My Little Pony: A New Generation: After the Rainbow Fades

Chapters

Some things are Never Truly Gone
The Lost History
Hidden Secrets and Pursuit

Some things are Never Truly Gone

Sunny Starscout and her friends: Hitch Trailblazer, Izzy Moonbow, Pipp Petals, and Zipp Storm have united the 3 pony races and have brought magic back. A beautiful Aurora borealis-like rainbow covered the sky. Shining down on unity that has not existed in Equestria for thousands of years. The day came to a close and the sky darkened; signaling the approaching night. Sunny's transparent wings and horns also disappeared.

"We definitely have to hang out tomorrow," Sunny said as she hugged Izzy.

"Oh, absolutely!" The unicorn smiled As Zipp, Pipp, and Hitch looked on. With a final hug, Sunny waved her friends, minus Hitch goodbye. She sighed as she began walking back to her home before realizing...

"Oh, Hitch?" She turned to her stallion friend. "Where am I going to stay?"

Hitch's eyes widened. "Oh, you can stay with me."

"Aww, thanks, Hitch."

"No problem. What are friends for?"

Sunny smiled and both walked to the Sheriff's home. On the way, Hitch noticed that Sunny seemed...not so sunny.

"Is it because of your house?"

"Huh?" She looked up at her friend. "What is?"

"You looked sad."

"Well...yes, it is my house."

"It's all Sprout's fault," Hitch said with anger.

"No, no, no, it's not his fault."

"How? He's the one who built that Sproutic...whatever thing that destroyed it."

"Yeah, but he meant well...in a way. He just let the power go to his head."

Hitch sighed. "I guess you're right, but he needs a punishment."

"Naturally."

"I need to talk with him in the morning. And about your house, we can fix it. Now that we've got the unicorns and pegasi on our side, construction will definitely be easier." He saw his friend grow a big smile on her muzzle; a stark contrast from just a minute ago. "Oh, now you're smiling." He smirked.

"Well, I just can't believe it. We finally brought magic and united all ponies."

"Looks like all those stories your dad told you were true."

Sunny's eyes lighted up as she almost gasped. "That must mean that some of those ponies from back then could be alive."

"Ooh, I doubt that."

"Oh, right, it's has been a really long time since then." She said with a hint of sadness.

"But other things could still be around: like kingdoms, magical artifacts, dragons, and, and!"

"Woah, slow down. We can worry about that in the morning, but for now, we need sleep."

Sunny took a deep breath. "You're right."

The pair arrived at the stallion's house and Sunny went to sleep in a guest bedroom. She got under the covers and again smiled at the fact that she fulfilled the wish that she promised her father all those years ago. But there was still a burning question in her mind. "How did all this happen anyway?"

——————————————————————————————————————

The cool, dark night brought along a full moon to illuminate the world that was full of harmony that had not existed in millennials. But not all was as peaceful...

A large cave lay in the middle of a dark forest. The cave appeared empty, but not for long as a figure approached it. The creature was quadrupedal like the ponies, but this was not a pony. Dark azure hoofs trotted through the ground; not caring for grass, flowers, and other things that were unfortunately crushed underneath. Woodland critters fled from this creature. Out of this being's mouth came a loud, cold breath that almost sounded like the growling of a vicious predator. It entered the cave and seemed not to care for the darkness that would at least worry anyone else. It approached a makeshift table carved from the stone. On top of the table was an orange orb with a black marking, resembling a goat's eye. The figure placed its two front hoofs on the table. It, at last, opened its mouth. "It has failed." The voice spoke in a harsh tone. "Thousands of years of planning and scheming, only to be usurped in an instant." His very voice sounded like the winds of hell were trapped inside him. "You are a naive one, Starscout." Abruptly, a furry of black and yellow wind started spiraling around the cave like a mini tornado: creating a loud and harsh 'swoosh' noise. The figure spook again, this time with a cold echo behind his words. "And is the wrath of the Ram not so easily dismissed, Starscout! Care you so little for your own life that!...that!...that!..." He stopped as his voice and the wind ceased. He chuckled, quietly even though there was no point in lowering his voice so much. The orb lit up and flange images like a screen. Almost as if it was a phone being scrolled through, the being looked. Finally, the orb stopped at one image. The image was that of a frozen landscape with towering mountains and a large yellow dome. "Ignorant." He mumbled. "So...you really want answers, Starscout?" He finished with a smirk covering his face.

——————————————————————————————————————

The next morning, Hitch awoke to the early morning sun. Being a sheriff, he has grown accustomed to waking up early. He rubbed his eyes and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead. He looked at himself in the mirror. "How are unicorns and pegasi gonna affect the law?" After washing up, he exited the bathroom and headed to the living room. He yawned as he went to grab a small snack before going to work. He almost jumped when he saw Sunny sitting at the kitchen counter. "Sunny! What are you doing up so early?"

"You know I was always an early bird. Remember when we were foals that I use to come over early in the morning and woke you up to play?"

"Oh, yeah. I remember. I guess you were unintentionally preparing me for when I got my job."

"Well, I am called " Sunny" for a reason."
Both laughed.

"Well I have to go out on duty, what about you?"

"I think I'm gonna take it easy for a few days to rest.

"Yep. It's been an interesting past 4 days." Hitch appeared to be thinking about something before shaking his head. "Anyways, I'm off."

"Wait I packed you a breakfast." She handed him a brown bag.

'Oh, thanks, anyhow, bye Sunny!"

"Bye Hitch!"

