Author's Notes:

When you come across the various green words in this chapter, click on them to get a reference as to what the Mane Five, including Spike, look like when dressed in their respective armors.

Credit to the DeviantArt authors who created those great pictures as I don't own them.

Pinkie Pie burst into laughter as she saw the look on Rainbow Dash's face. "Rainbow, you should see the look on your face! It's priceless!"

Rainbow Dash merely groaned in response and turned away from her friend, only to find the pink mare standing there like she'd been there all along. "You know, Pinkie, I'll never get the way you defy physics," the pegasus sighed, to which Pinkie only gave her a big smile.

"We still have a big problem we need to solve! How are we supposed to find King Sombra and rid Twilight of his control? We can't use the Element of Divinity on Twilight if we don't even know where he's hiding!" Spike's pained voice surprised everyone; it'd be a long time since he'd last spoken.

"Now, now, sugarcube," Applejack began, trying to think of something reasonable to say in response even though she knew that Spike was right, "Ah'm sure we can figure this one out, so don't lose hope just yet."

"Everything will be fine, Spike. Our friendship with Twilight will never be broken no matter what," Fluttershy's gentle voice reached Spike's ears as he looked up to see the yellow pegasus, no longer suffering from magical twitches, getting out of her chair and trotting toward him.

"Yes, darling," Rarity smiled, nodding in agreement at what Fluttershy'd just said, "even if we'll have to go through some trouble to help Twilight, we'll do it together as friends."

"What Spike said was still true though," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "we don't know anything that can help us find him."

The Royal Sisters exchanged a glance before Celestia spoke, smiling.

"Perhaps I can help you with that, my little ponies. Now, if King Sombra's very first goal was to corrupt Twilight in order to ensure that we couldn't foil his plans again without her, what was he originally focused on during his last rampage of terror?"

Immediately, the answer came to everyone's heads.

"The Crystal Empire!" they yelled in unison.

Celestia nodded. "Brilliant, my little ponies. If my hunch is correct, he should be focused on conquering the Crystal Empire again, which means that you have to get there right now and assist Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. If, however, the Crystal Empire is once again on the brink of destruction, you must secure them a safe transport here as soon as possible and try to get to Twilight in time. Understood?"

They nodded.

"Very well then, I'll book a train ride to the Crystal Empire for you six that leaves in about an hour. You're welcome to help yourself to anything in the castle during the meantime, even weapons if need be."

You could very well imagine the excitement on Rainbow Dash's face as the Princess mentioned the word "weapons".

The six friends stood at the train station, the freezing weather chilling them to the bone. Unfortunately, that afternoon was scheduled for a savage wind by the pegasi in Canterlot, which they learned of the hard way when they were escorted to the train station devoid of any wind-protection gear. However, they didn't really mind the wind, as their minds were only focused on the mission ahead of them. If done badly, it could cost them a lot of lives, but if done perfectly, it wouldn't cost them anything.

As expected, they vowed to follow the latter as best as possible.

"Looks like it all comes down to this, gals," Applejack said, turning to the others. She was dressed in armor that had been enchanted by the Canterlot blacksmiths they had met in the royal armory; it was capable of channeling magical energy into the form of radiant green wings making her able to fly when desired, and into her legs, which rendered them her main weapon.

"I guess," Rainbow Dash sighed, dressed in enchanted armor similar to Applejack's. Unlike her friend, however, the blacksmiths had gifted her with a magical headband that enabled her to hold her weapon - a yellow and red lance shaped like a lightning bolt - magically.

"We'll do this together," Rarity declared, her golden armor slightly enhancing her beauty. The enchanted blue star embedded in her breastplate, when combined with her natural unicorn magic, allowed Rarity the freedom of summoning multiple gems at will. It was the perfect weapon for her, and she simply adored it.

"Together!" Pinkie agreed, hopping up and down in excitement. Her personal armor was designed to look futuristic; she even had her own visorscope, a device that was capable of detecting ponies experiencing negative emotions within a 50-mile radius. It could even activate the multiple party cannons Pinkie had hid on her armor if she wanted it too.

"Oh my, doesn't my armor look too... intense?" Fluttershy was complaining quietly about her armor; it was simply too much for her even though her friends, along with the Canterlot blacksmiths, had insisted forcefully upon her donning it in order to keep her newfound powers in check. Much to her relief, however, the blacksmiths didn't bother on equipping her with a weapon of any kind, informing her that the magic she had gained from becoming the Bearer of Divinity would prove as a very formidable one already.

"It's fine, Fluttershy, just give it a rest. You actually look pretty cool in that armor." It was Spike this time who spoke, his own armor bearing a rather similar resemblance to Rarity's; it had been the last set of enchanted armor available in the armory, and since the blacksmiths needed a full week to even enchant one that suited the dragon's tastes, he had simply opted to just go with it without any further complaint. Thankfully, choosing a suitable weapon was a lot trouble-free, and in the end the blacksmiths were able to enhance his dragon breath's lethality.

A familiar honk sounded as the six friends turned to see their train closing in, finally skidding to a halt at the train station. "Crystal Empire, here we come!" Pinkie giggled, leading the way on board.

The entire train ride was rather boring as could be, with nothing for entertainment but perplexed glances from fellow passersby as they saw the group's ridiculous appearances. Even talking with a friend was a lost cause, since nopony could focus on the conversation when thoughts of the mission ahead always lingered in their mind.

However, the boredom dissipated as soon as the train reached its destination: the fabled Crystal Empire.

"Wake up, guys! We're here!" Rainbow Dash announced just as the train pulled up to a complete halt. The others, who were all about to fall asleep, slowly filed out of the train and watched as it began going backwards, eventually disappearing in the shadows of the nearby cave they'd passed in order to get there.

"Hey, guys?" Rainbow Dash said, noticing that they were still staring in a trance-like state long after the train had disappeared.

"Huh? Oh, right," Applejack yawned, shaking herself awake and proceeding to help the pegasus wake the rest.

"C'mon, guys, this is no time for a nap. We've got to get to the Crystal Empire, save Twilight, and beat King Sombra as fast as we can!" Rainbow Dash told them, her tone urgent.

"Right," the others replied, following the pegasus as she zoomed in the general direction of the Crystal Empire, its borders pretty hard to see in the swirling snow of the frozen north.

It wasn't until that they saw the bloody scene unfolded before them that their foggy minds finally cleared and they left exhaustion's clutches.