When Shadows Rise And Light Dims

Rainbow Dash frowns as she is led further from the heart of the Empire. “Uh, where’re we going?”

Princess Cadance looks back uneasily. “The Empire’s central square. C’mon.”

Dash looks around as the three of them ran and fly respectively. At first glance, the Crystal Empire appears as serene and peaceful as ever. Sure, they’d had that… Business with Sombra a few months ago but you’d never know with how every-creature continues like nothing ever happened. The damage has been repaired and everypony is wandering around; some talking, some buying or selling goods and some just enjoying the feeling of being alive. Even the Crystal Heart seems stronger than ever as Dash can feel its warming presence washing through her soul. Clingy and yuck but awesome! Dash smiles slightly but then it fades as she notices something ever so subtle.

Although every-creature seems happy and amiable, and Dash has never been the most… Observant pony, she can see it in their eyes and body language. In their slightly clenched jaws and hushed whispers; how literally no-creature travels alone; even if one just lingers whilst their companion does the actual work. Each shows evidence that can only lead to one conclusion. “Cadance, what happened? What’re they all so afraid of?”

Shining Armour smiles but it is much more of a grimace. “So you noticed, huh? Just a bit further.” Dash frowns but nods as he continues running. “Have they figured out what’s going on yet, Cady?”

Cadance shakes her head. “I don’t know, I really don’t.”

Dash frowns. “What’re you talk-“ Before she can finish, they arrive and she frowns. “Uh, what’m I looking at?”

Cadance sighs. “Exactly what it looks like, I’m afraid.”

Dash gives her a funny look. “It’s a house, an ordinary house. What’s so special about it?”

Shining huffs. “It’s empty, like so many are lately.” Suddenly, Dash’s head spins around as he lets out a nasty hacking cough. “Sorry, just been under the weather lately.” He smacked his chest. “This is the fifth loss just this week.”

Dash nods. “Right, so a load of ponies have been vanishing. Any ideas where?”

Cadance shakes her head. “We’ve searched the entire Empire back to front but nothing. Not so much as a tail hair, it’s like they never even existed.”

Shining crosses his hooves with a huff. “Doesn’t matter how many Guards we put out on patrol, a member of a family always goes missing. Sometimes just one, sometimes a whole house is emptied.”

“Ah.” Dash frowns. “Wait, why’d you bring me here insteada just telling me? Would’ve been quicker.”

Cadance smiles a little at her charmingly blunt question. “Because of this.” She gives Dash a tiny black object. “We’ve found one of these at each of the scenes.”

Dash peers at the object with a deepening frown. “Looks like a normal spoon-“ Her eyes widen as she gets a proper look at the splinter. “Wait a minute.” She peers at it through the dying Sun and sure enough, this isn’t a splinter. “I ain’t no mystaographist-“

“Crystallographer.”

Dash shoots Shining a glare. He really has too much in common with Twi. “Whatever. I ain’t one of them but I’m pretty sure it’s a crystal.” Seeing Cadance nod, she continues. “Well, was it there?”

Shining shrugs. “No idea, it’s never there until the kidnappings. You do know who it looks like, right?”

Dash shudders lightly. “That’s one way to put it. Could also be whoever’s doing this is trying tah scare us. Chrysalis is still out there, after all.”

Cadance grunts. “Don’t remind me. That would explain a lot of what’s been happening though.” She sighs. “I’m sorry, it’s just… It’s been a stressful few weeks.”

Dash’s eyes bulge. “WEEKS?!” She shakes her head. “Why didn’t you contact us?! Thought it just started!”

Shining frowns. “Our messages never seem to arrive and any trains we send always turn up empty within the hour. I’m surprised this message got through.”

Dash nodds but her eyes noticeably narrow. “Yeah, real surprising.”

Later, the Crystal Palace

Twilight grunts as she opens her eyes. “Wh-Whe-AGH!” She shields her eyes from the blinding light. “What happened?”

“OOOO, YOU’RE AWAKE!”

Twilight blinks. “Pinkie? How’d y-OOF!” She is swamp hugged by a pony easily as big as she is. “Who-“

“HI PRINCESS!”

Twilight blinks at the excitable teenager. “Hi. Uh, I’m sorry but… Do i know you?”

The teen grins like a whack job. “Nope! But your friend Rainbow Dash does.”