The stallion left the house; leaving the mare alone. Sunny pulled out the picture of her and her dad. Even though it had been broken during the incident with Sprout yesterday, she used the early morning to fix it and it was now as good as new. "Do you see, dad? I finally did it; I brought harmony between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi." She smiled, warmly. "And magic is back." Her smile disappeared as she stroked the picture. "If only you could see it..." Although on the outside she painted a cheery and, well, sunny personality, deep down, she still mourned the loss of her father. She barely knew her mother as she was gone too. "But...what caused it all?" This was a question that had been plaguing her mind since last night. Somehow in all the years, she worked to unite the three pony tribes, she never wondered why they were divided in the first place. With a heavy sigh, she placed the picture frame on the counter and stood up. "Well, I'm not gonna find the answers by sitting here." She walked out of her friend's house. As she stepped outside, her eyes caught something shining in the bright sun. There was a crystal lying on the grass. This was not like the crystals that Sunny and her friends collected to unite Equestria, this was black and very pointy. She picked it up and examine it. There was a strange force that went off from it. As she turned it around, there was a message written on the crystal.

To find the morse you seek, travel fourth to the frozen north.

She was puzzled at the riddle. "Frozen North? Frozen North?" It sounded so familiar. She rushed back inside. She rummaged through some of the belongings that were in her lighthouse that she brought over last night. There was a large book. It looked a bit worn out but her father must've had some way to keep it in mildly good condition for so long. The book had three crystals on the cover and read

History of the Crystal Empire.

She flipped it open and scanned the pages. The mare paused as she got to a certain page. Her eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh, my stars." She packed the book in her bag and ran out again.

The Lost History

Sunny raced out to her town of Maretime Bay. If it wasn't for her rush, she would've stopped and admired. Her hard work from yesterday had paid off. Unicorns and Pegasi could now be seen in the previously earth pony-only town. Food shops were being revised to include pegasi and unicorn treats, and talk of upgrading clothing shops to include hats or dresses with holes for horns and wings was talked about. It was all happening so quickly. Of course, it wasn't without problems as some earth ponies had paranoia of Pegasi flowing overhead and swooping off with them. Some were still paranoid of unicorns blasting them with a magic laser or impaling them with their sharp tip. Social fears don't disappear overnight. Sunny knew this but at least they were many steps closer to that dream she and her dad shared. The dream that was ancient Equestria...
She was about to walk past a library until her eyes caught sight of somepony inside. She opened the doors and entered.

"Now, Suger cube, we talked about this: you need to do something to make up for the mess you made yesterday." Phyllis Cloverleaf said to her son.

"But mommy, do I really have to read to a much of foals? And such a ridiculous story, nonetheless?"

"Now son remember that Hitch let you off easy; being his friend and all. You're lucky he didn't lock you up."

"Fine." Sprout pouted and approached a sitting group of foals.

"Hey, Mrs. Cloverleaf!" Sunny approached.

"Ah, Sunny! The heroine of ponykind!" Sunny chuckled.

"What is that title?"

"A fitting one of course. I know we haven't always had the...best relationship, but you showed me I was wrong and I..." Phyllis let her head down as if it seemed she was struggling to say something.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Clover leaf?"

"It's just that...I'm really sorry for what I said to you and your father."

Sunny's ears dropped in sadness. "You may still be around for me to apologize but...old Argyle..."

Sunny placed her hoof on the older mare's shoulder. "It's okay, if he was still around, he would accept your apology. He always told me that no matter what you said to him, he never hated you or the other ponies of Maretime Bay; just hoped they would come around."

"Well...we have or at least trying to." Phyllis smiled a bit. "Speaking of which...she turned to look somewhere. Sunny filled her gaze to see her son, Sprout. The red earth pony was reading a book to a group of fillies and colts seated on a rug on the floor.

"Burnferno was a legendary dragon hero who..." His voice read with obvious disinterest.

"I had him do a couple of community service jobs; reading to the foals at the library, cleaning litter, that sort of thing. As for me, I'm currently trying to get the payments for the repair of your home."

"Well, it's good that he's doing something to make up for what happened." Sunny looked at him for a few seconds. Before approaching him.

"Alright, class: lunch break!" An older Mare that seemed to be a teacher said to the young ponies who excitedly ran off. Sprout put the book down and sat back while closing his eyes.

"Hey, Sprout." He sat up upon hearing Sunny's voice and then sulked down to look at the ground.

"Oh...hey...S-Sunny..." He said, quietly.

"How are you doing?" She smiled.

"As well as I can be..." He sighed.

"Listen, Sprout...I'm sorry you have to do all this..."

"No, I'm sorry. I was the one who ran amok with that machine yesterday and destroyed your home."

"It's alright..." Sunny looked down at the ground and rubbed her hoof.

"You're really forgiving." Said, Sprout.

"There's no use in lingering with anger when a peaceful solution can be found."

"Whoa, where'd you get that from?" Sprout was amazed at the wisdom.

"I...I don't know...I feel like I heard it somewhere before, but I can't remember where..."

"Huh..."

"So anyway," Sunny tried to change the topic. "What's gonna happen with your job as deputy?"

"Hitch and my mom said that I'm fired temporarily until I can redeem myself."

"I'm sure you will soon. Because no matter what you did, you were always my friend." She placed a hoof on his shoulder. Sprout gave a small smile but it was clear it would take some time before he would be happy again. Sunny left the stallion to himself as she approached Phyllis again. "By the way, Mrs. Cloverleaf, what are you going to do with the Canterlogic facility?"

"I honestly don't know..."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find a use for it eventually."

"Hopefully so." She looked down at a watch around her hoof. "Ooh, I have to go, see you around Sunny!" She left. Sunny waved at her until she left as well.

The young mare walked to the sheriff's station to share the strange crystal she found. She arrived and saw Hitch sitting at his desk while eating the breakfast she packed for him. "Sunny? I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Yeah, funny story. After you left, I found something and I want to show it."

"Alright but be quick, I have to head out soon." As Sunny reached into her by to pull the crystal out, her ears perked up when she heard a trotting sound on the stone streets outside. It was loud and quick as if somepony was running. She only had time to look at the front doors before she was tackled to the floor by something. Hitch stood up and jumped over to defend his friend in response. To both of the earth pony's surprises, it was Izzy. The excitable unicorn hugged her friend and then hugged Hitch.

