Along the Road to Chaos

Carefully stepping around the detritus that had been left behind in the stamped of well-dressed ponies, the three changelings entered the throne room of Canterlot, the location of the country’s very seat of power. The throne room itself was magnificently designed, and possibly the largest room in the building. Extending nearly three stories high, it was almost as wide across as it was tall. A trio of giant stained glass windows, reaching from floor to ceiling, along the side of the room allowed in a beautiful spectrum of purple to red hues, casting the room with all the colours of the rainbow. The windows were a masterwork of architecture, and on a normal day, the light would dance along the smooth polished marble, bringing light and life to the residents within. Tapestries adorned the wall opposite the window, showing ponies of all types living and frolicking together in peace, harmony, and friendship. A pair of giant alicorn statues stood behind the throne, craning their necks so they appeared to be looking down at the throne itself. It was a room carefully crafted to bring the warmth of the outside world into the peaceful throne room.

As one, the attention of the changelings was drawn to the centerpoint of the room; the throne itself. With a thin red carpet leading directly from the doorway to the foot of the throne, the seat demanded attention. Elevated a few steps above the rest of the room, the throne was where the ruler of Equestria would sit and listen to her citizen’s requests and petitions. Carved out of the same white marble that composed the rest of the room, an image of a dawning sun emblazoned on the peak of the seat back, it had stood for centuries as a symbol of Princess Celestia and of stability for Equestria.

Queen Chrysalis lay slouched out across the throne, her rear hooves and head dangling across the throne’s armrests. A tiny amount of green slime oozed from the gaping hole in her throat, where Shining Armor had managed to shove a spear all the way through her neck. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, one of her forehooves idly stroking at a chain bolted to the front of the throne. The chain was clearly a recent addition, cracks spreading through the marble out from where it had been hastily implanted. Princess Cadance sat lashed at the end of the chain by a heavy iron ring around her neck. Her eyes refused to yield, and she glared defiance at the three changelings as they walked up to the throne.

“Quite a mess those fancy-pants ponies left behind,” Last Breath said flippantly, stepping over an abandoned gem-encrusted necklace. “You must have really scared them.” Despite his frivolous tone, he bowed as low as the other two did when they reached the steps leading up to the throne.

“My Queen,” Innocent Sin said, nearly prostrating himself before his monarch. “Forgive me. I have failed you. The town of Ponyville had refused to hand over the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and we were unable to take them into custody. I can only offer my apologies, and beg for your forgiveness.” He bowed so low that his horn scraped against the floor, its twisted tip scratching an imperceptible groove in the smooth stone.

“Ha!” Cadance proclaimed, a grim smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Her mane may be messy and unkempt, dark bags may ring her eyes, and her coat may be dirty and faded, but a fierce light lit her eyes from within. And so long as she would not give up hope, that light would not be extinguished. “I told you! Twilight and her friends are going to stop you!”

Chrysalis yanked at the chain, the unexpected force pulling Cadance to the floor. Sitting up straight in her throne, Chrysalis frowned down at the captive Princess. “If they think they can stop me, just let them try. I’ve come too far to be defeated now. Before I’m finished, all of Equestria will be under my total control!” Stepping off the throne, she stood over Cadance. “And you are going to watch it all. Helpless to do anything about it.” She giggled girlishly, the feminine sound at odds with the malicious tone in her words. “Just like before. Only this time, I’m not going to underestimate you.” Her hoof slammed against Cadance’s shoulder, pinning the Princess to the ground. “Maybe I should send you back there again. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Cadance glared defiance up at the Queen. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, her expression was unfazed at the reminder of her previous imprisonment. The last time the two had met, the Queen had imprisoned Cadance in the Crystal Catacombs deep beneath Canterlot. The only reason Cadance had been able to break out was because Chrysalis had also tried to imprison Twilight Sparkle in the same place, and the two had managed to escape together.  “You won’t win! We’ve beaten you before and we’ll do it a-aagh.” She shouted in pain as the hoof on her shoulder pressed down even harder, and the three watching changelings winced at the sound of grinding bone.