Twilight nods. “Makes se-“ Her eyes widen when she recognises where i am. “Wait, what am i doing here? Where’s Dash?! Are my brother and sister okay? What-“

The teen stuffs a hoof to her muzzle with a giggle. “It’s okay, Princess. You fell asleep from exhaustion, Dash is with Prince Armour and Princess Cadance, they’re all fine and i think they’re telling Dash what’s going on?”

Twilight lets out a massive sigh of relief. “Thank Celestia.”

The mare frowns. “Are you sure?”

Twilight forces a smile. “I’m sure.” In reality however, something’s been eating away at her these last few days. It isn’t just a normal lack of sleep She’s known about Shining's recent bout with whooping cough, a very deadly disease and she’s been losing plenty of sleep over it; hence her collapse.

The mare frowns. “Please, Princess. Be honest with me.”

Twilight sighs. “Sorry, I’m just stressed lately. What’s your name?”

The mare smiles and clops her hooves happily. “Silver Shard and I’m REALLY glad I met my personal hero!”

Twilight smiles. “Thanks.” She sighs. “It’s just… No, it’s nothing.”

Silver frowns. “Princess, please. I might be able to help.” She watches Twilight since. “It’s got to do with your friends and brother, hasn’t it?”

Twilights eyes widen. “How did you-“

Silver giggles. “Know? My talent’s helping others to understand themselves.” She waves a hoof over her Cutie Mark, a clipboard and pen overlaid on a comfy chair. “I’m a therapist and I…” She sighs. “Let’s just say I got a lot of work after you defeated King Sombra.”

Twilight cringes. “I can imagine.” She huffs. “But I didn’t really do anything. me and my friends just found the Crystal Heart, it was Cadance and the rest of you who destroyed him.”

Silver rolls her eyes. “Yes, but we couldn’t have done it without you.” She smiles more mischievously. “And who defeated him twice recently?”

Twilight rolls her eyes. “That was six months ago.” She sighs. “Okay, you’ve got a point. I’m sorry about snapping at you before. There’s no excuse.”

Silve smiles comfortingly. “We all have our problems, Princess. Even Princess Cadance came to me once.”

Twilight blinks. “Huh?”

Solver nods. “But I can’t say anything. Patient confidentiality so you’d have to ask her.” She puts a hoof on her wither. “If you ever need an ear, just come to me.”

Twilight smiles. “Thanks, Silver.”

Silver smiles sweetly. “You’re welcome, Princess.” Her face breaks out in the enormous grin as before. “Now c’mon! Let’s go find Dash and see what’s up!”

Twilight can feel a headache coming on as Silver hurries away. Wonder if Pinkie has a family branch in the Crystal Empire? She shakes her head. Ask her later. With that, she flaps her wings and rushes to catch up with the surprisingly fast mare.

Presently, the Crystal Palace’s Throne Room

Rainbow Dash huffs as she eyes the three dozen or so crystal fragments around her. “And this is all?”

Cadance nods. “Yes, all from a kidnapping.”

Dash nods. “Okay…” She raises an eyebrow. “And what am I supposed to accomplish? I ain’t a Unicorn or some Egghead.”

Shining sighs. “We’ve got a theory, a loose one at that. Crystals in the Empire can sometimes… Resonate with certain types of ponies.”

Dash nods slowly. “Uh huh…”

Shining sighs. “To put it simply, the Crystals in the Empire react in strange ways some ting, some twang, some vibrate and some just explode. Depends on whose using it.”

Dash huffs and tries not to roll her eyes. “And this involves me because…?”

Shining realises he’s ranting and clears his throat. “Sorry.” Dash rolls her eyes, he really can be just like like his sister sometimes. “You’re strong in perhaps magic, right?”

Dash puffs out her chest proudly. “I’d like to think so. I am the coolest Pegasus there is!”

Shining resists a very violent eye-roll. “We know.” He rubs his mane uncomfortably. “We just want you to take this and focus all your magic into it.”

Despite herself, Dash raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

Cadance sighs. “Because we need to test something and the spell to do it’s in place but only incredibly strong Pegasus magic can make it work.”

Dash nods, taking that as enough for now and taking an full minute to press her hooves gently on either side of the fragment. Despite her reputation as an over-energetic and seemingly uncontrollable pony, Dash can be surprisingly gentle as she crystal doesn’t shatter despite her firm grip as she closes her eyes and “pushes” her magic into the crystal which began to hum quietly. “Great. Now what?”

Cadance’s smiles slightly. “We wait. Twilight should be here soon, I felt my monitoring spell break a moment ago.”

