Solar Guard, it could hardly compare to learning about weak points in the Hive, or how many soldiers Chrysalis had, or where her spies were.

Still, he supposed that Thorax, in his own way, was trying his best just as much as Shining was. It wasn’t fair to condemn the poor Changeling, after the banishment and scorn he had faced from what amounted to his only family. That, and Twilight had taught Shining a lot about the magic of friendship. She was wise beyond her years, and if she and Spike could see that Thorax could be trusted as a close friend and confidant, then Shining would give him the benefit of the doubt. For now.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sunburst let out a sharp gasp and tumbled off of his bench and onto the crystalline road. Shining caught him before his head could hit the ground and then set him upright. Before Shining could ask what happened, Sunburst blurted out, “I-I’ve got something! A ping! It’s coming from the north.”

Sensing something had happened, both Thorax and Flash wandered closer, listening to Sunburst’s outburst. “How far north?” Thorax asked quietly, shivering in the cold.

“Either close to the shield limits, or outside it,” Sunburst replied, rubbing the base of his horn again. “Gah, the details are blurry, and I’m not proficient with this spell. Scanning a dozen times in succession does a number on--ah, what was I saying? Oh right, I saw a farm of some kind.”

“How many farms are up that way?” Shining asked Flash.

“Not many sir,” Flash replied. “Just three: Stir Fry’s pepper farm, Jonagold’s apple orchard, and Crop Duster’s corn plantation. Jonagold’s out on some rodeo though with a few of her cousins from Clan Apple.”

“So unless she’s got a squatter, it’s likely not her,” Shining surmised. “Sunburst, can you tell if the ping is from either of the other two?”

“Sorry, I’m spent...” Sunburst said, flopping onto his haunches. “Those scans took a lot out of me. I’ll need some time to rest. The other Unicorns might be able to triangulate its position, though.”

Shining nodded to Flash, who nodded back and stepped aside, calling the other patrols on his Comm-Gem. Meanwhile, Shining turned towards Thorax and asked, “Are you picking up anything?”

Thorax was staring to the north, eyes unblinking. He seemed to be listening intently and staring at some crates piled up in an alleyway, although what had caught his attention Shining couldn’t tell. It clearly wasn’t him, however.

“Thorax!” Shining called again.

Thorax jumped and jerked his head towards Shining. “Hm? Oh! Ummm...no. Still not picking up any Changelings...”

Shining sighed, and waited until Flash returned before speaking. “Right, so here’s the plan: once the other patrols get here, we’ll have the Unicorns to pinpoint the source of the transfer spell. Once we have that, we move in and take the culprit by surprise, and hopefully this will be done in a couple hours so we can all go to bed.”

Flash nodded. “I told the other patrols the news. One team had picked up the same signal, but it was faint, so they’re all heading our way now. Should be here within the next few minutes.”

“So all we gotta do is wait,” Shining finished. “Get ready guys, we’re almost there.”

Thorax sat down on the ground and blew warm air onto his hooves as he waited. The air around him seemed to be getting colder by the minute, and it was clear to him now that he should’ve grabbed a scarf. He had been feeling uneasy and uncomfortable about the whole situation, from the sapping of the Heart’s power to the faltering of the shield, but there was something more that had been nagging at his mind for the past couple hours.

He had seen the yellow eyes again, this time peeking behind some nearby crates. In fact, he had seen them several times since they had started patrolling the streets, and sometimes instead of yellow they were red. But each time he had tried to look directly at them, they had vanished into shadow, and each time that happened, his mind seemed to blank for a moment.

Sometimes he would also hear words echoing in his mind, not like Changelings, but like something else. He thought it was his own thoughts at first, but as the night went on, he knew beyond a doubt that someone or something was trying to send him a message.

Thorax closed his eyes and once more breathed onto his hooves, trying to put the thoughts of icy creatures stalking him out of his mind, but the feeling remained. Somewhere in the back of his mind a Voice lurked, whispering...

And then, almost out of nowhere, something else joined the jumbled mess of thoughts in his mind. Something frighteningly familiar.

Hunger. Unwelcome, unwholesome, wicked hunger. For love.

And it wasn’t his.

Thorax’s eyes shot open, wide and bright though nopony else seemed to notice. His breathing hitched and he felt the sweat under his parka grow cold. He could swear that he heard buzzing and hissing behind him, but when his head whirled around to check, there was only Shining and Sunburst speaking together in hushed tones. When they noticed him staring at them with wide eyes, they sent him questioning looks.

Thorax shuddered involuntarily, now feeling as if ants were crawling around in his brain as the ferocious feeling of hunger grew worse. It can’t be... he panicked. How did they find me? I covered every track I made! It’s impossible that Chrysalis tracked me down. I cut myself off from the Hive.

Hmhmhm...about that...

Thorax hissed, startling the two Unicorns as they began to approach him out of concern. The Voice had returned, just as unwelcome as the feeling. But this time it wasn’t alone. His mind became fuzzy again, and suddenly a headache assaulted him. As he clutched at his head with his hooves, a new voice joined his thoughts.

...Brother...?

Thorax let out a gasp and collapsed onto the ground. Shining and Sunburst rushed forward to catch him with Flash hot on their heels, but he couldn’t feel them as they held him upright. He could only sense the new voice. Who...?

Brother, is that you?

No...!

Where are you?

Not again...!

There was a sigh, not his own. You cannot hide forever.

“Get out...of my head...!” Thorax murmured under his breath. His disguise failed as he forced all his willpower into maintaining his mental defences. He couldn’t be discovered. Not here. Not now! “I will never return to the Hive!”

Are you sure?

Thorax slapped his face and screamed into his hooves. Sunburst, despite his fatigue, hurriedly began to cast a simple nerve calming spell, but Shining beat him to it by whispering an incantation and then pressing a hoof into Thorax’s chest. Tendrils of Unicorn magic flowed from Shining’s horn and down towards Thorax, and the Changeling suddenly inhaled sharply, warmth filling his body.

With a sigh, Thorax collapsed onto the ground once more, this time breathing normally and falling into a trance-like state. The voices had left him, and his defences had prevailed. He was once more hidden from the Hivemind, but he knew now that they’d be looking for him, and that scared him more than anything.

“Thorax?” Shining called out to him, lightly nudging his side with a hoof. “You okay buddy? What’s going on?”

Thorax winced and sat up, rubbing his left temple with a hoof and groaning. “Ugh...w-what...?”

Flash scowled. “You were shouting something.”

Thorax looked up at him, then at Shining and Sunburst, and he cringed, realizing how bad he looked. “No...no I’m not okay. I think there are Changelings nearby.”

At this the group fell silent, and Flash leaned in closer. “How many?” he demanded.

“I don’t know...”

“Where are they?”

“I don’t know!”

“What do you know?”

“I don’t...I don’t...I don’t know! Please!” Thorax pleaded, his panicked breathing returning as he curled up and covered his face again. “I won’t go back, I won’t, I won’t!”

“Hey,” Sunburst put a hoof on his shoulder. “I-it’s okay, see? It’s just us. Just take some deep breaths now, okay?”

As Sunburst continued to calm Thorax down, Shining forcibly pulled Flash off to the side like a parent would a foal and whispered angrily, “What the hell was that?”

“Sir, if he’s right and we’ve got Changelings in the Empire, then it not only poses a risk to the entire city, but to this operation and the Heart as well,” Flash retorted, nudging his head towards Thorax. “He’s a wellspring of knowledge that he refuses to give to us, and if he won’t give it up, he’s a liability. You know this, I know this, and he knows this. He’s done his job and alerted us, now he needs to leave.”

Shining snorted. “Would you throw away a good soldier so easily, just like Chrysalis threw him away? He isn’t a liability, nor is he a resource to be exploited. He’s a friend, one that Spike and my sister trust implicitly, and one who just had a panic attack. Just...give him a chance, will you?”

Flash sighed. “Shining, we’ve known each other since basic training. You know that I’m not some hotshot looking for a fight. I’m sorry for my outburst, but as captain of the guard in the Empire, it’s my duty to put the lives of those I command and protect over the well-being of one Changeling. Regardless, you’re my Prince, and I will follow your orders, but I wouldn’t advise keeping Thorax with us while we’re on this operation. It could be dangerous, not just for him, but also for us.”

Shining nodded. “Your objection and advice are noted. I wasn’t planning on keeping him here against his will anyway.” He glanced over at Thorax, who had calmed down once more and was sitting on his haunches. “Hey Thor,” he called out. “You good?”

Thorax nodded and took several deep breaths before standing up again. “I’m...fine. I don’t know where they are, or how many there are, all I know is that there are Changelings nearby somewhere. It could be five, it could be five hundred, I just don’t know.”

Shining walked over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder. “That’s okay, you did you best, and you got the warning out. We can take it from here. Why don’t you head back to the Palace for some rest?”

Thorax shook his head. “No, you’ll need me in case Changelings are the ones doing the siphoning. I’m your best bet at stopping them if that’s the case.”

“Are you sure?” Shining asked, taking careful note of Thorax’s wince when he said those words. “You sound a little disturbed.”

“I am not ‘disturbed’...” Thorax growled. “I can handle it, just let me help. Please.”

Shining studied Thorax’s expression. He recognized the fear in his eyes: the fear of abandonment, of being cast out. It seemed as if he had guessed right, and he did not want Thorax to relive that trauma again. He nodded once, releasing his hoof from Thorax’s shoulder. The relief on the young Changeling’s face was palpable and incalculable. Shining had little doubt that Thorax would remember his decision and be grateful towards him forever.

Without another word, the group sat down together and continued to wait for the remaining patrols to arrive. A few minutes later, all five patrols reached them, and Shining gave them all a brief rundown of the plan, then he and the other Unicorns sans Sunburst stepped into a circle and lit their horns up with magic. A few muttered spells later, a swirl of energy encircled their horns and connected them together, and they all winced from the sudden increase in power.

There was a buzzing in the air around them as their magical energies linked together, and each Unicorn’s head seemed to pivot towards the north, as if sensing something. Fiery sparks suddenly jumped from each of their horns’ bases, and they all cried out from the pain. One Unicorn stumbled onto the road, followed shortly by another, though their magic remained strong. A third Unicorn suddenly stood rigid and frozen in place for a moment before falling down, his magic supply cutting off like a flashlight that had drained its batteries. Sunburst ran and pulled him out of the circle, looking up at Shining with a worried expression.

A few moments later, the remaining Unicorns and Shining all cut off the supply of magic to their horns and stepped back, sweat pooling down their faces as if they had just finished a three-kilometer run. Shining helped one of the two downed Unicorns to their feet and then spoke in hushed tones to the others before stepping away to allow the Unicorns to recuperate.

