Corrupted Star

by MehEds

Chapters

• The Land of Day and Night
• Shifting Shadows

The Land of Day and Night

The countless years Princess Celestia endured without her sister paled in comparison to the greif she felt, once she realized that Luna's banishment did nothing to change her.

         Luna's anger did not fade. She heard her voice scream from the moon.

         I should have tried to find the Elements first, Celestia thought bitterly, but it was too late. Celestia thought she could get her sister back.

        And she was wrong. Celestia gripped her staff, a polished golden rod, with a sun symbol on one end. Yellow magic arched around the sun symbol, her rainbow hair starting to wave, preparing another spell, to entomb her sister for another millennium.

        "I'm sorry..."

"Celestia!" A voice boomed around the moon, startling Celestia, "The night shall last forever! And you cannot stop me!" The same voice radiated from the white rock, screaming. A stream of sparkling stars dashed from the moon, heading to Celestia.

Nightmare Moon's figure dashed around Celestia, following up with another, larger beam. Celestia raised a golden orb around her, just in time, but the dark seraph collided with her, piercing her shield with a black sword colliding with her staff. What was once Celestia's sister, was replaced by an avatar of equal height, clothed in black armor with spiked shoulders, shimmering, starry blue hair, and eyes filled with hate.

Celestia stared at her sister's eyes, irises like a snake, hatred beyond control, before pushing her sword away, and firing off a concussive blast of yellow light, sending her back to the moon.

"Luna, I'm sorry," she wiped tears from her eyes before she reluctantly charged up a beam on her staff. But a huge beam of black magic was headed toward her, so massive, it was visible to the inhabitants below.

Too bad no one was able to see it.

Celestia felt the magic blast hit her mid-spell, knocking her out instantly, and the energy blasted her to the sun, her staff falling towards Equestria.

On the barren white rock, Nightmare Moon collapsed from exhaustion. But soon, she will awaken.

________________________________________

"Celestia's still not back," Twilight muttered, packing a bag, "even after three days.". Her brother entered her room in the castle.

"Your ride's ready," he said, pointing to a purple balloon outside, with a Sylph driver, wings folded.

"Thanks, Shining Armor," she told him halfheartedly, getting her purple staff. He noticed, and stopped her..

"Twilight, I know you're taking it hard. Your teacher leaving for no reason is harsh, and I know how you feel, and, well, don't hit yourself with it. I doubt Celestia left because of you." Shining Armor tried to comfort her. She nodded weakly.

"Just…focus on your job, okay?" He added, knowing his sister's talents.

"I know. Oversee and train the mages in Ponyville. Got it." Twilight muttered, moving towards the door.

"Yeah. Didn't Princess Celestia say to you to make some friends?" He asked, grabbing her shoulder. He felt her sister quiver, if only a little bit, before proceeding.

"It was the last thing she said to me," Twilight confirmed, and headed to the balloon, her eyes adjusting to the unusual weather.

Night and Day have been coexisting, the moon in one side, the sun in the other, reminding her of a tale she had once warned Celestia about, though she doubted it mattered now to the bleak situation Equestria is facing. There is no one that can defend the country like Celestia, as ancient evils may awaken. Princess Cadence is currently defending the Crystal Empire, though her power can only do so much against an ancient evil on it's borders, her power not on par with Princess Celestia. As for the moon and sun, the top mages tried to lower one, but, both seemed to be permanently glued to the sky.

"Spike! Come on!" she shouted at the last minute. The young boy quickly ran with the luggage, trying to load it up to the balloon. Twilight stepped on, and Spike caught up.

"…there. Now we're ready." Spike announced, and the driver started flying, putting a strong breeze against the balloon, wings flapping, to slingshot it to the path of Ponyville.

Twilight unfolded a piece of paper from her purple purse, scanning it with her eyes again, trying to decode it. The last letter she got from her mentor.

My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know I value your diligence and trust you completely, but you must simply stop reading those dusty old books! There is more to life than studying, so, in three days, I'm sending you to supervise the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. And, I have a even more essential task to complete; make some friends!

"Yeah, except now, there's no celebration," Spike said, looking over her shoulder. She sighed to the boy.

"I know that," Twilight muttered, disinterested. Spike thought of other things to say, trying to cheer her up.

"Princess Celestia said that you should make some friends, y'know,"

"Why should I make friends? That doesn't matter now! What matters is that if we can survive without her," Twilight instantly reacted, staring at the horizon.

Ponyville was ahead, close, engulfed with the moon's light. Once the balloon set down, they both stepped off with their luggage, and the Sylphs in town immediately pushed it to a station somewhere.

The town of cottages was empty, devoid of any pedestrians. The streets were lit with torches, since of the practically infinite night. There was a lot of commotion in the town square, however.

"Must be important," Twilight said, and went towards the noise. There were at least more than a hundred people listening to the Mayor, on a stage in front of the Town Hall, a three-story cake-shaped building. Beside her were two people, a man wearing Royal Guard armor, and a female Sylph, with a blue military uniform. Twilight quickly ran to the stage as quietly as she can.

"…now, for conscription. For those who didn't know, Princess Celestia has been gone for quite some time. The last remaining princess is currently defending the Crystal Empire, so it is imperative that we have to be capable of defending ourselves while she's busy. Two out of three people that have not enlisted will be chosen for conscription. Anyone not chosen will run the town as normal. Now, the people exempt from conscription are..." The mayor started to read out names. Everyone was silent, as names were called out.

"Everybody conscripted should report to these trainers. There, you will divide based on race."

The mayor stepped down from the podium, and the crowd burst into sharp whispers. Twilight quickly scanned through the crowd, counting those capable of magic, with their sharply pointed ears, fairies.

More than what she expected that's for sure.

"Spike! Run to the library! Find the blast spell!"

________________________________________

Twilight faced the fairies that awaited her. They were on a field, and wooden boards with targets were set up, torches everywhere. It took place on a decrepit farm, with dying trees and dead grass. A barn and a house was in sight.

"Okay, we're going to start with the blast spell. This spell…" she quickly pointed her staff to the target, and fired a purple beam, smacking against the target powerfully. The target held its ground, as foot spikes were driven in the dirt.

"…can knock out almost anything. Spike, hand out the books," Twilight told him. The fairies received it, and started to practice. Soon, weak beams shot out of staves, and some hit the target, some didn't.

"Keep practicing," Twilight called out, and sat down, leaning against a tree. Spike joined her, admiring a certain fairy.

"Who are you looking at?" the girl asked, and the boy blushed.

"Her," he pointed at a girl with styled blue hair, clothed in a white and blue robe, and a diamond necklace, looking particularly cleaner than the rest.

"She's having trouble with the spell," Twilight quickly got up, and approached her, "Are you having trouble?" She asked politely, and analyzed her. Probably one of those fancy types like from Canterlot, Twilight thought.

"Yes, I can't do the spell. My staff keeps flickering at the end," she told her, with a unusually pompous accent, and tried to cast it. Sparks flew.

"Let's swap," She suggested, and tried the girl's staff. It was ivory white, with blue and gold trimmings, with a diamond shape at the end, almost like a spear, and it felt fragile, but surprisingly heavy.

"Don't drop it! You might get it dirty," She immediately reacted. Twilight rolled her eyes, confirming her analysis and fired a beam, with the same force as with her own staff.

"I guess there's nothing wrong with your staff,"

"Oh, okay, well, I'll keep practicing,"

Twilight nodded, and they exchanged staves then left.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?! My name's Rarity, what's yours?"

"Twilight Sparkle," She managed to respond. Rarity shook her hand, and went back to trying to perform the spell.

"What was she like?" Spike immediately asked Twilight. She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you should approach her," she said sarcastically.

"Okay," Spike agreed, taking the words to heart. She leaned back against the dead tree, looking at the stars.

        How long is this going to last?

"Sorry, but can you stand up?" A voice with a thick southern accent asked her. Twilight quickly stood up, and faced the source. A tanned girl with freckles, a dusty leather jacket and pants, a white button-up shirt, a blonde ponytail with a cowboy hat, began to swing an axe, chopping the tree down.

