The sky was a burning, scarlet red, the ground a blood-splattered black. Twilight could hear the screams, the explosions, the terror. She could feel it down to her bones. The magnificent flowers had wilted; even the trees seemed barren. She could barely see through the ashen haze surrounding her as she bounded down the side steps near the Canterlot Gardens.

“Your Majesty, you must come inside immediately. It isn’t safe out here!” The regal yet panicked shouts of her guards felt like they were miles away.

She continued her descent, winding her way down the cobblestone streets, past the crumbling townhouses and burning lawns. Even the lamp posts were bent at odd angles or completely obliterated. It was like racing through a field of nightmares. Everything was slightly off; it was as if she was in a surrealist painting. The red was too red, the orange too orange. The black was blacker than death. The bombed city was saturated with the most striking, terrifying colors. Mangled, disfigured corpses littered the ground, their lifeless bodies practically melting into the earth. Canterlot’s elite, sophisticated ponies shared screams with farmers and starving artists. It could not have been a worse moment for Twilight to see the emotional baseline of pony-kind.

She doubted that she would even be recognized as any of her trademark features were muddled by smoke, ash, and debris. She continued pacing down the snaking residential streets, making her way down to the main commercial districts.

She stopped in her tracks once she reached a familiar storefront. It was Rarity’s beloved boutique, a passion project for her friend’s once-burgeoning fashion career. Although she was now a fixture of red carpet designs and a friend to the stars, Twilight could still remember when opening a boutique in Canterlot had been the pinnacle of her career. To see such an important part of their earlier days in Ponyville made her heart sink. As the building went up in flames, Twilight could feel the sadness seize her completely. An invaluable relic of Rarity’s life was just…gone.

She looked around. Although she was surrounded by a variety of businesses, it was always tough to understand the toll of the bombings without a personal attachment. Seeing such a profoundly personal venture of Rarity’s disappear from the world was like a knife to the heart. The screams surrounding her were worse than fear or terror; it was grief. It was the mourning of a lost life, but in real time. It was the wretched grasp of nothingness in one’s hoof. Twilight could feel the agony surrounding her, and inside her. Every business in Canterlot had a village of ponies that cared for it. Every building with its little garden or bookshelves or picture frames had a story to tell. All around her, the lives of ponies were crumbling along with their homes and stores. It wasn’t just destruction for the sake of destruction. The bombers wanted more than bloodshed. They wanted the soul of Canterlot.

But there was little time left to wax poetic about the ruined buildings or burning gardens; it was time to act. She bounded back to the castle, dancing with her own terror in the ballroom of her mind. It was a mental waltz of an indescribable, primal fear. She continued down what was left of the streets, nearly avoiding a fire that singled near her tail. She could feel the ground shake with the bombings.

Interestingly enough, the castle itself had not been affected by the bombs. Certainly the gardens were a different story, but the actual regal structure was unaffected besides the tinge of smoke. A chill ran down her spine as she realized what that must have meant. They wanted the castle, so they must have wanted the crown.

They wanted the crown.

—-

Her hooves seemed to quiver as she bounded up the steps, not caring about the arduous climb as she could barely see the sides of the castle through the smoke. Her legs were aching from running and her mouth was dry. Even her eyes were becoming bloodshot from the sting of smoke. Her vision became blurred as the regal front entrance came into view, the stoic guards still doing their jobs even as the city crumbled around them. She gave a respectful nod to both and practically tripped over her own speed. Her hooves found their footing on the plush red carpet of the main hall.

Most every morning, her staff and friends gathered in her office for a brief meeting before starting the day’s tasks. That is where she anticipated they were now, probably worried sick about her erratic bolt from the castle when the first bomb fell.