“Yes, yes,” Chrysalis replied as she increased the pressure, the bored tone in her voice matched by the expression on her face. “Goodness will prevail, love and harmony will conquer all, cheaters never prosper, and always brush your teeth. Honestly, it’s like you ponies can only parrot the same ridiculous lines over and over again. Well, let me give you something to think about, Princess.” Instead of saying anything, her head shock forward, lashing at Cadance with all the speed of a serpent striking at its prey. Chrysalis’ mouth latched onto Cadance’s horn before the Princess could react, the changeling’s fangs digging deep into the base of the alicorn’s horn.

Cadance screamed in horrified agony as she felt her essence, her very being, drawn out through her horn and into the insatiable creature standing above her. Her wordless shriek echoed in the mighty chamber, her howl of soul-rending despair reaching higher and higher in pitch as her fear and anguish reached an overwhelming crescendo. “Aaa-aaaaaauuuuaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!” Succumbing to the unbearable pain, her screams eventual died out as her eyes crossed and she collapsed into unconciousness' blissful embrace.

Chrysalis, heedless of her victim’s insentient state, continued to slowly drain the life and love out of Cadance, draining the Princess dry. Sucking like a leech, she drew out and absorbed almost every piece of Princess Cadance. Eventually satiated, she released her hold around Cadance’s horn and took a step back, her tongue rubbing at one of her fangs. “Thanks for the meal,” she said mockingly to the prone Princess.

“Whoa.” Fallen Roses mouthed soundlessly, her compound eyes staring at the pair on the dais. The sheer amount of power she had just felt her Queen drain – it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. That much raw, unbridled energy would be enough to revive the hive a hundred times over. Hearing Chrysalis suddenly speak her name, she stiffened, standing up straight to await Chrysalis’ regard.

“Take her,” Chrysalis prodded the unconscious Princess with a forehoof, “to her own room. Do everything you can to see that she recovers.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Fallen Roses’ horn lit up, levitating the pink alicorn and gently depositing her on the changeling’s back. Through her exoskeleton she felt Cadance’s sides heaving weakly as the Princess struggled to breathe, and a rapid pulsating signifying her heart fluttering wildly. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Cadance’s eyes were closed and she a pained expression spread across her face, all while the raspy sound of her breath was reminiscent of rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together. Getting her to recover is going to be a little tricky. Maybe I should… nah, I’ll wait a bit first. That could be fun, though.

As Fallen Roses left the throne room with her unconscious passenger, several dozen blank-eyed changelings flew in through the main doorway. Their blank blue eyes stared at the Queen as they flew before her, buzzing around loosely in no sense of order or discipline. Chrysalis turned to look at Innocent Sin and Last Breath, throwing her head back and tossing her mane out of her eyes. “Here are your new orders. Innocent Sin, you are in command. You and your troops,” she gestured at the small swarm of changelings, “are to find the Bearers of the Elements and negate them as a threat. Bring them here if you can.”

“I live to obey,” Innocent Sin murmured, bowing low. Turning, he strode proudly out of the throne room, the platoon of changelings following in his wake.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Last Breath said, having remained behind when all the others had left. “Wouldn’t it be easier to remove the Elements themselves? We have them here in the castle, and we could easy separate them and send them all across Equestria.”

Chrysalis frowned slightly, her diaphanous wings buzzing as she flew in front of one of the massive stained glass windows. Gazing up at the masterwork of design, she stared up at the carefully crafted imagery. One on the end showed Princess Celestia, proudly raising the sun into the sky. The one on the far end portrayed Princess Luna, serenely lowering the moon behind the horizon. But it was the one in the middle that had Chrysalis’ attention. Both Princesses stood together, surrounded by the six Elements of Harmony, the adoring subjects prostrating themselves before the rulers.

“That certainly would be easier,” Chrysalis agreed, gazing up at the larger-than-life representations of her enemies. “It’s regretful, but Celestia sealed the Elements behind a doorway that I am unable to open. Even with all my power, the lock is far too intricate for me.”  She laughed faintly, the faintest hint of self-depreciation present in her chuckle. “I guess living hundreds of years isn’t just for show.”