"But, couldn't that tree grow again?"  Twilight theorized, but the farm girl in front of her shook her head.              

"It's dead, and rotting away. Only a handful of trees are actually still able to the moon doesn't set soon, we're going to have to rely on winter storage. Then, we have to somehow survive through the winter itself." She chipped wood away with her axe, until only a sliver of the trunk remained, before kicking it powerfully, startling Twilight, and tipping the tree over.

        "Oh," Twilight said softly, and the night became all the more depressing.

"Cupcakes!" Someone screamed in a high pitch, and confetti, showered above them, everyone shocked. A pink-haired girl smiled as she brought along a wagon of treats, pushing a curious invention, an iron tube, with a rounded end, with wheels, handing them out to the mages.

"Here, have two!" The girl repeated, with a cupcake in each hand.

"Why two?" Twilight asked, trying to hand one back, until she grabbed her hands, insisting.

"I haven't seen you around before, and I know everyone in town, and I mean everyone! So that means you're new, and…" the cupcake girl rambled on, and the tanned girl behind Twilight chuckled.

"That's just Pinkie Pie. She always like to make everyone happy. It's a good thing she does, especially now," She grinned, as she ate one of the baked goods. Twilight studied the cannon. "that thing she pushes is her Party Cannon. It's really weak, it only shoots confetti, but I never seen stuff like that. "oh, and I'm Applejack," she quickly added, and shook her hand. Pinkie Pie quickly ran off, and everyone was in high spirits again, and started practicing with renewed strength.

A large crackle of sound went overhead. The Sylphs, led by a Wonderbolt with a trail of smoky lightning, flew, rose up, and delivered a hail of arrows to dead trees below.

"Aren't you supposed to be part of the militia?" Twilight said to Applejack. She shook her head.

"My brother is. I have to take care of the family."

"Applejack!" A young girl with red hair and a bow quickly ran to her.

"Applebloom? What is it?"

"Timberwolves! At the back of the barn!"

"Crap!" Applejack grasped her axe and ran. Twilight decided to follow.

"Keep practicing!" She shouted before rushing to aid. Rarity looked at her staff.

"Not that I'm very good at this sort of thing…" she muttered before following Twilight.

They went into the barn. Skeletons of twigs and branches shaped like wolves ate the food stores, breaking barrels and eating apples.

"Stay away!" Applejack shouted, and drove the blade of her axe to a timberwolf, sending it several feet, splintering it's bones. Rarity smashed her staff at another, and kept swinging.

"Rarity?!" Twilight's jaw dropped. More timberwolves entered the barn. Twilight started to blast some of them with a purple beam, blowing several of them backwards.The barn doors were kicked open, and Pinkie Pie pushed her Party Cannon, and grabbed a small, dense, hay bale, crammed it into the cannon, and lit a fuse.

"Stand back!" She shouted, and the bale launched into the last conscious timberwolf with incredulous speed, smashing into the wooden bones and reducing it to splinters.

"Pinkie?!" Applejack shouted in surprise, retrieving her axe from a chopped-up timberwolf.

"I heard you needed help!" She responded. Twilight heard a rush of air as a Sylph landed on the back of the barn, in full view. Her rainbow-coloured hair was a little flashy, and she wore flexible leather armor, with a quiver on her hip.

"Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here?" Applejack asked.

'While I was flying, I saw a gigantic bear headed this way!"

"And the Sylphs with you on training didn't notice it?"

"They're all busy concentrating on the aerial maneuvers. I can do the maneuvers with my eyes closed, so, I'm the only one that noticed." She boasted offhandedly. A giant roar emanated from the forest, and a black bear sped towards the barn, first for the food storage, but the five looked to be lunch. It slowed down, and stopped several meters between Rainbow Dash. Twilight grasped her staff tight; all of them were alert, ready to spring to action if any of them moved.

Another Sylph landed, albeit softer than Rainbow Dash, with pink hair, a shade lighter than Pinkie Pie's, with a yellow sweater and green pants.

'Wait, don't attack the bear!" She shouted. Rainbow Dash considered putting the arrow back to its quiver, but the bear threatened to leap.

"Tame it first, Fluttershy!" The archer responded.

"It's hungry! Most of the animals it hunts have died of starvation," She composed herself, "please don't make it worse!"

"We need this food!" Applejack immediately snapped, and Fluttershy sighed, and walked to the bear.

"Can she really tame it?" Twilight whispered.

"Fluttershy tamed bigger beasts," Rarity responded. Fluttershy petted the bear's neck, and whispered to its ear, pacifying it. Twilight really didn't think it was possible.

"Sorry, big guy, but we need this food."she said. The bear grunted, and the Sylph seemed to understand.

"You can't spare even a little bit?" Fluttershy asked Applejack.

"Honestly, no. Unless the moon sets."

"I think we should give the bear food," Rarity said, "it probably needs it more than us."

"I don't know. Ponyville needs the food,"

"I can probably fix the night/day situation. It's just a hunch." Twilight admitted. Everyone stared at her. Applejack grabbed a barrel of apples, opened the top, and tipping it, pouring out apples near the bear, letting it gorge.

"If you can fix that, then animals won't have to starve!"

"Trees won't die!"

"Everything might go back to normal!" They spoke, and they all now looked at Twilight Sparkle as a solution.

"Do you really think it's worth a shot?" Twilight asked.

"Obviously!" Rarity answered boldly. The town bell rang, signifying the end of training.

"…alright. Meet me at the Great Oak Library."

They went outside, and everyone pointed and gasped at the sky. The shadows grew darker and darker than before.

"Twilight, look!" Spike pointed to the moon, panicked. The situation Equestria was in grew worse. At first, sun still covered half the land; some farms were still thriving. The moon now arced in the sky, covering the sun, forming a solar eclipse. A burst of blue light flashed above the town hall, and there she stood.

The event Twilight warned Princess Celestia about three days ago. Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna's dark form.

The seraph's wings flared, a shock wave emitted around her, lightning forming.

"The night shall last, forever!" Nightmare Moon declared, her voice heard for miles.

'Oh no, you don't!" Rainbow Dash pointed her wood bow on the seraph, and pulled the bowstring back, aiming. But a hand grabbed the arrow and removed it from her grip.

"Rainbow Dash, I doubt you can take on a seraph! We have no choice," Applejack convinced her, and Rainbow Dash reluctantly agreed, "let's get to the library!"

________________________________________

Twilight opened the door, and rushed to a bookshelf, quickly browsing.

"We need to find an old tale, 'Mare in the Moon'. I thought it would happen, and warned Princess Celestia, and it did, sort of. I didn't know the sun would also be up."

"But now, the moon's the only one in the sky," Rarity finished her sentence, "But what did Princess Celestia say about all this?"

"She said I was too paranoid. That was one of the last things she said to me." Twilight started to get choked up. Everyone paused, and looked at her, out of pity.

"Let's just find the book,"

The others mumbled agreement and started searching. Twilight grabbed her staff and magically lifted several books at once, scanning each of them in a fast pace.

"I think I have something," Spike said, and everyone dropped their books and surrounded him.

"One thousand years ago, Princess Celestia raised the sun, and Princess Luna raised the moon. Luna turned evil and Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish her in the moon forever." Spike read out.

"Where are the Elements though? Does it say?" Twilight read the tale carefully.

"And even if we do defeat...what's her name?" Applejack looked at Spike.

"Nightmare Moon?"

"Yeah, her, how can the Moon set then? We might as well do nothing,"

'Applejack, you're being really depressing!" Pinkie Pie almost scolded. Applejack blushed.

"I guess I am,"

"We should still give it a chance." Twilight said, before Pinkie Pie tossed a book was tossed to her.

"I found something that says 'Elements of Harmony'!"

Twilight scanned through it quickly, absorbing facts.

