1 Hour Earlier

.....

"This, is how we can get to Daybreak"

The ponies stared blankly at Cadence, who beamed, gesturing at the former security system floor as though it should be obvious.

"Umm Cadence...I don't think anypony but you understands why this will help"

"Hm? What really?"

She looked around at their confused expressions and giggled

"Oops, sorry. Everypony in the Crystal empire knows about this place now, I keep forgetting none of you have been here, even Twilight hasn't come back up here since we defeated Sombra..."

She gestured to the pad which formerly held the Crystal Heart

"This pad on the floor used to have a security spell in it. It was designed, as Twilight remembers I'm sure, to activate should anypony approach the heart."

Twilight nodded her head vigorously, clearly intrigued but still not seeing how that helped

"The thing is, even King Sombra knew somepony might discover the Heart and defeat his security system, or simply have another pony with them...so he laced a second spell into this pad..."

Cadence ushered them forward with her hoof. They quickly gathered around the pad and watched as she dipped her horn to its surface, gently tapping it with the tip of her horn, causing a small spark to jump from her to the pad. The spark spread out along the surface of the design and pulsed a small beam from the center. The beam hovered in the air, then began expanding, it expanded outwards until it covered the entire pad, causing Twilight, Trixie and Aecious to retreat back several paces.

As the hovering pool of magic finished its quick transformation, the three ponies returned to their positions and peered into its depths. Inside the pool, a cliff side was visible, peering out over a vast canyon that clearly stretched on for miles, except for a tiny bit of grassy prairie just below the cliff.

"Where's that?" Twilight pointed at the pool with a confused expression, indicating that she too, did not recognize it.

"Beats me" Cadence replied "But wherever it is, that is the Crystal hearts current location. If it moves the portal will change too"

"This is a portal?" Twilight retracted her hoof back, clearly having been about to touch it

"Yes, Sombra knew if anypony stole the heart he would be vulnerable, so he laced a portal spell in after the security spell to take him directly to it...but he never got to use it, so it's just been dormant since then."

It was hard to tell who beamed brighter, Trixie or Twilight, but both mares immediately made for the portal with surprising speed.

"Hold it!" Cadence caught both their tails with her magic, halting them from touching the portal

"We still have one problem.."

"What nooooow" Twilight groaned in a whine that almost made Cadence giggle.

"We need somepony to stay behind"

"Why"

"Well unless you all fancy flying back (she eyed Trixie especially) from who knows where in Equestria this is..." she gestured back at the portal "We need somepony with magic to stay behind and keep this open"

"I don't see how this is a problem"

Cadence went wide eyed at hearing Twilight say that so bluntly

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's obvious isn't it...you should stay behind Cadence, this is your Empire anyways, you need to stay and protect it in case..."

Her mind jumped back to her visions, causing her to wince slightly

"...in case something happens.."

Cadence looked relieved

"Well I guess that settles that...you can head through now-"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaait!"

The shout came from the stairs...suddenly the door burst open allowing Shining Star, Spitfire, and the rest of the Wonderbolts to spill into the room, each toppling over the other trying to get through first. Shining jumped forward from the mass of tangled wings the quickest

"We are coming too!"

"What?!" Both Twilight and Cadence gasped in unison

Spitfire was next to free herself from her team and found her way next to Shining

"Yeah, we owe it to Rainbow Dash and Daybreak to rescue their flanks. Besides if they are fighting King Sombra, they'll need all the help they can get right? I hear he's a pretty bad dude.."

Twilight made to speak, but Cadence silenced her with a hoof in the mouth

"Look, as much as we'd love to send all of you, we can't"

Spitfire raised an eyebrow at the Princess, something Twilight found rather annoying

"Look.." she said, once again gesturing at the shimmering portal

"..this thing was meant to be used by only Sombra, it won't stay open for long after more than one pony travels through...if we are lucky we can fit maybe five before it shuts...and that's if they are quick"

Spitfire and Shining looked back at Soarin and the team, they each exchanged quick glances, then turned back to Cadence

"Alright, just me and Shining Star then"

Still looking a bit apprehensive, Cadence nodded

"Ok...nothing ventured nothing gained, as they say..."

Shining quickly approached Aecious and gave him a glare

"I'm watching you"

Aecious gave him no response, simply choosing to ignore and approach the portal entrance with the others. Cadence had them all gather and get ready to jump in, one pony after the other. She positioned Twilight first and Trixie right after, those two had to make it through more than anypony else, Twilight for Daybreak, and Trixie to keep Twilight standing. Next was Aecious, Shining Star, then Spitfire last.

Twilight glanced to Cadence, she gave a nod signaling Twilight to go, then she jumped! She vanished upon contact and the portal began to shimmer, Trixie jumped through straight behind her. There was a brief halt after Trixie, Aecious was about to jump, but then the portal lurched around and began to shrink rapidly. Aecious went wide eyed and jumped through quickly, the portal shrank even more and barely remained pony sized, still continuing to shrink. Shining Star dove and just barely made it through, Spitfire dove straight after him, but the portal vanished the next moment. Spitfire rolled across the floor, and came up with an annoyed expression across her muzzle.

"I thought it could hold five?"

Cadence flushed "I said maybe five...they're on their own now...let's hope for the best"

Author's Notes:

I was originally gonna make this part a full length chapter and immediately jump to the next scene with Twi and the others on the cliff, instead of making you all wait for another chapter...but some personal stuff cut in the middle of this and is making me unable to concentrate properly (so I apologize if the last paragraph is shit)...so I'm sorry my readers...unless my problems sort themselves...this next update may take awhile, but fear not, no matter what happens I will keep writing

Thanks for all your love so far
Brony on