Original Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S2RgriNEb5fHh_Jm_ZNflcJUToWNDUIXLE-q2AACnjc/edit?usp=sharing

As it was to expect, Twilight’s friends were quite stunned when she just appeared next to them out of thin air. Just as she promised, she made it back in time. As a matter of fact, her journey back was a lot faster than getting to the ancestral homeland. Within just a single day, she managed to get all the way back to the Crystal Empire. Immediately, she requested a meeting of the leadership circle to be held in the evening. This particular one seemed to be even far more exclusive than the others before, as she tightly insisted on keeping up security to a maximum. She even insisted on both Truesight and Amber to help secure the meeting with their future predicting abilities. When the purple mare was finally convinced that they could talk openly without a demon or cultist spying on them, Applejack could barely take the suspense anymore.

“Well Ah’ll be damned, Twi! You keep checkin’ our identities for twenty minutes straight now! We passed all the checks! Just tell us what is goin’ on already!” the orange mare insisted.

Twilight still remained calm with a little smile on her face as she raised her front hoof in attempt to settle down her friend. It was clear to everyone that this short journey had yet again changed her, but this time for the better. She didn’t seem sunken in thought and regret anymore. Instead, she was emitting a strong aura of peace and harmony.

“My attempt to bring Starswirl back from the dead was a success. I asked him to join our cause, but he declined, reasoning that his resurrection alone caused too much damage on the flow of magic in our world and he would not want to make it even worse. Instead, he offered me some of his secrets, under the condition that I undo the spell I cast on him in order to return balance,” she summarized shortly.

“That is a shame… But did he tell you anything useful?” Shining Armor wanted to know.

“Quite so,” Twilight replied with a little nod. “While the things he showed to me are difficult to explain and hard to grasp for somepony who hasn’t experienced them first-hoof, it did help me a lot in becoming at peace with myself. I have created a very deep bond to my own arcane magic and therefore now understand a lot of things much better. Starswirl himself may not be able to support us directly, but he gave me everything I needed to know in order for us to win this war.”

The purple mare got up shortly to roam through her saddle bag. What she then placed on the table caused all of them to gasp. A purple crystal in the shape of a six-pointed star.

“Is… Is that…” Rarity mumbled speechlessly.

“I’m afraid, no. This is just a replica of the Element of Magic. While it does have similar powers and functions as the original, it is not quite as stable. We will only be able to use it a few times before it shatters,” Twilight explained.

“How in the world did you get that?” Cadence wondered.

“Again, this is difficult to explain. Out there in Equestria, beneath the Everfree Forest, there is a tree made entirely of magical crystal. The Tree of Harmony,” Twilight spoke, instantly causing Celestia and Luna to become wide-eyed. “I will tell you more about that later. For now, let’s just say that it was this tree the elements originally came from. On my way back, I visited the tree and communicated with it. It allowed me to access its powers to recreate the lost element.”

“Twilight Sparkle… I am speechless. For you to be able to do this… I would have never thought…” Celestia commented, causing the purple mare to smile again.

“Starswirl has taught me a lot. I now realize that I am capable of doing many things that can be considered world-changing. But with this power comes responsibility. I am afraid that most things I can do, I actually never will. I am more sensitive to magic now than I have ever been. I can feel even the slightest shifts. My powers can bypass rules of this world, but that would cause more damage than it would help. But while I can’t break the rules, I can at least bend them to some degree without causing harm. This replica here is the result. If we use it as a link between the Crystal Heart and the other elements, the experiments our donkey scientists have been attempting will finally work. The artefacts will resonate with each other and amplify their powers, giving us a very efficient weapon capable of even erasing demons. This is why I wanted to make absolutely sure we can talk in secrecy. This knowledge can’t be allowed to spread. For the first time, we are in a position of advantage over the demons, because they have no idea we have such a weapon. This replica might very well be the key to our survival during the Red Day,” the purple mare explained.

“Twilight, I can’t even put in words how amazing you are!” Derpy shouted out suddenly. “This is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Haha! To be completely honest, for the longest time, I thought we were done for. But now, I believe we can actually do this!”

“But how does that work? Won’t using the Elements of Harmony in that way backfire on us, since we have reapers and even an undead pony among us?” Luna worried.