"It says these are gems of great power, multiplied immensely when the power is split with the right wielders. The last known location is in the castle where the royal sisters once lived," Twilight recited. She looked at Spike, her assistant already in bed.

"Let's go!" Twilight pushed open the door, but stopped immediately. Ghostly black creatures with dark eyes floated on the streets, as if watching. Rarity looked to Fluttershy, who stayed behind, looking scared out of her mind.

"Fluttershy, just in case anything comes at you, use this," she handed her the staff. The shy person was startled by the weight, almost dropping it.

"Are you sure you don't need this?"

"I can handle myself," Rarity responded, and the gaseous creature was knocked over when Rainbow Dash fired an arrow. But they saw the path to Everfree forest, crowded with ghostly manifestations conjured by Nightmare Moon.

"Follow me!" Rarity immediately ran to another building among town, one with a sign of a horse. Luckily, no ghosts chased them. She opened the door, and immediately went inside a fairly spacious building, with stylish clothes on mannequins everywhere.

"Why are we here?" Twilight asked her, looking around. Rarity shrugged.

"Just to get another staff," Rarity said, picking one up, one with a royal blue shaft, much to the annoyance of the rest, "that's it. Now, let's go."

"You're serious?" Rainbow Dash blankly said. Rarity scoffed.

"We all need a weapon," she responded. Rainbow Dash grudgingly agreed, and handed Pinkie Pie her extra dagger.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Pinkie Pie ran out, and they followed.

Twilight quickly disintegrated the first ghost they came across. Lots more poured out of the woods as they ventured deeper into the Everfree Forest, but they didn't slow down, bashing and slashing. Except Fluttershy. One apparition advanced towards her, and she held the staff until her knuckles were white. Her wings started to flap, before Applejack put both hands on her axe and threw it, disintegrating the monster. She looked around her, while retrieving her axe.

"You alright?" She asked Fluttershy, who nodded slowly.

"Don't you want to solve everything?" Twilight said. Fluttershy stepped forward hesitantly.

"Of course! But I can't fight!" Fluttershy stopped, when the ranks of the Nightmare Forces gave way, to a giant lion with a red mane, bat wings, and a tail, it's eyes cloudy and wild.

All five stood back, intimidated. The manticore roared right in front of them, saliva spattering.

"My hair!" Rarity screamed, and swung her staff to its jaw, with such anger, the staff cracked and split on impact. Twilight tried to hit it with a beam, but missed, attracting its attention. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash each readied to protect her.

"Stop!" Fluttershy ran forward, right in front of the weapons. They immediately lowered their hands, knowing what she was going to do.

Fluttershy gently hovered , her wings softly flapping, and advanced on the giant beast, its size several times larger than her, unwavering, before gently touching its mane. The manticore grunted threateningly, but she didn't care, quietly whispering to its ear. The hazy eyes glared, and roared, spooking her, who scrambled to fly several feet backward.

"W-what? It didn't work?!" Fluttershy stuttered, shocked. "That never happens!"

Twilight quickly analyzed, and performed a specific spell, driving away a shimmering blue fog away from its head, before Fluttershy tried again, repeating what she said softly, and the manticore walked away. Applejack looked at Twilight, confused.

"How did you know it was…"

"Fluttershy could tame a starving bear. There must be something wrong with the manticore, so I cleared it's mind, but enough about that. I didn't know manticores would even listen to anybody!" Twilight said, in awe of her talent. Fluttershy blushed.

"Well, she has a talent," Rarity responded. The girl in question handed back the staff.

"I think you'll need it more than me,"

"Fair enough. But you should still be careful,"

"Everybody! Look! Nightmare Moon!" Pinkie Pie pointed to the sky.

"What?!" They all said. Sure enough, the seraph was flying, incoming fast. She landed in front of them, kicking up dust.

"It seems that even a manticore would not dispose of you. I'll kill all of you myself," Nightmare Moon approached them casually, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Why?" Twilight asked, trying to buy some time. Pinkie Pie handed Rainbow Dash's dagger back, inconspicuously.

"You fools think that you can stop me? I see everything the moonlight touches. Even your plans," Nightmare Moon unsheathed a black onyx sword, with a marble-like hilt, "the Elements of Harmony will never be touched."

All six stepped backward, but Twilight noticed signs of a castle behind her.

"We must have been going the right path, for her to notice," she said under her breath.

I'll hold her off, you get the Elements," Rainbow Dash whispered to all of them. Nightmare Moon chuckled.

"Do you really think that one Sylph can distract me? I am a seraph; a god!" An arrow quickly went straight to Nightmare Moon, though she waved her sword and deflected it.

"Last mistake," was what she said before advancing fast to Rainbow Dash, before Applejack intervened, the sword biting into the wooden axe handle.

"Damn it Rainbow, why did you have to be so reckless!" Applejack almost scolded her, and struggled to hold the parry, until Rarity smashed the wrists of the seraph, disarming her.

"Twilight, you have to go now! Find the Elements!" Rarity shouted, before tossed aside by magic. Rainbow Dash unsheathed her dagger, and flew right into Nightmare Moon, tackling her. Her armor deflected the knife, and Nightmare Moon grabbed her by the throat.

"You're brave. Ever considered joining my ranks? You'll live,"

"No! Never!" Rainbow Dash choked out before Applejack swung at the seraph's head.

"Lets go!" Twilight shouted, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie right behind. The old castle was almost there. The stone ruins had a grand hall, with a sculpted stone structure on the centre, of five spheres fixed around a central sphere, a gem symbol inscribed on all the structures, except the central. All three of them brought down the orbiting structures, all five, and gathered them in a pile. Pinkie Pie tried to budge the central stone, but it didn't give.

"They must be the Elements," Fluttershy speculated. Twilight silently agreed, and sat down.

"Come on, Twilight! You can do it!" Pinkie Pie patted her back.

"I'll try something," she said, and her staff glowed softly.

A huge boom cracked behind them. They all turned around, and Nightmare Moon got the upper hand. The castle shook, and the central stone on the sculpture tipped over, and cracked on the tile floor. A purple light leaked through the cracks, and Twilight knew what to do.

"We need to break the stones!" Twilight ran to the debris, sifting through it, and uncovered a crown. A golden diadem, with a purple star as it's jewel on the centre.

"That's it! Fluttershy, fly to the bakery, to my room! There's something that looks like a handheld crossbow! Fetch it!"

She hesitantly nodded, and flew as fast as she can possibly go.

"We need to group all the Elements into one place!" Pinkie Pie continued, but the three that stayed behind to buy time, was thrown through the castle with magic. Rainbow Dash struggled to grab her bow, but her quiver was empty.

"Where's Fluttershy?!" Applejack quickly stood up, bruised.

"Yes, where is she?" Nightmare Moon advanced, her height adding to her intimidation. Rarity stood up, with bruises, and one half of a staff, with a splintered end. The threat grabbed the Elements with her magic, including Twilight's recent discovery, and set them beside her.

"Ah, yes, I hear her…"

Fluttershy dashed through the sky with surprising speed.

"Nice try," Nightmare Moon's voice swept the castle.

Lightning erupted from the skies, and swatted her out of the air, the Sylph smoking and crashing towards them, shocking all of them.

"Fluttershy, no!" Rainbow Dash shouted, while flying and tried to catch her, but two lightning bolts in quick succession shot her down screaming, Nightmare Moon detecting the archer to be a greater threat. Fluttershy's back was burnt, the smell of cinders, her skin burned black. She was still awake, but almost catatonic, and dropped her delivery mid-flight. Pinkie Pie's request lay twelve feet in front of them. Rainbow Dash was worse, her face burnt beyond recognition. Twilight quickly scrambled to her, Applejack pulling Fluttershy's body towards them. Twilight's hands glowed purple.

"Rainbow…" Fluttershy managed to whisper through the pain.

"I'm sorry," Twilight choked out, "but I can only keep Rainbow Dash alive, for maybe a few minutes.