Shining wiped the sweat off his brow and looked back at the remainder of the platoon. “That...was tougher than expected. As far as I know, we managed to pinpoint the exact location of the spell transfer, but there was something else. Something tried to interfere with the scan. The extra power I provided was able to boost the other Unicorns and help them get through, but it was a rough time. Whatever’s over there is strong. Way stronger than a normal wizard.”

“Where to, sir?” Flash asked.

“Crop Duster’s place, no question. I’d know those corn fields anywhere,” Shining responded, rubbing his horn. “Ow...”

One of the Crystal Praetorians spat on the ground. “Of course it’s coming from them. Damn tribalists...”

“It’s not coming from them specifically, just their place,” Shining reminded him. “They can’t cast magic like this, not unless they have a spellcasting focus, scroll, or wand, which are all strictly regulated in this region and outright banned from Crop Duster’s place.”

“Well, it can’t be a Unicorn, then,” the Praetorian countered. “Tribalists like them wouldn’t let a Unicorn, Pegasi, Thestral, or any other kind of Pony near their farm unless it was Princess Celestia herself, or maybe Princess Cadance.”

“Correct, which means that whoever it is we’re dealing with, it’s something we’ve never faced before,” Flash agreed.

Or it could be her... Thorax thought glumly.

“It doesn’t matter who or what it is,” Shining declared. “Crop’s getting a visit from us tonight, and he will like it. Platoon, form up!”

The assembled force once more reformed their ranks and stood at attention, awaiting the command to move. Shining held up a hoof and waved it forward twice before trotting down the road towards the farm, with the Praetorians following close behind. Thorax and Sunburst brought up the rear, allowing Sunburst to take a break from spellcasting and Thorax a chance to think.

If there were Changelings waiting for them at Crop Duster’s plantation, Thorax didn’t want to be the one to see them first. If he wanted to, he could leave right now, and only Sunburst would notice. Not like the Unicorn would care, he’d probably even understand and do the same if he didn’t have a serious stake in the success of the mission. Thorax didn’t have such things holding him to the mission but his own desire to prove himself to not be a coward.

Then again, if it was something else haunting the farm, such as whatever was haunting him...

Thorax shivered and lowered his head. No, it wouldn’t do to dwell on such thoughts. The sometimes yellow, sometimes red eyes that had been following them couldn’t be the same thing that they were hunting. No being had the power to be in two or more places at once unless they were an Alicorn. Not even Chrysalis could do that. And the eyes were never there whenever he looked. It was all in his head.

“It’s all in my head...” he recited to himself quietly. Saying it aloud almost made him feel better, but it didn’t.

For forty minutes the platoon moved in silence, stealthily making their way out of the city until they reached the very edge of the shield. There they stopped to examine the immediate area outside. From this vantage point they could see the outskirts of the farm, seemingly normal and quiet on this stormy night. But there was an odd purplish glow past the fields, coming from the direction of the house.

It was also strikingly frigid, even more than before. The storm seemed to be getting worse, and when Sunburst did a quick examination of the shield’s integrity, he noted that it had lost another fifteen percent of its power, which was causing the storm to leak even more into the city. Already the outer edges had buildups of snow and ice. They were rapidly running out of time.

No matter how strong the storm was, however, there was no choice but to move forward. With a swift flick of his horn, Shining made a small opening in the shield big enough for each Pony to get outside one at a time. Thorax was the last to leave and the one who shook the most. Shining could only feel pity, but it was too late to turn back now.

Aside from the blizzard around them, there was little sound as the platoon made their way towards the Crop Family estate. The corn fields rustled in the wind, sounding eerily like soft static in the air, but once they had reached the house itself, the rustling seemed to fade entirely to silence. Even the whistling wind seemed to disappear, and the air grew warmer.

Fifty feet from the house, the blizzard stopped altogether, and there was a perfect circle of dry ground around it. From each window emanated that same purple glow they had seen before, and the wooden walls creaked and groaned slightly on their own. But the strangest thing were all the crystals. They spiralled out of the ground like helices, half black and half purple, gleaming in the moonlight and casting long, imposing shadows upon the intruders.

There was no doubt about it now --- the storm was being held back from powerful magic, and the Ponies had just entered its center. The only thing each of them could hear was their own rapid heartbeats.

But for one member of the platoon, he could hear something else. Not around him, but inside him. Laughter. Unclean, hideous, dark laughter, sounding like a legion of one.

Thorax gulped and stared at one of the windows of the house, jumping when he saw the yellow eyes again. Only this time they didn’t vanish. Instead, they narrowed at them. At him.

The platoon was being watched, and they were not welcome in the lair of the beast.

Breathless Dread

With a low, abrasive creak, the front door of the house opened, and the suspicion-filled face of a Solar Guard poked through the gap, her horn glowing a faint pink light. A freshly-sharpened spearhead was the next thing to enter the house as she took a cautious first step inside. Behind her, a Crystal Praetorian cranked back the bolt on his crossbow before following her inside. Outside, the remainder of the platoon hid in the shadows surrounding the house, weapons and spells at the ready.

The two scouts held their breath as they crept further into the foyer, the floor crackled and clinked underhoof with every step, the tiny purple crystal buds that poked through the floorboards shattering into dust. The light from the Unicorn’s horn illuminated the room nicely, casting the house an eerie glow. The walls were a mixture of cracked, splintered wood and sheets of crystal and there was a thick dusty substance in the air that glimmered like little gems in the light, but there was no movement and no immediate threat.

The two scouts glanced over at each other and nodded. “Clear?”

“Clear.”

The Praetorian moved to the back of the foyer and pressed himself against a wall, pointing a crossbow at one of the two doors that led out from the foyer, while the Solar Guard lifted up her left arm and tapped the Comm-Gem on her fetlock. “Foyer looks clear sir.”

“That’s good to hear corporal,” Shining replied, his voice emerging from a tiny speaker. “You and Flare keep it secure until the rest of us move in. Be vigilant.”

“Acknowledged sir,” the mare replied, lowering her arm and turning to face her companion once more. Her horn suddenly flickered, and the light spell sputtered out, plunging the room in darkness once more. “Aw come on...” she grumbled, tapping her horn in annoyance.

“Twist, what happened?” Praetorian Flare asked, followed by a grunt and the sound of him tripping over something in the dark.

“Stupid light spell’s not working,” Twist replied. “Might be that magical interference again. Fall back to my position, we shouldn’t be separated in the dark.”

There was no response, only the sound of creaking floorboards.

“Flare?” Twist called out, gripping her spear tighter. “Did you hear me? Get over here.”

When her companion didn’t answer once more, she furrowed her brow and tapped her Comm-Gem once more. “Just lost contact with Flare, sir. I’m gonna check it out.”

Static was her only reply.

“Crap...” she murmured, raising her spear in a defensive stance. “Flare, I’m on my way to you, stay where you are.”

She took an experimental step forward, cringing as the crystal buds crunched like glass. She pressed on, trying to avoid as many buds as she could, though it was difficult with her eyes only slightly adjusted to the darkness. Eventually she made it to the back of the foyer, feeling as if she had walked a mile and hearing her heart beating in her ears. Flare was nowhere to be found, although she did smell something bittersweet, and the edge of her right forehoof felt something slick underneath.

After a moment, her eyes adjusted a little more to the darkness, and she chanced a glance down to her hooves, seeing a small splash of something dark and bubbling on the floor, smearing in a trail towards one of the crystal walls, where it ended abruptly.

Flare hadn’t tripped over himself.

Twist’s jaw dropped, the spear quivering in her grasp as she started to inch back towards the front door. “Fall back...fall back...!” she whispered urgently, feeling her heartbeat quicken and her breathing fail. Forgetting decorum and any sense of bravery, she bolted towards the door, only for her eyes to widen in horror as the door closed on its own volition.

Something wet and sharp latched onto her leg, and she felt something curved and even sharper pierce through her armor and into her gut. She sprawled onto the floor with a shriek, the spear slipping out of her grasp and tumbling away as two pairs of dull yellow eyes glared down at her through the darkness. She felt herself being lifted into the air by some unseen force, blood dripping from her as she screamed. Behind her, the crystal wall opened up like the maw of some great beast, more yellow eyes behind it. She saw a flash of shredded Praetorian armor as what was once Private Flare yanked her into the opening in the wall with tremendous strength, his body covered head to hoof with crystals.

With one last shriek and plea for help, the crystal wall closed up once more, sealing the mare inside. There was a pulse of purple light throughout the house, and then there was silence as the two pairs of eyes fled into the darkness.

“Corporal Twist, report,” Flash spoke into his Comm-Gem. “Corporal Twist, Private Flare, please respond.”

“We should’ve gotten the all-clear by now...” Sunburst noted with a hint of worry.

“Yeah...” Shining murmured. “I don’t like this. We’re going in.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Flash questioned. “Somepony or something just got two of our Ponies already.”

“Which is why we need to act now before they take any more,” Shining said grimly, putting his helmet on and holding up a sword with his magic. “Charlie-One, Charlie-Two, secure the exterior. Everypony else, cover the entrances and move in.”

The assembled Ponies moved into position, while Thorax took one last look up at the window where he had seen the eyes before. The eyes were gone now, but he still could feel them on him from somewhere. They were still being watched.

“On three?” Shining said once his team was braced against the wall near the front door. “One, two, three! Breach, breach, breach!”

The four of them burst into the house, weapons and spells at the ready. Nothing was there to challenge them, which only seemed to make the situation worse. There was no sign of the two missing Praetorians.

“Spread out,” Shining whispered. “Check every room and leave no cupboard unopened. Whatever’s going on in this place, I want to find out what it is. Flash, you’re with me.”

Flash nodded and the two stallions stepped through the door Flare had been checking earlier, vanishing into the darkness. Their hoof-falls seemed to reverberate throughout the house before falling into silence. Thorax and Sunburst glanced at each other nervously before going to a second door, stepping through and entering a long hallway covered in crystals. They could hear water dripping from somewhere, and it sent an inadvertent shiver up both of their spines.

“What happened here?” Thorax wondered as he stepped past one of the black crystals, recoiling at the sight of it.

“I don’t know...” Sunburst murmured. “The last time I saw dark crystals was when some of the Palace researchers preserved a few pieces of King Sombra’s old magic for study. But these look different. Almost...otherworldly, I’d say. The magic that they’re exuding feels tainted in some way.”

“T...tainted?” Thorax stammered.