“I actually thought about that. While making the replica, I knew that the stronger it was, the more fragile it would become. I made a slight compromise to adjust the efficiency and effect. It will still be capable of purifying demons, erasing them completely. But everything that was directly created by Nightmare Moon herself, in this case Maledictum Insania and the reaper curse, is too strong to be lifted. So our reapers and Rarity are safe. That also means, though, that any other undead fighting on the side of the demons won’t be affected by the artefacts. We will have to rely on the reapers to deal with them, but that should very well be possible to pull off,” Twilight stated.

“Excellent! These are great news! Now, I am actually glad you made this trip, Twily! I will make sure our soldiers and allies play their role.” Shining Armor announced.

“But Twilight is right about keeping the replica a secret,” Cadence interjected. “As much as I would love to have it tested by the scientists at least once, we can’t allow this knowledge to leak through.”

“Then it all comes down to a raw test of the artefacts during the attack…” Celestia analyzed in worry.

“They will work, I assure you,” Twilight commented swiftly with an expression of absolute confidence.

“Well, Ah’m puttin’ ma faith into ya, Sugarcube. If you say this is gonna work, I trust ya,” Applejack spoke.

“Thank you. If that is said and done, I have two more things I would like to do. First of, I would like to ask Truesight in. If so, we won’t talk about the replica again until the time has come to use it. Agreed?” Twilight wondered.

“Agreed,” the others spoke simultaneously.

“Alright,” the purple mare spoke, then used her magic to open the door, turning her focus to it. “Lady Truesight. Could you come in, please?”

Instantly, the red mare with the rainbow mane complied, immediately followed by Amber. The little filly had grown a good bit since the last time they saw her and she also seemed to have made a lot of progress, since she was no longer hiding underneath her foster-mother’s cloak. Still, the small orange-brown filly seemed to continue having trust issues as her eyes kept darting around, scanning for potential threats with a tension-filled expression. As soon as they arrived in front of Twilight, Truesight bowed down.

“How may I serve you, my mistress?” she asked politely.

“We need your special talent. Can you repeat your visions of the Red Day to us again?” Twilight requested.

“As you wish,” the reaper clairvoyant replied and closed her eyes. “I see… countless red eyes. An ocean of black… The landscape matches up with what I have been observing around the empire lately, so it must be happening very soon… The eyes cover the entire landscape, so we should be expecting an attack from all directions. There… there is something else… a sensation of dread that is hard to define. Something else is happening that day, but I can’t clearly make it out. I apologize, my mistress.”

“I don’t expect of you to be capable of seeing everything. You still are a great help,” Twilight commented with a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Truesight replied humbly.

“Is there anything else you can tell us? Do you have any more suggestions or thoughts you have come up with since the last time?” Cadence wanted to know.

“I am afraid, no. There is not much else I can tell,” the red mare answered shortly.

“Very well,” Twilight stated shortly before seemingly gathering herself shortly for something else. “Now, the second thing I wanted to do is lift this tedious curse that has been cast on us. Remember the Curse of Secrets?”

“Yeah, but hang on a minute. Wasn’t that unliftable?” Applejack wondered.

“It may have been designed like that, but there is a way, actually,” the purple mare stated shortly, closing her eyes and letting her horn glow.

Suddenly, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Derpy and even Truesight felt a strange pleasant sensation rushing through their bodies. Just like Twilight before, they felt the urge to sigh in relief as the magic had done its work. Truesight in particular seemed extremely astonished, as if this was something she could have never seen coming.

“Well, I do feel better now, but did that actually do it?” Derpy wondered, unsure of the result.

“You are free to try it out. Just speaking out ‘Maledictum Insania’ in front of a pony won’t give them the knowledge of what it actually is,” Twilight spoke, then returned her focus to Truesight. “That is all. Thank you for your help. You may go back to your duties.”

Though the red mare hesitated for a moment. As she lifted her head, she let her focus wander among the friends of her mistress before returning it to the purple mare herself.

“Thank you for lifting this burden from me, my mistress. But… With your permission, I would like to say one more thing before I go back, provided you can spare the time,” she requested meekly.

“Oh, sure. I have time for you. What is on your mind?” Twilight wanted to know.

Instantly, the red mare bowed down again, closing her eyes.