"You just…hit both of them. You don't just do that, and get away with it! Especially with Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie yelled, almost hysterically, ready to sprint to the item Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy possibly sacrificed her life for. And Rarity wasn't going to let that go to waste.

"Pinkie Pie, close your eyes!" Rarity immediately created a blinding flash as a distraction, and Pinkie Pie, opening her eyes after the flash, seeing Nightmare Moon stunned by the light, dove for her contraption, an iron crossbow-like device, with the arrow replaced by a tube, that contained one projectile. A firework.

The glowing missile launched, and hit the stones, before exploding in a shower of green and red and yellow crackles.

The stones cracked, and light appeared from within, all with different colours.

"Get the Elements!" Twilight shouted, pointing at the remains of the stones. Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodded, and quickly scrambled to grab all of the gems, while Nightmare Moon was stunned, blown back several feet. They presented the artifacts to Twilight. Five of the gems were amulets, with one diadem.

"There's six. Now, the power must be split, in order to multiply it, so, everyone take one." Twilight explained, before quickly glancing at Nightmare Moon's body. She took a blue one, and placed it around Rainbow Dash's neck, and it glowed even brighter. The other four exchanged amulets, noticing that some reacted stronger with certain others. Twilight placed the diadem on her head.

"I think we're good now," Applejack said, and started to wear an orange gem amulet. Suddenly, they all glowed in unison, and beams of light from the amulets focused on Twilight's Element, giving her a sudden rush of power.

"The Elements, they're giving me…a lot of magic," Twilight gasped, and Rainbow Dash started to heal. Though I could've healed her quicker if I didn't prioritize the blast spell first when studying, Twilight grimly thought.

Nightmare Moon started to notice, and picked herself up, startling all of them. She advanced, sword ready. Twilight fired a blast of energy, and instead of a laser beam, her staff unleashed a chaotic torrent of purple plasma, filling the castle hall, engulfing everything with purple light.

"Did you do that, Twilight?!" Rarity spoke in admiration, feeling the magic radiating.

"I did that?!" Twilight was as shocked as her. And she was still holding back. Twilight breathed deeply, and stood up. She felt the magic go through her. Nightmare Moon stood up, and Twilight focused, closing her eyes. Nightmare Moon leaped at them, swinging her sword, but it hit a barrier Twilight unknowingly projected. She opened her eyes, glowing, and another beam projected from all of them, a symphony of colours and light hitting Nightmare Moon for the last time. Rainbow Dash awoke, all of them healed fully, while a shock wave of colors emanated from Twilight.

The power faltered, and the Elements didn't glow once the threat was gone. Gone was Nightmare Moon, in her place was a shorter seraph, with dark blue hair and robes, with a moon pendant. Her eyes were no longer snakelike, and were now softer. Rainbow Dash was confused.

"What happened? Who's she?"

"It's Princess Luna," Twilight whispered to them, and walked forward. The rest hesitated.

"Come on!" Twilight urged them, and went closer to her. Princess Luna glanced at them.

"…who are you?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and they're…" she looked back at them, thinking, "and, they're my friends," she decided to say, and after looking at their expressions, she knew she told the truth.

"I'm sorry for what I've done," Luna looked at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, "especially toward you two." Luna's sword flew to her hand, spinning, "And I will make things right." She pointed her sword at the moon, and the giant white rock moved to the horizon, and beams of light emerged, the sun basking it's glow.

A flaming meteor streaked towards the castle, impacting in front of them. The heat was enormous. Among the smoke, was a lone, winged figure, limping.

"…sister?"

"How can you, a treacherous excuse of a princess, be my sister?!" Celestia's voice boomed, frightening the six that were just watching.

"Princess Celestia?" Twilight got excited, but she quickly shut up. Celestia hobbled forward, her once beautiful robes cinders, her hair tips on fire, her skin pink from burns. And her eyes were no longer kind and wise. They were like a snake's, full of hatred.

"I'm sorry! For everything! I was angry back then, but I regret everything! Please, let me make it up to you," Luna pleaded, tears starting to gleam from her eyes.

"No! You blasted me to the sun after I tried to bring you back! Almost one thousand years, and yet, you tried to kill me! You blew your last chance!"

"W-what?" Luna quivered, and Celestia turned away. "Wait, just one secon-" She tried to salvage whatever was left of their relationship, but the rift grew, as Celestia quickly slapped her hand away.

'Don't touch me,"

Celestia then turned back, about to leave, but she noticed Twilight, and her eyes turned into round and soft ones, even if just for a moment. But her snake eyes returned, and fire reignited.

"The night, will no longer exist,"

"What?! That's not right! There has to be a balance!" Luna shouted at her, the other girls aghast.

"Balance?! I am the star, I heal, and nurture the land! You poison it! They were right to ignore the night! No one cares about you, or your pathetic moon!"

"I have to stop you. You're turning into whatever the hell I was before," Luna hesitated to point it to her. Not only was Celestia her sister she threatened at, but the seraph of the sun was weak, decrepit. Celestia stared down the edge of her sister's blade , and conjured a fiery whirlwind around her, and once the blaze died down, she was gone.

"Princess Luna? Are you okay?" Twilight slowly approached her.

"I'm fine," she said, "but, I need time alone," They obeyed, and went to the steps.

I'm unforgivable? Luna sniffed and cried into her arms, distraught. Twilight looked back, worried.

"The Princess needs time," Fluttershy said, and Twilight nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for all the help, everybody. You all weren't entitled to help me, but, you did."

"No problem, Twilight," Applejack took of her hat, and placed it to her chest, smiling.

"Yes, anything for you, dear. Even if my hair and clothes and…everything gets dirty," Rarity said, trying to brush dirt off.

"Besides, I doubt you stood chance without me…" Rainbow Dash stopped when they all smirked at her.

"…I mean, without all of us." She corrected herself.

"Well, yeah. Pinkie, what was that thing you shot at Nightmare Moon?"

"That was fireworks! You shoot it at the sky, and it explodes in colours and sparkles! When I tested it, I remember that I added too much black powder, so I added more sparkly stuff!"

"That can shatter stone, Pinkie! I think you need to make it less explosive," Twilight said

"Okay, Twilight. Hug?" Pinkie Pie suggested. They all grinned.

"Sure, Pinkie," Twilight laughed, and they all joined in, but Rainbow Dash was reluctant.

"C'mon, Rainbow," Applejack motioned, and she conceded.

"Fine," She joined in, spreading her arms.

"Yes!" Pinkie Pie squealed, and when they separated, Twilight looked to Ponyville.

"What happens now?"

"Do whatever we were doing. I mean, the militia's probably breaking up, and the sun's out. Back to normal," Applejack told the rest.

"But I doubt Princess Celestia would come back to rule. We need Princess Luna," Rarity said. Twilight nodded.

Fluttershy quietly approached the princess. "Princess Luna?" Fluttershy said softly. Luna slowly turned around.

"Yes?" Luna spoke, facing all of them. Her eyes were somewhat red.

"Are you still going to control the sun and moon?" Twilight asked.

"I don't think my sister would do it anymore, so, yes."

"Then you should take Princess Celestia's place,"

"I am not my sister. I can't replace her." Luna turned away.

"We're not asking you to be Princess Celestia. We just need a leader, someone to look up to."

Luna briefly considered it.

"…okay. I'll do my best."

Shifting Shadows

Hey, Twilie, how’s it going? Princess Celestia’s not back yet. The sun/moon thing seems to be solved, but I think you know that already. Anyway, things are fine.

    I heard Princess Luna returned to Canterlot, and now it seems that the militia plan isn’t needed anymore.

    It’s been a hectic couple of days for me, but still reply back to me!

    -Your brother, Shining Armor.

     Twilight smiled, and folded the letter. Things were back to normal. A week passed, with no interruptions.

     Though she and her friends doubted the peace would last. Princess Celestia is still in the wind.

     “I’m  going to nap,” Spike tiredly flopped to his bed, after helping Twilight study all night, looking into obscure myths, and prophecies that can possibly hint at Celestia’s breakdown.