She continued up the carpet and down the right side hallway, where the office corridor started and the public side to the castle ended. Beyond the velvet roped security gates, two guards nodded at her, and she trotted through the arched entryway. Because it was an inner-castle corridor, the walls were adorned with paintings and sconces instead of the expansive windows of the outer hallways. The sparkling high ceilings contrasted well with the medieval era statues and plaques. It was not at all as scary as the abandoned rooms of the Castle of the Two Sisters, but it had an imposing, intimidating energy. That would make sense, considering it was one of the most important spaces in Equestria. Below each office, only accessible by the inside of the rooms themselves, were secret vaults containing the most valuable items in all of Equestria. They were beyond the glamorous jewels and old books that were housed in the main Canterlot Archives, which were near the library. No, these were private possessions. In Twilight’s case, she had a few things. One was the spell she had created to fix her friend’s cutie marks on that fateful day she became a princess. Another special item was an ancient spell book given to her by Starswirl the Bearded, inside of which there were the most powerful spells known to ponykind. A foal’s diary that once belonged to Cozy Glow during her days at the School of Friendship was also protected under her sealed magic office. Looking at the childish writing, adored with smiley faces and hearts made her shudder. What a pony that young filly would become.

In other words, there was serious stuff behind the walls of this place. She continued down the hallway, passing the offices of lower-ranked staff as she trotted to her office. The walk was designed so that with each hoof-step farther in, the more important each office was. Offices for the Friendship council, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Discord, and her senior security team were at the end, where the high vaulted ceiling led into a massive circular chamber. There were ten offices situated in this very back area, with two more under construction. It was the most exclusive meeting place in the world.

At the very center of the massive room, under spectacular statues of Celestia and Luna, was a domed ceiling not unlike the one in the library. A massive magic map of Equestria was situated all around the statues, forming a giant circular view of anywhere in the world. However, instead of being bathed in sunlight, all Twilight could see were shades of a bloodied and bruised sky. It was like the whole room was aglow with the fires of Tartarus. If she didn’t know the very mortal threats against her, she would have been easily convinced that this terror was being executed by Tirek. The pony that was stalking her was a similar shade of violent red…

But Tirek was still imprisoned in a stone statue, under the watchful eyes of a dozen guards who could have heard a pin drop; they were deathly silent.

But…what if somepony had been reading the wrong kind of books, or looked up to the wrong kind of monster? What if their anger and rage towards Twilight was bolstered by an association with the darkness of Equestria’s past? What if the red coated pony was working to rebuild the terror of Tirek?

Twilight couldn’t think about any of that. It wasn’t the time to get all philosophical when the walls and sky were more the color of agony than hope. She bolted to her office, situated in the very, very end of the magnificent rotunda. She carefully pried the door open with her magic, careful to not startle those that were in deep concentration. It was usually a very productive time of day for her staff.

If the looks she had gotten yesterday were somber, the faces she gazed at were already planning a funeral. It was as if any of the invigorating energy from her rousing speech yesterday afternoon was gone.

Discord was the first to speak up. “I’m…so sorry Twilight,” he said sadly. “We all are.”

Twilight’s eyes stung. Discord didn’t even bother making a silly gesture or trick. Any levity in the room had vanished. He just hung his head sadly, his mismatched features vulnerable and full of sorrow.

Pinkie Pie spoke up a few long seconds later. “I know I’m supposed to be the optimistic one…but…I don’t know how.”

Twilight waited for her to finish.

Pinkie’s normally cheery disposition was turned inside out. “I…don’t know how to laugh away the bombs, Twilight. I can’t be optimistic about war, either.” Her face filled with shame and her ears hung droopy. Even her trusty party cannon seemed sad.

But one thing that Pinkie said struck her deeply. It was a feeling that was easy to fall into. Feeling alone.

“Pinkie, it’s true that you can’t stop bombs with your laughter.” Applejack, ever the honest pony, stepped in to what Twilight was already thinking.

Pinkie only cried harder. Fluttershy rushed to her side.

“Is that supposed to comfort her right now? Is that supposed to help any of us? You know, honesty is not an excuse to make a pony’s day worse.” Rainbow Dash shot out.

“Rainbow, please! That’s not what I meant.” Applejack was growing frustrated at her message not being understood.

“Well, you could have phrased it differently, darling, is all we’re saying.” Rarity spoke up from the corner. Her prim and proper hairdo was barely making it through the unendurable stress of late.

“Okay, okay…yes I get it! I was real blunt with that.” Applejack conceded. “Sorry, ya’ll. What I meant was that none of us can do it alone. Rarity’s generosity won’t save us, neither will Fluttershy’s kindness or Rainbow’s loyalty or even Twilight’s plumb crazy magic! None of us can stop our enemy by ourselves. But together…we have a real shot.”