Catching something in her tone, Last Breath gave her an odd look. “…You admire her, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Chrysalis sighed, gazing up at the stained glass depiction of Celestia. “I do. All my life, I’ve wanted to be like her. I’ve wanted everything she had. And now I have it.” Landing on the ground, she kicked one of her forehooves across the marble floor. “And it still isn’t enough! What am I missing?”

“Maybe you just want the same thing everything else wants,” Last Breath suggested after an uncomfortable pause. “Love.”

Chrysalis grunted. “I have the love of my changelings. I don’t need anything else.” Turning away from the mighty windows, she turned her gaze upon Last Breath. “You think I’m going about this all wrong, don’t you?”

“Honestly?” Last Breath stood up straight, abandoning his deferential bow. His eyes staring directly into his Queen’s, he stated his honest opinion. “Yes. I do.”

The two changelings locked gazes, neither backing downing in the slightest. The seconds slowly ticked by, until the corners of Chrysalis’ mouth suddenly twitched and a small smile bloomed on her face. “Ha! Somehow, I just knew you’d say that.” Dropping her head, her mane fell forward, completely covering her face. “And I completely agree.”

Last Breath walked up to her, brushing at her sides with his wings in an attempt to comfort her. “It’s not too late. We can still fix this.”

“How?” Chrysalis said bitterly, her face shrouded in darkness. “We’ve already gone too far.” She shrugged, knocking his wing away. A determined expression appeared on her face as she raised her head, her mane falling back behind her head. “Last Breath, your orders remain the same.”

Last Breath bowed, not even trying to hide his disappointment at his monarch’s decision. “As you command. What about Innocent Sin?”

“It’s important to know how every tool works,” Chrysalis said, walking over to the throne. Climbing up on it, she quickly made herself comfortable. “Innocent Sin is a hammer. When a job requires a hammer, he’s the best hammer I could ask for. When a job doesn’t require a hammer, he tries to hammer it anyway.”

"Then what tool am I?"

Chrysalis only smiled.

______________________________________

“And up we go.” With a heave, Fallen Roses tossed the limp body of Princess Cadance up on to the Princess’ own bed. Being somewhere familiar would help her recovery process, and get her up to full form again soon. And then the Queen will drain her again. Her horn glowing a faint green, Fallen Roses tucked Cadance under the covers, fluffing them so the Princess would be as comfortable as possible while she rested.

Since the Princess would probably be unconscious for the next half day or so, Fallen Roses was left with some free time on her hooves. She’d need to get something to feed the Princess when she awoke, but other than that, her day was now wide open. A shout from outside the window drew her attention, and Fallen Roses walked past the four poster bed to peek her head out the window.

“In line, maggots!” On the ground three stories down, Innocent Sin was hollering at a swarm of over fifty changelings. As Fallen Roses watched, the blue-eyed changelings slowly got into formation. Innocent Sin frowned at the before sharply nodding his head once. “Good. Remember this formation. I expect each and every one of you worthless scum to be in the same position as we fly, so don’t forget it!”

“Keeping them in line, Innocency?” Fallen Roses shouted down, hanging her forehooves out of the window.

Innocent Sin craned his neck back, looking up at the one who had just shouted at him. “I’ve been ordered to negate the Elements or Harmony as a threat. We’re going to capture them so they can’t use the Elements.”

“Really?” Fallen Roses cocked an eyebrow, leaning against the side of the window frame. “Well, I did some reading about the Elements while you were out earlier, so let me give you one word of advice…”

Innocent Sin’s eyes widened as she explained her idea, as her sweet words burrowed into his skull. “But that… we can’t do that!”

Fallen Roses shrugged, as if it was no concern of hers. “I’m just giving you a suggestion. Take it or leave it. As for right now…” She pointed at a figure that was crossing the courtyard. “It looks like you have a visitor.”

Looking in the direction she indicated, Innocent Sin saw Last Breath heading towards him. “Oh no,” he grumbled. “What do you want?”

Rubbing at the back of his head, Last Breath released a sigh. “Nothing, really. But the Queen said as punishment, I had to work under you for this mission. Think I said something to annoy her.” Snapping to attention, Last Breath saluted his new superior officer. “Ready to serve… I guess.”

