Pipp groaned, closing her book and tossing it on the closest table. Hitch, feeling Pipp's frustration, gave Pipp's shoulder a quick squeeze as he had his forehoof around her, holding a book with his other.

While Pipp would often take comfort in the small gesture, it meant more to her that he seemed to feel whenever she was upset than the gesture itself, she was much too frustrated for it to work.

Sighing, she got up from the couch, causing Hitch to readjust. He looked up at her, concern written all over his face, but she just gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, babe. It's just that this book is more suited for Misty. I'm just going to find something else."

Hitch nodded in understanding and went back to reading his book. Pipp hovered in the air, scanning the bookshelves. They've been here a week and they had yet to find anything. Though, based on the sheer number of books in here, it'd take them months to read them all.

She began to fly around the maze of shelves, scanning the books and their titles. 'The Art of the To-Do List', 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness', 'Hayhoof's Intonements', 'Journal of the Two Sisters', 'Magical Mysteries & Practical Potions', 'Magical Compendium'. Pipp cringed. That last one was a big book.

As she continued scanning, one of the book titles caught her attention. 'History of the Crystal Empire'. She studied it. That sounded promising.

She grabbed the book, flipping it open to scan through it, ready to head back to the couch, when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

She looked up to see a blue book glowing. It looked pretty thin, but she flew to it anyway. How could she not? It was glowing for unity's sake. She read the title, the history book still in her hooves. 'Official Goof-Off Rulebook'? That didn't exactly fit with the types of books that were here. Certainly didn't sound as sophisticated as 'Predictions and Prophecies' and 'Trotter's Tome of Reliquary'. But it was glowing so it must be important.

She grabbed the book, pulling it out, though it didn't come all the way. Halfway off the shelf, it just stopped. She read the other books on the bookshelf, others glowing as well in a certain order. 'Burnferno: Warrior From Within', 'Daring Do', 'Gusty the Great', ' A Hearth's Warming Tale', and, finally, 'Slumber 101'.

She pulled them each one by one, as soon as they glowed, all of them like the first. Slowly, the bookshelf in front of her slid open and her eyes opened in shock before she screamed.

"See little filly? There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm right here." Flurry Heart said to the scared blue filly.

Slowly, hesitantly, she came towards the pink princess who had a kind and warm smile on her face. Flurry reached her hoof out, keeping her smile on. They touched hooves when they both heard something.

"Princess!" It sounded like a voice in the sky. A familiar voice. She looked up, but her surroundings soon grew dark as the filly's fear grew again. The sunshine Flurry had put into the sky slowly began to dim.

"Princess!"

The little blue earth pony filly let go of Flurry's hoof and ran off in fear, and Flurry could practically feel the filly's heart racing. She clenched her jaw and tried to put the sunshine back in the sky, but it was pointless. It was still dark and the filly's fear was too great.

"Your Majesty!"

With a heavy sigh, Flurry Heart clenched her jaw and cast a spell, her yellow magic gaining a small blue tint to it. Slowly, a swirl of magic enveloped her and she was transported through realms.

Once she was back in her room, she turned towards a greenish-blue earth pony with a black mane. "M.O.R.I.C! What have I told you about interrupting me when I'm in the middle of a dream? You know when I'm in a transition, so whatever it is, it can wait until then! You know how important it is that we keep their dreams–"

"They opened it, your majesty."

Flurry paused, her eyes wide. She knew exactly what M.O.R.I.C. was talking about. And yet, despite knowing, she refused to let herself believe it. They…they couldn't have. That would mean…Flurry's heart stopped. She refused to believe it. She wouldn't.

"Opened what, M.O.R.I.C? What did they open?!"

"The room, your majesty. In the study. They opened it."

The five ponies were each studying their own books. Misty was enjoying reading a book about magic while the other four would scan their books, before moving on to the next one when they didn't find anything useful.

Everything was quiet in the eerie silence when suddenly, they heard Pipp scream. Hitch was the first to react, followed quickly by Zipp, Misty, Sunny, and Izzy. Hitch was off the couch in half a second, already halfway to Pipp before the rest of them could even process what the hell just happened.

He skidded to a stop when he saw Pipp hovering in the air at an entrance to a doorway, eyes wide, a book on the floor, both of her hooves on her cheeks and, most importantly, a smile on her face. Hitch stood there, confused, not so sure Pipp was in danger anymore.

When the rest of them got there, Misty's, Sunny's, and Izzy's horns were already powered up, and Zipp was ready to charge at anypony that would dare attack her sister, only to freeze much like Hitch did when they saw the look on Pipp's face.