Applejack looked around the room as her friends slowly nodded in reaction to her impassioned speech. She was not a pony for grand spectacles of the verbal word, but it was just the right thing everypony(and every creature) needed to hear.

“We have a real shot.” Starlight repeated, as if to convince herself. “We have…a real shot.”

Nopony else spoke up for a long, long time.

There weren't any sky-high levels of enthusiasm, but the sentiment was enough. They had to try. That’s all they ever did, right?

“Everypony, what is our plan, then?” Fluttershy asked meekly. Although they could stand in the office all day trying to convince each other that it was going to be okay, nothing would ever be alright again if they didn’t try and evacuate the ponies still alive out of the city.

Twilight put her stoic, regal facade on and marched out of the office, her friends following silently behind her.
Once they got to the front of the hallway, Twilight trotted over to the main castle doors and poked her head out. Bullets and bombs seemed to fall like hail as the screams of ponies and other creatures filled the early morning air. She could see her panicked guards gathered together on the lawn, as well as several other of her staffers. Some guards had taken their shields and spears up in the air to fight the bombs head-on, but it was much too smokey for anypony to actually see the cannons and stop them. Besides, watching her guards fly up into the air felt more like watching a game of roulette. She guessed that the tens of ponies she didn’t see were either hiding, or something far worse.

“Prancelot!” She shouted for her oldest, most trusted senior guard. He had a graying mane and a weathered face after decades of service. As if she was blowing a dog whistle, the entire mass of guards gathered up into lines and faced their ruler.

“Your Highness, we are waiting on your call!”

Twilight was suddenly filled with rage. These guards had just been…standing in the yard instead of helping ponies for the last few hours?

She felt sick to her stomach. Was the hierarchy she controlled really so detached from reality that her staffers and guards couldn’t understand the importance of saving lives as opposed to just following rules?

She swallowed her anger at the momentary incompetence of her guards and made orders in a booming royal voice:

Sir Prancelot, I want all 500 guards to be split into ten groups. Each group of fifty will round up one of the main surrounding neighborhoods. First, focus on residential areas like Fillyngton, and then move on to the entertainment district, the commercial district, and every other place that ponies reside. I’m sure there is a lot of panic right now, but I want you to keep everypony calm and take them as far away from here as you can.”

Twilight wasn’t completely confident in her plan, but it was better than waiting around for everypony to die. Her ears drooped at the thought. She didn’t even like to0 think about death at all.

Sir Prancelot had his brow furrowed in confusion and concern. “But Your Majesty, wherever shall we take them? The entrance to Canterlot is completely inaccessible!”

Twilight thought she had misheard. “What?!?”

Sir Prancelot didn’t want to give more bad news to Twilight, but he had to. “Your Majesty…the entrance is completely blocked by boulders. Some of it is even on fire! The only accessible way out of Canterlot is through the sky, and we can’t possibly take our entire population unnoticed! They’ll kill anything they see in the sky!”

“Well, then we have to figure out a way out, not through the entrance or the sky.”

The guard gulped, sweat beading on his forehead. For all the military experience he had, there was little that compared to what he was facing now. “What do you propose, Your Highness?”

Twilight furrowed her face in concentration, nearly closing her eyes for several silent seconds. “I…don’t know exactly. But it would have to be some kind of mass transportation spell. Something that’s never been done before.”

The guard, still waiting on her answer to his question, cleared his throat.

“Your Majesty, are you suggesting that we round up every citizen and just…teleport them all somewhere? Forgive my bluntness, but how could that possibly work?”

Discord interjected: “I’m afraid, my dear, that even my chaos magic has its limits, and even then how could be guarantee that the spell wouldn’t mess with the very fabric of reality?” He said that last part with a little flourish.

Starlight rolled her eyes. She wished Trixie was here just so they could both snicker.

Every creature looked to Twilight for her voice of reason. She just looked at the floor, unsure.

“I…I don’t know. But we have to try something. We don’t have much time, so everypony finds as many spell books as you can. Meet back here in half an hour.”

Every pony bounded out the door. Discord, however, disappeared into a cloud of glitter. Only Spike remained.

“Even with the spell books, how would this work? It would take an unbelievable amount of power!”

