“Twilight? Are you there?” a small voice interrupted my studies, it was one I’d begun listening for at least subconsciously lately since there seemed to be a lot of trouble on that end.

“I’m here Sweetie Belle, the door’s unlocked, come in out of the cold,” I trotted over to the door as the tiny two-tone filly let herself in and placed her crimson cape on the coat rack. “It’s almost midnight Sweetie Belle, what are you doing here?”

She looked a little bashful but met my gaze all the same, “Rarity’s gone again, I don’t know where, I just woke up and the boutique was empty. I’m sorry Twilight, I guess I got scared being alone…”

I smiled softly for her, “I understand, well come on, let’s fix you a cup of cocoa and, since you’re here and awake, we can practice your magic.”

The smile she wore on hearing the word ‘cocoa’ quickly departed to be replaced with a rolling of the eyes that would’ve done Rarity proud. I snickered behind my hoof as we went into the kitchen, she had been ecstatic to hear I was willing to teach her magic up until she realized exactly how hard it was to master even a basic spell like levitation. She lost her initiative for the task somewhat after four hours of head-ache inducing attempts to move a rag doll from my early years from one table to another.

“Spike? Are you awake?” I called up, a bit quietly in case he was in fact sound asleep, but loud enough that he couldn’t mistake that I’d called for him if he weren’t.

“Yea, yea I’m awake,” I heard the sound of a slightly annoyed dragonet coming down the stairs.

“Heh, sorry Spike, but Sweetie Belle is here and I was hoping you could light the stove so we could make some cocoa, would you like some?” I said sweetly, knowing he wouldn’t say no to the chocolate-y beverage he loved.

“Oh, well, sure if it’s for Sweetie Belle then it’s fine,” he answered, suddenly moving much faster, the prospect of chocolate in the near future banishing any residual sleepiness.

Sweetie Belle seemed more perturbed than usual though, I cantered over to her and took a seat while we waited for Spike to heat the stove, “Is something wrong Sweetie Belle?” I asked tentatively, it had been a hard couple of weeks for her; Rarity wasn’t recovering as quickly as I’d hoped she would and it was starting to tell on the little filly.

“I just… keep having nightmares. I don’t like them, and when Rarity is gone it makes it worse,” she answered softly. I felt bad although I wasn’t really surprised given the things that had happened and how hard it was on Rarity. The two sisters were very close so having her older sister become so distant must’ve been difficult

“Do you want to talk about them?” I asked as she curled up next to me. Those words seemed so innocent at the time, if I had known the gravitas of the coming answer I think I’d have simply retreated to my bedroom and quietly dry-heaved myself to unconsciousness.

“I guess… I thought I woke up, I was in my bed and it was really dark, I went downstairs to find Rarity but when I looked in the living room I saw two ponies. One was my sister, asleep on the chair.” I nodded, as she spoke I was getting a strange twitching feeling in my stomach I couldn’t explain. “Who was the other pony?” I asked.

She shook her head, “I don’t know, but I didn’t like him… or her… I couldn’t tell if it was a colt or a mare, I guess it was probably a mare since she was wearing a weird dress.”

I felt my heart almost stop the instant she finished the sentence.

“Sweetie Belle… what did the dress look like?” I asked, terror gripping my lungs, I hoped against hope that the answer wasn’t what I knew it would be.

“It was… I dunno… weird. It looked like it had these big folds on the back, like pegasus wings.” I think I should be admired for not losing my mind right then and there.

“A-and… what was this p-pony doing?” I asked.

“Nothing” she answered, not the answer I’d been expecting.

“W-what do you mean? Nothing at all?” I egged her on for more answers.

“No, just sort of… standing there, watching Rarity sleep. I guess it wasn’t really that scary now that I think about it but… something about that pony made me afraid, really really afraid, I couldn’t move, I wanted to cry but I was too scared to.” She went quiet for a moment before continuing, “Then I woke up, I guess, I was back in my bed… Twilight, I’m tired of having that dream, can you make it go away?”

These words made my brain lock up for a moment.

“Tired? Sweetie Belle… Have… Have you had this dream before?” I asked quietly, “It’s very important that you tell me.”

She nodded, “A few times, it’s always the same, basically, sometimes Rarity is asleep in a different place, but that scary pony is always there, watching her.”

Spike brought in the cocoa and handed Sweetie Belle a mug of steaming chocolate with a gratuitous number of marshmallows added in. I waved mine away; Spike gave me a worried look before deducing a plan.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, it’s pretty late, why don’t you stay here for the night? I’ll make up the guest bed and you can get some sleep after you finish that.” He said cheerfully, the mask he wore was very good, I had to give him credit.

She nodded, even scared she was still a tiny filly, she must’ve been exhausted.

Spike came back down after tucking Sweetie Belle in, gathered up a quill and ink, and sat down next to me.

“It’s happening again, isn’t it Twilight?” he said solemnly, I had told him everything, absolutely everything that had happened, Spike had been the main reason I had been able to recover with any degree of dignity, he was there when I woke up screaming from nightmares about phantom castles, he listened when I felt torn up by grief at what had happened. Even though he was a baby dragon he was stronger than most ponies gave him credit for. I don’t know where I’d be now if not for him.

I nodded slowly at this, “I need to send a letter to the Princess, she needs to know what’s going on, that it’s not over.”

He raised the writing paraphernalia he had gathered expectantly.