"Sunny! Hitch!" She squealed.

"Izzy!" Both earth ponies exclaimed but with Hitch being a bit muffled.

"It's been forever since we saw each other!"

"Forever? We saw each other yesterday." Said, Hitch.

"And that was like 24 hours, that's so long!"

Both earth ponies laughed. "Oh, Izzy." They said in unison.

"I never really has friends before and now I do! There's so much I want to do! Like, have a picnic or a tea party with that set that I made, oh! And I always wanted to throw a party somewhere with confetti and streamers, and party horns! And-"

"Okay, we'll have time for all of that now that we don't have to travel across Equestria to unite everpony." Said, Hitch.

"Speaking of friends, are Zipp and Pipp coming?" Sunny asked with Hitch appearing to perk up upon hearing Pipp's name.

"I don't know. We don't have a way to communicate with each other. Pipp was saying on the way yesterday that she could buy us those cell phones that she loves so much."

"That'd be great!' Smiled Sunny.

"So what do we do now?" Asked Izzy.

"Well, I could go for a bagel and some tea at the cafe."

"Ooh! I'd love that! What about you Hitch?"

"Sorry, fillies, I'd love two but duty never sleeps so I have to head out now. But I'll be seeing you around town and maybe it'll pass my time until our pegsi friends get here."

"Alright then, Hitch."

"Wait didn't you say you wanted to show me something?"

"Uhh, I think I'll wait until we're all together."

"Well, if you say so."
And with that, the stallion headed out the doors and onto the street.

Later...

Both mares sat at a cafe table; sipping tea and eating bagels or in Izzy's case, donuts.
"So, Izzy, how has the magic been to you?"

"Oh, it's been great! I can levitate stuff now and I can unicycle when faster and better than before!"

"Can you blast a magic laser?'

" I don't think so, I mean, I never tried."

"We've only reached the tip of magic potential. Some of my dad's old books say so many incredible things ponies did with magic back then. Like a unicorn named Twilight used a spell that made everyone go crazy or another unicorn who traveled through time or another unicorn with a broken horn who could make fireworks, and-" she stopped when she noticed Izzy giggling at a donut that was around her horn. Sunny laughed at her friend's innocence. Their attention was brought to the sky where they noticed the silhouettes of two very familiar pegsi flying towards them. One of them was considerably smoother and faster than the other.

"Zipp, Pipp!" They exclaimed as both pegsi sisters landed and embraced their friends.

"It's so good to see you gals again." Said Zipp.

"Heh, you all keep saying it like it's been forever since we saw each other." Laughed Sunny.

"Well, it's such a big change to go from fearing earth ponies and unicorns to suddenly befriending them."

"You got a point there."

"Oh, this calls for a selfie!" Pipp pulled the other close to her as she snapped a picture with her phone. Zipp groaned in annoyance but forced a smile, nonetheless. "Aw, we all look great!" She sang slightly.

"Speaking of which, did you get us some cell phones?" Asked Izzy.

"Oh, yeah!" She reached into a pink saddlebag that she carried and pulled out 3 phones. She handed Sunny one with an orange case with lavender highlights, her cutie mark on the back, and some purple stars. She then handed Izzy one that was purple and blue highlights and her cutie mark alongside some weird gadgets on it.

"Aw, they look great!" Complement Sunny."

"Yeah!...but how do we use them?" Asked Izzy.

"Oh, you two will have plenty to learn." Said Pipp.

"And you'll be hearing a lot especially from her." Said, Zipp sarcastically.

The third phone in Pipp's hoof was amber colored with aquamarine highlights and a sheriff cutie mark with some small cute animals symboled on it. "Where's Hitch?" She asked.

"He's off on duty, he'll be back soon."

"That later just became a now." A familiar voice caught their attention. Hitch stood smugly just a little distance away.

"Hitch!" Pipp ran up to him and hugged him.

"Woah, okay, what's all the excitement about?"

"Oh, it's just that I really wanted to see you again!"

"Heh, me too, Pipp." Both ponies stared at each other for a few seconds until they were interrupted by Zipp clearing her throat.

"Good day, sheriff."

"Morning, Zipp!" Hitch greeted back.

"Well, sis, aren't you gonna give him his gift?"

"My what?"

"Oh, right!" She handed the phone to him.

"Oh, wow, you actually got us these?"

"Yeah..." Pipp giggled as she stared at him, shyly.

"Hey love birds, get over here!" Zipp called them over. Pipp gave her a death glare as a bright pink blush tainted her cheeks.

"So, now that you're all here, I can you this/" she pulled out the dark crystal from her bag.

"Ooh, a crystal!" Izzy exclaimed but her happiness was cut short when she saw its look. "Ooh..it looks creepy..."

"Woah, it looks rad!" Zipp inspected it. "Where'd you get it?"

"It was right outside Hitch's house. I just went outside and there it was."

"Really? I didn't see anything."

"Well, It's the truth."

"It says something." Said Zipp as she turned it around. "To find the morse you seek, travel forth to the Frozen North."

"What's morse?" Asked Izzy.

"It means signal."

"Frozen North?" Zipp raised an eyebrow and Pipp simply snapped a picture.

"Check it out, Pipsqueaks, my new friend, Sunny Starscout just found this creepy-looking crystal with a written message. Could it be a relic from Equestria's ancient history and what does it mean?" She talked to her phone.

Zipp rolled her eyes and looked back at Sunny. "As I was saying: what is the " Frozen North.'?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sunny reached again into the bag and pulled out the large book she read earlier.

"History of the Crystal Empire?" Hitch read the title.

"It's so cool! It tells the tale of a huge empire made out of crystals."

"Whoa, who could have guessed an empire called the Crystal Empire would be made out of crystals?" Izzy joked.

"Anyways, it tells all about its history like its creation, its rulers, the time an evil unicorn king took over it,"

"Wait what?" Asked Hitch.