He winced at what he said next. “No offense, but what if you…fail?” He looked up at her with big, teary eyes. Even though he was a full-grown dragon, Spike was still her baby brother at heart.

Twilight sighed, but her words had an undeniable conviction. “Then I fail.”

Spike hummed in acknowledgment. “You’ve really gotten better about not catastrophizing, Twilight.”

“I know.”

Spike steered their conversation back to the topic at hand. “Should we try to get Celestia or Luna over here? What about Cadance? Maybe together you all could figure out the spell?” He was fumbling for any semblance of a plan, truthfully, he had absolutely no clue what was going to happen with Twilight’s spell idea.

Twilight shook her head. “We don’t need them.” Although Spike was oblivious, her words were laced with bitterness. She was still at the prospect that they had staged the attack on her life.

“Then…who is going to help us?”

“Starswirl the Bearded.”

Spike was aghast. “Twilight, he’s on bed rest, remember? He’s not exactly in shape to do some crazy spell!”

Twilight could tell that Spike thought she had lost her marbles, but that wasn’t the case. Although Starswirl’s health concerns were of grave concern, there was simply no pony else who could provide such assistance. And although she didn’t want to admit it, a smug part of her wanted to prove that she didn’t need the help of her betrayers.

“I know that. I know it’s a long-shot. But he’s still the most powerful wizard in the world, and it’s worth reaching out.”

Spike nodded. “Okay. If that’s what you think will work.”

“I think it’s the closest we’ll get, at least. Spike, send a scroll. I doubt a pony from his generation has a cell phone yet.”

“What should I write?” Spike was clueless.

Twilight waved him off with her hoof. “Just tell him he needs to come to the castle immediately. It’s an emergency. He’s being treated at Manehattan Hospital. Send the scroll there.”

With a nod and a burst of green flame, the scroll was sent.

For once, Twilight didn’t care about Spike’s sloppy handwriting or spelling mistakes; there was one thing on her mind, and that was the response she got. Would he decline? Would he accept? Would he be too weak to help?

Before Twilight’s thoughts could go further, a bright flash eclipsed her view of the office. Right in the center of the round room was…Starswirl. He looked rail-thin, exhausted, and weary from the teleportation spell. But he was here, actually here, only a few minutes after Spike had sent the scroll.

It was Starswirl who broke the silence. Twilight was still stunned that her idol was standing here, in the flesh. Although they had known each other for many years now, she still looked up to him like a personal hero.

“Hello, Twilight. I received your message.” His voice was gravely and gruff, like all the exuberance of youth had been completely drained out of him.

She bowed in his presence, even though she was the royal and he was technically her subject.

“Twilight! Twilight!” A rapid knock came from the door, and Rarity bounded in with several books held up by her magic. “Look what I found, darling! It’s a book all about old transpiration spells, from the times before boats and trains!”

Rarity held up the book, a dusty, leather-bound volume with gilded edges and a worn spine. The cover was mostly faded but she could see the “compendium of transportation spells for the modern pony” moniker.

Obviously, with the advent of transportation came a decreased understanding of such spells. Much like a phone book, the days of carrying around a book of transportation spells were long gone.

But here was the book she needed.

Twilight flipped through the pages, unsure of which geographic region she should aim for. An entire population couldn’t fit in Manehattan; the city was overcrowded already. Trottingham, Fillydelphia, and San Ponio were also massive cities. Any other big city wouldn’t work, neither would major destinations on the other side of the world. Dropping her citizens off in a random, po-dunk little town wouldn’t work, because there would be no resources. The place would quickly descend into panic. Lastly, although she had considered it, the Castle of the Two Sisters was much too hazardous and decrepit to house an already traumatized mass of ponies. They couldn’t just stay in Canterlot and wait for the next round of bombs, either. That would be suicidal, and Twilight wasn’t going to risk losing even more of her population. She didn’t even want to know how many ponies and other creatures had already died.

So where would they go? It would have to be a place that was isolated enough that her citizens could shelter without fear, large enough to have resources and extra space for tents, and run by ponies that she trusted well…

“The Crystal Empire.” Starswirl’s voice was rough like a choppy sea.

Twilight was startled out of her concentration. It was as if Starswirl could read her mind. She wouldn’t put it past him.