“Is the punishment yours or mine?” Taking into the air, Innocent Sin flew in the direction of Ponyville. As one, all the changelings behind him took into the air, flying in formation behind him. “For the swarm!” Innocent Sin cried.

“For the swarm!” buzzed all the changelings behind him.

Watching as they flew out of sighed, Fallen Roses gave a fond wave in their direction. “Good luck, boys. Now…” Dropping off the windowsill, she turned her attention to Princess Cadance. “What am I going to do with you?”

_________________________________________

“Hey! You slowpokes just about finished yet?”

On the outskirts of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash stood in the middle of an empty field, glaring up at the cloud ceiling above her. On her back, Applejack sat uncomfortably, the farm pony not used to being treated like an invalid. Several pegasi moved through the clouds and, under Dash’s watchful eye, one cloud detached from the others and floated down in front of her.

A pale blue pegasus mare with a mixed light yellow mane and light purple eyes stood on the cloud, hopping off it as Dash clambered on. “I’d be careful about who I call a slowpoke if I were you,” the pegasus said as she started to push the cloud, lifting it and its passengers towards the heavens. “Otherwise, somepony might ‘forget’ to cover for you.”

Dash snorted, tossing her mane out of her eyes and unknowingly giving Applejack a snoutful of hair. “Like you’d pass on the chance to boss everypony around, Cloudkicker,” she shot back. As the de facto captain of the weather patrol, Dash needed somepony to take over for her while she was off adventuring. Cloudkicker might be a bit hard on the head, but she was definitely the best choice available.

“Ha! Too true.” Cloudkicker’s wings sliced through the air, and the group rose rapidly towards the clouds above. As they neared them, several other pegasi opened a hole in the clouds, clearing a hole for the group to pass through.

Unnoticed by the two pegasi, Applejack glanced down at the ground far below them before pulling her hat down over her eyes and covering her head with her hooves. She had only been up this high once before, when Twilight had researched up that cloud walking spell so non-pegasi would be able to walk on the clouds. But as an earth pony, she preferred having her hooves squarely in the dirt, where they belonged.

“So? Where to, boss?” Cloudkicker asked once they had cleared the clouds. The still-setting sun cast amber light on the tops of the clouds, giving them a goldish sheen.

“Home,” Dash said simply, lying down and making herself comfortable on her stomach. “I’ve got to do some cleaning and pick up Tank before we go.” Dash’s pet turtle would be staying at Fluttershy’s until Dash returned. While Fluttershy herself wouldn’t be there, she was having some friends of hers, Aloe and Lotus from the spa, stop by every day to feed the animals. Besides, Tank was from there originally, and he was already friends with the other animals.

“You got it.” Zipping over to the other side of the cloud, Cloudkicker gave it a hearty shove, getting it moving in the direction of Dash’s house. After they had moved in silence for several seconds, Cloudkicker spoke up. “Hey boss? You guys are gonna fix this, right?”

“Of course we are!” Dash stated confidently. “What’s wrong?” she asked teasingly. “Hoping I’ll mess up so you can take over?”

“I’ll take over anyway,” Cloudkicker shot back with a grin. The smile quickly faded away, and she shook her head with a sad sigh. “The head honchos at Cloudsdale sent out a report this morning. It’s not looking good, Dash.”

“How bad is it?” Dash asked. She had known the weather was acting a little funny – she wasn’t the captain of the Ponyville weather team for show – but she didn’t know how bad it had gotten. If she had been able to fly, she could have easily read the weather by the play of the breeze through her sensitive feathers. As it was, she could only depend on her instinct.

“Bad.” Cloudkicker frowned, her wingbeats keeping their slow, steady pace. “Since the sun stopped moving, the air hasn’t been heating up like it should. Weather systems all across Equestria are starting to break down. A fire broke out in Vanhoover, and it took the fire team nearly ten hours to collect enough rainwater to put the fire out. A good third of the city’s just smouldering rubble.”

“By Celestia’s mane…” Dash swore, thinking about how horrible that must have been.