"Yeah, it's crazy! But it says that it was located at the Frozen North, near the Crystal Mountains."

"Crystal Mountains? I think I heard that before..." Zipp rubbed her chin with her hoof.

"Where?"

"I...don't know..."

"I think I remember hearing it, too." Added Pipp. "But it felt like a blur from so long ago."

"Maybe we should ask mom?" Suggested Zipp.

——————————————————————————————————————

The 5 ponies arrived at Zephyr Heights; the pegasus city, though perhaps it shouldn't be called that anymore as earth ponies and pegsi now began visiting as well. Lots of activity was in the air; both figuratively and literally. Important figures from the 3 tribes debated about the new laws and regulations about integrating the 3 tribes, and talk of creating magic and flight schools was also a common subject. Sunny, Hitch, and Izzy all gasped as they and awed at the city. They didn't get to enjoy it much the first time they came here because they were being escorted by two guards, but now they were free to admire it all they wanted. ''So I snuck Into a costume store and stole myself a pair of fake wings and a mustache and that's how I snuck into Zephyr Heights.'' Hitch finished explaining his tale.

''So you stole?'' Zipp raised an eyebrow.

''I wouldn't call it stealing. I just took something that didn't belong to me and I never returned it.''

''But that is stealing.''

"I guess you could call it that even though it's inaccurate." He said as Pipp giggled.

"Well, whatever it is, I don't think you wanna let the other pegsi hear about it. It wouldn't make a good impression on us." Said, Sunny.

"Wait, where'd Izzy go?" Said Hitch as he was facing Sunny.

"She's right-" Sunny turns to look to her left only to notice that her unicorn friend was not there. "Oh no..."

The group of two earth ponies and two pegsi ran around the city looking for Izzy. They screamed her name and asked other ponies if they'd seen a purple unicorn with a blue mane and a very excitable personality. Then they arrived at a candy store. "Yeah, I saw that very elated unicorn. If it wasn't for her size, I would have mistaken her for a foal." The cashier, a pegasus mare finally gave them a lead.

"Did you see where she went?" Asked Sunny.

"Well after I talked that rascal down from clearing an entire wall of candy, she took her a smaller amount, paid, and ran down to a party store.

"Where's that at?"

"Just across the way." She pointed out the window at a colorful building decorated with bright colors, balloons, pinatas, and glitter.

"Alright, thank you." Sunny thanked the mare as they ran out towards the part store. Once inside, the cashier told them that Izzy had bought a large amount of glitter and ran off down the street. The group ran down said street until they noticed a group of ones huddled around something. They approached. With the presence of Princesses Zipp and Pipp, the crowd cleared slightly for them and they saw what they were looking at. Izzy was on a small stage with a microphone in her hoof and a mane and tail covered in glitter. She spoke into the microphone. "Okay, so did you know that not everything that glitters is gold? For example, glitter." The ground chuckled slightly. "Okay, how about this: a little filly makes a card for their mom with glitter and glue but the mom says: " sorry, but I prefer my cards glue-ten free." This finally caused the crowd to burst out. Sunny approached her.

"Izzy, you've gotten yourself in a big mess." She noted the glitter on her.

"Well, I guess you could call me a glitter-corn." The crowd laughed again. Sunny noticed that whenever the crowd laughed at Izzy's jokes, Izzy's cutie mark glowed...

"Well this is fun and all, Izzy, but we have to leave."

"Aww, alright." She looked at the crowd. "Sorry folks but the show is over!" The ponies in the crowd signed and groaned in disappointment, especially the foals. "But I'll come back soon!" Their spirits were lifted slightly as Sunny dragged her away from the stage.

"What was that all about?" Asked Hitch.

"I always wanted to tell my jokes to their ponies but the unicorns at Bridlewood were always so grumpy, but now ponies actually laugh!"

"Well, it's nice that you make ponies laugh, but we have to leave."

"Alright then!"

The group departed. They were getting closer and closer to the castle. Sunny's mind wandered at the image of Izzy's cutie mark glowing. Cutie marks were always very confusing for her. Even though there was no magic, on the day she got her's it flashed on her flank and appeared there. It definitely seemed like magic. She theorized and thought long about it and came to the conclusion that cutie marks are a remnant of ponies' magic that never left them. That made her think: was all magic truly gone? Whatever the answer to that question she asked long ago, it didn't answer this question.

"Hey, Izzy?"

"Yeah?"

"What was that deal with your cutie mark?"

"Whaddaya mean?" She asked as she started at said mark.

"When those ponies were laughing at your jokes, it was glowing."

"Glowing? I didn't see anything about that and I'm a very observant pony." Sunny's eyes furrowed at this. She was brought back to reality by Izzy and Hitch's reactions to the castle. She shook her head and paid attention to what was going on. The group of five ponies walked through the castle. Again, Sunny, Izzy, and Hitch didn't get to enjoy the scenery their first time here but now they were constantly gazing and admiring the beauty of it. Pipp and Zipp of course didn't give any sort of reaction seeing as how this was their home and they knew it like the back of their hooves. They entered the throne room and we were surprised to see a familiar unicorn.

"Aplhabittle?!" Exclaimed Izzy.

"Hey, if it isn't the Gifters of Magic!" The large unicorn stallion announced as the group came in.

"What's with all these titles?" Sunny laughed.

"Hey, you guys became a legend literally overnight. You bettered all our lives!'

"Though I'm afraid 'bettered' isn't the only word we can use to describe us." Said Queen Haven who stood across Alphabittle.

"Why mom? I thought you liked us being united and with magic back?" Said Zipp as she approached her mom.

"Oh, I do! It's just the deal with establishing International laws and creating a bilateral between us. You young ones probably don't think about that sort of thing but as the one ruling a kingdom, I do. Though I suppose not many ponies would realize I rule when I don't have a crown." She reached to touch the top of her now crown-less head.

