Later-

The fog had cleared at last. The sky was still dreary and overcast, but pegasi and the other cloudwalkers could at least walk about. The streets were still barren, however, as between the city alert sounding, soldiers scrambling about like mad, an explosion in the castle, and a sudden rainbow spiral bathing the entire Empire in holy light, not many were keen on running errands.

But the city outskirts weren’t barren in the slightest. The military had mobilized in full force now, the true might of the north ready to march or hold their ground. Everything was being done to maximize the city’s defense: Wards were being refreshed, patrols were being made on land and in air, arcane crystal sensors were scanning the ground, weapons and armor of all types were being passed out, and more.

“Rgggggh… I see Shining Armor’s reputation is well deserved.” A few miles out in the tundra, Neighsay re-adjusted the telescope he’d stolen from Night months before. “That idiot Chrysalis… her impulsiveness put the whole Empire on lockdown, and now I can’t open a portal in! She of all creatures should’ve known better than to underestimate this lot…”

It was thankfully a calm day out today, the only nuisance a light breeze that compounded the ever-present cold. Neighsay was dressed for the weather, of course, clad in all white and hidden beneath a tarp, his portal medallion in his pocket.

Neighsay calibrated the telescope so he could make out the specialists. “Geomancers pretty much everywhere… most of the battlemages on patrol—wait, where are the stormweavers? The dossier said—”

Just then, an entire company of pegasi swooped down to the grassy field. They were shepherding a group of enormous flashing storm clouds, whose treacherous depths were alive with deadly lightning.

Neighsay snorted. “Of course.” He swivelled the telescope to examine the barrier perimeter. “Let’s have a look at those patrols…”

The patrols weren’t heavy in terms of ponypower, but considering they were all following a set path (as well as giving the barrier a wide berth) Neighsay could put two-and-two together. He doubted he could get within a mile of the forcefield.

Neighsay pushed the telescope away. He’d have to keep his distance if he wanted to get another view. It was possible another side wasn’t as guarded, so he made ready to open a portal west—

His world turned neon green.

“ERGH!” Neighsay eyes glowed bright, the sickly sweet ‘voice’ of Chrysalis’ venom worming its way back into his mind. “DaMN it… YOoOUuU dOOnN’tTTtt… sSEerRrVvEe heR! DoNnNnN’T… liSTeN!”

Don’t listen? Why in the world would he not listen to his beloved queen? Why was he out here in the first place, anyways? His orders were to go back into the city, weren’t they? Hurry, there was much to do if he was to keep to the plan—

“ShE’S a bUg!” Neighsay snarled, his voice gaining strength. “She’s no better—greh—than the rest of the freaks—

No, no, he didn’t mean that. He loved his queen more than anything in the world! Besides, wasn’t it easier to do what he was told? Wasn’t it easier not to think or worry? The Queen knew everything, after all, so why not just follow her orders? It’d make her happy if he did…

Neighsay laughed, his mad, lilted voice like a random notes on a piano. “Stupid lovesucker... You’ve been giving me the same slime every day for too long, and now it’s going to COST YOU! I’M IMMUNE TO YOU!”

What on earth was he going on about? He had his orders, so he should open a portal to the castle throne room right away. He needed to verify if whatever’s weakening the Elements’ magic really was a Sombran artifact. If so, a skilled creature will be needed to remove the defenses. There’s only one creature who’d demonstrated those skills—

“I’M NOT GOING NEAR THAT STUPID BOY!” Neighsay halted the portal he’d almost opened. “Focus Remember what’s important! The country’s filled with monsters, and the royals are the biggest monsters of all! Equestria belongs to the three tribes!”

Three tribes? There was only one tribe, and that was the hive! His every action was done for the good of the changelings, and whatever the Queen told him to do was his very reason for living! He should be ecstatic to help her reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it meant laying down his life—

Neighsay screamed. He bared his teeth and lifted a front leg, biting his hock so hard he drew blood. White-hot agony struck his brain like lightning, and with a muffled, adrenaline-fueled roar, he crushed the venomous whispers into nothing.

“You’re… next,” Neighsay spat, the green light fading away. “After the crystal filth, you lovesuckers are next to go! Crystal ponies… changelings… thestrals… alicorns... NO MORE!”

A long silence fell. Neighsay’s leg was bleeding freely, but he made no effort to stem the flow.
His only companion was the wind while he stared at nothing, his ragged, foggy exhales rising. Miles away to the west, the Empire’s barrier glowed and shimmered. The tremendous Mount Everhoof was ever-present to the north, and the east and south were nothing but endless snow.

“‘You’d have voiced these concerns years ago when the Empire was annexed, not do what you’ve been doing!’” Neighsay spat in a girly voice. “It’s bad enough I’ve had to waste any breath talking to any of these ‘royals’ in the first place! Monsters, the lot of them...”

A spike of pain made Neighsay’s head throb. He ignored it and dismantled the telescope while he pondered his next move. “The love cow was right. What controls the slaves must hold immense power.” He gave the barrer a perfunctory glance. “It wouldn’t be in the city. But if not there...”

His thoughts were interrupted by a violent shiver. The wind swept past him in a constant gust, the chill starting to turn his extremities numb.

“I’ll find it.” Neighsay opened a portal somewhere warm to regroup. “I won’t stop…”

Meanwhile-

The castle infirmary was a simple affair. Bare crystal walls, square windows with solid color curtains, a polished floor, a collection of beds in a wide open room. The assortment of medical equipment wasn’t as impressive as a proper hospital, but there were private care rooms in the event of an emergency.