“The Crystal Empire? It’s so…so…crystally.” Rarity’s eyes went starry at the prospect of spending time in the glamorous city.

Twilight waved her hoof in front of Rarity’s face before she needed a fainting chair. Both ponies jumped when Starlight trotted into the room, catching the last bit of the conversation.

“Rarity, there’s ponies that are dying. The “crystal-ness” of the Crystal Empire is the least of our concerns.” Starlight deadpanned, although her words were firm and serious.

Rarity flushed red. “Yes…yes…I’m so sorry everypony, that was inconsiderate of me. Please carry on.” She bowed out of the conversation completely.

“It’s okay, Rarity. I understand your excitement…Although I wish it were under better circumstances.” Twilight said. She gave a reassuring smile, although there was nothing to be reassured about.

While the bombing outside had mostly silenced, the lump in Twilight’s throat had not. It was as if her mind was becoming as hazy as the sky outside. She couldn’t even breathe a sigh of relief at the stop in bombings, because she could still see the smoke and blood permeating the earth.

A loud knock resounded in the rotunda, and the rest of Twilight’s friends came in, each with varying degrees of success. Applejack had found an old user’s manual for transportation spells outside of Equestria, while Pinkie Pie was holding a series of posters dictating the underground crystal caverns all over Equestria. Fluttershy, Discord, Rainbow Dash, and Spike had little luck as well.

But the book that Rarity had brought in was a beacon of hope in the darkest chapter of Canterlot’s history. If Twilight, Starswirl, Discord, Starlight, and perhaps Rarity put their magic together, then a monumental transportation spell from Canterlot all the way to the Crystal Empire might just work. But it would require more effort and stamina than anything before. It made Twilight nervous to see just how weak Starswirl had become. Although he still had a fire in his eyes, the rest of him was burdened by his rapidly advancing age. Being trapped in limbo for over a thousand years hadn’t helped him, either.

Twilight was beginning to understand what being trapped in limbo felt like. For her, it was always one step forward and a million steps back. Every time she rounded a corner, her fears rounded it too. It felt like her life had become one giant ferris wheel, her misery and anguish cycling around and around with no end. But if she could get her citizens to safety, then maybe she could take the tentative first steps into a new, different Equestria. A better Equestria.

She put her thinking face on, and pondered over the books her friends had brought her. Rarity’s book was obviously the most pertinent to her situation, but Pinkie’s Pie’s book had struck her too. The crystal caverns under Equestria were remnants of older civilizations, as well as relatively modern mining excavations during Equestria’s industrialization period. Twilight had glimpsed a small part of the massive system when she was briefly imprisoned under Canterlot Castle when trying to rescue her brother from marrying a disguised Queen Chrysalis. The labyrinthian tunnels were mostly abandoned save for historic excavations and the occasional guided tour. All of that to say, the Crystal Caverns were a great place to shelter while figuring out the spell.

—

Four hours and several thousand boxes of medical supplies later, all remaining residents of Canterlot had been herded from their homes, streets, and other structures, taken down the steep, winding staircases to the castle’s lowest subterranean level, and guided into the massive section of the caves that had been roped off by Twilight’s guards.

Watching her residents be shepherded into the caverns broke Twilight’s heart, although she was grateful at the same time. It wasn’t just about the ponies that were alive and here. It was about those who weren’t. Hundreds of corpses littered the ground, the stench of death wafting throughout every district. Even though medical teams had been dispatched and mortuary workers delegated by Twilight’s staff to gather the remains of deceased ponies, there were simply too many. Although every major city was equipped to handle death, Canterlot had never, ever seen a massacre of this magnitude. It would take days, if not weeks, to restore and dignity the bodies, to prepare them for the thousands of funerals that should have never happened. The tragedy at Neighagara Falls seemed far, far away from the terrors facing Canterlot.