"Yeah...sorry about that, your majesty," Sunny said embarrassed as her ears drooped.

"Oh, it's alright, dear. The accomplishments you made because of it more than make up for it. Besides, I'm getting a new one."

"Yeah, so even though you stole my crystal and ruined my perfect win streak, it was for a better cause."

"Oh, well, thank you both! Oh and by the way, how have the unicorns been?"

"Much better now with magic." Alphabittle smiled. Now they don't look so sad anymore and they're more willing to challenge me, even though they still lose."

"...Oh, well that's nice. Have you been using your magic?"

"Oh, yeah, especially me. I use to hear how unicorns use to be able to teleport and now I want to try that. Though I'm not having much luck currently."

"I'm sure you'll get there. With enough practice, you can accomplish almost anything."

"That's true. Even we pegsi are still struggling with flying but as time goes on, we'll soon be the masters of the skies!" Said Zipp.

"That's even the case with smaller things like my singing. When I first started out, I sounded pretty terrible, but now I'm a sensation!" Chuckled Pipp.

"Even for my unicycling!"

"Eh, I'm never had to improve on anything. I've always been this great." Hitch smirked but then he saw all the other ponies in the room giving him the 'really?' look. "Alright. I've had to improve this body of mine and keep the peace along with other things."

"Well, anyway..." Queen Haven turned back to her daughters. "Why did you come back here?"

"Oh, well Sunny wanted to know about this." Said Zipp and on cue, Sunny pulled out the crystal. Both Haven's and Alphabittle's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in curiosity and confusion.

"Is that a crystal?" Asked the queen.

"Not like any crystal I've ever seen and believe me, I've seen plenty." Said Alphabittle.

"Yes, but not just that." Sunny turns the crystal around to present them with the side that had the message carved into it. Both adult ponies came closer to get a better look. They both had looks of confusion but Haven's face took on a look of realization.

'Frozen North?" Haven muttered as she looked at the ground awkwardly. "Zipp, Pipp?"

"Yeah, mom?"

"I...I think it's time I told you girls about...about...your father..."

Hidden Secrets and Pursuit

"What?!" Both pegsi sisters yelled in unison. Alphabittle winced at their loud voices. He was used to the quiet forest of Bridlewood and this was quite the contrast. "Dad?!"

"Well, it's about time! Why didn't you tell us sooner?! I was starting to doubt that he was even real!" Pipp squealed.

"Alright, settle down, girls." Haven tried calming her daughters down by motioning her hoof down. "If you manage to compose both of yourselves, I'll explain everything."

"Hey, why'd bring him up when I showed this crystal." Questioned Sunny.

"Is there dad a crystal or did he make the crystal?" Asked Izzy.

"As I said, I'll explain everything, but first, I want to show you."

Meanwhile...
Sprout opened the door of Hitch and (currently) Sunny's house. "Hey have you-" he stopped when he noticed it was empty. "Aww crude, they ran off on another adventure." He said with a moving voice. He was about to turn around and leave when he heard a strange noise. His ears twitched to get a better hearing of it. It sounded like...whispering. Sprout's curiosity got the better of him and he walked towards it. The sound seemed to be coming from the guest room Sunny occupied. He slowly created down the hall; careful not to make too much noise. This reminded him of when he would sneak into the kitchen to get a snack without his mom finding out. But that was long ago when he was a colt and now he was a stallion and this seemed much more unnerving. He was in a 3-way battle with his flight, fight, and curiosity. He reached the doorway of the room and peeked inside. What he saw puzzled him. On a table that housed some of Sunny's belongings, he saw a strange black mist. He approached it, cautiously. There sat a green bell. It was the source of the black mist as well as the whispering. He couldn't make out what it was saying, but it was definitely there and he was uneasy about it. His fur stood on end as he shook slightly in fear. "Was returning magic really such a good idea?" Despite his fear, his curiosity got the better of him and he slowly began to reach out to the bell with his hoof. Just as the tip of his hoof touched the bell, a powerful blast of air shot at him and knocked him to the ground. It was almost as if a mighty force had hit him. "CHEVALIER...FULFILL WHAT YOUR DESTINY DICTATES" His mind flashed with images inside his head. Once it was over, he panicked and ran outside. The black mist and whispering continued on the bell. "CEASE THIS FUTILE STRUGGLE"
——————————————————————————————————————

Queen Haven guided the group of her daughters, their friends, and Alphabittle down a hallway that led to her bedroom. She opened and gestured for them all to go inside. "Uh, isn't it a little improper to enter the queen's room, just like that?"

"I invite you in and besides, you've stolen my crown so I'd say this is tame by comparison." So with her permission, they entered. A member of the castle staff walked by just in time to see the Queen guiding Alphabittle inside. Queen Haven looked at her and blushed. "Don't get the wrong idea!"
She entered at last and closed the door.

"Who were you talking to?" Asked Alphabittle.

"Nopony! Now come along!" She approached the wall beside her bed and touched a part of it that had a blue stain paint stain on it. She then pressed it and the wall opened to reveal a passageway. All the ponies gasped.

"Now I know why you didn't want the painters to get rid of that stain." Understood Pipp.

"You're only beginning to understand these secrets. I'm ashamed to admit that being not be to fly wasn't the only thing I kept secret. Her ears dropped as she had a dejected look on her face. The others were all so caught up in the reveal that just opened up in front of them that the only one who noticed this was Zipp. Haven led the group down the passageway except it was darker. "This definitely wasn't what I expected." Sunny quipped.

They eventually arrived at a door that looked quite heavily secured. There was a code that had to be entered on a small keypad. "How long has this been here?" Asked Zipp.

"HOW has this been here?" Also asked Pipp.

"Girls, just wait..." Haven stared at the keypad and thought about what she would put in. She took a deep breath and began to type it in. "B-E-L-L-F-L-O-W-E-R." The keypad beeped with a green light and the door opened. Once the door opened it revealed a small room with shelves of books and a small table with chairs in the center.

