The Last Alicorn

I start by going home to the Crystal Empire. Due to the fact that Mom told me to charge the map orb with energy from the crystal heart, I need it working in order to find the students. The shield is still holding strong and the empire has not been conquered. Since night is falling, nobody sees me go to the heart. I hold the orb close to the heart and it begins to glow as the energy charges it.

After it is fully charged, I spot a store to my left that has not closed its doors yet. I walk over and buy a few things I will need for my quest. These include a fire starter, a sleeping bag, ingredients for a few small meals, and a special crystal that acts as a flashlight. The clerk knows who I am in a flash because she recognizes my eyes. I make her swear that she will not say she saw me and she promises to keep it a secret that I am still alive. She also gives me a gas mask free of charge in case I must go through an area where toxins would be present.

I leave the shop, and then go to the palace where I find a backpack in my bedroom. A note on this backpack tells me it contains the gear that Mom has left for me. I put the backpack on and then slip out into the wilderness. After making camp in another cave in the Crystal Mountains, I look at the map and see a blue arrow that shows my location and which direction I am facing. I also notice five gold dots that have appeared around Equestria. When I touch each one with a hoof, the name of one of Twilight's students appears next to it. This is a HUGE advantage to me because now I know where the students are and which one is at which location.

The locations are as follows:

• Yona has dug a cave in the Galloping Gorge and hidden herself there.
• Gallus is in the caverns under Aunt Twilight's Friendship School.
• Ocellus is in an overgrown cave thirty miles east of the Badlands.
• Silverstream is in an underwater cave on the floor of the Celestial Sea.
• Smolder has hidden herself in a cavern that she dug in a dormant volcano twelve miles south of the Dragon Lands.

Among the gear that Mom left for me is a suit of armor that is designed to allow the wearer to breathe underwater as if they had gills. This is a big help since I will not need to worry about running out of air. My bow is also with the weapons, along with the arrows I made. There is also a crystal-powered rifle that includes a laser-sighted scope, along with a second set of armor. This second suit of armor is made to withstand extreme temperatures. I quickly put this suit of armor on and begin feeling warmer than I was with the coat and boots. This suit is designed to keep me warm in cold climates and keep me cool in hot environments. The last two things I have are a belt of energy reservoir crystals for storing reserves of my magic and a small set of cooking equipment for prepping my meals.

I am now ready to begin my quest to find everyone and end the war.