Some ponies that had survived the initial bombings were otherwise unharmed, but most of the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies entering the caverns sported serious, potentially fatal injuries. Twilight watched her guards usher in pegasi who had lost their wings, unicorns with cracked and broken horns, and earth ponies who had lost mobility in their legs and faces. With the thousands of ponies came a steady stream of blood that pooled on the shiny crystal surface. The aches and agonies of untreated survivors filled the massive underground cave that was being used as a makeshift shelter. For every tent and medical area being pitched up by hardworking staff, guards, and volunteers, dozens more were still in desperate need. As Twilight looked around from the entrance just below her castle’s basement, she could see an alarming number of ponies that looked near-death. Even with her staff working overtime, no amount of medicine or magic could cure everypony in time, unless…

Unless she could figure out the spell and take everypony to the Crystal Empire.

Cadence and Shining Armor had been notified earlier in the day, and they had sent back word that the back of their kingdom, home to mostly empty forestry, was being constructed into a camp for the survivors. Hundreds of crystal ponies had spent the better part of a day working on a temporary cohort of tents, yurts, and cots.

But their efforts would be in vain if she couldn’t transport her citizens to safety. Although walking to the empire through the caverns was an option, there was no telling what kind of dangerous situations her citizens could encounter, not to mention the very real threat of getting lost in the mirror-maze like system. With the consideration of rest stops and the limited physical ability of most of the injured ponies, it would take weeks to reach even the halfway point of the journey. By that time, her population would have run out of medical supplies and other resources. Venturing into the tunnels as a group or thousands was akin to walking into Tartarus and throwing away the key.

So that left…the spell.

—

“Crystalis Transportus Maximus—doesn’t quite have a ring to it but I guess that’s the spell we need.” Starlight had been scouring every page for a hint of help for the spell. As the Crystal Empire had disappeared for over a thousand years, most books written before the last few decades had never even mentioned the city, because it didn’t exist. But by some Celestian grace, this book was so old it was from a time before King Sombra’s arctic nightmare of a reign. The only thing left to do was channel the largest reservoir of Equestrian magic in history to transport an unprecedented number of ponies, creatures, and pets.

So, in other words, Twilight had to potentially risk her life to save her city. Starswirl’s case was even worse. Although his determination and stubbornness was unmatched, it was difficult to see him pale, weak, and elderly. How was he going to fare, with this high of a stake?

Twilight almost wanted him to quit, hoping that she and Starlight could do it on their own, and Starswirl could rest easy on one of the cots. A feeling of regret started to creep up on her, and she mentally chastised herself for even thinking of asking Starswirl to help! He was practically on his deathbed, for Celestia’s sake!

But although Starswirl was nearing the doorway, he would not beckon the knock of death until he was satisfied. The elderly pony had done everything in his power to help Equestria, even trapping himself in a limbo of complete darkness. He watched over the happenings with Twilight, seeing the massive cavern turn from glossy to bloodstained, from eerie and empty to bustling and alive. Within hours the space had been turned into a massive underground ‘city’.

Tears almost filled his eyes, but it was from pride, not sadness. He had felt the looming presence of death for months. His joints ached more than ever, and his gray beard was brittle. His vision was impaired, and even simple acts like getting out of bed for his daily walk were frustratingly tiring. But for Twilight, he would go to the ends of the known world, and even beyond that. It was she who had taught about friendship, about the world of possibilities that lay beyond academics. It was her that shared a laugh and a simple cup of tea with him on her visits to Manehatten. As his gaze traveled across the cave, he saw the city, famed for its snootiness–become whole in the face of tragedy. Ponies that had previously been divided by class and wealth were helping each other change bandages and swap stories. He saw the richest of the rich tearily hugging the poorest of the poor. He saw the community overcome with trauma, riddled with despair…and yet emboldened by the magic of friendship. The kind of magic that Twilight carried with her to the most profound degree.

Of course, there was a long, long way to go for the citizens of Canterlot to feel stable again, both in their homes and their hearts. But right here, on a ledge next to the most powerful pony in Equestria, Starswirl knew that day would come eventually.

If this spell killed him, he would be okay. Because wherever it was ponies went after death, he knew that his heart would remain full. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; there was no time to waste. The spell would begin promptly.

—-

Twilight, Starlight, Discord, and Starswirl gathered on the ledge that overlooked the cavern, all sitting around the spell book like they were sitting around a roaring fire. In a darkly humorous way, sheltering from the violence on the surface was like some kind of gnarly summer camp.