"A library?!" Both Zipp and Sunny gleamed at the sight. Zipp loved doing research and books were usually a source of that, so naturally, she developed an appeal for them. Sunny of course was similar.

"Oh, no..." Pipp and Hitch sighed.

"I never would've expected Zipp to like books this much." Said Hitch as he saw both mares head into the library first.

"She likes them way more than you think. Before we got magic back, she tried finding other ways for us to fly by reading about aerodynamics or whatever it was." She mentality patted herself on the back for remembering that word even though she fell asleep in the classes that taught her that back in school.

"This is incredible! Most of these books are probably thousands of years old!" Sunny examined. She felt like she had just uncovered a treasure. Zipp likewise was examining the books but she neared her nose a bit too close to the dust-covered books. She sneezed which made the other ponies laugh.

"Sorry for the condition of this place. Most of the servants don't even know about this place." Queen Haven chuckled a bit but she quickly got serious again and moved toward the table in the middle. She went to the left corner of the table and looked back at a shelf that stood vertically. Based on the look on her face, it was clear that multiple thoughts raced through her mind. She took a book from the shelf and examined its cover. She started at it intently like she was in a trace. She broke out of it when she heard Alphabittle to her right bump into a shelf. He managed to keep it in place with his hooves but was unable to keep several books from falling.

"Uh, sorry..." Alphabittle mumbled softly in awkwardness. He was like a bull in a china shop. Queen Haven sighed but more or less ignored the mess. This confused her daughters who looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Uh, mom, are you okay?" Zipp asked.

"I'm fine, dear." She replied without taking her eyes off the book.

"Okay to are so not." Said Pipp.

"Yeah, you would never just leave a mess like that. You would rush and clean it yourself or make us do it." Queen Haven simply stared at her daughters for a few seconds before placing the book she was holding on the table. Dust flew from it as she did so. They coughed but managed to dispel the dust with their wings.

"Whew, this place is in desperate need of a serious clean-up. A unicorn's touch would do the trick!" Said Izzy.

"Can you all just...just sit over here?" Haven hesitated for a moment. The group agreed and sat in the chairs. Luckily, there were enough for all of them except Alphabittle who settle on the ground; especially since he was too big.
They all saw the book's cover.

"The Compass that lead to a Bellflower."
Sunny read. "What does that mean?"
Queen Haven sighed again and finally spoke.

"This...this is the story of how I met my husband."

"Why did we have to come all the way here for that? Why didn't you tell us when we were out there?"

"Because I want to hold onto what's left of him while I tell it. It makes me feel better...and worse. And this is mostly a secret."

"Uh, pardon me, Your Highness but what does this have to do with this mystery of crystals?" Asked Alphabittle.

"It... it is important to that. She took a deep breath and opened the book. And she read.
"It was a normal day, or normal for me at least. I wander out to the river to escape my boring princess training."
A young Queen Haven sat at a bank of a small river. She admired her reflection as she felt the cool summer air flow through her mane and coat. She closed he eyes and hummed softly. She stopped and opened her eyes as she heard faint singing that started to become louder and clearer. She stood up slightly and saw another pony on the other side of the river. It was a young silver-colored colt with a copper mane. He was dancing and singing on the opposite shore. "The world or ain't anybody in it gonna tell me where to go, I'll put on a show. They don't tell me what to do, I have that lust to pursue. I have no strife in life I keep on. I play that fife on and on..." His green eyes that were previously closed opened and blinked as they landed on the young pegasus filly across from him. "Yeah, that's right, and I'll keep on playing it until I find a cute little wife." She smiled knowing that he had seen her. The young Haven blushed as she tried to hide her face. The colt continued singing. He walked onto some rocks on the very edge of the bank. "I must have gotten myself caught in a tangle because what I see right in front of me is an angel." He leaned in trying to get closer to her but he leaned in too much and fell into the river. Haven stood in a panic as she looks at the water and worried for his safety. Her worries were relieved when his head popped out of the water. He gasped for air as he hurried onto shore on Haven's side. He climbed onto the shore and shook himself dry like a dog.

"Oh, I was about to ask if you wanted a towel." Haven laughed.

"No thanks, your majesty." He bowed. Haven raised an eyebrow.

"Is it that obvious?"

"But of course! Only a pony as lovely as you could possibly be royalty. Also, you're very well known."

Haven blushed. "Anyway..." She looks down at the ground to avoid his gaze. "What's your name?"

"Oh, I go by many names but the one I was born with is none other than...Venture Some..!" He looked pridefully.

"Well nice to meet you, Venture Some. What are you doing here?"

"I was just trotting along; singing my sweet tunes."

"They were lovely indeed!" Haven giggled.

"Say what's a pretty young bellflower doing out here? Shouldn't you be doing your little princessy things?"

"Yes but I'm tired of it! Do you know how exhausting it is to listen to my mom's long lessons on how to be a queen and all that?"

"Unfortunately not as I was not born into no royalty."

"But-"

Before the story could continue, it was interrupted by present-day Haven's crying. "Oh, I can't do this!" She wept as she closed the book. This caused all the others at the table to let out disappointed groans, especially Izzy.

"Aww, I wanted to hear more of it!"

"Why'd you stop? Me and Pipp want to find out more about him." Zipp stood up and asked with a bit of anger. "I'm sorry but I...I can't...just thinking about him is too much to bear."

"But that's why we want to find out about him. Why are you so sad about him? What happened? Why haven't we seen him since we were fillies?"

"Yeah!" Pipp said with a voice crack.

"Alright...I'll tell...you." Queen Haven said in between sniffs. "As I read you about him, he always had a huge need to explore, face the challenges, climb the highest mountains, literally and figuratively all that, and it was always so difficult to just get him to sit down and stay still, but...I loved that..." She put a hoof up to her chest and hummed. "But the point is..." She snapped out of it. "...One day, he told he had heard of a great empire up at the Frozen North and wanted to go find it. I pleaded with him not to go because it was really far away and the temperature is just...no...but that need to explore shun through and...he went...I haven't seen him since."