“I wanted to apologize to you for my previous behavior, my mistress. In fact, I wanted to apologize to all of you. I had my doubts about all of you. I was convinced that if Mistress Twilight took over, it would be our downfall. To my shame, I have to admit that I kept on thinking that way until the time you asked us if we would be following your command. At that moment, I had a vision. I saw you, towering over Blueblood, holding Nightmare’s Eye in your hoof. I saw you winning this war. I misjudged you and for that, I am deeply sorry.”

“Well that’s mighty nice of ya. But let me get this straight: Ya had such a vision and didn’t tell us about it?” Applejack picked up, clearly not sure how to feel about this.

“It is understandable,” Twilight spoke quickly in behalf of Truesight. “While it is true that most of her visions come true, not all do. She once said herself that the future is not written in stone and can be altered. While this is comforting to know, we should not rest easy on this vision alone. Assume the best, prepare for the worst.”

“I have to agree with Twilight,” Luna commented. “We should not let this make us become overly confident, or we will make mistakes that will falsify this vision.”

“In any case, your honesty is very appreciated, Truesight. Frankly, it puts me at ease, knowing you believe in me now,” the purple mare answered to the reaper clairvoyant.

Truesight bowed down one final time before she turned around and got on her way out. The door to the meeting room closed behind her and Amber, then both went down a hallway. Again, the little filly’s eyes darted around, expecting danger to come from any direction. But then, she suddenly stopped. Truesight immediately noticed and turned around to check on her adoptive daughter.

Amber’s eyes were wide open, as well as her mouth. She was staring into the distance, seemingly lost in a vision. But then, her eyes suddenly jumped over to Truesight with the same shocked expression.

The reaper clairvoyant knew exactly what she was seeing. She nodded slowly. Almost instantly, Amber’s eyes began to fill with tears. She rushed to the red mare, hugging her front leg tightly for a moment before Truesight sat down, closed her eyes and embraced the little filly tenderly.

---

The meeting went on for half an hour more. A few additional points in their plans needed to be discussed before they could call it a day and everypony went on their way. Twilight, as usual, aimed straight for the library. This time, though, she was accompanied by Fluttershy on her way out. The purple mare already knew what her friend wanted from her.

“You know I can’t do it,” Twilight started.

“Do what?” Fluttershy wondered, unsure if she really had the same idea she had.

“I know why you are following me. I know what you want to ask. I’m sorry, Fluttershy. But there is a big difference between Starswirl and Obsidian,” the purple mare explained.

“And what would that be?” Fluttershy wanted to know.

“Starswirl lived and died during a time where Maledictum Insania wasn’t yet created. Obsidian’s soul, though, had always been touched by Nightmare Moon, just like ours. I couldn’t bring Starswirl back for more than a few hours before I had to undo my spell. What do you think would happen if I tried to bring Obsidian back from the dead?” Twilight questioned.

“There has to be a way,” the yellow mare insisted.

“I know how tempting this must sound to you and believe me: I would do so much just to see him again and thank him for all he has done for us. But I just can’t do it. The damage would be far too great,” Twilight tried to explain.

“Don’t give me that,” Fluttershy replied, almost sounding angry if she weren’t a reaper. “You even managed to recreate the Element of Magic and you want to tell me there is absolutely no way you can bring Obsidian back? I have been waiting so long for even the slightest chance… Please, Twilight. Do this for me.”

“Fluttershy… I would. Honestly, I would. Both you and him mean a lot to me and if this could be done, I would move mountains to make it possible. But you don’t have a magic sense. You wouldn’t be able to understand. I have grown so sensitive to magic now, I can even feel the small swirls of magic that are created when you take a step and your dark aura twirls and dances with the aura of the environment around you. I know exactly what would happen if I brought him back.”

“Then tell me, please. What would happen?” Fluttershy insisted.

“The least of our concern would be the aura of the entire Crystal Empire to collapse. This would be at least as tragic as when the ancestral homeland collapsed. But this… tear… it would spread around the world, causing further imbalance everywhere. Sure, it would dilute with increasing distance, but the demons and Nightmare Moon would be using this to their advantage. In worst case, it would affect the replica. So many lives would be at stake, just for trying to bring one life back,” Twilight explained patiently.