Rarity, who was on the immediate outskirts, was prepared to lend her magic in case something went wrong. All the citizens below them were instructed to get as close together as possible to increase the likelihood of the spell working. Larger space had been given to severely injured ponies who were still receiving last-minute treatment, but other than that everypony and every creature were packed like canned carrots at the grocery store.

First, Discord pointed his claws at the book and muttered an ancient anti-chaos incantation, and Starlight began a spell to give all of Twilight’s citizens a kind of momentary anesthesia for their jarring teleportation. Lastly, Twilight and Starswirl glanced at each other, and Twilight could have sworn she saw tears in the elder pony’s eyes. It was probably just a reflection of her own. A feat of magic of this magnitude had never been done before, and getting emotional about it was the least of things to worry about.

Together, Twilight and Starswirl shot bright blasts of golden light into the book, and everycreature on the ledge, including Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack joined their hooves and claws together. Forming a wide circle, they performed the spoken words in unison, and the book began to glow. It rose up and floated over the massive crowd of ponies, all of which had become completely still thanks to Starlight’s work.

Twilight watched in awe as the brightest flash of light she had ever seen enveloped the cave, until there was nothing she could see except a delicate, ethereal yellow. Twilight could feel the erasing of her earthly body as the light consumed the cave. Although the spell had only lasted for a fraction of a second, it felt like an eternity had been compressed into that one fraction of time.

It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, and she was both bewildered and grateful that all of her citizens had left the cave. Second later, a scroll erupted from Spike’s greenish flame, and her eyes went as wide as saucers as she read that her citizens had arrived safely(if expectedly quite discombobulated), and she felt her heart leap out of her chest. It worked! It worked! It worked!

As her friends whooped and cheered around her, there was one pony missing from the celebration. The vibrant voices of her friends slowly faded from her mind as she saw her friend for what would be the last time.

Starswirl the Bearded.

Her hero was lying on the far side of the ledge, just barely avoiding a deathly fall. He was limp and paler than a ghost. She checked his pulse with her hoof, noting its slowed and erratic rhythm. He showed signs of life, but he was so worn out from the spell that he was barely clinging onto them.

“Starswirl? Are you…alright?” Twilight asked, her brilliant beacon of hope fading to a dim flicker.

He turned to face her, his bones creaky and face more gaunt than ever. His eyes were sunken in and grayed, his hooves cracked as well. “Twilight, I think you know the answer to that.” He said simply.

Twilight had known for months that Starswirl’s health had taken a turn for the worse. After a rememergence a few decades ago, he was ceaseless in his quest to better understand friendship. Becoming one of Twilight’s closest allies, friends, and teachers, he had been instrumental in shaping Equestrian life for the better.

But here he was…dying.

In some way, Twilight had always carried a sense of pride that Starswirl the Bearded was as much of a mortal pony as she was. Unlike the gods, goddesses, and other mythological figures she had grown up idolizing, Starswirl the Bearded was but a humble wizard when he first met Celestia and Luna. Through trial and error, he had mastered the craft of magic to an impeccable degree. He had shown Twilight that mastering magic wasn’t just about natural talent(although he had plenty of that) it was also about working hard, studying, and never giving up. In the ancient world, he had worked as a simple tradespony before he turned his career to being an advisor to the royal sisters. In every aspect except his celebrity, he was ordinary.

Twilight had always loved that about him. He admitted his mistake in not learning the value of friendship, and had spent many years learning and growing as a pony, student, and friend. It had given him one of his best characteristics: humility.

But here Twilight was, wishing that he was immortal. She wished he was a god, she wished he was some egotistical maniac creature who lived forever. He could be turned into a statue, or commit crimes and be imprisoned in Tartarus for the end of time, but he would be alive. Perhaps that was an exaggeration, but she would grasp onto life with a wretched desperation if it killed her instead of him. She wanted him to continue living, continue helping Equestria, and continue spreading the gift of friendship. But most of all, she wanted her fillyhood hero to continue being her friend.

Because if Starswirl was gone, who was Twilight’s hero?

Starswirl didn’t have time to wait for Twilight to answer him. He let out a gasp, a low mourn from the rattle of death. Performing the spell had completely depleted him, but it was all worth it for the safety of Canterlot. It was a city that, in both the ancient world and the modern world, had given him so much.