“If I would describe to in words how it felt, it’d probably scare the both of us, so let’s leave it at that, please?” Sunburst replied. As he stepped over a vein of crystals they suddenly sprung to life, pulsating with purple light. “Whoa, back up!”

“What in the...?” Thorax whispered harshly as the purple light spread up the crystals on the walls. The two of them watched as the light continued on its path across the crystals until disappearing around a corner. The hall once again fell into darkness.

“...That...was creepy,” Sunburst gulped.

Thorax didn’t respond.

“...Thorax?” Sunburst turned around, but the Changeling was no longer next to him. Strange, he didn’t hear anything. “Thorax, don’t leave me here! Come on!”

Silence.

“...Buddy...you okay?”

So, the guests were on the move, eh? That didn’t bother him. He had been expecting guests, after all, and he was eager to invite them into his parlor.

He was especially eager to meet the shapeshifter. It had been a long time since he had seen one, not since he had wiped them all out on his world. But this one was different. This one had telepathic abilities, and seemed to be linked to a Hivemind of some sort. Intriguing. He would have to study this creature further to see what made him tick.

The others were interesting as well. Quadrupeds, like his original form. But these were equine, which felt...odd. Fuzzy. Furry. Long, silken manes. Strange, and rather unimposing. But the power! The untapped potential! The magic that coursed through their veins was immense, even for such normal commoners such as these. They didn’t know what they had. They hadn’t delved into the study of magic like he had. He had been taught by masters, and he had surpassed them with his knowledge. He discovered ways to unlock potential in magical creatures that his teachers could only dream about.

And they cast him out for it. Fools. Hypocrites. Medieval peasants. They, like these equines, would learn one way or another how magic was meant to be used. His destiny would be fulfilled, and their fate would be sealed within it.

But for now, he would entertain.

Starting with those outside.

Private Rosy Cheeks yawned as she continued to watch the windows of the house, keeping alert for any movement. So far there was nothing, and even the sounds of the interior search teams had gone silent. It was giving her the willies, but she was a Praetorian, so she kept that nervousness in check.

Still, going into a haunted house at night? She had read that book and seen that film before. Bad idea. What was the Prince thinking?

Inside...

Rosy blinked. Where had that come from?

Come inside.

Rosy shook her head. Bad mind! Heel! She wanted to stay outside. Those were her orders.

Come. Inside.

...On the other hoof, she was curious. Maybe a quick peek wouldn’t hurt?

She made sure nopony was looking her way, and then she took a few steps towards the house. A pair of yellow eyes followed her, although she didn’t notice them. She was focused solely on the door leading into the darkness beyond.

She stepped over a crystal vein, and behind her, it pulsed with purple energy briefly before going dark once more. Then it began to move, slithering up behind her like a snake and coiling around her back fetlocks.

Rosy slammed into the ground before she realized what was happening, knocking her unconscious. The crystal vein lifted her up off the ground, and a hole of shadow opened up below her. The crystal tentacle let go, and she vanished into the pit, a lid of crystal closing up after her.

There was silence for a moment, before a stallion in Solar Guard garb trotted over to Rosy’s former position and looked around. “Rosy?” he asked, drawing near and looking around. “Where’d you go?”

“I’m here...” said Rosy, emerging from the darkness and rubbing her head. “Must’ve dozed off for a second there.”

“Yeah, I feel ya there,” said the stallion, glancing up at the house. “Still, we best be alert. Don’t let the captain catch you dozing off when he comes out of there.”

“Yes...alert, right,” Rosy said with a smirk. Underneath her helmet, purple crystals began to form on her red mane, and her eyes slowly began to turn a dull yellow. She patted the stallion on the shoulder then returned to her post, watching the house with eagerness.

The stallion frowned and then turned away, returning to his patrol. Already the crystals began to grow on his shoulder. Perhaps he should check up on the other exterior guards? Yes, that was a good idea. They’d enjoy his company.

The fake Rosy grinned and then vanished, the crystals in her mane falling to the ground and taking root.

Underground, the real Rosy screamed and writhed as crystal veins dug into her body. They went into her ears, her nose, her mouth, her eyes...her mind...

Welcome to the family, child.

He was relentless. He was too powerful.

Now, let’s unlock that potential, shall we?

His name was...!

Her body shook from a sudden spasm and there was a loud cracking noise in her head, and then she went limp.

Flash and Shining breached another door, pointing their respective weapons through the frame and looking inside. More crystals, and still no sign of anypony alive. That made five doors so far. Just what did a family of three need with such a big house anyway? And what was with these weird crystals everywhere?

“Clear!” Flash announced, lowering his spear slightly.

“Kinda wishing it wasn’t this time,” Shining muttered with a dark chuckle. “At least then we might get some answers.”

“Have you tried doing a scan on those crystals?”

“What do I look like, my sister?” Shining snorted. “I’m a soldier, not a scholar. One crystal’s about the same as the other in my world, although these ones are a little weirder than normal, I’ll give you that.”

“...So you’ve tried, then?” Flash deadpanned.

“Oh yeah.”

Flash chuckled, despite their surroundings. “You’re way too predictable sometimes, you know that?”

“Guess that’s why the Changelings beat us the last time...” Shining murmured.

Flash looked around the room. “Do you still think it’s them?”

Shining shrugged. “I don’t know, this doesn’t feel like them. Cocoons, slime, twisting tunnels, and lots of icky green things, that’s their motif. Not...purple.”

“I suppose...” Flash replied. A flicker of purple light distracted him. “What do you think those weird lights are about?”

“I don’t know, but they give us a little bit of lighting in this place, which is fine by me. I’d rather--”

The walls around them creaked, and hoofs clanked against the floorboards. Which was odd, because hoofs normally didn’t clank.

The two stallions brought their weapons up once more, staring out into the hallway they just came from. Flash held up a wing and made a few silent gestures with his feathers, and Shining nodded. Flash crept up to the wall next to the door frame and peeked out around the corner.

Though the hoof-falls continued, and seemed to get louder, he saw nothing.

When he turned back to let Shining know, he found himself alone in the room. A large hole had silently opened up where Shining was, and the Prince was nowhere to be seen.

The hoof-falls continued, and then suddenly stopped. All Flash could hear was his own heartbeat.

Then they started again, and a grey hoof embedded with purple and black crystals stepped around the corner in front of him. He held his breath and stared at it, not daring to blink. A head poked into the room, covered in the same crystalline material. Its eyes were dull yellow, and half its jaw was missing, replaced by two large purple “tusks” of some sort. It began to look around the room, taking keen interest in the hole where Shining had once stood.

Flash’s eyes widened. It was wearing a Praetorian helmet, and a crossbow was in its other hoof.

The...thing that used to be Private Flare then growled and turned around, creeping back into the hallway.

Flash waited several agonizing moments before finally letting loose a hyperventilating breath as the echoing hoof-falls faded. This was not what he was expecting to find tonight, and now his Prince was missing. He had to get out of here and call for backup. Things were going south far too quickly for his liking.

As he carefully hurried out of the room, three pairs of yellow eyes followed him through the walls of crystal, and then the walls bulged as hooves emerged...

Thorax shivered, not knowing where he was. Wherever it was, it was black. Too black to see anything beyond an inch in front of him. There was also lots of room to walk around, and the ground felt slick. Not wet, but slippery nonetheless, as if he was standing on a giant piece of crystal or ice. He had to use his wings to hover slightly in order to keep his balance.

He didn’t know how he got here, or when. All he remembered was talking with Sunburst one moment, and then he felt something grab him and pull him into the wall, and then...nothing. He woke up in this room, and then tried to call for the others, but his voice failed him. It was a struggle just to breathe, but breathe he did. Whoever or whatever had captured him, he wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing him afraid. He was a Changeling, and all Changelings were proud. They were strong. He was strong. He had friends! They would come for him!

A low chuckle echoed throughout the room as he thought this, and he froze, backing himself into a corner. At least then he’d know where it was coming from. The laughter continued, growing in both mania and malice even as it deepened. it came from all around him, and burrowed into his mind.

Thorax squeezed his eyes shut and whispered a silent prayer to Faust for protection, and once again reaffirmed to himself that he wasn’t alone and that his friends would find him.

Are you sure?

Thorax cracked open an eye and looked around him frantically. “Wh-who are you?!” he croaked out at last. “W-why are you in my head?!”

Wouldn’t you like to know...

A massive headache overcame him, and Thorax cried out, clutching at his head. “Leave me alone! Please!” he screamed, then curled up and whimpered. “Please...don’t kill me...please...”

What are you?

Thorax shook his head rapidly. He wouldn’t tell this abomination anything. The headache turned into a migraine, and his hooves shook.

What. Are. You?!

“No...” he whispered. “I won’t...”

Tell me now, or your friends die.

“No...!”

Are you so eager to cast them aside, shapeshifter? Is that what your kind is? You create friendships and siphon off their kindness towards you, and when you don’t need them anymore, you let them go? Hmhmhmhm, and they called ME a monster. At least I rewarded those who served me well.

“Get out!”

Ahhhh, that’s what it is, isn’t it? Your emotions betray you...Changeling, is it? And your thoughts...such tempestuous turbulence. But you have a map to navigate it. Where does it lead, I wonder? A Hivemind, perhaps? Intriguing. So many souls...so many thoughts. Unclean. Diseased. Vampiric. Wicked. Just like YOU. Why do you hide from your own kind? I wonder...what would happen if I were to shine a light on you?

Thorax whimpered, just as the floodgates opened in his mind.

We can see you now, brother.

So, he finally shows himself.

Is it you?

What have you done?!

Can’t you see we love you, brother?

Thorax?

Where are you?

Traitor!

Betrayer!

Death!

Return!

She commands it!

Miserable Pony-lover!

I miss you, little brother...

Love thief!

A king ‘ling, what--?

Traitor to the Hive!

Can’t you see that we love you?

Oh brother, where art thou?

Don’t listen to them...

We love you, Thorax!

Your sisters miss you, Thorax...

Traitor!

RETURN!!!

And then, just as soon as the voices came, they went silent, and Thorax choked out a breath, his tears splashing against the floor. “Why...why are you doing this...?” he pleaded. “How can you be so cruel?”

Cruelty is in the eye of the beholder, young Changeling. Don’t you want to unlock your True Potential? I can see it within you. I can see it within ALL of you. It is a beautiful thing. I can help you find it, and all you need to do is accept me, accept your brothers, and accept your sisters. We could do great things together, Thorax...

I understand your pain, little brother. Come back to us. She misses you. She desires you back.

Let go...

Thorax sucked in a breath. This was wrong. This creature was evil itself! Thorax was not evil. He was not like the others. He would never be evil again, not while he still drew breath.