“What’s the verdict?” Gleaming asked Apogee, who’d just sat up from a bed in the main room. “Can Luna help Sunburst?”

Apogee shuddered. “She summoned the Tantabus to gather up and contain that… sludgy, nasty… stuff infecting the Archivist’s mind. She can’t get rid of it—not without wiping out most of his memories—but she believes she can still help him. The recovery time, however...”

It’d been a hectic two hours. Sunburst was alive and whole, but he’d fallen unconscious and wouldn’t wake up. A quick dragonfire message to Luna had sent her delving into the Dreamrealm to investigate, but what she’d found wasn’t pretty.

Gleaming’s eyes flicked to the private care room on her right, under heavy guard both inside and out. “I can’t shake the feeling that this was more a suicide attempt than anything else. What did she say?”

A shadow fell over Apogee’s face. “In the Archivist’s final seconds, the Mistress found he was focused on one thing: the worst possible way to hurt someone who couldn’t die… no matter the cost.”

The silence and stillness turned the world into a photo.

“E-Erm…” Apogee put a hoof behind her head. “May I ask something, General?”

Gleaming, who was laying on her side on a pillow, looked over at her. “Regarding?”

Apogee couldn’t help but note that Gleaming was still the taller of them even while laying down. “I-I’m not proud to admit this, but I’m not well-versed in psionics. The Dark Lady was too busy to explain, so I was wondering if...”

Gleaming frowned. “Why ask me? I’m not a psychic or an empath.”

Apogee pawed at the ground. “W-With all due respect, you were the Mistress’ bodyguard and confidant for a great while. And your wife is the most powerful empath alive, so...”

Gleaming stared at Apogee for a long, long time. “You’re shrewder than I thought, First Lieutenant.”

Apogee blushed. “I know it’s none of my business—”

“It’s alright.” Gleaming adjusted her maternity brace, the faint flutter of the foals a comfort in the silence. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s your birthright to understand such things. I’m definitely no expert, though.”

Apogee perked up. “Does that mean you mean you’ll tell me?! Oh, thank you! I’ve always—e-er... I mean, it’s an honor, Ma’am. Thank you very much, Ma’am.”

Gleaming might’ve chuckled if she was in a better mood. “Did Luna give Sunburst’s condition a name? She likes naming things.”

Apogee nodded. “A ‘psionic rupture’. I could see why—the stuff in his mind was gushing out from—w-well, what looked like an old scar that’d healed wrong. It was devouring everything it touched...”

Gleaming looked to their left, where a now-recovered Cadance was getting her magic tested. “Inserting and withdrawing a mental probe into suppressed memories is dangerous, my friend. If you’re not careful, the inner turmoil within can spill out and engulf the host’s entire mind. There’s no telling what can happen then.”

Apogee cocked her head. “Inner turmoil?”

“Emotional baggage, personal issues, traumatic experiences, all of the above...” Gleaming tapped the side of her head. “What you saw was the metaphysical manifestation of Sunburst’s… ah, inner demons, let’s call them. Luna knows what it’s like to be overtaken by such things, so if there’s anyone that can help him, it’s her.”

Apogee scrunched up her face. “I… suppose that’s true. But General, even if the Archivist was compromised… the damage to the throne room… A-And Princess Cadance! You realize this could be seen as—”

“Context, First Lieutenant,” Gleaming said without pause. “Regardless of what it looks like, that doesn’t change what it is. If there’s anything to be learned here, it’s don’t attempt something delicate without knowing your own strength. You wouldn’t attempt surgery with a broadsword, after all.”

Apogee followed her gaze. “She’s so powerful… I-I’d been feeling ripples around her these last weeks, but now... Where did it all come from?”

Gleaming watched Cadance’s ethereal mane swirl with bright color. “Love conquers all, as they say.”

Apogee cocked her head. “Ma’am?’

Gleaming noted the doctor was readying to leave. “Thank you for the update on Sunburst’s condition. If we don’t hear from Princess Luna in a few hours, we’ll send for you again. Dismissed.”

Apogee’s lips parted, but whatever she was going to say died in her throat. She stood up straight and saluted, then walked away without looking back.

Cadance exited the exam room with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She started to make for Gleaming, but then hesitated upon seeing Apogee leave—

“He’s out of the woods,” Gleaming called out. “It’s too early to say much else.”

Cadance sighed. Her eyes were haggard and shadowed, but otherwise she looked same as ever. “I’ll never understand how you keep a cool head during things like this.”

Gleaming shrugged. “I think it’s part of my special talent. Besides, why would I be worried about you when we’ve already met your future self?”

Cadance blinked. Her eyes drifted to Gleaming’s warm womb, their six little miracles sound asleep. “That’s… actually a good point. But still, not only did you stay cool when you saw me, you didn’t even bat an eyelash at Sunburst—”

“Honey.” Gleaming got to her hooves with a grunt. “I had someone pull up Sunburst’s employee file while you were getting your magic checked. He’s from Sire’s Hollow.”

Cadance’s ears drooped. “I knew it. I pretty much just doomed us all, didn’t I? There’s no way he’s going to want anything to do with us after this—”

“Slow down, slow down.” Gleaming put a hoof on her withers. “Let’s take this one thing at a time, alright? It sounds like you’ve developed some kind of link to the Crystal Heart—which is great—but I’m thinking you’re gonna need time to figure out how it works.”