    “Twilight!” Rarity quickly opened the door, making Spike jump.

    “Can you please stop making noi-oh hey, Rarity,” Spike first shouted before seeing her face.

    “Hey Spike! Anyway, Princess Luna just landed here. She wants all of us to come meet her.”

    “That won’t be necessary,” Luna walked in, followed by the rest of their friends. The time of peace has relaxed them, with Rainbow Dash changing from her armor to shirt and pants. Twilight and Spike quickly bowed.

    “Princess Luna, what do you need?” Twilight asked her, inferring from the seraph’s weathered look.

    “Where are the Elements?”

    “Right here,” Twilight opened a corner drawer, and pulled it completely out. In the hollowed out space inside that housed it, were the Elements of Harmony. She took all of them, and held it out.

    “All of you put them on. Try to move the sun.” Luna instructed. They put them on and went outside, all confused.

    Twilight put on the diadem, and the amulets quickly glowed around their necks.

    “Okay, nice and easy,” The fairy tried to calm herself and imagined a grip on the bright star. The star didn’t move. Luna studied them.

    “H-how fast?” Twilight said awkwardly.

    “Can you move it fairly easily?” Luna said.

    “If I focus…” Twilight squinted from the light, and started to drag it along the sky, almost dancing.

    “Whoa, you can do that?!” Applejack, and the rest of them stared at the blue sky.

    “That’s what I thought. You can stop it now.” Luna waved her hand, putting the sun back to it’s original position.

    “What do you mean?” Fluttershy looked at Luna, and, after getting a closer look, realized the problem. Luna’s hair was always shimmering and waving, the sign that she is using magic, even unconsciously. But her eyes were starting to drain itself of its colour.

    “Every passing minute, it‘s getting harder to move the sun. Of course, you six can move it; you’re using the Elements of Harmony. But normally it’s easy for me. Sure, I never done it, but, I got used to it. Now, it’s like someone else is interfering.”

    “Do you think it’s Princess Celestia?”

    “Maybe. My sister was always stronger than me. I was thinking, maybe she calmed down. My sister never holds a grudge…”  

    Luna almost collapsed, and her magic sparks stopped appearing. They rushed to her aid, helping her up.

    “I can’t move the sun anymore,” she panted, sweating.

    “You don’t have to, Princess. We’ll take care of the sun and moon,” Fluttershy told her, her friends agreeing.

    “No, I remember thousands of years ago when fairies moved the sun and moon. They had to dedicate their whole lives to it. For me and Princess Celestia, it’s different. It’s an innate ability. Besides, something is clearly trying to move the sun and moon, and using the Elements of Harmony to move them won’t fix the problem,”

    “If a seraph’s magic is what we need, then all we have to do is go to Princess Cadence. Maybe she can help.” Twilight suggested.

    “Who’s Cadence?” Luna looked at the six with confusion.

    “A princess that used to be a Sylph, who was turned into a seraph by your sister, I think. You were banished still around that time.”

    “I guess my sister found new abilities. Where is she?”

    “The Crystal Empire. It reemerged a couple weeks ago, and there’s something evil on it’s borders, apparently. That’s all I heard.”

    “Okay. Do you all have responsibilities here?” Luna went for the door. All of them shook their heads.

    “Apples don’t grow instantly. Why, princess?” Applejack asked her.

    “I would like it if you all came with me. You managed retrieve the Elements of Harmony. You’re more than able to help me.”

    “Sure, Princess Luna! I’ll pack more explosives so we don’t need Fluttershy to fetch it this time!”

    “…whatever you need to do, Pinkie Pie. Also, again, really sorry to both of you.” Luna patted both Sylphs’ shoulders.

    “Let’s just go!” Rainbow Dash smiled.

    “Spike! Come on!”

    “It’s going to be a while until we reach the Crystal Empire.” Twilight said to all of them, before sitting down. The weather gradually got colder, and snow was on the distance.

    “Is the Crystal Empire actually made of crystal? If it is, I can’t wait! It’s going to be so beautiful!” Rarity daydreamed, looking out the train window for any sign of crystal.

    “You mentioned that there’s something evil around the empire, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

    “Yeah, but I’m not sure what it is exactly. It’s only things I heard when I was in Canterlot. My brother’s in the Royal Guard, but even he won’t get specific on what’s happening there.”

    “Twilight’s right. I had to convince the driver of this...machine,” Luna said, who never seen a train before, “to let me take you all there.”

    “There’s a lot of Royal Guards here,” Fluttershy looked at the window to the next cabin, seeing metal armor. “and I overheard them mention a king.”

    “Yes, I suspected. It must be King Sombra.” Luna told them, “King Sombra was a fairy a long time ago, who ruled the Crystal Empire . He was a despot, and me and my sister stopped him, before I turned into Nightmare Moon-what?!” The cabin suddenly rocked back and forth, as a swarm of reindeer ran outside, along with huge flocks of eagles, almost blotting out the sun.

    “What’s happening?” Spike said, and looked outside, and the swarms smashed into the train, a side effect of massive stampedes. Luna started to open the emergency exit door.

    “Wait here,” she warned, before flying out.

    They went to the windows, and Luna’s wings flapped gracefully, before she delivered a powerful magical shockwave. Snow erupted around her, and succeeded in scaring some animals, but also threatened to derail the train. Applejack stood up.

    “Princess Luna’s way won’t work. Fluttershy, how similar are reindeers and bulls in terms of behaviour?” She said, securing her jacket and hat.

    “I dunno, I-are you planning to herd them?!”

    “How hard can it be?” Applejack grinned, strapped a hatchet and a lasso to her belt, and started to lift herself up to the top of the train.

    “I’m helping then. Fluttershy, c’mon!” Rainbow Dash shouted, excited, and leaped out the exit. The other Sylph hesitated to come near the exit.

    “I don’t know…” She eyed the ground, blurry and fast.

    “Fluttershy, I think they need you. You are good with animals,” Rarity tried to comfort her, but she shook her head.

    Applejack held on to her hat, as she started to run to the front. The leader of the stampede was somewhere in front of the train. The train rocked again, tossing her off balance. Applejack felt her feet slip, but arms behind her held her up.

    “What are you planning to do?” Rainbow Dash shouted through the roaring icy wind, guiding her to her feet.

    “I have to get to the front of the train!”

    “Alright, I’ll fly you there, just hold on!” Rainbow Dash grabbed her arms, and lifted her, if only a few inches. She put her wings to the test as she tried desperately to lift her.

    “Rainbow, come on!”

    “You’re heavy!” Rainbow Dash complained through gritted teeth. Princess Luna flew next to her, gesturing.

    Applejack suddenly felt her legs lift off the ground.

    “To the front, Rainbow Dash?” Luna’s voice came from on top of Applejack’s head, her arms easily carrying her. Rainbow Dash flew alongside.

    “Yes!”

    Luna set Applejack down, and she quickly grabbed her lasso, spinning it over her head. There was a reindeer right next the front of the train, and she quickly grabbed it with the rope, before pulling back steadily, tilting it’s head to the right. Warm steam hit her face as she held on.

    But it resisted, tugging against the rope. Applejack was almost pulled off the top of the train, but she let go.

    “What’s the problem?!” Rainbow Dash landed next to her.

    “It didn’t work!”

    “It didn’t work?!” Twilight screamed over the noise, barely hearing the conversation through an open window. She and Rarity moved to the front of the train, desperate to help.

    “Slow the train down!” Rarity said to the train operator, and he pulled a lever, braking.

    The train kept braking, an awful screech coming from the wheels. Applejack climbed back into the cabins, exhausted.

    The herds and flocks went faster than the train, outrunning it, the stragglers at the front tip. The driver released the brake, and the machine proceeded in a pace that wouldn‘t catch up to the stampede.

    “I don’t understand. The reindeer resisted? I did this stuff for years!” Applejack panted, disappointed at herself.

    “Don’t be too harsh in yourself, Applejack. You did your best.” Fluttershy comforted her. She smiled, and wiped the sweat from her brow.