"Uh…Pipp?" Zipp asked, looking around. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Pipp mumbled, her smile and eyes growing wider as they seemed to sparkle. "What's wrong?! The only thing wrong here is this glorious beautiful room is kept hidden from the world, EEEEK! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!"

The five ponies looked at each other before shaking their head in disbelief. Of course that was what Pipp was screaming over. They wanted to be mad at her, but they were just glad Pipp was okay.

However, as soon as Pipp took out her phone to take pictures, the entrance was quickly blocked by Flurry Heart, who had her horn charged, her wings flared so that nopony could see past her and into the room, and a glare in her eyes. Pipp flew back a couple of wingbeats, and Hitch was at her side in an instant, Pipp landing at his side.

"Put your small strange device down and back away from the room. Now!" Flurry took a step closer towards Hitch and Pipp, who took a step back in response.

Flurry Heart forced them back before closing the bookshelf door behind her, never taking her eyes off the six ponies, her horn never discharging. Misty glanced down and noticed the book on the floor, reading the title. Using one of the many spells she's learned here, she teleported it under the couch, without Flurry Heart noticing, her attention focused too hard on Pipp, who was the one who opened the door. It disappeared in a flash of coral light. Misty glanced at the couch, which was in her line of sight as she was in the back of the group, and saw another coral flash appear under it.

"How did you open it?!" Flurry yelled, stepping closer and pushing Pipp and Hitch against the wall. Pipp was the one she was after, and they all knew, but Hitch refused to leave her side. The others stayed where they were, worried one wrong move would make her blast her already charged horn. "Answer me!"

Hitch stepped between Flurry Heart and the nervous Pipp. Pipp tried to get him to stop, she didn't want to lose him again after everything, but he refused to back down. He stood boldly between the two mares, glaring at the alicorn with fury. Like hell he'd just stand there and let this princess threaten the love of his life.

"Take one wrong step against my wife and it will be your last," Hitch said boldly, stomping his hoof on the ground and green vines grew next to them, not moving, there as a threat.

"Is that a threat, Prince?" Flurry asked, charging her horn more.

"It is. And I'm Sheriff first. Now, do I have to repeat myself? Or are you going to back away from my wife, princess?"

Flurry Heart and Hitch stared at each other, both ready to strike at any moment, neither ready to back down. Finally, Flurry said, "Do not go into that room. Ever. Or you can kiss this place goodbye. Do I make myself clear…Sheriff?"

"Crystal…princess," Was all Hitch said.

After a moment of staring at each other, Flurry discharged her magic, glaring at Hitch and Pipp one last time before flying off. Zipp watched her go, her detective instincts tingling, wondering what could be so important about a single room.

"This is a bad idea," Luster said, seeming on the verge of a panic attack. "Like, a really bad idea!"

Flurry rolled her eyes. "Yes. I know. That's the only thing you've said since we got on the train."

"This is a really, really bad idea! Like, a really, really, really bad–"

Flurry Heart put a hoof to Luster's mouth, shutting her up. "Please stop saying that."

Luster started to say something, but it just sounded like muffled noise with Flurry's hoof over her mouth. Flurry took her hoof away. "We're going to get ourselves killed! This is the worst idea I've ever heard of, and the Lord of Chaos frequents the School of Friendship! How do you think we're even going to survive this!"

Flurry Heart rolled her eyes, though, truth be told, this might've just been the worst idea she ever came up with, and she's come up with some pretty bad ideas. She hated to admit it, but she had to agree with Luster. They might not survive this.

But that didn't stop her. This was her fault. Opaline was able to summon those creatures to Equestria because of Flurry. She knew she had to do something after the Council meeting, which was why Flurry and Luster were on a train to Ponyville in the middle of the night. This was her mess to clean up. She thought she did that when she brought light back to the world, but she was wrong. This mess was so much bigger than she could've ever imagined, and something told her deep inside that this was only the beginning.

Of course, she didn't trust Luster. She wished she did. Luster seemed like a good pony. Aunt Twilight trusted her. Her mom trusted her. But…so did Opaline. She was lucky Orion never made eye contact with anypony. Apparently, that's why Orion didn't fall under Opaline's spell. She used a spell that needed eye contact to work. And for Orion, eye contact made him uncomfortable. Sure, Peach didn't fall under her spell, but Peach barely spared Opaline a glance. Orion was the spell master. He saw the way Flurry's and the Cake Twins' eyes changed. The only eye contact he'd briefly make with was his friends, but that was because they had known each other for years and were more like family than friends.