Cadance wet her dry lips. She could still feel the Crystal Heart’s presence in the back of her mind, it’s musical hum rising and falling like a set of chimes. “It’s been sending me flashes of the same thing ever since you cleared out the anti-magic.”

Gleaming furrowed her brow. “What of?”

Cadance looked, where outside and beyond the weather barrier, Mount Everhoof’s presence was felt by all in its shadow. “The Everhoof mountain cave.”

Gleaming ran her tongue along her teeth. “Damn gem just won’t let up on that, eh?”

“But that’s the least of our worries,” Cadance went on. “None of that matters when I violated and tormented an innocent victim to the brink of madness and death—”

“You made a difficult, time-sensitive choice regarding the lives of countless creatures,” Gleaming said in a firm voice. “Never forget that if Chrysalis steals the Crystal Heart, our city will be buried in ice, Equestria will be at war, and the world will be terrorized by superpowered shapeshifters.”

But Cadance may as well not heard. “I should’ve known he wasn’t involved. I should’ve helped him try and explain, or at the very least, had someone else do the probe! There’s so many other things I could’ve done!”

“Listen to me.” Gleaming put a hoof on Cadance’s shoulder. “Should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ are dangerous words. You want to talk about the brink of madness? Should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ will take you there in a jiffy. I shouldn’t have done this, I should do that, I should have known better, I should be the best, I shouldn’t have these problems, I should have all the answers… Those thoughts will eat you alive.”

Cadance hung her head. “Aunt Tia warned me about rationalizing hard decisions in times of war. We can’t ever start to ignore our moral compasses, Gleamy. Neither of us can! It was the lesser of two evils, but what I did was still wrong!”

Gleaming looped her hoof around Cadance. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. Acknowledge your choice, understand why you made it, and offer to make amends if need be, but don’t fixate on what you can’t change. Beating yourself up will only make you feel like crap.”

Cadance’s frown deepened. “Given what I’ve done, I’d say I deserve to feel—”

“NO.” Gleaming looked her dead in the eyes. “Never let yourself finish that sentence. Not out loud, not in your head, not in any way ever, understand? Never, ever, ever. EVER!”

The moodswing nearly made Cadance sick again. She was suddenly reminded of how big Gleaming was, the tip of Cadance’s horn only coming up to her nose. Gleaming’s body length was at least a foot more than Cadance’s, and the difference was only growing with each passing day.

“S-Sorry, Sweetie,” Cadance said with a gulp. “You’re right. That’s going too far.”

Gleaming’s eyes softened. She pulled Cadance close again, now nuzzling and peppering her with feathery kisses. The second moodswing didn’t exactly help Cadance’s stomach, but she soon leaned into Gleaming’s touch and buried her face in Gleaming’s luscious blue mane.

The smell of mint and rosemary was a soothing balm as the minutes dragged on. Gleaming hummed as Cadance rubbed her firm belly in slow circles, her hooves sinking into her plush coat and marvelling at the healthy flesh beneath. Their joined warmth worked to soothe each other’s nerves for a time, their embrace shielding each other from the world.

“Your mane...” Gleaming ran her muzzle through it. “It’s beautiful.”

Cadance looked over at the heavily guarded room, the soldiers watching for threats within and without. “I’m not sure what I want to do when Sunburst wakes up.”

Gleaming’s expression sobered. “Get him the help he needs. Beyond that, it’s up to him.”

Cadance squeezed her tighter. “...And if he never wakes up?”

“Then I’ll help you carry that burden,” Gleaming said without pause. “Now, and always.”

Later-

The next hour and a half was business as usual. Gleaming and Cadance saw about securing the city, had a quick meal, then resumed their duties straightaway. The biggest thing they addressed was setting up supply stations to distribute winter gear to all households. It was mandatory for everyone to keep supplies in their homes just in case, but Gleaming and Cadance weren’t about to take chances.

Twilight and her friends sealed the city with their divine magic, and soon after, the entire Empire settled into a eerie calm. Citizens resumed their lives while soldiers patrolled the streets. Squads ran to and fro checking creatures at a mad rate. The city’s municipalities stopped a few minutes to test for contaminants. Hospitals and stores geared up for the worst. Citizens stepped lightly and spoke to each other in whispers, the silence only broken by the faint BOOMS of the military firing test rounds.

The city became like a well-oiled machine. Cadance and Gleaming oversaw everything according to protocol, but once the most pressing matters were settled, they decided it was time to tie up a few loose ends. They relocated to the Silver Sanctum with Twilight and friends, as well as Spike, Thorax… and Maud at Cadance’s request.

Applejack wiped her brow as she helped move the conference table. “So lemme get this straight. Ya’ll have been shelterin’ Thorax here to see if Princess Cadance can heal him like Princess Luna healed the thestrals?”

Thorax, now in his natural form, showed off his sparkling blue wings. “Cool, huh?”

Gleaming, who was laying on a conjured couch with Spike, nodded. “And just like Luna, becoming a living battery gave Cady a huge magic boost. But Cady’s was happening in a trickle until today, and she didn’t realize how much oomph she had until...”

“I had a tantrum,” Cadance called from across the room. “No need to sugarcoat it.”

Gleaming wisely took a pull from her water bottle. “Regardless, the surge was enough to awaken her power proper. She’s trying to get a handle on it, but strange things have been happening ever since.”