"What?! Did you go look for him?" Zipp said desperately as if her mother was at fault.

"Of course I did but, I couldn't go much farther. If I tried I...I may not have come back either..."

The whole library was quiet. All the ponies just stood there; not saying it or doing anything. Pipp was weeping on her sister's shoulder. Zipp in turn was struggling to hold back tears. Although Pipp had no struggle with expressing her emotions, Zipp did and always true to maintain a cool and calm persona. Though if you looked closely you could see her eyes water and her cheeks shaking lightly. Hitch himself was quiet. He wasn't as emotionally hurt as it wasn't his father but he had grown attached to his new pegasus friends and seeing them in sorrow made him feel it too. It especially hurt as his role as sheriff was to keep everypony safe.

Izzy was almost unable to comprehend the whole thing. She had a very bubbly and cheerful personality and death was never a favorite topic of hers.

Alphabittle, too pitted but it was mainly for Queen Haven. He had been around longer and understood such things.

But Sunny was different. She especially knew what it felt like to lose a father. And he was full of exploration and a need for knowledge, just like her father. Something flashed in her green eyes. It was a sparkle. Like the once she had when she strived to unite ponykind. Her sorrowful look changed to that of determination.

"I'm so sorry for all of this. There's no need to make you all so sad. Especially about a loss that was so long ago." Queen Haven stood up and true to put the book back before Sunny placed her hoof on the table loud enough to catch everypony's attention. "We'll find this empire!"

"What?!" Everypony in the room gasped and asked in surprise.

"Absolutely not! Haven scolded Sunny as if she was her daughter. "Did you not just listen to me explaining that I lost my husband when he tried to look for it."

"I..." Sunny turned to look at her friends who still looked at her with wide gapped mouths and widened eyes. "...We'll find it."

"No. I will not permit it. I've already lost my husband and I don't intend to lose you ponies that reunited Equestria and my daughters."

"But did your husband have magic?" Sunny asked.

"We'll...no. You know that was long before your little adventure yesterday."

"Exactly! He didn't have magic and we do! But not just pegasus flight but unicorn magic as well!" Sunny pointed out to which Zipp and Pipp flexed their wings and Izzy's horn glowed.

"And we're a team! We work together to bring back magic so why can't we do this?" Asked Izzy.

"This isn't just some excursion across Equestria to collect crystals; this is journeying to the coldest and farthest reaches of Equestria where Nopony has come back. As generic as it sounds, it's true."

"Please, you have to trust us. Remember that just 2 days ago, you all didn't trust earth ponies and unicorns, and now we're living in harmony! Just imagine if you let us go look for this empire."

"And just what would I imagine? You all gave magic back and brought us together but what would finding an empire do?"

"It could be our key to finding how this happened. We have proof that unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi once lived together in harmony under the reign of Twilight Sparke—"

"Twi-what?" Interrupted Haven.

"Twilight Sparke," Sunny repeated, believing that the queen had simply not heard her clearly but Haven simply rose an eyebrow in obvious confusion.

"Y...you don't know her?" The orange earth pony asked again.

Queen Haven shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. Am I supposed to? Is she somepony important?" Sunny gasped so wide that it seemed her jaw almost touched the floor. "Are you kidding? Of course, she is!"

"Aw, shucks, here we go again..." Hitch rolled his eyes in preparation for what he knew was coming.

"She was only the greatest, wisest, smartest, and most amazing pony in Equestria! She and her friends all saved ancient Equestria from all sorts of villains and proved that friendship was magic!"

"Those old fairy tales?" Haven't asked.

"They aren't fairy tales! You saw how is being together brought magic back!"

"Yes but there's no guarantee that everyone about ancient Equestria is true."

"But it is!" Sunny pleaded. "My father had proof of that!"

"Okay, but what does this 'Twilight' have to do with this empire?"

"I don't know, but I think discovering it could help us understand what happened. If my father's research is correct, The empire has been around since Twilight's time."

Queen Haven looked at the young mare for a few seconds as it seemed that gears were turning in her head. "No. I still will not allow it."

"Mom..." Zipp approached her. I want to go. You know how much I wanted to be like my dad and I want to finish what he started."

"But honey, this is dangerous. If I lost you too...I don't know what I would do..." She looked away at the bookshelf with the book of her husband. Alphabittle thought about saying something but stopped himself.

"Come on, mom. With magic and friends, we might be able to make it." Said Zipp but her mother still didn't seem convinced.

"I'm going there to get to the bottom of this!" Sunny said with determination.

"If Sunny's going, I'm going." Said, Hitch.

"Isn't it a bit chilly there?" Asked Izzy.

"I wanna make dad proud!" Finally said, Pipp.

At last, Alphabittle spoke. "Let them go, Haven. Your children have dreams and goals and they are determined. I understand what that's like."

"How? I thought you didn't have kids." Said Izzy.

"Oh...I uh..." Alphabittle found himself unable to answer.

——————————————————————————————————————

Far, far, far away stood a valley that had gotten overrun with trees and thick shrubbery. A tall mountain stood Northeast of it. Amongst the foliage, lay ruins of buildings from long ago that were slowly crumbling away. In one particularly large foliage patch, stirred a large mass. It was a creature of extraordinary size. Its head rose up and looked at the sky. He blinked slowly and sighed. "How much everything has changed after you are gone..." A tear ran down the creature's eye. It coughed slightly and smoke floated out. "I am...so sorry..." The creature's voice was on the verge of breaking. "It was my job to...you appointed me..." It couldn't finish its sentences as he wailed up. More tears started coming down from both eyes in rapid succession. He wiped away as many as he could with his massive forearms. "If what I saw is true, There might still be hope, but...will you ever forgive me...any of you?..."