Since then, Flurry rarely ever made eye contact with a unicorn stranger, just in case. She didn't want to make the same mistake she did once. And she didn't hand out her trust so easily. She only trusted her friends, her parents, and her aunts. She learned that day that trust was earned, not given.

But, nonetheless, she had to bring Luster. Princess Twilight all but ordered them to hang out. If Flurry Heart just got up and left without straight as a board Luster, it'd raise suspicion. They may not trust Flurry Heart to not get into trouble, but they sure as hell trusted Luster, and that was all Flurry needed. And, as long as Flurry didn't share any private information with Luster, all should go well.

"Didn't your mother forbid you from going to Ponyville for the next two days?" Luster tried, hoping desperately to talk some sense into Flurry Heart, by any means possible.

"Yeah, and we're not. We're going to the Everfree Forest, which is just outside of Ponyville."

"Why the Everfree? Couldn't we pick a location that was…I don't know…less dangerous than the Everfree?" Luster asked, a shiver running down her spine.

"We could but…don't you remember Discord's memory? Those…things hated light. It hurt them. Which means they'll be somewhere dark. What place is darker than the Everfree Forest?" Luster looked at Flurry, clearly not convinced. "Look, we're not going to be there long. Just long enough for me to pick up a sample to study."

"Yeah, if we don't get lured into their trap first! We might go in there and never come back out!" Luster yelled, gaining the attention of everypony in their cart of the Ponyville Express, earning a glare from Flurry.

They were trying to get there incognito. Flurry Heart wore a cloak to cover her wings, but if Luster kept up this yelling, eventually she was going to give away their identity.

"Yeah, but we're not going in there alone," Flurry whispered. "Fluttershy calling Discord's name was enough to snap him out of whatever spell those creatures were putting him under. The Cake Twins are getting Orion and are meeting us there. And we're picking up Peach.

Luster bit her lip before an idea came to her. They were approaching Ponyville, so she had to make this quick. "But, in order to get to Peach and the Everfree, don't you have to go through town?"

Flurry smiled. "Well, seeing as Peach doesn't technically live within town limits, no, we don't." And with that, the two of them disappeared in a flash of yellow light just before their train cart entered Ponyville.

Zipp cracked her door open, peeking out, looking for any sign of Flurry and M.O.R.I.C.. When she was sure the coast was clear, she gestured for Misty to follow and quietly left their room.

Was this heist risky? Yes. Was it stupid? Maybe. But it was necessary. There was something in that room Flurry Heart didn't want them to find, which made Zipp determined to find it. She couldn't help it. Her friends were risking their lives to help Flurry. Flurry owed them open transparency, and she's been anything but. It was time Zipp did something to change that.

The two mares crept down the hall to the meeting place. She had texted Pipp earlier, asking her to meet them at the big ornate doors that led into the research hall. Zipp wouldn't have invited Pipp, she didn't even want Misty coming, but Misty insisted, claiming she'd need some unicorn magic backup in case things went south. Zipp wanted to keep Pipp as safe as possible. It was clear Flurry Heart was willing to do anything to protect whatever was in that room.

But, unfortunately, they needed Pipp. They had no idea how Pipp had opened the secret door before, and they needed the secret code in order to see it for themselves. However, when Zipp asked her for it, Pipp refused to give it to her, agreeing to open it for them tonight. Which meant, that if Zipp wanted to get in, Pipp would have to go too. Which meant Hitch would most likely be going too.

Despite Misty nearly getting caught several times in Maretime Bay when she was working under Opaline, Misty could be pretty sneaky when she really wanted to be. Opaline taught her well.

Misty quickly took the lead. Opaline trained her to do heists for when it was time for her to first steal the Unity Crystals, and when that plan turned into a bust, to steal Sparky. Opaline was the one who taught her to steal after all. She only failed so much because deep inside, she didn't really want to succeed. But she knew she needed to this time. For the sake of her friends.

She heard the soft sound of wingbeats and quickly rushed to the nearest door. When that was locked, she quickly pointed up before levitating herself with her magic, all the way up to the ceiling. Zipp quickly followed, hiding in one of the small cubbies that lined the walls.

Flurry Heart sighed heavily as she slowly flew down the halls, her eyes heavy, her whole body weary with exhaustion. She flew right under Misty and Zipp in a daze, too tired to notice if anything was amiss. She had a long day of looking after her subjects and spreading the light this morning that she could only think of her bed.