“Like the Crystal Heart talking to her!” Pinkie bounced past with a stack of chairs on her back. “It’s like her heart-shaped crystal ball! We should get her a costume and call her Madam Cadance so she can do readings!”

Thorax blinked. “Readings?”

“Fortune telling,” said Spike, snuggled in between Gleaming’s front legs. “Y’know, reading the future.”

Gleaming watched Pinkie hop away without somehow dropping the chairs. “...Anyway, the Heart keeps showing Cady images of the Everhoof mountain cave, and given Rainbow and Maud had already planned—”

“I gotcha.” Rainbow spun mid-air to face Maud, who was watching from the corner. “What’cha think, Maud? Worth the gamble?”

Maud didn’t bat an eyelash. “Actually—”

“No,” said Rarity, trotting between them. “I’m sorry, but I was barely alright with you two trekking up there by yourselves in the first place. If this venture really is moving forth, we get it done as fast as possible so we can return to matters here.”

Rainbow facehooved. “Again with the ‘we’… Why are you so dead set on coming along?”

Applejack walked up as well. “We’re strongest when we’re together, featherbrain. You know full well goin’ up that giant mountain right now is asking for trouble. A few days into it, something bad’s gonna happen down here, and we’ll be up horseapple creek without a paddle.”

Rainbow put her hooves on her hips. “Has anything bad happened in Ponyville while Twi and I have been gone?”

Twilight cringed and tried to wave—

“What do you call my brother’s wrasslin’ match up in the sky?!” Applejack snapped. “Didn’t you hear where that rock thing showed up? If he hadn’t kicked it back where it came from, there wouldn’t BE a Ponyville!”

Rainbow opened her mouth… then closed it again. “Whoops.”

“Yeah, whoops.”

Maud raised her hoof. “I don’t want to be the cause of issues. Maybe it’d be better if I went up by myself—”

“No,” said Cadance right away. “Either you go up with an escort, or you don’t go up at all. Princess’ orders.”

“Double princess’ orders,” said Gleaming. “You’ve three options, Maud: get flown up with an escort, get teleported up with an escort, or you don’t go up at all.”

Spike whistled. “Gleam-Gleam and Cadance laying down the law.”

Gleaming gave Spike a gentle squeeze. “I’ve been up that mountain twice. Both times were a nightmare and a half, and every fiber of my body was screaming to get away the whole time. Whatever’s inside that mountain has been there since anyone can remember.”

“There’s a long-standing legend among the crystal ponies,” Cadance said. “It’s never been proven, but many say that Everhoof is the birthplace of the windigoes. I doubt there’s much truth to that, but it’d explain the presence of evil magic, as well as why the weather’s so hostile.”

“All I’m hearing are more reasons we need to go with you,” Rarity said to Rainbow. “There’s no sense in you and Maud risking your hides when there’s a safer way. Whether we teleport or fly together, either way gets this done in a fraction of the time.”

Rainbow sighed. “I never thought it’d be you of all ponies making the biggest stink about this, Rares. Why are you insisting on this when you know full well you’re gonna be miserable the whole time?”

Rarity narrowed her eyes. “Better miserable than in mourning, dear.”

…

…

...

“It’s ultimately your choice, Maud,” Twilight said, pausing to look at everyone else in the room. “We all want you to succeed, but this isn’t the time for a full-blown expedition. I’m sorry, but either the six of us take you to speed things along, or you come up with a different topic for your dissertation.”

A long silence fell. Everyone stood still and calm, watching Maud’s every move. Her face was unreadable as always, but she did look over at Pinkie a few times, something unspoken passing between them.

“Teleporting isn’t an option,” Maud said at last. “Telemancy wreaks havoc on terranometers and thaumic mineral scanners. I may as well not go up at all.”

Twilight nodded. “So we fly, then?”

Maud glanced at Pinkie one last time. “...Alright.”

“EEEEEEEE!” Pinkie glomped her in a flash. “FINALLYFINALLYFINALLYFINALLYFINALLY! AHHHHHHHH!”

Maud shut her eyes and hugged Pinkie back. “Mom and Dad are gonna kill me...”

Rarity clapped her hooves. “I knew you’d see reason! We’ll set out within the hour, then. I even took the liberty of packing equipment for everyone!”

Twilight facehooved. “Of course you did.”

Spike glanced up at Gleaming. “What about me? Am I coming along?”

Gleaming’s knee-jerk response was ‘hell no’, but caught herself just in time. “E-Erm, well… I’d rather you didn’t, but Twily has the final say on the matter—”

“Not even dragons are immune to this kind of magic, Spike,” Twilight said. “Sorry, but you’ll have to sit this one out.”

Spike shrugged. “Eh, at least the rest of the family’s here.”

“Then we’ve got a light show to pull off!” Applejack nudged Cadance towards the open area. “Don’t worry, we’ll get that curse outta ya faster’n you can say ‘apples on a tin roof’!”

Cadance pursed her lips. “Okay, but… just don’t get discouraged if this doesn’t work, okay? We’ve tried almost everything.”

“Not to worry, dear.” Rarity trotted to Cadance’s other side to form a circle. “We’re just ruling it out as an option, is all.”

“Who’s gonna carry your next foal if this works?” Rainbow asked.

Cadance exchanged a look with Gleaming. “We’ve, e-erm… thrown around ideas. None very serious, though.”