Let go.

Come back to us!

Thorax gritted his teeth and snarled. He would not abandon his friends, and they wouldn’t abandon him. He loved them.

LET! GO!

“GET OUT!!!” Thorax roared, suddenly standing and slamming his hooves against the floor. “I don’t know who you are, or where you came from, but I am not evil! I may be a Changeling, but I’m not one of them! I’m not...I’m not a killer! I have done what no other Changeling has done before: I made friends. They give me my strength, and I don’t know how, but I will repay them a thousand times over for their kindness and mercy! I will never let go of them! I love them, and they trust me! I will never go back to the Hive!”

Silence met his ears. The voices disappeared. The Hivemind was silent. He was alone. His thoughts were his once more.

And then...

Fool. You sound just like that pathetic purple whelp...so high and mighty, so hung up on chivalry, morality, and friendship. You are just as disappointing as he was. Very well, keep your friends, for as long as they will last. It won’t matter in the end. Farewell, little Changeling. I look forward to dissecting you when I am whole.

With that, the presence in his mind left him, and Thorax gasped, falling forward on the floor and breathing heavily. He remained in that position for several minutes, feeling weaker than when he was starving for love when he first came to the Crystal Empire.

And yet...he didn’t feel hungry this time. That was odd. He usually felt hungry for love even though he was in an Empire full of the stuff. Something...wasn’t wrong, but wasn’t normal either. He felt...good. Physically weak, but...

...Why was the room glowing a soft green color?

He cracked open his eyes even further and blinked. The glow didn’t go away. Then he realized the glow wasn’t coming from the room itself, but from him. He looked over himself, not noticing anything new at first, until he saw his wings. They were...well, he wouldn’t exactly call himself “beautiful” by any means, but these wings were a fair bit more whole now. Less tattered, more sparkly.

“...That’s new,” he muttered, standing up and fluttering them slightly. They buzzed with newfound strength, and the glow coming off of them felt warm and comforting somehow. As if his friends were right there with him.

He looked around the room, the glow now illuminating it slightly. The room wasn’t as large as he first thought, but it was covered from top to bottom with purple and black crystals in spiralling patterns. It was creepy, and yet the warmth he felt in his chest seemed to alleviate his fear somewhat.

“Heh...guess Princess Cadance was right...love does conquer all,” he said, smiling. Then he winced. “Faust, that was cheesy. I need to get outta here. But first...” He walked over to the room’s door, which seemed to have opened up for him. He narrowed his eyes, defiant against the darkness in front of him. “Gotta find the others.”

He stepped out into the shadowy hallway beyond, and felt no fear. His thoughts were once again his own, and his friends were always with him.

Shining knew he wasn’t falling, but it still felt like he was. How long had it been since he started feeling this way? A few seconds? A minute? A year? A lifetime? It didn’t matter, because however long it was, it never seemed to end. He continued falling...falling...falling...

He suddenly felt himself slamming into something wet and spongy, and he bounced back up again. He let out a groan, and then...stood up. He shook his head and looked down. He was standing in a field of stars, and yet he could feel solid ground beneath him. He tapped a hoof on the floor, hearing the ringing of metal on crystal. Black crystal, he presumed. And yet, he definitely felt something wet. He tapped the floor again, and this time it wasn’t crystal. He lifted his hoof up and saw a black, viscous liquid dripping off of it. Based on the scent, it was ink. He hoped.

And then the ink disappeared, and the floor was crystal again. He sniffed, and confirmed the smell was gone too. The stars around him shifted, and he could now see nebulae and planets, or at least, he thought he did. They shifted too fast for him to get a clear look at them. But he did see one planet that looked like it was in the middle of being blown to pieces, and a purple glow was emanating from it in waves.

Then the stars shifted again back to their original positions, and he blinked, and suddenly the floor below him became more opaque, although the field of stars remained above him. There was some very powerful magic at work here.

For a simple corn plantation, this place was messed up.

Ah, a sense of humor, I like that.

“Who said that?” Shining demanded, whirling around as the voice echoed around him. The field of stars moved with him.

Why don’t you try to find me? Perhaps then I’ll reward you with my name. Maybe. Come to the parlor; it has been so long since I entertained a Prince, equine or not.

With that, the voice went silent, and despite Shining’s repeated attempts to get its attention, it never came back. He was alone once more.

Then a purple light shone from behind him, and an invisible door opened as the crystals around it retracted with disturbingly lifelike motions, beckoning him forward.

Shining, however, had other plans. “Right, like I’m going to go through that. I’ll make my own exit, thanks.” His horn lit up with a teleportation spell...

Then two black, crystalline claws burst out of the ground and grabbed onto him, cancelling his spell and dragging him towards the door with a yelp of surprise. He tried to grab for the floor, but even as he watched, the field of stars seemed to shatter into millions of pieces, and suddenly the entire room was swallowed by a crevasse. It continued to fall until it was lost in the icy caverns below. Pulsating, purple and black crystals lined the walls of the crevasse, two of which were holding him up in front of the door.

“...Oooookay, that parlor sounds good right about now,” he muttered spitefully and let the crystals deposit him at the door, which seemed to be the only part of the structure remaining. He shivered as the “claws” released him and then literally slithered underground.

Looking past the door, he saw a long, twisting tunnel of purple crystal leading further down into the earth, and several veins of black crept up the walls like vines. As he looked closer, he could see several yellow dots moving back and forth through the walls, although what those belonged to, he couldn’t guess. Or even dared to.

He swallowed, then drew his sword and lit his horn with a light spell. The yellow dots didn’t react. “Well...” he said, taking a step forward. “Tally-ho.”

A few steps later, and the door sealed up behind him. Now he had only one way left to go: deeper down.

Flash quickly found his way back to the foyer and slammed the door to the hallway shut, before shoving a decorative table in front of it, huffing and puffing all the way. He had seen more of those crystal...zombie...things on his way back. One of them had been an Earth Pony mare at some point, judging by the shape and the lack of armor. Probably Crop Duster’s wife, if he had to guess. Poor mare...nopony deserved a fate like that.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he rammed into the front door, breaking it off of its hinges, and flew out into the night. The house’s exterior still looked largely the same --- still creepy, but he preferred the outside. More room to breathe and to move around.

He dove towards one of the patrolling Praetorians and landed in front of her, panting. “Go...into city. Get reinforcements. The Prince has been taken...go!”

The mare didn’t move.

“Sergeant, didn’t you hear me? I said g--” He froze, then his jaw dropped.

The crystal-encrusted Praetorian smirked, and her yellow eyes glowed bright as she stabbed at him with her spear.

Flash jumped into the air and kicked the spear away, flying up to get a vantage point of the house. All the Solar and Praetorian guards stationed outside were looking up at him with yellow eyes, and some of them were screaming wordlessly.

The whole platoon had been compromised.

“This is a nightmare...” he whispered hoarsely. A crossbow bolt zoomed past his ear, then another past his face. His eyes widened and he began to weave and bob through the air as more bolts were shot at him. He then made a break for the city, fully intent on getting help. If he could just--

A bolt buried itself into his side and he tumbled through the air in a downwards spiral. His breathing became heavy, and the pain shot up his barrel in a torturous wave. Then, moments later, he crashed into the dirt below and rolled for a good thirty feet before coming to a stop. He weakly planted a hoof down to push himself up, but the pain was too much for him and he blacked out a moment later.

Sunburst crept further down the hallway, pulling his robe tighter to his body and readjusting his glasses. He had heard plenty of strange and terrifying noises throughout the house as he stumbled through the darkness, including what he thought was somepony screaming “get out!” at some point. It sounded like Thorax, but he couldn’t be sure. In any case, he was now thoroughly creeped out, so he instead focused on the mission instead of the sounds.

He was running a constant scan spell as he followed the corridor, which seemed to go on forever. Somehow, despite the small size of the house, it seemed that whoever was stealing the Crystal Heart’s magic was using it to create a spacial warping spell to make the interior larger, which made locating the source that much harder. Joy.

He poked his head fearfully around a corner, gulping as he saw more crystals in his path. “I swear,” he whispered. “I’ll never look at the Empire the same way again, nor do I ever want to look at anything Sombra-related for the rest of time.” He stepped forward...

...And tripped.

Muttering curses under his breath as he picked himself off the ground, he lifted his eyes up to suddenly see a Pony in front of him. He recoiled, startled at the sight, then blinked. The Pony had crystals covering their entire body, and even their mane had some hanging off of it. Their eyes were bright yellow, and their lower jaw had been replaced by a few “tusks” of some kind.

“Oh, ponyfeathers...” Sunburst declared, just as the crystallized Pony screeched at him and lurched forward. Sunburst cancelled the scan spell and backed up, charging up a bolt spell. He wasn’t the best at magic, but he still knew some of the basics. He just hoped it would be enough.

The creature flung itself at him again, and Sunburst let the magic bolt loose as it was right on top of him. The magic bolt sang through the air and slammed into the creature, blasting a hole in its chest and causing it to fall to (thankfully rocky) pieces. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t a Pony anymore...poor stallion. Or mare. Or whatever.

Sunburst breathed a sigh of relief and slumped against a wall, putting a hoof to his chest. “That...th-that was something...” he coughed. He sat there for a moment, staring at the destroyed remnants of the creature before standing up once more and gingerly stepping around the remains. “Okay, so avoid anything on four legs. Got it...right...”

“Sunburst?” called a voice.

Sunburst froze mid-step, and his ears flicked forward. That sounded like... “Thorax?”

“Sunburst!” The Changeling flew down the corridor Sunburst was following, embracing the Unicorn. “Oh Faust, it’s so good to see a friendly face.”

“Yeah, it’s good to see you too,” Sunburst replied, smiling. He meant it, too. “What happened to you? When you disappeared--”

“I’d...rather not talk about it,” Thorax replied, looking a little glum. “I’ll tell you later, when we’re out of this forsaken place.”

Sunburst looked over his friend’s shoulder and noticed a change. “Your wings!”

Thorax buzzed them a little and smirked. “Yep! Got these not that long ago, although I’m not sure how. Either way, I feel a lot better, and a lot more confident, somehow.”

“I can tell,” Sunburst remarked proudly. “I’m happy for you.”

Thorax looked behind Sunburst and saw the creature’s remains on the floor. He gave Sunburst a deep frown. “Was that...?”

Sunburst nodded slowly. “Yes...it was. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice.”

Thorax then did something that Sunburst didn’t expect. He hissed in rage. “That monster will pay for what he’s done to the Ponies here!”