Once she rounded the corner, Misty slowly levitated herself to the ground, while Zipp stayed hovering in the air behind Misty, just a few feet off the ground. Zipp had to admit, she was impressed. She's hardly ever seen this side of Misty. So confident, so certain, moving like a shadow. It was the complete opposite of how she'd usually see Misty, so unsure and insecure of herself. Zipp probably wouldn't have heard Flurry Heart like Misty did. She knew how to use a sword, and could do a heist like it was second nature. It made Zipp wonder what else Opaline taught her.

Finally, they reached the big ornate doors, but they couldn't find Pipp. Misty closed her eyes, seeming to be concentrating. Zipp watched her, wondering what she was trying to do. She wanted to ask, but she didn't want to break Misty's concentration.

Suddenly, Misty opened her eyes and looked at the curtain across the hall from the door, before walking towards it. She opened it, revealing Hitch. He jumped, but when he saw it was Misty, he let out a sigh of relief.

That was when Pipp flew down from above, giving them a small smile. Zipp turned to Misty. "How did you know where Hitch was?"

"His emotions. I let down my empath shield long enough to sense Hitch's emotions. I've been practicing and now I can sense the direction a certain pony's emotions are coming from." Misty whispered in response.

Without further ado, the four of them turned to the big ornate doors, opening them to reveal the research hall. They wasted no time in entering, softly closing the doors behind them. Misty remembered that night five nights ago when she had that bonding moment with Princess Flurry Heart. She felt guilty, disobeying a direct order from a princess. A desperate request from a friend. But Zipp was right. If they were going to do this, they needed complete transparency.

Misty used her magic to grab the book she had teleported under the couch earlier that day before joining her friends at the bookshelf. Three of them waited for Pipp to do whatever it was she did before that opened the bookshelf, but Pipp just flew in place, hovering in the air, staring intently at the bookshelf.

"Well? What are you waiting for Pipp? Open it!" Zipp urged impatiently. "We don't have all night. She'll figure out what we're doing soon."

Pipp hesitated before chuckling nervously, giving her sister a sheepish smile. "Umm…funny story…I uh…I don't actually remember how to umm…open the door thing…yeeeah…"

Zipp blinked, not quite comprehending. "W-what?"

"How did you open it last time?" Hitch asked.

"Umm…well…that's just it…I'm not quite sure. I had pulled out this book," Pipp pointed to the book Misty was holding in her magic. "And umm…a book over here started glowing. It was…it was blue. I remember that much."

Zipp sighed in frustration. "Remember anything else?"

"Sorry, sis! You know I'm not the best at remembering stuff!"

Zipp was about to open her mouth when Hitch intervened, stepping between the two sisters. "It's okay, honey. Just breathe and think. We can wait."

Pipp did what Hitch said, taking a deep breath and racking her mind. That was when it came to her. "That's it! I remember! It was a book about a Gooof-off or something. Some kind of rulebook."

"A Goof-off? Really?" Zipp asked flatly, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm not the one who created the passcode. I just remember it was…it glowed and…"

"You mean that one?" Misty asked, pointing to a blue book that said 'Official Goof-Off Rulebook'.

Pipp gasped when she saw the book. She pulled on it, it coming halfway out, just like before. Then, the next book began glowing, and the next one. Smiling brightly, she pulled on the books in the order they glowed, one by one. As she did this, Zipp noticed her sister's cutie mark was glowing.

When she pulled on the last book, the one about slumber parties, the bookshelf slowly opened, just like before. Zipp rolled her eyes, wishing she was surprised, but if she were truly being honest with herself, she wasn't.

"A goof-off rulebook. Of course. Who knew?"

As one, the three ponies gathered around Pipp to look into this secret room Flurry had worked so hard to keep hidden, and when they did, all three of them gasped in amazement.

"I'm sorry, ya wanna do what now?!" Peach Cobbler asked in disbelief, looking at Flurry Heart like she was crazy. The ideas this mare came up with sometimes. Peach was surprised Flurry Heart or any of them weren't dead yet.

"Basically, the equivalent of monster hunting in the Everfree Forest," Luster stated flatly. She didn't know who this peach-colored earth pony was, but it was clear she seemed to think things through better than Princess Flurry.

Peach looked at the pink unicorn with a two-toned orange mane, blinking. "Uh…who are you?" Peach asked bluntly, looking Luster up and down.

Flurry sighed. "Luster, this is one of my best friends and Poundcake's marefriend, Peach Cobbler. Peach, this is Luster Dawn, Aunt Twilight's top pupil."

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Luster said, holding out a hoof, a polite smile on her face.