Gleaming got a saucy grin.

“I know I’d like a go at it, and of course Gleamy would given her alicorn domain, but the order…” Cadance tried to fiddle with a lock of her mane, but then remembered said mane was pure energy now. “Let’s just say there’s a lot of things to consider.”

Now Gleaming had to bite back a laugh. Yes, things to consider… including her own ongoing physical changes. She’d been growing more and more hopeful she’d gain complete and fully functional sets of both male and female genitalia, and while she hadn’t seen any signs, the notion wouldn’t leave her mind. She could just picture it—growing more virile and fertile with every passing day, pregnant as she was now and still able to knock up Cadance at will. It’d be fun to figure out new ways to fuck each other silly, her cock buried deep in Cadance while their foals kicked in both their wombs—

“...gonna be a gauntlet to push all them kiddos out,” Gleaming heard Applejack say.

Gleaming snapped to. “Eh?”

Rainbow and Pinkie burst out laughing.

Rarity couldn’t hide her hind legs tensing up. “She has a point. Not to be rude, Princess, but you are more... ‘expectant’... than the norm…”

“You don’t need to dance around it,” Rainbow said, still laughing. “She’s proud of how huge she is! You should see her right after a meal!”

Now Gleaming laughed as well. Even with growing taller, her ever-greater binges swelled her belly until she could lay on it like a bed. At first it’d only grounded her for a few minutes, but with the foals now entering their last (and biggest) growth spurt, her increasing appetite had turned a few minutes into five, then ten… then fifteen…

Thorax turned to Spike. “Er...”

Spike waved him off. “The grown-ups are being weird again.”

Thorax buzzed his wings. “They do that a lot.”

“You don’t need to worry about labor and birth.” Twilight gestured to herself and Cadance. “We’ve already come up with something to help with that, and our plan is to cast it once the contractions start. It’ll be alright, don’t worry.”

Cadance smirked at Gleaming. “Although given those muscles and hips of yours, you may not even need it.”

Gleaming paled. “I don’t care what kind of shape I’m in. You’re giving me magic and drugs for that! ALL the magic and drugs!”

Now everyone laughed.

“Well, given you’ve got such good ponies lookin’ out for ya, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Applejack searched Gleaming’s face. “I won’t lie, even with all this alicorn business, I was a mite worried when I heard you’re carryin’ six. But you’ve gone through worse and nad still come out on top, so this’ll probably be a stroll in the orchard for you.”

And once again, Gleaming’s was drawn to Applejack’s green eyes. Calm and vibrant, they studied her in a way that few others had.

“Enough with the chatting, it’s time for the zapping!” Pinkie motioned Maud clear, then hopped into her spot. “Daylight’s burning, girls!”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Right. Here we go, everypony.”

There wasn’t any ornate array, no special reagents or time requirement. All that was needed was the six of them together. Gleaming and Cadance shared one last look, a novel’s worth of words passing between them.

Thorax looked at Cadance as well, his tongue flicking out. “Should I really be here for this?”

“Eh, you’ll be fine,” Spike said to him. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

Cadance cleared her throat. “Okay. I’m ready.”

It started out small. The pressure in the room rose, building up into a soft breeze that ruffled everyone’s manes. The air rippled around the Elements of Harmony, their magic awakening and rising as one, the six of them shifting into their Rainbow Power forms. Tiny motes of light appeared that flew forward to swirl around Cadance like multicolored fireflies, and while she noted the motes felt familiar somehow, she didn’t think much past that.

Maud’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch. “Interesting.”

Holy light filled the room. Cadance stayed still and focused on her breathing, the soothing energy caressing her limbs and tickling her face. It didn’t feel like much at first, but the power kept rising and rising, surpassing her strength with ease and only just getting started. The room faded to white as the light grew brighter still, yet Cadance could always see the six mares around her, their colorful eyes fixed on her. She could feel Elements’ power suffusing her, searching for the curse that remained despite—

At last, you’ve grown strong enough to See
Heart of my heart, please hear my plea

Cadance gasped. The bubbly feeling washed over her again, the same voice from the throne room returning full force. Her eyes turned pure white as her magic combined with the Elements like she was one of them.

I… o-okay. I’m listening.

Futures twisted and futures turned
One succeeded, the others burned
A foul fixed point, the path is set
But all hope isn’t lost... not yet.

Cadance was frozen in place. The foreign power of the Elements was running through her, honing in on the curse’s magic, but it may as well have been happening a million miles away. Questions raced through her mind faster than light, but her connection with the Heart was terrifyingly tenuous, so she kept silent.

A last resort discovered by luck
A balance could indeed be struck
Until the Seeds of Evil’s Bane
Could turn the tide and let peace reign...

At the cost of heavenly pain.

The Elements attacked Sombra’s curse. It was purged with little resistance, but then came right back like a cancer. Again the Elements tried to burn it away, and again they destroyed it without issue, but it just came right back strong as ever.

“Harder!” Twilight called.

Cadance staggered. The light was now twice as bright, and it made her magic greater than ever. The power of Love coursed through her the same as it has back on Hearts and Hooves Day, only now, it was all hers… and she was still getting stronger. Her aura intensified more and more as seconds passed, filling the room with her ambient power...

Past and present, mother and daughter
Split apart to stop a slaughter
A final gift, the gift of time
To let the daughter reach her prime.