Sunburst raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“The monster that’s behind this whole thing. The crystals, the takeover of this estate, the siphoning of the Crystal Heart, all of it.”

“...How do you know that?” Sunburst asked incredulously.

“Because I talked to him,” Thorax replied. At Sunburst’s dumbfounded expression, he added, “Not face-to-face, he linked to my mind. I don’t know who or what he is exactly, or what he’s planning, but he’s very interested in Changelings for some reason. And with those Changelings nearby...we cant let him get into contact with them. We need to find the source of this crystal infection and get rid of it somehow.”

“Agreed,” Sunburst said with a nod. “I’ve been following a conduit of energy that seems to be leading somewhere, although I’m not sure where. This place is larger on the inside, it seems.”

“Tell me about it, I’ve been wandering this place for what seems like ages. Saw a few of those crystal creatures too. It looks like the other search teams didn’t fare too well...”

Sunburst frowned. “We’ll mourn later. Right now we need to stop this thing before it weakens the Heart any further or claims anypony else.”

Thorax nodded. “Lead the way, then.”

With that, the two once again walked through the darkness, although with a lighter heart than before. Despite the situation they found themselves in, it felt better having a friend at one’s side.

Around them, the walls bulged, and yellow eyes watched them from afar...

Epilogue: The Herald of the Dawn

(The next morning...)

He was alone. Again.

He had soared through the air for what felt like an eternity, and then he slammed into the side of the mountain, punching through a wall of ice and falling into a pile of snow in the cave behind it. There he lay in the bitter cold, brooding and meditating.

He had to give that Prince credit where it was due, it was indeed a magnificent throw. It had landed precisely where he predicted it would. All according to plan.

It had taken a lot of effort to punch through that Unicorn’s mental defenses to plant the suggestion, but he managed to succeed after a few tries. The Prince never even suspected a thing. Good. Let the brat rest. Shining Armor would get his comeuppance soon enough.

So for now, he simply lay there, conserving his energy. His thoughts spread out across the mountains until he found what he was searching for --- a camp of hundreds, disguised in white near the Empire. So many voices, so many thoughts, so many dreams. So much potential.

He reached out and touched one mind, a young female at the edge of the camp. He smiled inwardly as he felt her thoughts flow over his. He was just another voice of the Hivemind as far as she was concerned, nothing more. Using her as a conduit, he explored the vast, expansive maze of voices until he found the one he desired above all the others.

After a few moments, he found it. It wasn’t that hard to find; all the Changelings of the Hive were connected to it, after all.

Come to Mount Everhoof. I am waiting there for you. You will know my Voice and I will answer you. You seek your True Potential...I can provide it. Come to me.

The seed of his suggestion planted within the Hivemind, he retreated from the Changeling’s mind and returned to his meditation. Now he would watch and wait.

Floating was a sensation that Flash had not experienced in a long time, not since his swim test in basic training. It was strange, yet not unwelcome. It almost felt like he was in his mother’s womb again.

His mother...memories flooded into his mind, and he smiled. The crisp cold air of a quiet spring morning in Canterlot, wet with dew and bits of ice, followed by the smell of her blueberry pie wafting through the breeze. He loved her pies. Freshly made every other morning, and they always made him feel at home. She always made him feel safe.

He was safe, and he continued to float. He sighed deeply, breathing in the sweet smell of blueberries and hearing his mother’s gentle calls for him to return to the dining room. He felt his body glide over the floor and find solace within the warmth of his childhood home, in stark contrast to the cold outside. He felt his mothers’ wings embrace him from behind, and he sank deeply into it, feeling the fluff of her feathers tickle his face.

And yet...something was off. He didn’t know how he knew, he just knew. The masquerade was almost perfect, but as if it was instinct buried deep within him, something told him that what he was feeling was wrong. He wasn’t meant to be here. This place was meant for others not like him.

And then the vision started to change, as little by little the cracks and imperfections began to reveal themselves to his mind’s eye. The embrace was warm, but it felt...stiff. His mother was tense, and her embrace was not one of love, but of entrapment. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, he wiggled around, trying to untangle himself from her wings, but her embrace tightened. The warmth disappeared, replaced by a cold clamminess and...wetness? The smell of blueberries changed too. The sweetness remained, but it was sickly and gross.

What’s happening? he thought frantically. Why can’t I move? Where am I?

His chest tightening, Flash opened his eyes and stared, seeing his reflection on a green, slightly translucent casing. He waved his hooves in a panicked motion, realizing he was swimming in green slime. He was trapped and hooked up with wiry tendrils in a Changeling pod, and he couldn’t breathe!

Ripping off the tendrils, he bucked his rear hooves against the walls of his prison and let out a muffled yell of frustration as it refused to give. He kept kicking. Then he punched. Then he rammed his head. Then he began slamming his entire body against the side of the pod, over and over again.

Finally a crack appeared, and it spidered up to the pod’s lid. One final body slam and he broke through, coughing and spluttering. Slime poured from his mouth as his body expelled it from his body, and he began crawling away, looking around as he did.

He was at the edge of a camp of some sort, and multiple other pods lay next to his own, many with Ponies inside them. The Changelings had been busy, it seemed. Some of the Ponies he recognized as Praetorians, other as Palace servants. None of them were awake like him, all trapped within their own visions of comfort and love --- perfect for storage and future feasting.

His cloudy thoughts were still racing as he wiped the slime away from his face and eyes. Why was he able to escape and the others couldn’t? Had the Changelings made a small mistake when they podded him? He glanced down at his wound, seeing it patched up. Perhaps that was it? A small abnormality that was enough to throw off their calculations?

As his mind debated with itself, he rolled on the ground to wipe off the remaining slime and shook his wings loose. He was missing his weapons and armor, but not his wits. He had to get back to the city and mobilize the Praetorians before it was too late. He took careful notice of the Ponies who had been captured, whispered a silent plea for their safety, then took off into the air. He wanted to save them, but he couldn’t do it without help.

As he took to the air, a Changeling patrol turned the corner and stumbled upon the remains of his pod. A screeching alarm was raised, lights were shone into the sky, and several Changelings fired bolts and bolas at him. This time, however, he was prepared. He dodged every bolt and avoided every bola, even managing to catch one out of the air and throw it back at one of the pursuing Changelings, sending him tumbling out of the sky.

He flew with all haste towards the city, passing over the remains of the Crop Duster plantation as he went. The house had somehow crumbled in on itself, and the ground around it was peppered with pits, tunnels, and deep chasms. He didn’t know what had happened in there since he escaped, and hoped that Shining Armor was safe, but he had a new mission now. He had to save the Empire.

The Palace loomed before him, and he dipped low. A Praetorian, luckily not one that he recognized from the pods, waved him down, and Flash landed before him. Before the Praetorian could speak, Flash pulled him aside and explained the situation.

Within seconds, the alarm was sounded.

The takeover had gone smoothly; almost far too smoothly for Pharynx’s liking. The Palace’s defenders were greatly weakened without their Prince, Princess, and Captain to lead them effectively, and had fallen to the Changeling infiltrators quite easily. Pharynx, now in a Shining Armor disguise, sat on the Crystal Throne, his hooves steepled in front of him as he thought about his brother. Thorax’s new ability with his wings was both troubling and intriguing. From what the two eyewitnesses could tell, his wings looked nothing like any Changeling they had ever seen, not even the Queen. It was as if he had mutated or evolved somehow.

Just what had these Ponies done to him?

Pharynx sighed, and was about to call for one of his elites when there came a crackling sound from the scarab stones on the table near the throne. The Queen was calling for him.

He quickly got up off the throne and returned to his natural form, kneeling on the carpet in front of the stones as they formed into an orb again. The image of the Queen, angry and looking beaten, stared down at him.

“Your Majesty,” Pharynx began. “To what do I owe--?”

“Shut up and listen!” Chrysalis hissed. “We have been betrayed! You are to take your troops and retreat from the Empire. Fall back to the base immediately! I am enacting Protocol 57!”

Pharynx looked up in shock. Protocol 57 meant complete abandonment of the Hive and relocation. “But...my Queen! The Palace is ours! Why would we--?”

“Treason, that’s why!” Chrysalis roared. “Your traitorous brother Thorax led a rebellion in the Hive with the help of his miserable Pony friends. The Hive has turned against me, and have mutated into unholy abominations of our noble race! The outposts at Canterlot and Ponyville have also pledged allegiance to Thorax and have declared him their king!”

Pharynx’s jaw dropped. “Thorax...a king?” He was almost proud.

“Yes!” Chrysalis answered. “Words cannot describe the judgment I will impart upon him if I ever see his face again. To my knowledge, you and your troops are the only loyal Changelings I have left. You are to fall back to the base camp and relocate to the cliffs of Mount Everhoof. We can regroup in the caves there until we can create a new plan.”

Pharynx saluted. “At once, my Queen! The true Hive shall live on in your name!”

As soon as the Queen’s face disappeared, Pharynx sprung into action. He sent an urgent message over the Hivemind for all the elites in the Palace to enact Protocol 57 and fall back to the camp, telling them it was an order from their Queen. It certainly set a fire under their wings to hurry.

At that moment, a panicked and wounded Changeling barged into the throne room and flung himself at Pharynx’s hooves, his breathing heavy. “General, news from the base. Captain Sentry has escaped, and is mobilizing the Praetorian Guard against us! They’ve already retaken the lower levels of the Palace, including the courtyard and the Crystal Heart. They’re on their way here!”

Pharynx roared and kicked at the throne, causing cracks to appear in its side. He was hoping that he’d be able to take the Heart with them, but Captain Sentry now made that impossible. “Bugger it all! On your hooves, we’re leaving!”

“Sir?”

“The takeover of Equestria has failed, and the Hive has turned traitor. Protocol 57 is now in order. The Queen is on her way here, and we need to relocate the camp. MOVE!!”

Despite his fatigue and wounds, the Changeling shot up off the ground and practically flung himself out of the windows, falling briefly before righting himself in the air and flying away. Pharynx followed him shortly after, just seconds before a platoon of Praetorians tore into the throne room in righteous fury, Flash Sentry leading them.

Pharynx spared one look back at the Palace, seeing a Praetorian wave the flag of the Crystal Empire from the throne room, much to the cheer of the populace and soldiers down below. The Changeling general’s scowl grew deeper and he continued flying northwest. Thorax would pay for this. The whole Hive would pay for this!

(A continent away...)

The jungles of Halflinger Grove were thick and often rainy, but despite the heat, it certainly beat the heat of the Eastern Dragon Lair just north of it. Not to mention that the view was to die for. Millions of trees as far as the eye could see, and a Dragon’s eye could see quite far.

