Author's Notes:

Nope! Not done yet!

Empress Twilight Sparkle looked around curiously as she was led into the torch-lit tunnel, her armored hooves and body making the softest clinks and crunches with each movement; several body-lengths in front of her, Trixie Lulamoon moved in utter silence, despite her armor and blood-red cape. It was still odd to see the young-looking unicorn without her sky-scened blue cape, or her pointed hat. Now she only wore a silver circlet through her mane, onyx, sapphire, and ruby crystals gleaming at its center. Letting her gaze run over the newest alicorn curiously, Twilight had to admit that Trixie pulled off the look well, and seemed wholly comfortable in her larger, more slender body. Trixie's wings twitched as a warm wind blew through the tunnel; the blades on every flight feather shimmered in the torch-light, and despite all she had seen, all she had done, Twilight shuddered. She shuddered for the pain Trixie had to handle every time she used her blood magic. She shuddered for the power that Trixie held.

"We enchanted this tunnel," Trixie explained quietly, seeming quite proud, "A series of small portals, jumping miles ahead each time. Saves alot of time going between the capital and the Crystal City."

And there it was, this mysterious 'capital' again. She had not been able to get a word about it out of the ponies in Trixie's employ, and neither had she been able to get them to take their strange masks off. They were metal and glass, with dark lenses covering their eyes. When she had asked about them, the ponies would only reply that it "made things easier." Easier for what? Themselves? Other ponies? She had so many questions; but, with the coronation over with, and the rebuilding underway, at least she could finally talk to the Blood Mage that had helped save them all.

"It's an impressive feat," Twilight replied with a soft smile, "Portals are very efficient. Just mana-consuming. How do you keep them going like this?"

"We tapped them directly into the ley lines," Trixie replied, still very proud of the achievement, "They'll never run out of mana."

Ley line portals? Twilight inwardly whistled. Very clever. The next portal was the biggest change since Twilight first stepped into the tunnel; the torch-lit darkness was replaced with a deep green glow, and Twilight's eyes and head quickly snapped to the left. Mushrooms. Mushrooms... everywhere. They towered above the ponies, some of them easily as tall as skyscrapers from Manehatten, while others were about the size of bushes. Dozens of ponies were moving among the mushrooms, chopping them down with long-hafted axes, or even carving directly into them. To Twilight's well-hid shock, she could see an entire village perched on top the largest mushrooms, a stairwell built into the stalk. But the biggest shock were the ponies themselves.

They stared at Trixie and Twilight with bright, glowing purple eyes, almost red-violet in their intensity. Their fur ranged from purest whites to darkest blacks, but all were covered in runic symbols, glimmering a similar color to their eyes. They bowed low to the pair of ponies; Trixie bowed her head in respect, while Twilight stared in awe.

"Trixie..." Twilight breathed, eyes roaming the closest pony, a young foal of only five, "What... happened? Why do they look like this? Is that why they wear those masks?"

She finally tore her gaze away from the bowing ponies and back to her guide; Trixie was smiling sadly, her own eyes gleaming in the same odd violet as she peered back at Twilight. She slowly reached up to wipe her eyes before turning away, trotting quickly towards another swirling portal.

"One more, Twilight. Then I'll explain it all."

Scowling faintly, Twilight Sparkle charged after Trixie, a hint of paranoia and annoyance growing. That, of course, was likely just a side effect of being the Empress, but she preferred to be answered directly. Not given the run around, and especially not the run around in the dark and gloom of the Under-Equestria. But all of Twilight's misgivings slipped away the second she stepped through the portal. They were on an overlook that led to a stairway, and then a mighty highway beneath the earth. A mighty, rushing river trundled along beneath them, her dark waters filled with various boats of many constructions, from steamships, to great caravels, to a horrible wheezing contraption that left behind a cloud of thick oil smoke. With her magical sight, Twilight could see the dozens of horrific creatures and beings beneath the dark waters- falling in would turn deadly in an instant, that was certain. The highway beside it was just as busy, with hundreds of carts and vehicles moving quickly along. Diamond Dogs, settled on all fours, pulled massive carts of ores and gems, while gigantic bears with horns pushed heavy loads of equipment along. Ponies, gleaming with their strange magic, led these carts along, or pulled smaller carriages and rickshaws. Every mile was a small station, with watchful, and quite armed, guards. It was a lane of commerce, its like unseen since the fall. But it's what they led into that left Twilight Sparkle truly breathless.

It was a city; a city built in the darkness of this massive cavern. Lightning sparked among the steeples and roofs of the city's buildings, and rain poured down from weather created by hoof high above in the cavern. Steam poured from every chimney and outpipe, and the din from the city was incredible, even miles away. Magical wisp lights lit up the city in a ghastly glow, as did the faerie fire lining the massive spires and towers arranged at five fixed points on the city's edge. Twilight could see it clearly; the city was one gigantic magical circle, settled atop a nexus of ley lines. The world's largest magical amplifier. Had she had this, her necromantic energies could have possibly covered the world. Ever so slowly, Twilight turned to stare at Trixie; the younger mare was settled on her haunches, a slight smile teasing her lips as she stared out over the vista.

"How?" Twilight breathed, voice uncharacteristically shaken, "How did you do this?"

Trixie sighed, just once, before turning her balefire eyes on one whom was truly her equal. Twilight could see it clearly. Both mares had done things to save their ponies. Things both wondrous and monstrous, all at once. More than anything, Twilight Sparkle was curious. Just what had Trixie endured to build a monument to pony tenacity? So, as Trixie began her tale, Twilight settled her imperial rump down on the dusty ground, and listened with eager ears.