And all of ambient power was pouring into Thorax. The sparkling glint in his wings spread to his entire body, giving him the crystalline shine others got when the Crystal Heart emitted a pulse of love.

“Ergh!” Thorax got a wild look in his eyes. He could feel something building, something hungry and fierce. He absorbed all the love in the room in an instant, but even when he took in so much the holes in his soul were healed, he was like a black hole. He was just about to lose control and go into a frenzy, but just then, Spike noticed and rushed over to him.

The mother waits, her sacrifice
Can be undone, but at a price
A Hate-Filled Dragon, born of ice
An error made, not once, but twice.

The Elements suffused Cadance with more and more power, but no matter what they did, the curse always came back. It was like they were running over a weed with a lawn mower, never getting at the roots. Twilight soon realized this wasn’t going to work, but there was one more thing they could try, something that might shed some light on this mystery…

Sire’s Hollow, hollow sire
Son of both shall save Empire
When two fronts loom and all seems dire
The answer lies within a mire.

Twilight mentally reached out to her friends. They felt her call and redirected their power to her, heightening her abilities and senses beyond measure. She studied the dark magic within Cadance for several seconds, watching it come back each time it was zapped. She then zoomed in her focus until she could see the individual particles of magic, and when she burned them away again… she caught the faintest hint of a signature invading Cadance’s body. It was near-imperceptible, mimicking Cadance’s magic to a T, but once Twilight noticed it, it was easy to lock-on and—

A white light shone out from Thorax. He rose into the air with a shrill cry, every bit of energy he’d consumed flowing out of him and enveloping him in opaque sheets. The blast sent Spike flying into Maud, but fortunately, she caught him without moving an inch.

Everypony spun to look. Gleaming cast a forcefield around Thorax capable of withstanding the implosion of several hundred fireballs, but as she did so, the magic covering him solidified into a… cocoon?

“Thorax!” Cadance made to move, but the Elements still had her frozen. She was about to call to Twilight, but before she could, the Crystal Heart spoke one last time.

Heart of my heart, I’ve watched you long
At last you’re now grown up and strong
A curse endured, but know this truth
It’s foul source lurks in Everhoof.

A king shall rise, a queen shall fall
Freed at last from cruelty’s thrall
The past is passed, you must stand tall
The Hate-Filled Dragon devours all.

Forget this not, whatever you do
Life will keep you tethered and true
But still be wary, for an abyss viewed...
Can stare right back at both of you.

The cocoon split apart with a great CRACK! Everyone averted their eyes just in time to avoid being blinded by a mighty flash of light. Gleaming sensed her shield was still intact, but she still made ready to call for backup—

“What the…”

Lime green. Lime green legs, lime green head, neck, ears, and a lime green chest that transitioned to orange. He had three horns, one like a unicorn’s and the others a cross between moose antlers and beetle pincers.The chitin on his back was a reddish purple, as were his eyes, and his tail was translucent like a butterfly’s wing.

But most noticeable of all, he’d gotten BIG. Bigger than Gleaming, bigger than Big Mac, possibly even bigger than Celestia! He was crammed into the forcecage Gleaming had put around him, and from the immense aura of his alien magic that hit them like a blow to the face—

“Uh…” Thorax stared at the forcefield around him. “What just happened? Why—”

And then he looked at himself.

Cue girly screaming.

Later-

“You’re sure he’ll be alright?” Fluttershy asked.

It was now early afternoon. Affairs had been sorted, goodbyes had been said, and now after getting packed and ready, Twilight and her friends were set to fly Maud up Mount Everhoof. They’d all gathered on one of the northern balconies with Spike, Cadance, and Gleaming present to see them off.

“I can sense problems like diseases and injuries.” Gleaming was in the midst of helping Twilight put the last of everyone’s things in a pocket dimension, and was trying not to comment on how much some of them were bringing. “Physically, he’s fine, I think he’s mostly just freaked about not constantly being hungry anymore.”

Spike watched them from Rainbow’s armored back. “He said it’s like suddenly not needing to breathe.”

It wasn’t any surprise that Rainbow was bringing her enchanted armor for the trip. No, the surprise came when Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy arrived wearing their own sets of enchanted armor. The designs were the exact same as Rainbow’s: periwinkle blue metal, long trails of runes like tree branches, a cutie mark crest on their chests, sabatons with ivy-like guards creeping up their legs like vines, elegant chamfrons that curled around their eyes and muzzles, and sturdy helms topped with three-pronged spikes resembling Twilight’s crown. Their protective enchantments had been cast by Princess Celestia herself, and when all five of them had gathered behind Twilight and stood at attention, they really did look like national heroes.

Rarity patted Fluttershy’s shoulder with a dull clank. “Don’t worry, darling. I can’t imagine a shapeshifter will have much trouble adjusting to a new body! He’ll be alright.”

“What about you?” Twilight asked Cadance, who was over by the balcony railing. “Are you still okay with this? We can put it off if you want help deciphering the Crystal Heart’s message.”

Cadance didn’t look at her. She was staring at the railing with her gaze a million miles away, her voice equally far off and faint. “It’s like I’ve been walking around all my life with a blindfold, and the Elements gave me the strength to rip it off…”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Uh… Cadance?”

Cadance looked up to stare at nothing. “Can you see the paths? The past ones are static, but the future ones keep splitting… splitting...”

Gleaming swept past Twilight before she could say anything. Cadance didn’t even notice her wife’s approach, but she did react when Gleaming swooped in to kiss her lips.