Peach looked at Luster's hoof before turning to Flurry. After the events five years ago, none of the five friends were the same. Especially when it came to trust. Even the fun-loving, carefree Cake Twins were wary of strangers. Not that Flurry blamed them. The last stranger they trusted manipulated their best friend into locking them in a storage closet after manipulating her into knocking them out.

"Yer draggin' her inta this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't have a choice," Flurry stated flatly.

"So you don't…" Peach glanced at Luster, trailing off.

"Of course not. You know what we all learned about trust that day."

"Yeah yeah, I know. So…what all does she know?"

"The basics." Was all Flurry said, though Peach seemed to understand. Flurry moved on to explain everything. "Peach, you know why I couldn't come to Ponyville earlier today, right?"

"Course I do. Yer aunts were comin' over." Peach answered.

"Yeah, well…they weren't just coming over. They were having a Council of Friendship meeting. You know about the disappearances that have been happening?"

"Yeah. Ponies have been disappearin' left and right. The mayor put a curfew in town and everythin'. Why?"

"Well, they're what the Council meeting was about. And…well…Discord came into contact with one of them and…and…"

"And they was caught, right?" Peach asked, but the way Flurry was acting gave her the feeling he didn't and that it was much worse than that. "Right?"

Flurry shook her head, not sure how to tell this to Peach. Nothing, almost absolutely nothing could get past the Lord of Chaos. And those that did nearly tore Equestria apart.

But, unable to keep it secret anymore, Luster blurted out, "His magic didn't work on it!" Flurry glared at Luster, who shrank back. How the hell was she supposed to keep what happened to the Crystal Heart secret when she couldn't even keep her mouth shut about this?

Peach's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"His chaos magic didn't work on it," Flurry admitted reluctantly. "They…it got away…"

Alright, this was bad. Peach understood that much. But she didn't understand why this had anything to do with them. Sure, Flurry Heart was a daredevil, but she wasn't stupid. She knew better than to go hunting for some mysterious creatures in the Everfree. She had a million bad ideas, and, sure, a couple of them could've been considered dangerous. But Flurry Heart wasn't no vigilante hero. She knew how dangerous villains could be, especially after Opaline. So why was she wanting them to take a field day in the most dangerous forest in Equestria?

"Okay…what does this have to do with us?"

Flurry sighed. "Peach…I…we saw Discord's memory…it…that thing…it was pure darkness. It was repelled by light. Peach, do you remember how dark it was when Opaline shattered the Crystal Heart?"

Peach shivered as she thought back to it. It was a memory she preferred not to live through again. "Maybe."

"Well…I'm thinking…that's why Opaline shattered the Heart. To summon those creatures."

"No. No no no no no. That's just…no. Opaline's goal was to shatter the Crystal Heart and take away light and love. That's it. And we foiled her plans, remember? You brought light back to the world while yer mama brought back love."

"What if that wasn't her end goal though? What if that was just step one? What if she didn't plan on taking light and love away from the world forever? What if she just needed to for a quick moment so she could do phase two?"

Peach sighed, dread building up in her stomach. She had a feeling she knew exactly where this was going, but she refused to believe it. If Discord's silly yet powerful chaos magic didn't work on these creatures, what made her think the five, er, six of them could handle these creatures?

"Great then, tell that to Princess Twilight and yer parents and let professionals handle this. We ain't monster hunters."

"I know. And we won't be hunting them. I wouldn't ask you to hunt something even the Lord of Chaos couldn't." Peach breathed a sigh of relief, but it was premature. "I just need to be around one long enough to collect some data on it and we'll be out in a jiff. Okay?"

"Oh, is that all? Well, in that case…we're dead! Flurry, we ain't monster hunters or finders or whatever it is you wanna call it! We've never even fought a villain…successfully. No offense. I mean, we're just a ragtag group of friends and…" Peach paused, looking at Luster before gesturing to her. "Plus one, from wee little small town Ponyville! We ain't qualified for this!"

"I'm actually from Canterlot," Luster spoke up, raising her hoof.

"Well, ain't you just special," Peach muttered bitterly.

"That's exactly what Aunt Twilight and her friends were when they defeated Nightmare Moon and brought back Princess Luna. Then they defeated Discord when he was evil. And then the changelings. And so on."

"Flurry, I'd hate to burst yer bubble, really, I would, but…we ain't yer aunts. We're just…us. Two bakers, a nerd, a farm mare, a rebellious princess who don't even want her crown, and…whatever it is she's supposed to be."

Luster glared at Peach. "Luster." At Peach's confused look, Luster continued. "I have a name, you know. It's Luster. Luster Dawn."