——————————————————————————————————————

"Fine...you may go to find this empire..." Queen Haven finally permitted her daughters and their friend's request. They all cheered in joy and excitement. "But..." She raised a hoof out and they all paused. "I will be coming with you." They all gasped in surprise at that.

"But, but what about the kingdom?" Asked Pipp.

"I will set up some arrangements and put my most trusted advisers in charge. If I don't go, what kind of mother would I be if I let my daughters go alone somewhere dangerous?" She embraced her daughters tightly. "

"Thanks, mom..." Pipp sniffed with tears of happiness.

"You're the best." Said Zipp.

After a few more seconds of the mother-daughter(s) hug, they stopped and Haven smiled. "Right but we can't go immediately. We need to make preparations."

——————————————————————————————————————

A few days had passed. Sunny and her friends had been spending them preparing for their journey. To accompany their excitement, there was also a tinge of fear and worry. They were heading out to a part of Equestria that has remained untouched for a while and the weather was harsh. And that's not even bringing up what the actual journey would be like. It would be quite long as the Frozen North wasn't exactly your typical walk to the park. Many obstacles would undoubtedly be encountered including all sorts of fierce beasts. Maretime Bay, Zephyr Heights, and Bridlewood were all in places of Equestria that were quite scarce of any monsters but who knows what existed beyond them. One of the biggest surprises that had come about during these days was Sprout. Once he heard about what the group was attempting, he begged to join them. This was definitely a shocker as the cowardly, mama's boy that had also declared war with a giant machine didn't seem like the type to go on this perilous journey. But he begged and said it was to make up for what he did, so they eventually agreed

——————————————————————————————————————

Sunny sighed as she finished up her breakfast. "This is it, dad." She looked at the picture of her father. "Today we set off and figure out what caused this." She said cheerfully. "I will make you proud. You and mom..." She said as she stroked her hoof across the picture one last time. She walked by the guest room she was using and saw something. She approached and saw it was the green bell that she had in her collection of her father's artifacts. Normally it wouldn't catch her attention like this but there was something else. Right in front of the bell was another dark crystal. Nearly identical to the first. Sunny grabbed it and inspected it to see if it was the same one that had gotten misplaced. But as she turned it around, it was clear, it wasn't the same. It had something written on it, but it said:

"Taketh this bell with you. It is a tool of valorous succor."

She blinked her eyes rapidly to make sure she hadn't seen it wrong but that's exactly what it said. "Did Hitch write this?" She asked herself. Just then, the door opened, and Hitch yelled inside.

"Sunny! Pipp said we'll go meet them near your lighthouse and we have to go now!"

"Coming!' She shouted back. Sunny looked at the crystal then the bell. She thought for a moment and decided to stuff the bell in her bag.

Sunny stepped outside where Hitch was waiting for her. He was carrying down bags full of food and other essentials they would need on this voyage. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"You kidding, I've been waiting for this for days!"

Hitch chuckled. They started walking towards their location. "Hey, Sunny?"

"Yeah?"

"Does any part of you feel just a little worried?"

"Sunny looked down at her hooves as they stepped on the dirt below. "A bit, but I'm thinking of positives and that's what excites me."

"But remember, Sunny; everything is not gonna run smoothly. Remember what happened with the crystals."

"Yes, I remember but I think we can do it."

"Well, I hope so since we are literally diving into the unknown...again."

The colt and mare arrived at the location they agreed to meet up. Sunny gazed at the spot where her lighthouse once stood. It had been cleared out and her belongings returned to her but there was still a debate about what her new home would be like. Sunny shook those thoughts out of her mind. She was tired of thinking about tragedies. To lighten the mood, Sunny brought up a more cheerful topic. "Hey, what was that with you and Pipp that other day?"

Hitch nearly froze but he looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You were looking at her."

"Well, of course. I have eyeballs."

"No." Sunny did io n between giggles. "I mean the way you looked at her...it reminded me of how you used to look at the filly back in school."

"Are you trying to say that I have a crush on Pipp?" Hitch asked in a are-you-serious? voice.

"Seems like it."

"Of course, I don't! Pipp is just a friend like you, Izzy, and Zipp.

"Well, I've never seen you look at any of us that way."

"Uhh..." Much like Alphabittle, Hitch was lost for words. "Oh hey! Look over there!" He pointed at the distance where Phyllis Cloverleaf and her son, Sprout we're approaching. Behind them, Izzy, Pipp, Zipp, Queen Haven, and Alphabittle followed.

During the days when they prepared for the journey, Phyllis and Alphabittle revealed that they would not be able to come along so the group would be made up of the mane 5, Sprout, and Haven. They were carrying bags with supplies.

"Hey, guys!" Sunny greeted. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Definitely!" Said Izzy. The others agreed.

"Yeah, I'm totally ready." Sprouts said, nonchalantly.

Hitch however was quite uncertain. "Are you sure about that?" He asked the red stallion.

"Of course I'm sure. We already talked about it these past few days." Sprout groaned in annoyance before Phyllis came up to him and embraced his head tightly. "Oh, my poor sugar cube! I'm sorry I won't be able to come along." She cooed in a babish voice.

"Mommy! Not in front of the others!" He whispered loudly when he noticed the other ponies laughing and looking at him with amusement.

Alphabittle approached Izzy and placed his hoof on her shoulder. "You watch out for yourself, okay?"

"Pfft, I'll be fine, Alphabittle! Don't worry about a thing!" She reassured him.

"Well, I hope so."

"Mom, you don't really seem like the type to go on these kinds of things."

"Oh, I'm not, but I would go to the ends of Equestria for you, girls, and if that's where we're heading, then I'm by your sides."

After saying their goodbyes, they knew it was time.

"Well, It's time!" Sunny announced. They all cheered and began walking while using a map that was handed to them by Queen Haven. As they began their journey, Sunny's ear twitched as she looked at the bell in her bag. She could've sworn she heard a chuckle...