Now, Fluttershy became silent. Her focus lowered. Her head followed. She spent minutes like that while still following Twilight before she eventually looked back at her friend while her head was still lowered submissively.

“Please. This must be possible in some way. Please, Twilight,” she begged.

“I miss him too, Fluttershy. But messing with the rules of this world would make us just as ignorant as Blueblood himself. We want to save the world, not damage it further… I’m sorry,” Twilight finished.

It seemed like Fluttershy finally gave up now. She stopped following Twilight and, without saying a word, just turned around to walk a different direction. The sound of Twilight’s hoof steps echoing on the crystal floor soon vanished while she herself left the palace through a different exit.

It was night time by now. Next to no one was outside. A few different species occasionally crossed a street in the corner of Fluttershy’s eye, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. She just kept on walking, her thoughts centered around Obsidian Shards. A small sound caught her attention. Droplets falling onto the roads, very close to her. As she lowered her head, the light coming from the lanterns allowed her to make out a small black splatter on the ground, like ink. Her right front hoof lifted to her eyes and she swiped over them shortly. Her hoof had become covered in black tears.

Fluttershy stared at her hoof for a while. Clearly, she was crying. But the feelings just wouldn’t get through properly. The reaper curse had just dulled her too much. But what she couldn’t feel, she could analyze. Her behavior and her thoughts… everything was currently locked down on her loss again.

Fluttershy had reached a new low point in her grief. For a short time, there was a faint sensation. Something that she remembered she used to call ‘hope’. But this hope was misplaced. Obsidian will never come back and nothing but the cloak, the heart pin and her memories of him remained. The more years passed, the more it seemed like this was all just a dream. The year she spent with the stallion that made her feel so whole, so happy. Was it ever even real? Her current situation and the pin implied this, but it seemed so unreal by now. How could she have ever been that happy?

The reaper mare decided to just continue walking, taking a patrol through the streets. This time, though, she did pay attention to others. The occasional guard, a crystal pony waving at her, some cattle transporting tools and weapons on their backs. But there also were a few couples outside, enjoying a night-time stroll. They were rare compared to the others roaming around at this hour. But they caught her attention so much that it seemed like there were happy couples all around her. A griffon and a pony, a donkey and a diamond dog, a diamond dog and a saddle arabian pony. Each time she spotted a couple, she stopped to almost enviously observe them. Sparkling eyes, blushing cheeks, tender hugs and kisses. Her memories mixed with reality, allowing her to see herself and Obsidian in their place.

He is gone. Forever. Fluttershy had to forcefully tear her eyes away from the couples each time and remind herself of that fact. Each time she did that, the image of Obsidian’s corpse came to her mind. She held him in her hooves. He was completely covered in blood, but smiling faintly. It was the last time she had seen him. The last impression she had of him.

The world got completely dark around the yellow mare. All lights disappeared. She caught herself yet again staring at the heart pin on her cloak and polishing it carefully. Fluttershy knew she was stuck in an endless loop of grief, but there was no way out of it for her. She just missed him so much, she could hardly think of anything else.

Fluttershy was clinging onto the happy impressions she had left of him. The things that used to make her feel… something. There was this one particular scene that she used to relish more than any other. It was during winter, while Obsidian was off duty. Their walk through the snow, their ascension into the night sky. Floating free above the world, without a care. The endless vastness of the winter sky and that feeling of complete security, watching the moon while sitting on a small patch of cloud. It was their most tender moment. Never before and never since had she felt so good, so secure, while all the same she learned to embrace darkness.

The yellow mare felt the corners of her lips move ever so slightly, hinting on the faintest attempt of a smile. Even now, this memory was still so strong that it managed to affect her physically, even if it was barely noticeable at all. She needed this. She needed to remember, to know what it was like.Her eyes closed. Her wings spread out. With a few beats, she became airborne. Gradually, she was levitating into the air, remembering what Obsidian told her.

“Do not worry. I will not let anything happen to you. Trust me and close your eyes.”

She remembered Obsidian’s voice. She remembered how it felt like to be held by him. Fluttershy could feel her body ease up.

“You are very high up right now. How do you feel?”

Fluttershy actually wasn’t sure how high she was by now, but she just kept flying up gently. How did she feel? She felt the cold wind brush past her… but that was all.

“I am your darkness, mea amāta.”