Peach rolled her eyes. "Whatever, look, our friend group don't take too kindly to strangers. Not anymore. It ain't nothin' personal." Peach turned back to Flurry. "Point is, we ain't heroes. We as far from heroes as heroes can be."

"Peach. Please." She glanced at Luster before continuing. "You know how this all started. You know why I have to be the one to finish it. Please. I'd never forgive myself if anypony else got hurt because…because of what happened."

Peach sighed heavily, her frustrated look turning into one of concern. "And what about us, Flurry? What if we get hurt?"

"You won't. I promise." At Peach's unconvinced look, Flurry continued. "Look, in Discord's memory, we found out they have a weakness. They have an aversion to light. I'm the Princess of Light. If things go wrong, I'll just blast the area with light and be done with it. I'll teleport us outta there and all will be good."

"And what if you get lured into their trance too? Hmm? What do we do then? Pull out a million flashlights and point 'em at the creatures? If Opaline really summoned these things, I doubt she did so if they could be so easily defeated. Face it, Flurry, we'd be screwed."

"But–" Flurry started, only to be interrupted by Peach.

"No, Flurry. That's yer problem. Ya never think these things through. What if somethin' were to happen to ya? Flurry, if what ya say is true, Equestria's in deep shit. And I got the feelin' Opaline's not one to be messed with. That she could rain hell down from above like it's breakfast. And I ain't stupid. I know ya got that feelin' too. And…if…if the Guardians of Unity…if they fail," Peach shuddered at the possibility. "Celestia forbid, all of Equestria and the Crystal Empire will need ya. We'll need our Princess of Light. If…you're our last defense, Flurry. If…if somethin' were to happen to ya…" Peach trailed off, not even letting her mind go there. But, she didn't need to finish for the three of them to hear the rest of that sentence. That if something happened to Flurry, it could mean the end of Equestria as they knew it.

Luster sighed heavily, finally accepting she was dragged into this, and it was time she played her part. "You have me." Flurry Heart and Peach looked at Luster confused. "If something were to happen to Flurry Heart, I've got your back. I'm Princess Twilight's top pupil. If Flurry starts getting lured into a trap, I can cast a light spell just big enough to banish that thing and break the connection so that Flurry can get us out. It won't be easy, but trust me, I can do it."

Flurry clenched her jaw, looking away from Luster. "Trust is earned Luster. Not given. And you have yet to earn our trust."

Luster rounded on Flurry. "Are you kidding me? You're the one who dragged me out here, practically against my will, and you have yet to trust me?! Have you lost your mind? If you don't trust me, why in the hay did you bring me out here?"

Flurry looked at Luster with determined eyes and a hard look. "Because, Luster. The last pony we trusted doomed all of Equestria and is the reason we're all in this mess. I'm sorry if me not trusting you hurts your feelings, but my subjects come first. So…you can either leave, or you can do whatever it is you need to do to earn my trust. Because, trust me when I say this, once you earn my trust, the only way you'll lose it is if you break it. And once you've earned it, you'll be one of my closest confidantes. Because, if we don't trust those closest to us, who can we trust? And without trust, how can we work together to defeat Opaline? But trust the wrong pony, and the whole world as we knew it can crumble to the ground. The choice is yours, Luster. Are you going to walk away, or finish what you started?"

Luster looked at Flurry for a moment before giving a determined nod. She'd do anything to prove herself to Flurry, and not just because Flurry was her idol. Luster could see Flurry really needed a group of ponies she could rely on. And, Luster wanted to be a part of that group. Because, Equestria was her home, and Luster had the feeling this group was going to save Equestria when Equestria needed the most saving. And she'd do anything to protect her home.

The four ponies gaped at the room with amazement and wonder. Even to Pipp, who'd seen it before, it still blew her breath away. She resisted the urge to pull out her phone. Yes, they were disobeying Princess Flurry Heart, but it was for a good cause. The least they could do was abide by as many of her rules as they could.

The entire room was bathed in gold, purple, pink, and sky blue. Everything seemed to shine in the artificial light. There were more bookshelves filled with books, but these books looked different from the books in the research hall. They almost looked like photo albums.

Every wall was a beautiful mural. On one wall was a beautiful unicorn mare with a pale vermillion coat and raspberry colored and cobalt mane. She had a cutie mark that looked like a snowflake. She was beautiful. The mural was of her floating in the air, though she had no wings, and in her magic, she carried a crystalline sky-blue heart. Crystals came down from above and below while the backdrop was different shades of pink.