I smiled, “What would I do without you Spike?” He just smiled back and popped open the ink well.

“Alright, take this down: ‘Dear Princess Celestia, Your help and advice is urgently required, Sweetie Belle just reported to me a ‘dream’ in which the apparition of Pinkie Pie appeared. Given that she never saw Pinkie in her ‘dress’ but is still able to give an accurate description of it I am forced to conclude that whatever happened at Sugarcube Corner has left its mark on Ponyville in more ways than one, please respond post-haste. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.’ Did you get all that?” I asked once he was done scratching away at the parchment.

“Yea, I’ll send it now.” Spike belched a wave of emerald flames and the letter vanished on the wind.

Immediately the night sky lit up, a streak of light tore across the sky like a rogue star. Only when it curved over Ponyville did it turn and orient towards the Library, as it approached the lit dimmed softly until only the radiant Alicorn at its center remained, every inch the gleaming princess, yet something seemed strange, something I couldn’t quite put my hoof on at the time. Spike jumped as she landed, she looked over at and waved her hoof, “I’m sorry Spike but I must speak with Twilight in private.” He nodded and retreated upstairs with Sweetie Belle.

“Twilight,” her voice soft with affection for her student, I bowed low to my mentor and sovereign. “Princess, I don’t know why or how, but it seems tha-“ Celestia lifted a single hoof, cutting off my words with a silent command.

“I was afraid this might happen Twilight, we must prepare for the worst, and I do mean the very worst, if your friend’s sister has truly seen what she says she has then it seems even my strongest seals and wards were inadequate for the task. I regret that I am no longer the maga I once was it seems.” Celestia answered mysteriously, her voice a shallow echo rich with a sort of ageless sorrow.

“Princess? What do you mean? What seals?” at that time I hadn’t an inkling though given my magical studies I should have. Not that it would have made any kind of difference I suppose.

Celestia hung her head, for all world as though she were ashamed. I had never seen this side of my teacher before, always she had been proud, strong, and sure of what to do, now I could see entirety of the weight of years levied upon her.

“Oh Twilight…” she shook her head, suddenly I noticed what had seemed off about her since she arrived, she seemed wan and faded, her coat lacked its usual luster, her main was sagging, and there were deep bags beneath her eyes. With a groan of power Celestia arched her head upwards, light cascading from her horn, the air around us displaced as she woke some great magic as a wave of power echoed across Ponyville.

“Twilight, if an ancient mare could ask one thing… would you forgive me?” Celestia asked quietly, her voice barely a whisper.

“P-princess? For what?” I asked, dumbfounded by both her tone and her request.

“I have done the only thing I can; I have sealed Ponyville behind an impregnable barrier, but in doing so I have woken what was stirring in its heart, and may very well have condemned all of Ponyville’s citizens.”

I felt my jaw drop open, working for a moment to find words for my questions.

“But… but it’s over, it was over, we escaped…” I muttered softly, imploringly to the ancient sorceress, she only shook her head again.

“Yes, you did, but this… this was my fault, you see, the curse was terribly weakened when you defeated it, but it did not vanish. Over the weeks since you escaped it laid low, growing strong off of its only remaining source of guilt and self-blame until it became strong enough to return to its birthplace, that pit beneath Sugarcube Corner.” She explained slowly as she made her way to the balcony, I trotted at her side keeping up with the powerful stride of the princess.

“But the curse lost its hold on us, it isn’t feeding on any of the girls anymore and you said Luna was free from it too!” I exclaimed, desperately trying to put my hooves on any possible explanation, the princess didn’t give any indication that she had heard me, instead continuing to speak.

“Twilight, you must gather the remaining holders of the Elements of Harmony, I’ve spent the past two weeks desperately scouring for two ponies who might be able to take up the empty Elements, you must first find the filly you know as Scootaloo, she carries Rainbow Dash’s legacy in her fierce loyalty and devotion.” I nodded, quickly seizing a quill, ink, and parchment to copy down the princess’s instructions, she pauses afterwards and hangs her head slightly. “I’m afraid I was unable to locate a suitable pony for the Element of Laughter though, Pinkamena’s sister Octavia showed some promise but she’s in Fillydelphia at the moment, well outside the barrier, Twilight it is imperative that you find another pony capable of wielding the Element of Laughter.”

I nod solemnly before a question enters my mind, “Princess, your mastery of seeking magic is much stronger than mine, can’t you find one from here?”

A small and infinitely sad smile graced Celestia’s lips as she turned back to me, “I afraid I won’t have the time Twilight, I have to bend all my energy towards sealing the curse, that means I have to go to the center of all this, Sugarcube Corner, if I can hold it there it’s influence won't spread since its only source of sustenance will be fighting it.”

“Princess… you’re not… are you saying…?” the notion my mind had been rebelling against since she mentioned the curses’ power source came roaring to the forefront.

Celestia nodded slowly, her eyes filled with remorse, “When I was trying to free you four… I had to bend all of my magic towards piercing the veil that separated us… all of it… including the power I normally reserved to guard my own mind. I was able to use my powers to stave it off for a time but… obviously it was not a permanent solution. I am sorry Twilight, if I were a stronger pony I would have been able to move past this, especially after what you did for my sister… but I haven’t, and the curse now has all the power it could need, reaped from a thousand years’ worth of grief and unforgiven decisions.”