Twilight was beside herself, sobbing as she leaned over him. Starswirl could feel the tears wetting the ground they shared.

“Starswirl, don’t die. You can’t die! I can help…there must be a spell to help you! You can’t die…you can’t die…you can’t die…” her voice faded and she sat, silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her friends surrounded her, murmuring various epithets.

Only Applejack answered her directly. “There ain’t nothing we can do, sugarcube.” She said somberly. She took off her trademark hat and held it against herself tightly.

“I know.” Twilight admitted, and looked down at Starswirl with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. “I’m so sorry Starswirl…I’m so sorry.” She buried her face in Starlight’s shoulder and sobbed violently. The rest of her friends were too shocked to cry. Even Discord had resisted the urge to make a joke.

Starlight lifted Twilight’s head up and looked her directly in the eye. “Don’t be sorry, my dear. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Twilight sniffed and Spike brought her a tissue. Even in such a stressful situation, he had remained her right-hoof dragon.

He continued. “If I didn’t want to help I wouldn’t have answered your scroll. This is what I wanted. You might not understand until it comes for you, but I welcome death. It’s my time.”

Everypony remained still for how Twilight would respond. She just nodded her head, tears still spilling from her eyes.

Her voice hiccuped and faltered. “Starswirl…you’re my hero. I can’t…I can’t lose you. I just…” Her face crumbled and deep, roaring sobs wracked her whole body. Her body gave out and she wilted like a flower in late autumn. The sadness rang out of her in waves, because where else could it go now?

Where could she turn when all the pages were stained black? How could she go on when even the tide was too far out?

The waves of despair continued to crash against her shores. She had barely composed herself when Starswirl spoke again.

“Oh Twilight,” He said in the kindest voice she had ever heard. “You won’t lose me. I’ll be there to guide you, every step of the way.”

Twilight sniffed again, her tears starting to slow. Her reddened eyes said all the words in the world, but she was silent.

Starswirl could feel his vision blurring and the breath leaving his lungs. He was reminded of when he was a very young filly, and he would be so tired from a long day that he would fall asleep before his head even hit the pillow. He wouldn’t even hear the goodnight from his parents.

But now, he could almost hear his parents sounding overjoyed to see him again, the smiles on their faces. He could see his sister, gone before he had finished kindergarten. His memories of her were all blurry, but now she was clearer than a prairie sky. They were waiting for him. He had to leave, if only for the beginning of his next chapter.

“Goodbye everycreature. I’ll see you all again sometime. And Twilight…”

Twilight could barely get a word out. “Yes, Starswirl?”

He only had one thing left to say. “I hope I was a good friend. You were always a good friend to me.”

With that, he took his final breath.

—

Starswirl would be remembered for a lot of phenomenal accomplishments. Being one of the most famous and adored ponies in both ancient and modern Equestrian history meant that his life would be remembered by many libraries, universities, and museums across the world. But most all, for the several ponies crying on the ledge of the crystal cavern, he was more than anything a plaque or statue could convey.

For Twilight most of all, the series of events had left a deep hole in her heart. She stared at the lifeless body in front of her until she was ushered away by guards, some of whom were called back to Canterlot after hearing the news of Starswirl’s death. They took his body away, and a private funeral was scheduled for the following week. It was to be held at an undisclosed location to avoid unwanted media attention, and any potential threats from the cloaked group.

Twilight and her friends were now headed to the Crystal Empire, packing up essentials from the conspicuously unharmed Canterlot Castle, and preparing for teleportation into the Crystal Empire Castle. Everycreature was in a dejected mood for obvious reasons, but the duty of her rulership still called. She didn’t know when she would be back in Canterlot.

It was funny, really, the way she only started to love Canterlot when it had been taken away. For now, she would have to take refuge with her brother and sister-in-law while the storm weathered the crown.

Before teleporting, she took a long, long look at the crystal caverns. She saw the glossy, reflective surface, and looked at herself.

She swore she could see a twinkle of light in the air, at the very edge of the ledge. Perhaps it was only her imagination.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, everyone. Life is busy. Thank you for the continued support of this chapter. It was challenging to write and I am not quite pleased with its quality but c'est la vie my friends. This chapter is also quite depressing so apologies for the sadness. Thank you for the engagement with this story!