    “I guess so.” Applejack muttered, and looked out the window. A blizzard started to approach.

    The train started to stop, in a station almost buried in ice.

    “Put these on,” Rarity handed out thick coats, “ good thing I packed them.” She handed Spike one.

    “I don’t need one, Rarity. I can handle the cold,” he tried to brag. She chuckled.

    “Oh, don’t be so silly, Spike.”

    “Thanks, Rarity,” Twilight thanked her, before putting her hood over, opening the doors. More than a dozen Royal Guards poured out,  and one lone figure stood waiting, with a coat, hood, and snow goggles concealing his face.

    “Come with me!” He said, Twilight recognizing the voice, though she doubted it was a good time to say anything about it. The person saw Princess Luna through the blizzard. “Your Highness!” he immediately bowed.

    “Explain on the way what’s happening!” Luna responded, and he quickly nodded.

    “Follow me!”

The snow crunched as the the group moved forward, the guide facing Luna.

    “King Sombra has returned, though we’re able to keep him out for the time being,”

    “The Crystal Heart? You found it?”

    “Yes, Princess Luna. But Sombra is still around. We’re just trying to take precautions if the Crystal Heart was no longer in our hands.”

    “Fair enough. Wait, what is that?” Luna pointed to a black fog in front of them.

    “It wasn’t there before,” he said, and they froze. The fog started to condense. Luna consciously thought about her bag. It contained the Elements of Harmony.

    Eyes appeared in the fog, and Luna unsheathed her sword just in time, as a person in armor leapt from the shadows, a massive battle axe swing aimed at Luna. She put up a blue force field, but he pierced it with the axe, forcing her to dodge the swing, and the unknown assailant landed in front of her.

     The black fog subsided, and a magical blue shield was revealed.

    “Go, now!” Luna shouted, and the axe returned to his hand.

    Her opponent had grey armor, and green eyes with purple fog emitting from it’s sockets. The axe seemed to be black crystal, and was far bigger than Applejack’s tools, made for combat.

    “Princess Luna. It’s been a while. Where’s your sister?” he spoke, with a deep voice, breathing the same black fog.

    “That’s irrelevant.”

    “Of course. Now, give me the bag.”

    “Why should I? It’s nothing important,” Luna bluffed, but Sombra laughed.

    “Don’t be silly, Princess. I can feel the magic. It’s a good thing that it’s not the other way around.”

    “Oh?”

    “You sister can use the Elements by herself. But it’s only you now. And you can’t use the Elements by yourself, can you?” King Sombra taunted, the seraph infuriated.

    “I can, and will defeat you!” Luna wildly swung at him, and he easily dodged it, and with surprising speed, cut her wrist with his axe. Once she dropped the blade, he immediately brought the heavy axe head down to her blade, shattering it.

    “You fail to understand, that you’re weaker than your sister,” King Sombra growled, smoke surrounding him.

    Luna felt doubt building inside her, before spreading her wings, and flew as fast as she can over him. King Sombra shifted into fog, and covered the magical barrier. Luna was unfazed, and dashed towards the fog as fast as she can, closing her eyes, bracing for impact.

    Evil thoughts crawled into her head, and Luna felt herself fill with jealousy, at her sister, feelings that she experienced recently, sensing a darkness coat her mind...

    “Princess Luna!” Twilight shook her awake. She gasped, looking around wildly, driving Sombra’s magic away. Grassy fields were around her, and a city of crystal was in the distance, gleaming.

    “What happened?”

    “You crashed, and your eyes were green with this smoke, and you were thrashing around, and screamed out some…things,” Rainbow Dash tried to explain, pointing to the crumpled grass behind her.

    “Is this the Crystal Empire?” Luna said, starting to focus at the situation at hand. Twilight shrugged, before looking at the city in the distance.

    “Yes, Princess. It should be-“ the guide saw Twilight pull her hood back, and immediately recognized her face, “Twilie?!”

      “Hey, Shining Armor.” Twilight said awkwardly. Her brother had a worried look, his eyes quickly glancing at her companions, then faced the troops, casting a spell, that quickly bathed them in a purple glow.

    “Untouched. Get to the big white tower in the centre. Now,” he faced the six from Ponyville, casting the same spell. “Twilight, what are you doing here? Better yet, what are all of you doing here? This place is dangerous!”

    “It doesn’t seem dangerous!” Pinkie Pie shouted, her arms and legs spread, and looked at the city, “This place is amazing!”

    “They’re with me. They’re the wielders of the Elements of Harmony.” Luna explained, and promptly shut him up .

    “Oh. Well, alright then, let’s go.” Shining Armor gestured, before he went forward to the city.

    “What did you do to us? Back there?” Twilight asked him.

    “I checked for any foreign magic inside all of you,” he responded, “King Sombra can influence people through his magic.”

    He lead them through the streets of opaque glass, as people with crystal skin walked around, going about normal life, seemingly oblivious to the outside danger.

    The exact opposite of Ponyville last time, Twilight thought.

    “How did they get that skin?! I would die for that!” Rarity swooned over the locals, before Applejack nudged her.

    “Rarity, focus!”

    The white tower was near. The tower had a four-way arch on the lowest level, and in the centre, was a rotating crystal shaped like a heart. The Royal Guard troops were standing, as if expecting something.

    “Can you feel the magic? It’s just radiating…” Twilight whispered, coming closer to touch it. A guard moved  his spear in front of her, snapping her out of her dreamlike state.

    “Princess Cadence,” A guard announced, and from one of the doors leading up to the tower rooms, a seraph with hair coloured with yellow, pink and purple, walked out briskly, her pink robes flowing as she walked. Twilight gasped, excited.

    “Everyone in the Royal Guard goes inside. On the tenth floor, there rooms and beds. Set up there.” Cadence ordered, before smiling and hugging Shining Armor tightly, before he proceeded with the rest.

    “Huh. Princess must be really good friends with my brother,” Twilight muttered, and Rarity chuckled.

    “Darling, I doubt that was just a friendly hug,” Rarity gently teased, Applejack and Rainbow Dash snickering. Twilight looked at them, confused.

    “Rarity, what are you saying? That my brother has a relationship with her?” Twilight blushed at the thought. Rarity just smirked in response.

    “Princess Cadence?” Luna asked politely. Cadence quickly bowed, Luna’s presence surprising her.

    “I’m sorry Princess Luna. It’s just been a long day.” Cadence tried to apologize, but Luna simply nodded.

    “It’s alright. I just need your help. I can’t move the sun anymore. I wonder if you can help.”

    “I can’t move the sun and moon! Do you know where Princess Celestia is? She can probably help you a lot more than I ever could.” Cadence told her , but was met with uneasy glances.

    “I don’t know where she went. Just try, please.”

    “Okay,” she replied, and they both went outside. Princess Cadence tried to hold the sun with her magic, as did Luna.

    “Princess Luna, I can’t move it!” Cadence told her , and Luna shook her head.

    “Imagine the sun, is a quill. It’s not complicated. It’s just grabbing objects with magic.” She replied, encouraging her. Twilight walked closer, as Princess Cadence focused her magic.

They all saw the sun move a little, before they felt something powerful try to push their influence out. Luna resisted the influence, and they both took control once more.

    “What was that?!” Cadence exhaled in surprise, looking at all of them. Applejack decided to answer.

    “Honestly, Princess, we’re not sure.”

    The hordes of reindeer and eagles arrived in front of the magic shield. The lead reindeer transformed, into a woman in dark robes, green hair, with a staff of black wood. She started to approach the shield. But smoke blocked her way, and King Sombra was among the fog.

     “Who are you?” He said, readying his massive axe. The woman disregarded him, and touched the shield, phasing through it.

    “Oh. You can take the shield down?” King Sombra asked politely.

    “Yes. Me and my Changelings simply devour this stuff. Now, if you can just stand out of the way,” Queen Chrysalis raised a hand, and all of the deer and eagles shape-shifted, turning into a black humanoid creature with wings and eyes of insects. They started to fly towards the shield, ready to devour it.