Garble and Smolder, brother and sister, counted themselves lucky as two of the few Dragons to have such a view. It was almost as if it was an honorary part of their hoard: theirs and no one else’s. Each morning when Celestia’s sun went up they would do their stretches and get ready for a new day, and this day was no different. They didn’t care about what the rest of the world was up to. This was their world, and it was perfect.

So when Smolder suddenly spotted something on the horizon that wasn’t there the night before, it quickly threw their schedule into disarray. Garble scrambled over the rocky entrance of their cave, narrowing his thin slits for eyes at the sight before them. Smolder hid behind his large legs but poked her head fearfully out from behind.

It was large and round, whatever it was; and purple. Spiralling in the air like some kind of magical storm, it spat out lightning and sounded like thunder, and seemed to grow bigger before their eyes. Through it they could see fire and floating rocks.

They may not have cared much about the rest of the world, but they knew what a portal was, and this was the biggest one they had ever seen (granted, it was the only portal they had ever seen, but they had heard tales of others). It covered several miles' worth of Halflinger Grove, and was situated between two enormous lakes.

Then something emerged.

And the jaws of both Dragons dropped.

Author's Note

I will leave you with this as a hint for what's to come:

"All these are the beginning of sorrows."
--- Matthew 24:8

---<>-<>-<>---

To be continued in Dawn of a New Age.

The Future's Precipice

Cadance woke to the sounds of crying, and her motherly instinct took over. Disregarding any form of exhaustion she had, she swiftly stood up from her bed and made her way to Flurry’s crib, gently plucking her daughter out of the blankets with the gentle grip of her magic.

Flurry gazed at her with teary eyes and held out her little hooves to her, and Cadance’s heart melted. She brought her daughter in for a hug and softly patted her back, shushing her. “It’s okay, sweetie, mommy’s here. What’s wrong?”

She sniffed the air. It wasn’t an accident, and Flurry certainly wasn’t hungry. Shockingly, she never woke up in the middle of the night like this unless she either had a nightmare or if she just wanted to be held by her parents. But with Luna guarding her dreams, it couldn’t have been a nightmare, and if she wanted attention, she had it now, and yet she continued to cry.

She sat down at the edge of her bed and stroked her daughter’s soft mane, humming the lullaby Luna gave her in her dreams. It seemed to work, and Equestria’s littlest Alicorn seemed to calm down somewhat, although she still sniffled. She looked up to her mother with her big blue eyes and sniffed again, a deep frown on her face.

“What is it, Flurry?” Cadance whispered again. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Flurry may have been young, but she understood a few words. She shook her head and pointed to her horn.

“Is your horn hurting?” Cadance asked, putting a hoof on her daughters head and feeling around. Flurry shook her head again and pointed to her horn, then at her mothers Cutie Mark, then at her horn again.

Cadance pursed her lips. “Magic?” This time Flurry nodded, and tears welled up in her eyes again. “Oh, nonono, sweetie, don’t cry. Shhh...it’s okay. You’re safe.”

There came a knock on the door, and both Alicorns looked up. “Come in,” Cadance called quietly.

A Praetorian poked her head in, worry on her face. “Your Highness, are you alright?”

“Yes, sergeant, I’m fine. Little Flurry’s just having a bad night,” Cadance replied, brushing her daughter’s mane some more in comfort.

“Anything I can do to help, Your Highness?”

“No...” Cadance started, then hesitated as a thought struck her. She looked at her Cutie Mark and then back at her daughter’s horn. “Actually, can you check with the Palace scholars and see if there’s been a magical disturbance of some kind?”

The guard fidgeted and looked away. “There...has, Your Highness...”

Cadance narrowed her eyes. “Explain.”

“It’s the Crystal Heart, Your Highness,” the mare explained. “A few hours ago it began to grow dimmer for some reason, as if its energy was being drained. Prince Shining Armor, Royal Crystaller Sunburst, and Captain Flash Sentry were all informed, and they told us not to disturb you unless it was an emergency, while they looked into the matter. They’ve not been heard from since they left to find the source of the energy drain.”

Flurry whimpered, and Cadance hugged her to her chest protectively. “The Crystal Heart...sergeant, I’m coming down. Please have an escort ready.”

“At once, Your Highness!”

A few moments later, Cadance, with Flurry resting in the crook of her arm, along with an escort of four Praetorians, made her way down the Palace corridors leading to the courtyard. Her gaze was hardened, and the tips of her wings ruffled slightly in caution. Tonight, despite Luna’s declaration, was getting stranger by the minute, and this latest development only made her more suspicious. If the Heart had caused such a disruption that it affected Flurry Heart thanks to her connection to it, then it was a far bigger concern than Shining must have thought.

As she stepped into the courtyard, she took note of how dark it was. The Crystal Heart always shined with colorful light even during the night, but the sergeant seemed to have been right --- it was a lot dimmer. In fact, it barely shined anymore, and the shield over the city was flickering wildly. The Heart’s beat had gone almost silent.

Flurry stirred in her grasp and looked at the Heart in silent wonder and sadness. She didn’t cry, but she reached out towards the Heart with her little hooves and wings. Cadance knew her daughters connection to the Heart was strong, but she didn’t think it was this strong. The poor thing must have felt the Heart’s distress during her sleep.

Cadance gently set Flurry down on the ground next to the Crystal Heart’s pedestal and scanned the Heart with her magic. She didn’t like the results she saw. The Heart was almost completely drained, and it would take all the Crystal Ponies several weeks to fix the damage. The shield wouldn’t last much longer at this rate.

Still, as Princess of Love, there was one thing Cadance could do. It wouldn’t be enough, but it would buy them some time. She stood up on her hind legs and wrapped her forehooves and wings around the Heart and its pedestal, her face one of concentration. The love she had for her family, her subjects, and her kingdom flowed through her veins and transferred itself into the Heart. The Crystal Heart seemed to grow brighter for a moment before stabilizing once more, and its Heartbeat resumed, although at a slow, sickly rate. The shield outside the city regained some of its integrity, much to Cadance’s relief.

Flurry Heart smiled up at her mother and clapped her hooves as she saw the Heart glow brighter again. She then felt her mother pick her up off the ground and curled into a ball with a large yawn, wrapping herself in her abnormally large wings. She was asleep before she and her mother made it back into the Palace.

Cadance, however, would not fall asleep again tonight. There was far too much on her mind.

Shining didn’t quite know how far he had gone down the tunnel, but at this point, he didn’t really care. The crystals were getting thicker and more dense the further he went down, which could only mean he was getting closer to the source of the infection. Although, the yellow eyes watching him through the walls didn’t make him feel any better about this information. Twice now the walls had bulged outwards behind him, and he could’ve sworn he heard moaning and a saw hooves reaching for him, only to pull back at the last second and make the wall solid once more.

He was certain he was going to need therapy after tonight, but he’d worry about that later. For now, he kept trotting down the tunnel, keeping a close eye on the walls and floor.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, the tunnel straightened out before him and refused to delve deeper down. He let out a sigh of relief; he hated going down.

He turned his head to look up the tunnel he had just come from, only to rear his head back in shock. There was now a solid rock wall behind him --- no crystals, no yellow eyes, just stone. Looking ahead again, he saw the same thing. It was as if the tunnel had changed its composition instantly.

He blinked stupidly for several seconds, shook his head, and looked again. Still just stone. Had he imagined the whole thing, or was it some more powerful mind magic? Either way, it was concerning.

Still, that didn’t explain what a tunnel was doing down here in the first place. If Crop Duster was still alive after all this, he would have to have a long talk with him, tribalist or no. That is, if the tunnel was real in the first place. Shining just didn’t know or care anymore. All he wanted now was to put an end to this madness, one way or another.

So, onward he went, further down the tunnel.

Sunburst and Thorax stared at the door in front of them, perplexed. It was a normal door, or seemed to be. No crystals, no murderous creatures stalking them from the shadows, no infected floorboards or walls, just a simple wooden door at the end of the hallway.

Neither of them tried to open it.

“Well,” Sunburst said at last. “Gonna be honest, this is kinda...”

“Underwhelming?” Thorax finished.

“Yeah...” Sunburst scanned the door with his magic. “As far as I can tell, it’s just a normal door, although I can’t quite tell what’s behind it. Something’s blocking my magic from going any farther than that.”

“Um, Sunburst?” Thorax said, poking the Unicorn in the shoulder. “I think we might have to go through.”

“Hm?” Sunburst turned to face the Changeling, only to see him pointing behind them.

Four crystallized Ponies stood staring at them from the darkness, weapons in hoof. The hallway behind them had inexplicably closed itself off with a thick sheet of crystal, and more yellow eyes were watching them from behind it. None of the Ponies moved, but the intent was clear.

“...Yeeeeeah, you’re right,” Sunburst deadpanned. “Run for it!”

Thorax and Sunburst galloped towards the door, just as the creatures surged toward them, screeching as they did. Thorax reached the door first and slammed into it, grabbing the handle and jiggling it until it opened. He ushered Sunburst inside and then dove through after him, slamming the door shut again. Unfortunately, one of the creatures stuck its hoof through the gap and blocked the door from closing completely. Another hoof punched through the door and would’ve smacked into Thorax’s face had he not ducked.

Sunburst bucked the door with his back hooves and then braced his entire body against it. The creature holding the door shrieked in pain and yanked its hoof back, allowing the door to close. Thorax stood back and sucked in a deep breath, and hidden folds on his neck opened slightly.

“MOVE!” Thorax yelled, as droplets of green liquid fell from his mouth.

Sunburst dove from the door, and Thorax threw his head forward. A long stream of green goo flew from his mouth and covered the door, hardening as it went. He filled in the hole in the door and sealed the hinges and edges of the door, effectively shutting the creatures out. Finally, the goo stream ended, and he fell back on his haunches and took a few deep breaths.

“Wow,” Sunburst remarked, looking at Thorax’s handiwork. “I’ve heard about Changeling goo, but I’ve never seen it up close. That’s fascinating...”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done that,” Thorax murmured, standing up with a wince. “Forgot how much it hurts. Ow...”

Sunburst looked over Thorax’s body and raised an eyebrow. “Where did it all come from?”

“You don’t wanna know,” Thorax replied curtly, and left it at that. “Where are we, anyway?”

They both surveyed their surroundings, and instantly came to the same conclusion. “A tunnel,” Sunburst declared. “Of course it’s a tunnel. Why wouldn’t it be a tunnel?”

“Weren’t we just in the house?” Thorax wondered.