The next wall showed two different ponies. One of them was a light pink alicorn mare with violet and pink hair with gold streaks. The other pony was a white unicorn stallion with a two-toned blue mane and wearing a red uniform with gold lining and a blue sash. The two ponies had their backs to each other, but their heads were turned so that their horns touched. Whisps of magic were glowing and surrounding them, and both of them had their eyes closed. They both had small smiles and their manes were flowing in an ethereal wind. Above them floated a beautiful sky-blue heart, much like the one in the first mural.

Pipp was surprised by the similarities she shared with the alicorn mare, well, except for the horn, of course. It was as though they could be related. That was when Pipp noticed the crown on the alicorn's head, as well as the crown on the unicorn's head from the previous mural.

The next wall was covered by a black curtain that was haphazardly thrown up there. For the most part, the curtain covered the wall, but some parts were peeking through, showing paint that was much like the other ones, indicating there was a mural on the wall too, though they couldn't tell what it was.

Hanging from a flagpole in one of the corners of the rooms was a purple flag with a white snowflake inside of a white circle with light blue filigree around it.

And finally, in the middle, floating and twirling in the air between two crystal spikes was a beautiful crystal heart gem that was sky blue, similar to the ones on the two murals. However, this one had a small difference from the ones on the murals. This one had purple whisps inside the crystal surface, like it was gelatin, and somepony had spread light purple food dye into it and used a toothpick to swirl it around, but instead of gelatin, it was a crystal.

Zipp, her mouth hanging open in wonder, took a step, her body beginning to pass through the doorway, when she was repelled back into her friends by something that was at first invisible, but upon contact flashed a pale yellow. Suddenly, all around them, a siren began to blare, and immediately all the ponies put their hooves to their ears, the blaring loud siren threatening to make them deaf for the next month.

"A force field and a siren?!" Hitch yelled, just to be heard over the siren.

"That's just a little excessive!" Zipp commented loudly, putting the tips of her wings into her ears.

Without any more hesitation, the four ponies hurried away, Misty closing the bookshelf door with her magic. The royal sisters flew above them, keeping their eye out for any trouble. Misty held the book she had teleported under the couch in her magic, galloping as fast as her hooves could carry her.

They left the research hall just in time, Flurry Heart teleporting into the secret room just after Misty closed the door to the research hall. Her horn was charged, ready to blast anything that dared to move. She glanced around, finding the room empty and everything still in place. She glanced around, exiting the room to look through the bookshelves when she saw one book missing. She growled between her teeth, willing to do anything to protect her subjects.

The four ponies ran as fast as they could, turning corners and trying to find their rooms as quickly as they could. Their hearts raced and palpitated with exertion and dread, knowing if Flurry Heart caught them, they may never leave the Crystal Empire again.

That was when they skidded to a stop, nearly running into a greenish-blue earth pony with a black mane. Hitch, who was in front, couldn't stop in time and skidded right into M.O.R.I.C., but, instead of colliding painfully into a firm body like he expected, he went right through him, until they were both standing in the same exact spot.

That was when M.O.R.I.C. teleported away, only to appear right in front of Hitch. The four ponies looked at him with open-mouthed shock. What in the hay was this place? A kingdom with no subjects and floating crystals, creepy shadowed monsters, and a holographic butler? This place was just full-on crazy.

"What are you…?" Misty asked in a dazed whisper, her eyes practically bugging out.

"I am M.O.R.I.C., Magically Operated Robotically Intelligent Companion. I was created by Princess Twilight Sparkle to assist Princess Flurry Heart in her many centuries of isolation. I am magically connected to every square inch of this castle, so I can best assist the Crystal Princess. Including the forbidden room you just stepped hoof in."

All four ponies' eyes widened further, if that were even possible, as they realized they had been caught. They began trying to explain in a jumbled mess about everything, hoping something they said would gain the pity of this…whatever this was. A robot? A hologram?

However, M.O.R.I.C. simply held up his hoof, silencing them. "I am here to help. Princess Flurry Heart has been lonely for such a long time and it appears she has taken a shine to your blue unicorn friend. I wish to see my princess happy, but she has been in dark places for so long, even I have failed to reach her. However, since you have all arrived, Princess Flurry Heart has smiled more than she has in a thousand years. I do not wish to see that smile taken away from her. I am afraid that if it is, it may never return."

"You…really care about her…don't you?" Pipp asked, flying a little closer to M.O.R.I.C..

The greenish-blue earth pony looked at the pink pegasus princess with a small smile. "I may be a pre-programmed being, but Princess Flurry Heart is my charge. I only wish to see her happy."

"She's your family," Zipp muttered, looking down at Pipp and Misty, understanding exactly what M.O.R.I.C. was talking about.