Shining breathes a heavy sigh of relief but Dash frowns. “Wait, you’re an Alicorn. Why couldn’t you do that spell? And weren’t you a Pegasus once too? You should be like the strongest ever.”

Cadance sighs. “I was, once. However, I was always pretty normal in terms of strength and being an Alicorn… Dilutes my power. I’m stronger than I ever was but now it’s more spread out so I’m just as strong an Earth Pony and Unicorn too.” She smiles sheepishly. “That’s how Twilight explained it anyway. I just accepted how things are.”

Dash nods. “Yeah, that egghead can do just about anything.” She opens her mouth to ask again only for a loud crystalline twang to fill the air. “It’s done, right?” Shining nods and Dash puts a hoof on the shard. “AGH!” She rips her hoof away. “It’s burning hot!" She frowns as they exchange worried looks. “What?”

Cadance is visibly grim but another voice cuts in. “Dash…?” She turns to see a shocked Twilight. “That means… That means a Pegasus is behind the kidnappings. Some-pony’s working for Sombra.”

Dash rolls her eyes. “Course they probably are. Remember the helmets from before? Or those weird glowy eyes? Probably yoinked one when no-one was looking and now he’s using them to do his deeds.”

Twilight nods. “Probably. Still though, I’d better send a message to Princess Celestia. She should know all this.”

Cadance nods. “I hope it works. We’ve been having trouble lately.” Twilight nods to show she already knows and she and Rainbow Dash head for her tower chambers.

Half an hour later, Canterlot Castle

As the Sun begins to set after another long if boring day in Canterlot, the city begins its evening routines. Most ponies go home for dinner, some crash on their beds after a horrifically tiring day, a hoofful head to work as part of their usual night-shifts and a few get in the Friendship Express to go home. A few hundred though, now those have a more specialised role; getting into various suits of armour to protect Canterlot Castle and the Princesses within.

Of course, as the rulers of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been rather busy trying to help Canterlot adjust. It ranges from anything from holding rallies and helping with the adjustment all the way to forcibly cramming legislation down the more nobles’ throats just to keep them from starting race riots. It’s tiring, long and painful work on many levels but it’s worth it to pave the way for Twilight’s rule and the new golden age yet to come. And of course, as such highly revered and feared but respected ponies, they are doing only the more dignified and proper things one would expect of their station.

Luna rolls her eyes. “Sister, do you have to eat so loudly?”

Celestia looks up from where she’s practically been embedding her face in the cake. “Hm?” She blushes lightly as she realises she’s caked in… Well cake. “Sorry.” She wipes her face on a napkin. “It’s just that Pasty Tin’s really outdone himself today.”

Luna can’t quite hide her giggle. “I know. Really need to increase his pay if he kee-so this up.” They share a laugh before they get down to business. “Did you find out what’s happening in the Empire?”

Celestia shakes her head. “No, Cadance’s message just asked for us to send help immediately. Maybe Tw-“ A ,loud sizzling pop is heard a familiarly signed scroll appears. “Speaking of…” She looks at Luna who nods so she opens the scroll and reads it alive.

Dear Celestia,
I know you’ll want to hear back from me so I just thought I’d update you. I passed out upon arriving so Dash took care of the initial investigation. Looks like ponies are being kidnapped every night and they used a Find Me, Describe Me spell to determine the kidnapper is a Pegasus. I’ve also made a new Pegasus friend, Silver Shard who Dash befriended earlier who’s even apparently a therapist. I’ll let you know more as it happens.
Your friend,
Twilight Sparkle.

Luna smiles. “She really is a good note taker, hm?”

Celestia nods. “Yes she is and let’s keep ready to act in case there’s-“ Suddenly, her eyes widen ever so slowly and drag themselves over to the scroll.

Pegasus friend… Silver Shard… Kidnapper is a Pegasus… Therapist.

Luna frowns as a look of deepest horror passes over Celestia’s face whilst it turns a funny colour. “Sister, what’s wrong?”

A deep shudder passes through Celestia’s body. “Please send for Twilight’s friends immediately.”

Luna frowns in confusion, especially as Celestia jumps to her hooves and makes to hurry away. “And where are you going?”

Celestia pauses but only for a moment. “To send an emergency message to Twilight.”

And she’s gone before Luna can ask more, leaving her sister deeply worried and confused. “Tia, what aren’t you telling me?” She sighs though and goes to send a message. She’s only ever seen her sister this utterly shaken once, the same night she became Nightmare Moon. Whatever the reason, it can’t be good.