“Oh, it gets better,” Cloudkicker added, her tone making it clear it wasn’t going to get better at all. “You remember that giant storm above Canterlot a few days ago? Just after the sun stopped moving? Whatever it was, it wasn’t supposed to have happened. Some sort of magical surge set it off.”

“Wait… But Canterlot’s right in the middle of the CE Flyway!” The Cross-Equestria Flyway – or CE Flyway for short – was the single largest and most important air current in Equestria. Stretching from coast to coast, several hundred delivery and mail pegasi flew it yearly. A magical storm as strong as the one that had been above Canterlot would be enough to cripple it, if not destroy it entirely. As far as Dash knew, there were only three ponies in Equestria capable a strong enough magical surge to create such a storm – the Princess Sisters and Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah.”  Cloudkicker looked up at Dash, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “We can’t send or get news from the other side of Equestria. I have family in Fillydelphia, and I have no idea what’s happened to them. Please Dash,” she begged. “Please tell me you’ll fix this. Please tell me everything’ll be alright.”

“Leave it to us,” Dash replied with a confident smile. “So long as all of us are together, ain’t nothing gonna stop us.”

_______________________________________

In the center of Ponyville, Rarity and Zecora were walking together down the dirt roads of the town’s major streets. Their destination was the Carousel Boutique – Rarity needed to get ready, and Zecora had left some of her tools there the previous night. Pinkie had walked with them for a bit before disappearing in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

“I hope it’s not presumptuous of me to ask,” Rarity said after several minutes passed in relative silence, and the Boutique was just coming into view. “But why are you coming with us, dear? You’ve never offered before, and it just seems a little strange. Normally, you’re always alone in that dreadful forest.”

Zecora walked stared at her hooves several steps before responding, her eyes appearing to focus on something Rarity was unable to see. When she replied, it was in a quiet voice that Rarity could barely hear. “The Everfree Forest is not as it was. Something has it all abuzz. The soul of the forest has become dark and twisted. I fear I would not survive unassisted.”

Rarity looked at the zebra in surprise, her head tilting slightly to the side. “Twisted? But isn’t it always like that? I mean,” she gave an awkward little laugh, “the forest has always been a scary place.”

Zecora chuckled mirthlessly, giving her head a slight shake. “The forest has always been merely untamed. That’s all that makes it different from the land you ponyfolk have claimed. No, the cause is a different source. And I fear it is a truly mighty force.”

Stepping slightly to her left as she walked to avoid a pothole in the road, Rarity bit her lower lip as she pondered Zecora’s words. “Do you think it has anything to do with the changelings?”

“I am certain that it is not,” Zecora stated bluntly. “Whatever the source, it has the same feeling as that creature you all fought.” Spotting Rarity’s reflexive flinch out of the corner of her eye, Zecora slowly shook her head. “No, that isn’t quite correct. The creature felt like only a fraction of what I could detect.” The corners of her mouth turned slightly downwards, eventually spreading into a small grimace. “This lack of knowledge pains me the most. For all I know, the source could be a vengeful ghost.”

A dainty shiver ran through Rarity’s spine, and she shuddered theatrically. “Goodness, darling, the last thing we need in this mess is some sort of ghost. I bet it would be some sort of irritating, nasty, slimy, obnoxious, putrid, disgusting, horrendous, foul-smelling pile of ooze. And then… it would come all this way to mess up ponies’ manes and just cover my Boutique in awful sludge. Ooooooooooooooh.” Rarity waved her hooves spookily in the air in front of her for a couple seconds before noticing the flat look Zecora was giving her. Dropping down to all fours, Rarity blushed and smiled apologetically. “Sorry.”

Zecora rolled her eyes and shook her head silently, her mohawk bobbing slightly in the cool breeze.

The movement caught Rarity’s eyes, and she gestured towards it. “Come to think of it, I’ve never asked you,” she said. “Why do you wear your mane like that?” With a wave of her hoof, she gestured at Zecora’s neckrings, legbands, and earrings as well. “It’s all very exotic, and quite pretty, but I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else. Is that part of zebra fashion?”

Zecora glanced over, and seeing Rarity’s eyes shining with genuine curiosity, decided to answer honestly. Reaching up, she thoughtfully ran her hoof through her mohawk. “The mohawk is a personal choice. It speaks about me as loudly as my voice.” Her hoof moving down, she tapped the earrings, neckrings, and legbands in order. “These tell all who know that I was once a mganga long ago.”