"Yes. I suppose she is. I am her companion and she is mine." Suddenly, the five of them heard Flurry Heart call M.O.R.I.C.'s name and the four ponies froze. "Quickly," he continued. "When you get to your room, pretend you were just woken up by this alarm and have no idea what's going on. Do you trust me?"

The four ponies looked at each other before giving M.O.R.I.C. a nod. He gave them a small smile before stomping his hoof and the four ponies faded out of sight.

The six ponies cautiously walked through the Everfree Forest, their hearts racing. They all kept their ears perked for anything that sounded remotely like singing or anything that could be following them. This forest scared the living daylights out of all of them, even Flurry Heart, and especially Luster Dawn.

When the Cake Twins and Orion met Luster, things were on the awkward side. Luster was getting the vibe that the five of them were wary of her, as though they expected her to go evil at any moment. It made Luster wonder just what happened between the five of them and this Opaline character.

The Cake Twins were the least hostile towards her, but she could tell they were keeping their distance. Flurry Heart was starting to open up more to her. Not in terms of words exactly, but in behavior. Flurry no longer seemed so tense around Luster anymore, and when Luster would trip over a tree branch or a rock, Flurry was often the first to her side to help her up.

It was Peach Cobbler and Orion who seemed the most hostile towards her. They'd often give her warning side glances, as though saying that if she really was what she said she was, that'd be great, but if she were to backstab them, they'd be ready. Orion stayed glued to Pumpkin's side, always positioning himself between his marefriend and Luster like a barrier. It made Luster feel bad for them. Whatever Opaline had done to them…it was bad, and it must've changed them.

Not a single one of them said a word since entering the forest. Pumpkin often found herself leaning into her coltfriend, Orion, for comfort, her whole body shaking, jumping at every sudden noise. Her twin brother, Poundcake, seemed to have his nerves under better control, but his eyes still flicked with every loud noise, his wings ruffling uncomfortably.

They had all heard stories of the Everfree Forest, about how bad things always happened there, especially at night. How if it weren't for the Young Six's Treehouse, it'd invade Ponyville and soon, all of Equestria. How some of Equestria's most dangerous creatures lived in these woods.

This was sounding more and more like the worst idea they'd ever gone along with as the minutes ticked by.

Suddenly, the six of them heard rustling at their side and they froze. Flurry, ever her father's daughter, was in a defensive position, her wings flared out, her horn already charged with an uncasted spell. Pound was next, also flaring his wings, and standing defensively in front of Peach. Orion also stood in front of Pumpkin, his horn, along with Luster's, charged with uncasted spells.

"Remember the plan ponies. Stick to it." Flurry muttered to her friends, who nodded softly in return.

However, what came out of the tangle of overgrowth wasn't the creature Discord had faced, but rather…Chimera? Five of the ponies huddled together in fear, but Flurry was confused. Wasn't Chimera supposed to be in the Fireswamps? So what were they doing here in the Everfree? That was when Flurry Heart noticed their three sets of eyes. They were black and pupilless. And the way they moved, it was like they were unsure of how to use their body.

That was when Peach smelled something. Her eyes widened as she recognized that smell. She didn't live far from the Everfree and living on a farm, she'd seen her fair share of them when they'd try to steal food from her family's farm. "Uh…ponies…I don't wanna make ya'll panic or nothin', 'specially with Chimera and stuff but uh…I smell somethin' that smells an awful lot like a–"

"TIMBERWOLF!" Pumpkin screamed, interrupting Peach, pointing at the two Timberwolves behind them.

The ponies shrieked as they realized they were surrounded. That was when Flurry noticed that their eyes, instead of glowing green, were also black, moving around much like the Chimera did. There was something wrong with these creatures. Something was very wrong, and something deep inside told Flurry these creatures weren't in control of their own bodies.

That something worse was.

Author's Note

HALLELUJAH MY INSPERATION IS BACK! I'm a whole new soul!

Okay, so maybe that was a bit dramatic, but seriously, it made me so sad having to put the story on hiatus indefinitely. I had inspiration coming in bits and pieces coming from all over the place, and no idea how to connect it all or continue. Seriously, since writing my last story, I've made like ten unfinished stories that are unpublished.

But now it's back in full force and it's amazing! I'm Izzy at the end of that one TYT special when she got her creativity back.

Hope you like the come back episodes and hopefully, my own case of Blockywockys are over and this was just a small bump in the road. I've got me some big plans for this story. *Misty evil laugh*

Tho, FYI, we are about halfway through so…yeah. Those plans will be coming up soon.