“Were we?” Sunburst muttered, looking back at the door. “I don’t know anymore. Are we just dreaming this all up?”

“If you two are dreaming this up, then you both have really messed up minds,” said a voice, and the startled Unicorn and Changeling whirled around to see Shining Armor walking towards them from one end of the tunnel. “Fields of stars, crystal claws, demented voices, monsters in the walls, and big chasms where there shouldn’t be any.”

“Shining!” Sunburst exclaimed happily. “It’s so good to see you’re okay.”

“You too, guys,” Shining smiled, putting a hoof on Sunburst’s shoulder and winking at Thorax. “Nice wings, by the way.”

“Er, thanks,” Thorax replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Where’s Flash Sentry?”

Shining frowned. “We got separated. I don’t know where he is, but if the three of us managed to regroup, chances are we’ll see him soon. He’s a tough kid, he can take a few monsters.”

“I hope you’re right, because there’s a lot more of them than us.”

Shining looked at the goo along the door and the wall and whistled. “That oughta keep them at bay for a while. Nice work.”

Thorax beamed. “Thanks.”

“Well, I guess there’s only one way to go now, assuming you explored down the other way already?” Sunburst suggested.

Shining nodded. “Nothing but stone, which is weird, because it was all crystal a few moments ago. Some funky mind magic is going on, that’s my guess.”

“I concur,” Sunburst said, looking down the tunnel. “Well, no use standing around. We’ve got a monster to take down and a Crystal Heart to save.”

The other two stallions nodded in agreement, and soon all three began their long walk down the tunnel.

Behind them, the door (and the goo) vanished, and the tunnel began to dissipate into shadow.

Flash woke up, and immediately wished he hadn’t. The pain in his right side was unbearable, and seemed to burn him from the inside. Still, he supposed he was thankful that he was alive, although he knew that any second now he would be wishing that Faust had taken him to the Great Beyond.

With great difficulty, he managed to roll onto his back to get a better look at his wound. The crossbow bolt had punched through his armor and had dug deep into his abdomen, but luckily the armor held it in place. Providing he could pack it tight enough and not put his weight too much on it, the bleeding shouldn’t be too excessive that he couldn’t continue flying.

He pulled off his helmet and detached the crest, plucking out all the feathers inside and stuffing them around the wound under his armor. He then threw the crest away and carefully leaned his face forward towards the bolt, gripping it between his teeth. Using two of his hooves to brace the bolt, he used his mouth to snap the longer shaft sticking out of his armor off, leaving the rest inside.

Then, after taking a few breaths to prepare himself for the pain to come, he flipped over again and, in one deft motion, stood up on his shaky hooves. He let out a loud grunt of pain and hissed through gritted teeth, almost falling to his knees but managing to regain his balance using his wings, which had thankfully been undamaged in the fall.

He braced himself then took a step forward, almost falling again. He extended his wings and gave them an experimental flap, and was pleased to find that it didn’t hurt as much as walking. His preferred method of travel chosen, he flapped a few more times until he was airborne, letting out a small cheer as he began to make his way to the city. Neither rain, nor hail, nor any wayward crossbow bolt could stop--

A pair of bolas suddenly came into vision, and his eyes widened as they wrapped around his legs and pulled him down again. He didn’t recall giving any of his troops bolas.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me...” he muttered as he fell to the earth once more, and prepared himself for a whole new world of pain and suffering.

A large pool of neon green slime suddenly appeared underneath him just before he hit the ground, and he bounced on it. Another glob of the stuff hit his legs, then another for his wings, and then a third for his head. It tasted worse than it smelled. Another hit his side, but thankfully, it didn’t aggravate his wound. Instead, it seemed to hold the bolt in place and provide extra packing, so he was thankful for that, he supposed.

What he wasn’t thankful for was the voices that met his ears after he landed in the goo again.

“We got one!” said one.

“Nice shots, Elucia!” added another.

“Status report, you two!” a third, more gruff voice demanded.

Flash sighed through the goo. Of course. Changelings. Because why not?

“General Pharynx, sir! We’ve captured one of the Empire’s guards. We now have a way into the Palace to enact the Queen’s plan.”

Flash struggled in the goo, but it didn’t matter. He was too well-encased in the stuff. Hoof-steps could be heard moving closer to him, and he felt a hoof moving his head from side-to-side. “This isn’t some normal guard...you two captured Captain Flash Sentry himself. I’m actually impressed,” the third voice said. “He’s wounded. Blindfold him and bring him to base, we’ll treat him there. Can’t have the food dying on us, after all.”

“But sir, the shield’s been fortified again,” the first voice argued. “We won’t be able to slip through the cracks again.”

Flash felt a very slight wave of heat wash over him, and then he heard his own voice say, “Not a problem anymore. Get to the edge of the shield, I’ll handle bringing it down.”

...Buck.

“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is?”

“It is.”

“Horseapples...”

The three stallions stared at the wall that now blocked their path. They had been walking down the tunnel for only a few minutes now, but it seemed that it didn’t go very far. A few tools and a broken lantern lay nearby, indicating that this was where the tunnel ended. But if it did, that would mean they were trapped, which didn’t make much sense considering what they had already gone through.

“Look around, maybe we’re missing something,” Shining ordered, and Thorax and Sunburst nodded. Thorax lifted his wings to illuminate the area a bit more while Sunburst studied the wall and scanned it with magic, only to shake his head in disappointment. Shining shined a light along the other walls of the tunnel, looking for a switch, button, or hidden lever of some sort. It was a long shot at best, but there had to be something.

And there was something.

“Do either of you hear that?” Thorax asked.

The two Unicorns paused and glanced at him, their ears swivelling as they listened. Sure enough, they heard a faint cracking noise. “Aw, buck, not again...” Shining muttered, before the ground below them cracked faster than thin ice and sent them falling into a hole.

The three of them screamed as they rolled, tumbled, and slid down a crystalline chute that the hole led into. After a few moments of this (as well as a tight embrace that the three of them would never speak of again), the chute opened up in a darkened room in the house and they fell out, landing in a heap on the floor.

Thorax buzzed his wings weakly and fluttered off the other two, and Shining and Sunburst untangled themselves and stood up, coughing from all the dust. “I’ll never look at Flurry’s playground slides again...” Shining muttered, rubbing his head. “Ow.”

“We’re...back in the house,” Thorax remarked, tapping the floorboards.

“But we just...we...” Sunburst said, looking up at the chute in the ceiling and then back at Thorax. “Buck it, I don’t care anymore, I just want out of this place.”

“Get in line,” Shining snarked. “Where are we, anyway?”

Welcome, gents.

Thorax’s eyes widened and he took a step back. Sunburst looked curious, while Shining groaned. Thorax glanced at both of them. “You...heard that, didn’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Fascinating...”

I’ve been expecting you for a while now. Please...make yourselves at home.

Suddenly the room lit up with brilliant light, blinding the three stallions for a moment. As their eyes readjusted, they realized they were in a large dining room, with a round table in the center with four chairs. The walls were lined with crystal, as usual, but there were also many pairs of eyes staring at them from within the walls. Then, as if on cue, the walls bulged outwards, and out stepped all the remaining crystallized Ponies. The three stallions prepared themselves for a fight, but were surprised to see the creatures ignore them completely, instead focusing on the table in the middle of the room.

And that’s when they saw it. A beautifully-carved, spiralling crystal of black and purple, not unlike the ones outside, but much smaller and infinitely more mesmerizing. For some strange reason, it seemed to remind Shining of Dragons, and he didn’t know why.

Please, it’s not polite to stare.

“This...this is it!” Sunburst exclaimed, pointing at the crystal on the table. “That’s the source of the energy transfer!”

“And the infection,” Thorax added.

A low chuckling could be heard all around them. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my friends. A moment please, there is something I must do before we carry out our discussion.

Several crystal claws latched onto the three of them, holding them in place. They grunted in protest, but the crystal monsters didn’t seem to notice or care. They stepped towards the table and bent their heads down, bowing to the crystal on the table. A purple light emanated from each of their chests, and then a stream of dark magic began to flow in the air from their chests to the crystal. When the magic touched the crystal, it began to glow brighter, and the crystals on the walls pulsed once more with light.

Then, the transfer ended, and as one, all of the crystal monsters fell to the floor, their eyes dull and their bodies limp. They were all dead. All around the dining room the crystals lining the walls, the floors, and the furniture suddenly shattered into fine dust, and spidery cracks appeared along the base of the crystal on the table. The chute above their heads vanished, and the crystals that covered the dead Ponies melted away, revealing their fur underneath, now lifeless and grey. Their Cutie Marks had disappeared, and they remained still.

The crystal claws vanished, and the mental enchantments on the house dissipated, reverting the house back to its normal condition before it became a maze of alien geometries.

My research in this area is now concluded, and I’m both pleased and impressed with the results. I wish to see more of this world, and to further my studies.

Shining glared at the crystal and gripped the sword at his side. “Are you serious?! You take control of innocents, steal the Crystal Heart’s energy, and then slaughter my troops, all in the name of ‘research’?! And now you expect us to--GAH!” Shining stamped on the floor and snorted at the crystal, his horn lighting up with a bolt spell. “Who or what are you? Why have you done this?”

I suppose you’ve earned that much, and it would change nothing. Very well, I shall tell you. I am from another world, much like this one in its own ways, although very different. I was a great leader there, destined by prophecy to annihilate my world and recreate it in ways too beautiful to describe. I was...defeated...by some purple whelp and his whore who were far too young to realize what they were doing.

“Sounds to me like they had the right idea,” Sunburst chuckled.

You speak of things you do not know. You cannot possibly know how much pain they inflicted on me, or how torturous it is to see your life’s work come crumbling down around you. My destiny was denied! The prophecy remains unfulfilled! And when they struck that final blow, the Ancestors came and trapped my soul in the vessel you now see before you, and I was sent hurtling through the Void Between. I fell through stars and universes, saw things I never even dreamed of, heard voices I hadn’t heard for millennia. I finally found myself on this world, in the field of a farmer. I was curious, so I directed him to bring me here. He was all too...willing.

“You sadist...” Shining snarled.

Perhaps, or perhaps I am willing to do what is necessary to create paradise. Either way, I became fascinated by you equines. You have within each of you the greatest concentration of the Aether Element I have ever seen, even on my own world. You do not realize the potential you all have, and it’s sickening. Given time, I could mold you all into a race worthy of the stars themselves, and yet, I am still too weak for that. I sensed your Crystal Heart and its power, and decided to extract from it what I needed to survive. And then I discovered you, Changeling.

Thorax’s eye twitched, and he took another step back.