Cadance hummed. Her eyes finally focused to smile… Only to remember they weren’t alone. “I, er… did it again, didn’t I.”

Gleaming snickered. She made sure to run her long, mint-smelling tail beneath Cadance’s nose before returning to her spot. “Life will keep you tethered and true.”

Cadance inhaled deep. She watched Gleaming’s wide hips and powerful butt sway back and forth, her healthy, swollen womb more than twice the width of the rest of her. “Oh, you keep me tethered, alright…”

“Okaaaaaaay!” Twilight all but shouted. “So, Cadance! Can you tell if we should go to the mountain or not?”

Cadance made a face. “That’s what I was just trying to check, actually. I can tell this choice is pivotal, but it’s all blurry and murky, almost like it’s a… like a—”

“Fixed point,” Maud said.

“Exactly,” Cadance said. “But I—”

And just like that, all eyes were on Maud.

“I noticed you used past, present, and future tense while reciting the poem back to us,” Maud said, fiddling with a geomancy device like a miniature metal detector. “The tense remained consistent within each stanza, but the first four lines switched between past and present. It seemed odd to me those would be the only deviations from the established structure.”

Gleaming was the first to see. “Unless there was more than one fixed point.”

Now Maud looked up. “The first couplet was the past, the second couplet is the present. Two linchpins in our timeline, so dense they’re unable to scry.”

“Wow, good catch, Maud!” Pinkie said. “All that poetry writing’s made you a master, huh?”

The smallest of smiles graced Maud’s face. “Perhaps this trip will inspire my muse.”

Cadance’s heart skipped a beat. A notion like a lightning bolt had just struck her brain, a simple question that she doubted she’d have thought of by herself until later. Something told her she had but a few seconds to ask it before the moment passed—

"What else did you notice about the poem?!” Cadance blurted out.

Everyone jumped.

Maud gave her instrument to Twilight. “Not much, I’m afraid. I did figure out the most obvious stanza, but I’m sure you’ve already deciphered that.”

It’s a good thing Cadance was an empath, else she might’ve taken that the wrong way. “Maud, over the last five hours, I’ve confirmed a major political figure is a spy, undergone the two largest magical growth spurts of my life, seen to the defense of a major city, taken an anti-magic bomb to the face, developed the power of a seer, and verified I have the power to cure changelings. I’m afraid even the obvious is escaping me at the moment.”

Maud’s expression didn’t change, but her face did go pale. “I-I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay.” Cadance tapped the side of her head. “You weren’t being condescending, you just needed some context.”

“Will you tell us what you figured out, please?” Gleaming asked. “It sounds like you’ve got the jump on this.”

Only Pinkie and Cadance could tell how shaken Maud now was. “O-Of course… ahem, the stanza I figured out is the one about the Seeds of Evil’s Bane. The Elements of Harmony are the bane of all evil, and the original vessels came from a magic tree, so the original vessels could technically be considered its fruit. Fruits are known to have seeds, of course, but seeds are also synonymous with the essence of something that’s been reproduced or reincarnated.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Of course! The Seeds of Evil’s Bane would be the essence of the Fruit of Evil’s Bane—the power of the Elements themselves! The power’s even been transferred and transformed multiple times, it’s latest… iteration... being… oh, dear.”

Pinkie burst out laughing. “Does that mean the Tree of Harmony got us pregnant?”

Applejack and Rarity swatted her.

Maud continued on without missing a beat. “The stanza’s remaining lines indicate whoever created the Tree knew they’d be ensuring peace for Equestria, but at the cost of making Princess Celestia and Princess Luna suffer. The creator tried to find a better way than this ‘last resort’, but ultimately, they had no choice.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” Rainbow said. “Are you saying this crazy poem is talking about how the Tree of Harmony was made?!”

Maud regarded Rainbow like she was a bump on a log. “I’m not sure. The other portions didn’t make much sense to me.”

“I doubt they made sense to anyone,” Gleaming said. “Things here and there were straightforward, like the part about the source of Sombra’s curse being in Everhoof, but I can’t even guess who or what the ‘Hate-Filled Dragon’ is.”

Fluttershy meeped.

“Not me!” said Spike. “I’m definitely not filled with hate!”

Twilight swooped in to give him a quick hug before transferring him to Gleaming. “Nor were you born from ice.”

Cadance closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “I’m never going to be completely okay with this, but if there’s any group of ponies suited for discovering what lurks within Mount Everhoof, it’s all of you. I wish I could give more insight, but the farther into the future I look, the more the paths split up.”

Applejack rolled her shoulders. “Eh, I think we can sort it out. We’ll turn that place inside out if need be.”

“Unless we’re still staying at the entrance.” Rainbow glanced at Twilight. “Are we going full snoop mode, Boss? Or just poking around?”

Twilight blinked like an owl. “Why are you asking—oh, carrots, that’s right. I’m calling the shots since I’m coming along, aren’t I?”

Gleaming nodded. “You may as well consider this official Elements of Harmony business at this point. Besides, when it comes to your knights, your orders take precedent.”

Rainbow snickered and kneeled before Twilight. “M’lady.”

Twilight groaned. “Stupid outdated bylaws. I swear, if there’d been another way—wait, Pinkie, why are you kneeling, too? And Fluttershy! Rarity! Oh, come on!”

Now all five were kneeling before Twilight, most trying not to laugh.