    “Wait. There are powerful forces inside the shield.”

    “We can blend with the populace. They won’t notice.”

    “I know of your species’ abilities. But they will. They carefully watch any citizen, to make sure they are not touched by my magic. They can see through disguise, I’m sure,” Sombra warned her, “Alternatively, if you were to attack blindly, forces inside will kill many of your…Changelings,” he said uncertainly. He only read about the creatures.

    “But you can defeat those…forces?” The queen responded, and ordered her brethren to stay back.

    “Why do you think this shield exists? They fear me. I suggest an alliance. Sneak a Changeling inside, and steal relics, the Crystal Heart, and the Elements of Harmony. I assume you can absorb the power within?”

    Chrysalis eyed him suspiciously.

    “Yes, but, you obviously don’t rule this land. Before I consider your offer, I need to test you.” She pointed her staff towards him, and hundreds of Changelings charged, and Sombra readied his axe, his eyes glowing, before slashing through multiple waves of the creatures, spilling blood on the snow, scything through them. The Changelings did not relent, and so did he, barely getting touched, the whirling axe decapitating ten at a time.

    “Okay, stop!” Chrysalis shouted, after seeing him kill more than a hundred in less than a minute, “Fine, I’ll listen.”

    Sombra nodded, and trudged through the blood-soaked snow, corpses bleeding around him.

    “This is where we’re sleeping, apparently.” Twilight said, opening the door. It was a suite of rooms, one single living room with several bedrooms, with a floor of crystal, originally built for visiting diplomats, and their guards.

    “There’s only like, four bedrooms,” Rainbow Dash complained, looking around.

    “Space is tight, Rainbow. This ain’t a hotel,” Applejack remarked, and Rainbow Dash playfully pushed her.

    “Then I call dibs!”

    “Hey!”

    “I’ll give my room up.” Rarity immediately told them, and sat on a sofa.  

    “So would I!” Spike also said, earning a smile from his crush.

Rainbow Dash took advantage, and Applejack started to lecture her on respect. Pinkie Pie rambled on about crystals, and Fluttershy just quietly sat down. Only Twilight noticed Princess Cadence walk in, now sparkling with magic.

    “Twilight! I’m sorry that I didn’t say hello when you first came here.” She hugged her, and looked around.

    “It’s okay. Princess Luna seemed very serious.”

    “Are these your friends?”

    “Yes, they’re a little weird.”

    “I don’t find them weird. They seem lovely.” Cadence said , and Twilight smiled even brighter, “Why are you all here by the way?”

    “We wield the Elements of Harmony. So, Luna wanted us to come with her.” She explained, pointing to a bag they brought, and the princess nodded.

    “It’s been so long since I babysat you. First, you were just a child, now, you’re this fairy that can use an Element of Harmony! I can’t help but be proud!” Cadence suddenly hugged her, overjoyed.

    “But that’s not why I’m here.” Cadence said, separating, and getting a bit serious. Now, everyone saw her, and started to listen .

    “Princess Luna seems very...moody. I can’t describe it. I think it has to do with Princess Celestia.”

    “Well, it does. I think, we should tell you what happened,” Applejack replied, her friends nodding in agreement.  Twilight started off.

    “It all began when we came together, and wanted to get rid of the night in Ponyville. We were going to raise the sun and moon by ourselves, with the Elements of Harmony. Crops were rotting, animals were starving, so we went to this old castle. Nightmare Moon appeared again, and we had to get to those Elements. With the Elements, we were able to turn her back to Princess Luna. Princess Luna was really sorry for everything she did, and raised the sun again. But Princess Celestia came, and looked like she battled Nightmare Moon and lost, but I’m not sure. Princess Celestia hated Princess Luna, and wanted the sun to last forever-“

    “Wait, seriously?! Princess Celestia said that?!” Cadence reacted instantly, aghast. They all nodded sadly. Cadence thought about it. The idea of Princess Celestia, their ruler and protector, saying such a thing is ridiculous.

    “We were there, Princess.” Fluttershy added. In that moment, a guard appeared through the doorway.

    “Princess Cadence! The Crystal Heart has been stolen!”

    “We have to go!” Cadence shouted, and they all ran out. The guard watched them leave, and went into the room, grabbing the Elements of Harmony before inconspicuously shapeshifting into a Sylph, flying away.

    Rainbow Dash looked through a window, and saw guards trying to chase a Crystal man running from them, with a glowing crystal heart in his hands. Rainbow Dash backed up, before diving through the glass, taking flight.

    “What?! Rainbow Dash?!” Applejack shouted.

    The Sylph dashed towards the man, and he suddenly threw it to another, who took off running. Rainbow Dash grunted as she switched targets. But three other Crystal men transformed into a black creature with insect wings , and blue eyes. Rainbow Dash stopped, as they took off towards her, with arms shifting into blades.

    Rainbow Dash saw the thief run towards the boundaries, as the Changelings advanced on her, until Princess Luna flew past her, and slashed all of them in quick succession, with a sword of crystal.

    “Go!” Luna shouted, and she agreed, taking off. The thief was closer to the border, and Rainbow Dash flew downward, gravity aiding her.

    “Come on!” She strained herself, and a cone of air appeared around her. The thief went through the shield, and Rainbow Dash followed, going through and landing. The Changeling gave the Crystal Heart to Queen Chrysalis, and she absorbed all the power from it, purging it if it’s glow. Hordes of Changelings surrounded her, and King Sombra turned into shadows. Princess Luna landed next to her, and noticed Rainbow Dash about to pounce at the Queen, in an effort to take the Crystal Heart.

     “No!” She shouted, grabbing her, and flew back inside the shield. Rainbow Dash felt the warm grass.

    “What?! Princess, why did you stop me?!”

    “You saw, didn’t you? That…woman sucked all the magic out! Without it, it’s just a rock!”

    The shield flickered, and fell, before another one, made of pink energy, took it’s place.

    “We have to get back!”

    Princess Cadence went into the throne room, seeing the magical barrier holding King Sombra at bay, fall. She relinquished her grip on the sun, and planted her staff to the ground, forming another magical shield.

    “Princess Cadence?” Twilight approached her , all her friends except Rainbow Dasg behind her.

    “All of you, get Shining Armor, tell him to ready the Royal Guard!”

    Luna landed at the balcony, followed by Rainbow Dash, running into the room.

    “All of you, get the Elements of Harmony! I’ll get to the Royal Guard!”

    “Rainbow, come on!” Twilight ran towards the stairs.

    Luna panted, composing herself.

    “Sister, what would you do?” She muttered to herself, before facing Cadence.

    “How long can you project the shield?”

    “Not long, Princess Luna,” she responded, her face already gaunt, struggling.

    “I wish I can help,” Luna apologized, the prospect of leaving someone to do an important task alone, haunting her, “but Sombra can penetrate my magic easily.”

    “Luna, just try your best.”

    “Princess! The Elements are missing!” Rainbow Dash shouted across the hall, followed by Shining Armor.

    “What?!” Luna’s eyes glowed in anger, and a shockwave boomed around her, before collapsing, her anger dissipating.

    “What should I do? What now?” Luna whispered, lost.

    “Me and my friends are joining the guards instead, Princess!” Rainbow Dash added before flying to the ground.

    “I suggest you do the same, Princess.” Cadence encouraged. Shining Armor stayed behind.

    “I’ll help you, I know a shield spell-”

    “It’s pointless. Princess Luna says that Sombra can overpower her magic easily! What makes you think he cannot do the same to you?” Cadence replied bluntly, and he grunted, frustrated, but calm.

    “What am I supposed to do then?”

    “Lead the guards you command,”

    In the armoury, Applejack grabbed a two-headed axe, testing its weight. The head was made of a pink crystal and was sharpened. Royal Guards grabbed weapons and donned armour, arming for battle.