Rarity frowned in puzzlement, and her ear twitched as she tried to puzzle through what Zecora had just said. “What’s a managa?” she asked, stumbling over the strange word.

“’Doctor’ is probably the word in your language that most applies,” Zecora said after a moment’s thought. “Though it can also mean ‘One Who is Wise’.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me,” Rarity replied with a ladylike giggle. “You are probably the wisest pony I know.” Her faint smile vanished as she remembered something else the zebra had said. “But what did you mean when you said ‘long ago’?”

“I was banished by my tribe,” Zecora replied, not making eye contact with Rarity. “The details of which I would prefer not to describe. However, myself and the elders could not see eye-to-eye, and they demanded something I would not abide by. I left my home with nothing more than a pack, and they made it clear I would not be welcomed back.”

Rarity gasped in horror, her hooves covering her mouth. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed. “I had no idea! I’m so, so sorry for asking!”

Zecora shrugged, as if it didn’t matter to her. “You did not know. And it all happened so long ago. The elders were trapped in their own mental cage, but I expect by now they have all died of old age.”

“Couldn’t you head back, then?” Rarity asked uneasily, unsure about how far she could push for information. She had never even imagined the zebra had this sort of sordid past, and her inner gossip was going wild. “Surely you have family that misses you? Or what about your friends?”

Zecora stopped walking directly in front of the doorway of Carousel Boutique and looked Rarity squarely in the eye. While they had been walking and talking, the pair had made it to Rarity’s home. “They might think I am obsessed, but I cannot return yet, as I still have a quest.”

Rarity stopped as well, and found herself licking her suddenly dry lips. “What… what quest would that be?”

Zecora gave a tiny quirk of the lips that could generously be called a smile. Her expression was amused, yet secretive at the same time. Turning, she nudged the Boutique’s door open, holding it open for Rarity and gesturing for the unicorn to go first. “Talking about myself like this is very rare. However, that’s one thing I’m still not comfortable to share.”

“Rarity sighed, accepting her defeat. “Alright, I won’t ask any more. But please darling, if you feel like you need any help, ask us. We are your friends.” Walking through the open doorway, Rarity entered the quiet interior of her home.

_____________________________________

Letting the doorway fall closed behind her, Twilight looked sadly around at the darkened interior of her library home. She had always loved a quiet library, but this one just felt… empty. “I’m home, Spike,” she whispered under her voice. Dropping her satchel next to the door, she slowly allowed her gaze to drift around the room. The room was clean and pristine. Every book had been tucked away in its proper spot, the floors had been wiped down, and even the dust had been wiped away. Spike must have worked really hard to clean it all before he went out.

Honestly, Twilight would be fine if the room was messy, just so long as it meant having her little brother back.

Her slow, heavy hoofsteps listlessly carried her towards the stairway, and her mind drifted back to thoughts of Spike. They had known each other for so long. The first time had met was when Twilight had hatched Spike during her entrance exam to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Twilight had been struggling to hatch the egg when she had been shocked by a loud explosion behind her, and her latent power had surged uncontrollably. Spike had hatched, but he had immediately grown to the size of an adult. Thankfully, Princess Celestia had happened to be passing by at the time, and had managed to get Twilight’s magic under control. It wasn’t until years later that Twilight found out the explosion had been caused by Rainbow Dash unintentionally performing her first Sonic Rainboom.

After that, Princess Celestia had taken Twilight under her wing as her personal student, seeing the little filly’s raw, untapped potential. At the same time, the Princess had unofficially adopted the little baby dragon, naming him Spike and raising him as her own. It was only a matter of time before the Princess’ student and the Princess’ scaly almost-son became close friends, eventually thinking of each other as family.

Twilight felt numb as she slowly climbed the stairs, her body seeming to move on its own while her mind traveled to the past. The first time she had met baby Spike in the castle, he had been too young to walk. He had crawled into her room one night while she was studying and tried to bite the book she had been reading. By the time the Princess had found them, Twilight was trying to chase him off with a barrage of pillows while he cheerfully chewed on the assignments she had been working on. Thankfully, Princess Celestia had accepted the excuse of ‘your dragon ate my homework’, and had allowed Twilight a few extra days to redo it.