“Yeah!” Spike raised his fist. “Go, Twilight!”

Twilight ran a hoof down her face. “Would you like to have my wings, Spike? I’m sure there’s a spell to make them dragon-ish.”

“You should go,” said Cadance. “If you start out now, you’ll be able to get a few hours of exploring in the caverns.”

“Right.” Twilight came over to give Gleaming a hug. “We have enough supplies for two weeks, but it shouldn’t take that long considering I have a lock on Sombra’s magic signature. And don’t you dare have those babies before I get back, missy! I want to be here for it!”

Gleaming smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

Cadance hugged Twilight as well. “We’ll find a way to get you out if you’re not back in time. Don’t worry.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Actually… there’s one other pony completely immune to dark magic you can send for. It’ll be messy, but considering our options, they might be the only choice.”

Gleaming tilted her head. She wracked her brain for who that might be, but the dark magic levels within the cave were off the charts. About the only other pony she could think of that—

Applejack’s quiet laugh broke the silence. Her green eyes sparkled within her visor, staring straight at Gleaming. “I heard tell y’all have met my brother?”

Meanwhile-

“Blast it,” Neighsay growled as he trudged out of a snowy chasm. “I thought for sure that one would have something...”

It’d been a stressful couple of hours. He was ten miles north of Empire’s weather barrier amidst the lowermost crags of the Himaneighyas, nothing more than a speck of white amidst a frigid sea of snow, ice, and rock. But the treacherous footing and reduced oxygen levels were just extra annoyances to deal with, on top of having occasionally having to fight off the influence of Chrysalis’ venom.

“And here I always thought the stories about these mountains were nonsense.” Neighsay looked up at Manechenjunga and shuddered. “It’s here, alright. Not sure where, but...”

Evil lurked in this place. He’d felt it as soon as he’d ventured a few dozen feet underground—an acidic burning that gnawed at his magical senses. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of reliable maps of the Himaneighyas that Neighsay could reference, and even if there were the Dark King wouldn’t have hidden anything in somewhere charted. Neighsay had managed to track down a few concealed caves among the lowest reaches with a few clever spells, but every place he’d searched so far had been a bust.

“One or two more.” Neighsay took a swig of water from a canteen. Retreating to a warmer climate every so often while under a pressure-normalizing spell was a simple matter, but the weather and altitude were still obstacles. Visibility was an ever-present issue, oxygen spells were taxing to cast, and if the wind and cold were this bad during the calm season, he didn’t even want to think what it was like the rest of the year.

Neighsay shook his head clear. Such issues could be dealt with later, there was still a good bit of daylight left, and he had to make the most of it. He reached in his saddlebags and quickly assembled his telescope to triangulate—

Suddenly, there was a glimmer of light in the southern sky.

“Eh?” Neighsay squinted. He couldn’t make out what the light was, but it was flying his way, and fast. It almost looked like a multicolored comet, but... during the daytime? He concealed himself among the rocks and angled his telescope towards the anomaly, the magical lens calibrating itself as he did...

It was a group of seven mares. Neighsay recognized six of them immediately, their gaudy glowing forms a dead giveaway. But they also looked to be wearing—ah, that’s right, they were paladins now. Hmph, more like freaks, far as he was concerned. The seventh mare, however, looked to be a regular earth pony. It seemed she couldn’t fly like the others (she was riding on the pink one’s back) but even so, she seemed unperturbed travelling at a ludicrous speed.

“Wait.” Neighsay zoomed in on Maud’s face. “I’ve seen her before…”

It took a few moments, but eventually it came to him. Some months ago in Canterlot, he’d been walking past a subordinate’s desk when he’d seen this mare’s photo on a request for a letter of recommendation. Normally he wouldn’t have thought anything of it—they got those requests every day—but not only did this request have the rare colored stamp of being for a dissertation, the mare’s family name…

“What was it Nimblefeather said?” Neighsay’s eyes flicked back and forth. “Letter’s wording was vague, but we’re short on geologists... mentioned gathering energy readings in the northern—”

The realization hit him like punch to the face.

“No...” Neighsay watched with bated breath as the seven mares flew high in the sky in a straight line towards the largest, most dangerous mountain in Equestria, never once changing their course. “There’s no way they’d be looking for—but then why else would Twilight Sparkle leave her sister?! That’s the whole reason she came up to the blasted Empire! There’s no way she’d leave so close to…”

Neighsay realized the seven mares were getting away. He needed to make a decision now, or it was going to be made for him. Cursing, he re-oriented his triangulation spell to lock on to Maud, his sense of dread growing as he watched the mares ascend Everhoof’s foul reaches.

“The things I do for my country,” he muttered.

Author's Notes:

And thus the longest chapter to date comes to a close. There were a lot of twists and turns that unfolded throughout this one, and I know some of those didn't land with everyone. The adventure aspects of the story are going to be taking a greater role from here as we move towards the climax (heh, climax) but there's still going to be sex and slice of life stuff, as well.

The excursion up to Everhoof is going to be formatted as its own separate story. It is the next part of the story overall, but it's going to be a decent word count. It's gonna be pretty clunky if I try to insert it here along with the other thirty chapters of the main story, so I'll just include links here to it when I put it up, and then a link at the end of the excursion linking back to Chapter 26. Not the greatest solution, but I feel it's the better of the two.

If you want to be updated when the story is posted, make sure you either have me on follow, or you have the story favorited!