Changelings...a fascinating race. Full of ambition and love, and yet so empty. They, too, have True Potentials that remain locked behind their hearts and souls. I am very eager to learn more of your kind...see how you work...see what you look like inside...see what makes you TICK.

Thorax shuddered, and Sunburst put a hoof on his shoulder to steady him. The Changeling was grateful that he wasn’t facing this monster alone. Despite his newfound confidence, he didn’t think he would last long against a being such as this. He didn’t want to die.

Shining sent him a concerned look, then glared back at the crystal. “So, what, you didn’t get your way, so now you want revenge?”

Always. The constant cycle of defeat, revenge, and victory is what makes the universe stay on its perpetual axis. I am always after revenge, Prince Shining Armor. Revenge against those who shunned me, against that whelp, and against all those who defy my divine will. But no, I have no wish to destroy this world. In fact, I wish to save it.

“Save it?” Sunburst asked.

I have seen its future. I have even revealed this future to one of your rulers as an act of mercy. I sense a disturbance within the life force of your planet...Harmony, is it? I sense an upheaval will happen in the future. Soon. Maybe even tomorrow. Lives will be lost. Dreams will shatter. The planet will quake with a great noise and the skies shall burn. A great rupturing of all things...

Cadance twisted and turned on her bed, trying to fall asleep, but she couldn’t. Dark, troubled thoughts filled her mind, and the bitter cold didn’t help things either. Why hadn’t the shield held the storm back? Did the magic she give to the Heart already fail?

Where was Luna? Why wouldn’t she answer her in the dreamscape? Didn’t she promise a night of peace? Where was that peace? Where was the light of love?

The sounds of crying woke her once more, and she sighed. She flipped over onto her side to glance at Flurry...

...And saw Captain Flash Sentry standing over her crib, smiling down at the foal. And yet Flurry continued to cry.

“Flash?” Cadance whispered, sitting up in the bed. “What are you--?”

Something splashed against her back, and she suddenly couldn’t feel her wings. A glob of green slime hit her in the back of her head, disabling her horn. A third shot hit her in her hind legs, immobilizing her completely. She cried out in surprise, and Flurry shrieked.

Cadance reached out for her daughter, desperation in her eyes even as the Changelings behind her covered her with more goo. Her hoof fell, as did her crown.

The last thing she saw was Flash transforming into a tall, brutish-looking Changeling with violet eyes and a red head-fin, grinning down at her with malicious intent as he gripped the screaming Flurry in his magic and pulled her out of her crib...

This world stands on the precipice of disaster. All it takes is one push in the wrong direction, and the future that was planned will be lost forever, replaced by an age of uncertainty. Tonight, that push has been made, and the dawn is fast approaching. Your precious Harmony now has a crack in its invulnerable armor, and chaos is leaking through. I can no longer see the future that was planned for you from the dawn of time. The future I now see is one of pain...pain that I can relieve, if you would let me.

Shining strode forward, his teeth gritted in a snarl. “I’ve heard enough of this. Whoever you are, you’ve just made a terrible mistake by threatening us, and you will pay for what you’ve done to my Ponies tonight.”

The voice chuckled. As I said...the cycle of revenge keeps the universe turning. Do what you must, Prince.

The crystal was suddenly encased in a pink shield, and then a magenta aura enveloped it, lifting the shield up into the air along with the crystal inside. Shining brought the crystal close and gave it a glare that would’ve melted iron. “Oh, I will. You want to see our world? I know the perfect place for you to start. Sunburst, hold this for me, will you?”

Sunburst nodded and his magic latched onto the shield surrounding the crystal, being careful not to touch the crystal itself. Shining’s horn powered up, and suddenly all three of them disappeared from the house’s dining room with a flash of white light.

They reappeared outside the city shield, where Shining then took hold of the shielded crystal once more. He lifted it up above his head and let out a maniacal laugh. “I hear Mount Everhoof is delightfully COLD this time of the millennium, thanks to chaos magic. Have a nice flight, punk!” With that, he let out a loud yell and heaved, flinging the crystal up and away, where it quickly disappeared on the horizon, falling through the darkness towards the enormous mountain that overlooked the Empire many, many miles away.

The voice laughed darkly as it faded with distance. Good show and great throw, Prince. Ten out of ten.

And then it was gone.

The three stallions stared at the mighty Mount Everhoof for several moments, saying nothing even as they were pelted by snow and ice from the blizzard. Shining finally let out a huff and lit up his horn once more, and with another flash of light, they found themselves standing at the Palace courtyard.

“So...” Thorax began. “Do you think we’ll see him again?”

“Too soon, my dude,” Shining muttered darkly. “But if we do, I’ll make sure he breaks this time. I aimed for the sharpest cliff-face I could see.”

“He was right about one thing, though,” Sunburst said. When the other two gave him curious looks, he readjusted his glasses and chuckled. “It was a good throw.”

Thorax snorted with laughter and Shining grinned. “Agreed,” he said, patting Sunburst on the shoulder. Then he yawned. “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I could use some rest.”

“Same here...” Thorax murmured, already walking to the Palace gates.

“Wait,” Sunburst called to them. “What about Flash?”

Shining paused and then lifted up his right forehoof, tapping the crystal on his fetlock. “Flash, you there?”

”Go ahead, sir.”

Shining smirked. “Glad to hear your voice, pal. Listen, Sunburst, Thorax, and I are back at the Palace. We managed to clear out whatever was causing that crystal infestation at the Crop Duster plantation. We...we lost everypony else, though. We’ll set up a memorial service tomorrow. Right now, we need rest. Understood?”

There was a long pause before Flash replied, ”Yes sir. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help to you.”

“No problem, pal,” Shining said. “Out.”

Shining let his hoof drop. “Well, all’s well that ends well, as they say. Let’s get some sleep.”

Sunburst and Thorax nodded, and the three of them entered the Palace.

Thorax’s eyes flung open when he heard loud knocking on his door. He sat up quickly from his bed and rushed to the door, flinging it open. “Sunburst, what--?”

A pair of saddlebags flew at his face, and he caught them with his forehooves. Sunburst pushed him back into the room and closed and bolted the door shut, fear in his eyes. “We don’t have much time to talk, put those on and get out of here!” he whisper-shouted.

Thorax stared at him. “What’s going on?”

“Changelings!” Sunburst hissed. “They’ve taken over the Empire. Flash, Cadance, Flurry Heart, and now Shining have all been replaced. I don’t know how many guards have been taken already, but you need to get out of here. They know you’re here! They’re hunting for you!”

Oh brother, where art thou?

Come on out, little brother...

He’s in the northwest tower!

I see him!

Traitor!

Thorax’s eyes widened and he flung the saddlebags over his back, his wings already buzzing in preparation for a long flight. “Where should I--?”

Sunburst pushed him towards the window and opened it. “Go to Ponyville and contact Princess Twilight. She’ll know what to do.”

Something large slammed against the door, then again, and then a third time. The bolt on the door gave way and four large, heavily-armored Changelings charged in, swinging halberds.

“GO!!” Sunbust screamed, practically throwing Thorax out of the window just as he was dog-piled by the Changelings.

Thorax didn’t even look back as he soared through the air, flapping his wings as hard and as fast as he could to get away from the Palace. Two Changelings were in pursuit, and one threw a bola that just barely missed him. The second shot a crossbow bolt at his wings, which he managed to dodge, although the bolt whizzed past his ear. It was far too close for comfort.

Tears stung in his eyes. He thought about Sunburst, about Shining, Cadance, and little Flurry Heart, and how they were in trouble. They were his friends, and he was running away, just like he always did. He was a coward...

No! He was not running, he was getting help. He had to reach Ponyville. He had to fix this! He would fix this! They were counting on him. The entire Crystal Empire was counting on him, and he would not fail them.

With a surge of energy, he pushed himself and flew. His new wings glowed green, and he felt himself being propelled forwards at speeds he never thought he would ever reach in his life. The pursuing Changelings fell away and retreated back to the Crystal Empire in disgrace, and Thorax vanished over the southern horizon.

Pharynx placed the last of the four scarab stones on the table, activating the communication field. The stones opened, and green magic surged out, connecting with the other stones on the table in a square. All four stones then hovered over the table and connected into one stone, revealing a green orb tinged with black. An image began to appear within the orb, and Pharynx knelt on the floor. Behind him, twenty Changeling elites followed his example.

The image of their all-powerful Queen appeared in the orb, and she smirked. “Pharynx, my prized general. I assume the takeover has gone smoothly?”

“Without difficulty, my Queen,” Pharynx reported, lifting his head up and smiling. “Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor, and their spawn have all been placed in pods. They are already on their way to the Hive.”

“Excellent work, Pharynx. The other two outposts near Canterlot and Ponyville have already reported in, both with success. Tonight, Equestria has fallen at last. We have won.”

The Changelings behind Pharynx stamped their hooves and buzzed their wings in approval. Pharynx’s smile grew wider. “What are your instructions, Your Majesty? Command us!”

“Have your elites continue to replace the senior Palace staff. Once that’s done, report back to me. Tonight we feast!”

Pharynx looked back at his troops and nodded, and each Changeling hurried out of the throne room, eager to do their Queen’s bidding. As Pharynx rose to follow them, Chrysalis stopped him. “Pharynx, I sense you’re troubled. Tell me, what is it?”

Pharynx hesitated and rubbed his forehooves together. “It’s...Thorax, Your Majesty. He was here. He was always here.”

Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed. “You caught him, I trust?”

Pharynx couldn’t bear to look at her in the eye.

“You let him escape?!”

“He was too fast,” Pharynx quickly said. “His wings...they glowed, and then he was gone. The elites that almost had him in their grasp were astonished. They--” He suddenly winced, as the pressure in his mind grew immensely. He trembled, and then fell to his knees and clutched his head in pain.

“The best troops, the finest general, the greatest plan, and you couldn’t capture one miserable Changeling!” Chrysalis roared as her Hivemind connection tore into his mind with increasing ferocity. “Your little brother, no less!”

“He will be caught!” Pharynx cried as he writhed on the ground. “I swear it! It will never happen again! His life is mine, and when I see him, he’ll be yours once again. This I swear to you, or you may kill me!”

The pressure on his mind was released, and he fell forward, gasping. Chrysalis gave him a vicious grin. “Your Queen would appreciate that mightily. Very well, Pharynx, one more chance. Do not fail me again.”

Pharynx stood up, just as the image faded and the stones returned to normal. He brushed himself off and hissed bitterly at where the orb once hovered before turning around and leaving the room, donning his Flash Sentry disguise as he went. “I never once failed you, my Queen.”