Her hoof struck the next step, and another memory came rushing back. She had been making her way from the library back to her own room. She had picked up a large number of books from the library, and was struggling to hold them all in her magic field. Turning a corner in one of the long corridors, she had walked right into Spike, the surprise from the sudden impact breaking her concentration and making her drop all the books on her own head. Spike, without saying anything, had helped her pick up the books and carried them to her room. Along the way, she realised that he didn’t say anything because he couldn’t; he didn’t yet know how to talk, but he had still stopped to help her. After that, he had started visiting from time to time to help her with her studying.

Another step, another memory. This time, she remembered when she had first come to Ponyville. Despite feeling betrayed and banished by her teacher, Spike had been at her side for the entire thing. She had been ordered to go, but Spike had come along with her for no other reason than because he wanted to. She had thought he would be her only friend, and even in the depths of her misery, had felt extremely grateful to him for coming along.

Stumbling on the next step, Twilight was broken out of her reminisce and noticed that she had reached the top of the stairs without realizing it. Shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs, she unsteadily walked to the room she shared with Spike. Nudging the door open, she stared despondently around the empty room, as if he would materialize if she hoped hard enough.

When he failed to appear, she walked over to her night dresser. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she stared at the mirror, taking a long, hard look at her horn in the reflection. This was the first time she had really taken the time to look closely at it since it had been injured, and she gasped in shock at what she saw. From a single large gash near the base where the axe had struck her, the entirety of her horn was covered in cracks that spread all the way up to the tip. Between the larger cracks, dozens of smaller fissures spiderwebbed throughout the rest of the horn. Twilight stared in horror at the sight, her mouth hanging open until she couldn’t take it anymore and forced her eyes closed.

Much as she wanted to run away from the mirror, she steeled herself and slowly opened her eyes once again, resolving to burn the sight into her retinas. Reaching up, her hoof flinched away from her horn right before she touched it. She knew it was silly, but a small part of her felt like her horn would disintegrate if she so much as touched it. It was in such poor condition that she was surprised it hadn’t crumbled apart already. Could my own personal magic be holding it together? she wondered. Whatever the reason, she was just grateful it didn’t hurt beyond a dull throb, a slight pain that was no worse than a minor headache.

Turning away from her mirror, her hoofsteps led her over to her bed. Sticking her head under the covers, careful not to catch her horn on anything, she rummaged around until she saw a small white object and grabbed it in her teeth. Twilight cautiously pulled it out, reverently placing it on her bedcovers, where the item seemed to glow in the evening light. She had fallen asleep while holding it the night before, and even now seeing Princess Celestia’s feather filled her with a warm, comforting feeling

Princess Celestia’s feather was as pristine as it had been when Twilight had first found it, shortly after the Princess had disappeared under an avalanche.  It seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, bathing the room with a soft, gentle radiance. Staring dully at the last physical connection she had with her mentor, Twilight barely noticed as her mind blanked out and the minutes ticked slowly past. It almost seemed like she could feel warmth emanating from the feather, warming her body and pooling in the depths of her bones.

After what seemed like forever slowly ticked past, a shout from below caused her to jump in surprise. “Hey Twilight! You ready yet? We’re all waiting on you!”

“Coming!” Twilight yelled back. With a tentative wave of her horn’s magic, she lifted the feather. Some careful, delicate spellwork later, she had braided the feather into her mane. Tucked safely behind her head, the feather would be hidden from sight most of the time. But so long as it was there, she would never lose it.

Tucking her bedsheets back into place, Twilight gave one last look around the room. She had only been here a few years, but already this place had felt more like home than the castle ever had.  The warmth of the feather burning into the back of her skull, filling her with confidence, she tightened her spine and straightened her posture. In the deepest, darkest recesses of her soul, she felt that she would not be returning to Ponyville for a long time. So be it.

“I’m coming, Spike,” she muttered to herself. “Just wait for me.”