    “I didn’t know I would be fighting like this. With guards.” She remarked, before holding it with her belt. Rainbow Dash looked around, and seized a bow and enchanted arrows of ice hung on the wall, as a display piece. She took the frame and broke it. There were only three of such arrows.

    “Gotta work with this, I guess,” she groaned. Twilight noticed Fluttershy standing clear, at a corner, scared about the chatter of a threat. All the two dozen guards fell silent, as her brother walked towards the mass of guards, dressed in the gold Royal Guard armour, a sword on his hip and a heater shield on his back.

    “Listen! We protect the tower! Get ready to defend the four doors at all costs!”

    The guards cheered, and went out, forming shield walls on the foot of the tower, putting on blue-plumed helmets. Luna flew outside, surveying the land.

    “Princess! I can’t hold it much longer!” Cadence shouted. Luna slowly unsheathed her crystal sword.

    “Okay, stop!” Luna responded back, and Cadence ceased her magic from flowing, fatigued. Swarms of Changelings advanced to the streets, and King Sombra’s magic infected the ground with black crystals.

    The Royal Guard will handle the insect things, Luna calmed her mind, time to do your part.

    She flew towards King Sombra, sword brandished high.

    Shining Armor put on a gold helmet with a blue plume, and slung his shield from his back. They stayed silent, until they heard a mob.

    “To the south!” Rainbow Dash warned them, seeing from the air.

    “Of the shapeshifters?!”

    “They’re citizens of the Crystal Empire!”

    “Clear the way!” Shining Armor ordered immediately.

    “Sir! Can’t those things turn into Crystal men?! They can get through the barrier!” A guard right next to him expressed, as the crowd went closer. Shining Armor paused, conflicted.

    “Please! I don’t want to see the nightmares! Don’t let the shadow catch us!” A random citizen cried out.

    Everyone faced him, waiting for his orders. Shining Armor saw the desperate crowds running, saw his sister . He knew what Sombra’s rule meant for them.

    “Let them through!”

    The Royal Guard stood aside, the citizens rushing past, and went to the doors, pouring into the halls. In the distance, Luna’s blue magic flashed intensely, with her skirmish with Sombra. The Changeling horde charged, and the Royal Guard resumed formation. Rainbow Dash nocked an arrow on her ice-bow. Pinkie Pie then had a burst of genius.

    “Dashie! Aim at a cloud!”

    The Sylph shrugged and obeyed, firing. The ice arrow entered the cloud, and suddenly turned into a huge chunk of ice. Twilight saw the opportunity, and guided it towards the Changelings.

    “Pinkie Pie, how would you know it would do that?!” Rainbow Dash was amazed, seeing the ice-cloud smash into the Changelings.

    “Well, clouds are pretty much water! And who would make ice arrows without being enchanted. Seriously?!” Pinkie Pie kept talking, faster and faster, before Applejack nudged her.

    “Here they come!” Applejack shouted, and swung her axe in a giant arc, before Pinkie Pie launched an explosive, whistling towards the horde.

    Fluttershy and Spike watched the Crystal people enter the halls, most of them tired and crying.

    “Oh no. They’re so miserable…”

    “Well, of course they are. King Sombra sounds really evil.” Spike replied. Some stood up, their arms transforming into blades, alerting Fluttershy. The Changelings started to advance towards the citizens, screams piercing the air.

    “No! Stop!” Fluttershy quickly reacted, placing herself between the citizens and the Changelings. She looked at Spike and glanced at the door. Spike quickly went outside, to warn.

    “Get out of the way, Sylph!” A Changeling threatened, pointing it’s blade arm at her. Fluttershy stepped backwards in fear, but she knew that she had to protect them.

    “Why would you attack these people?! They‘re helpless!”

    “They stand in the way to the other seraph!”

    “They do not! They are simply scared. They’re not carrying weapons, they don’t block the path! And you want to kill them?!” Fluttershy started to shout, almost infuriated. The Changeling lowered his arm, and faced back.

    “You’re right,”

    They are not simply monsters, Fluttershy realized, but the many other Changelings growled.

    “You are a traitor to Queen Chrysalis!” One yelled, and many others joined in slashing the one remorseful Changeling apart, blood splattering against their bodies, until the corpse was just beyond recognition.

    Twilight burst through the door, starting to blast the Changelings with magic from her staff, but the creatures flew up to the royal throne room.

    “Fluttershy, are you okay?!” Twilight went next to her, though the girl brushed her away, and knelt next to the corpse, before starting to vomit. The fairy then tried to comfort her.

    “Fluttershy, we’ll get them. We’ll get those…things.”

    “No! This used to be one of them! They were going to kill the Crystal people, so I tried to reason with them. He was the only one to listen. But the others of his kind killed him, because he betrayed their queen, or something like that,” Fluttershy explained.

    The rest of the Royal Guard streamed inside, trying to hold the Changelings off using the four doorways. Applejack and Rarity were wounded, but fighting, Rainbow Dash stabbing with a dagger. Pinkie Pie, her fireworks supply exhausted, started to take furniture and barricade the windows. Other Changelings entered the castle, and Shining Armor went to the stairs.

    “Everyone, try to hold them off! I’m going to guard Princess Cadence!”

    “Wait, brother!” Twilight grabbed his shoulder. His armour was scratched and dented, and his blade had a sheen of red.

    “Twilight, not now!”

    “They snuck in! You can’t take them all alone!”

    “Damn it! I swear, I will get to Princess Cadence, whether there’s a thousand or a million of those bastards on my way!” He declared, straining his throat, sweating and red.

    “What?! Shining Armor, you’re never like this! I know Princess Cadence is very important to all of us, but, this isn’t you.”

    He started to calm down, and faced her sister again, somewhat collected.

    “I’m engaged to her, Twilie. I have to protect her. No matter what.”

    Twilight covered her mouth in surprise.

    “I can’t let you go. Not alone, anyway. Girls!” Twilight shouted out, and her friends followed. Pinkie Pie grabbed a vase, as a weapon.

    “Let’s go!”

    Cadence saw the Changelings come to the throne room by the stairs. She grabbed her staff, and blasted a beam of pink light to the creatures, disintegrating several. Anyone that would get close, would be smashed with her staff.

    Luna crashed through the windows, and sharp black crystals were fired towards her, all which she deflected with her blade. She stood up, weary, and Sombra collided with her, smashing his axe against her sword, disarming her. He sprayed smoke to her head, filling it with nightmares, her eyes green.

     “No!” Cadence fired a beam charged with love, and Sombra dodged it, before advancing toward her with shadows. In response, she put up a shield, impenetrable to his attacks.

    “It’s over, King Sombra! You cannot harm me!” Cadence shouted aggressively, but he laughed.

    “No, but she can.”

    Queen Chrysalis landed at the balcony. Cadence fired another beam, but she touched the magic, and drained it, savouring it.

    “So you’re the seraph who radiates the love?” Chrysalis walked casually towards her, touching her shield. Shining Armor and Twilight’s friends slaughtered all the Changelings on the stairs to the throne room.

    “Cadence!” Shining Armor ran to her, but King Sombra projected an impenetrable magical barrier. Cadence groaned, feeling her magic leave her body, before the Changeling grabbed her head, and stole her last reserves of magic, all while her fiancé pounded at the barrier, desperate. Chrysalis let go, and Cadence fell, her irises grey.

     “I didn’t know they actually had a relationship. I was just making a joke,” Rarity muttered, wiping a tear away.

    “Princess Luna! Please, wake up!” Twilight shouted, and the rest of them joined her. But the princess only screamed and cried, due to her nightmares.

    The blizzard was in full storm around the tower. But it wouldn’t last. The sunlight penetrated, a great blaze circling around it. Princess Celestia crashed through the ceiling, rejuvenated, with her hair waving, coloured like rainbows, with the tips in embers, her eyes round and soft, that quickly hardened once she saw her enemies. She had a gold spear, the head starting to glow red-hot.

    She quickly thrusted her blade at Chrysalis, who responded with her shapeshifting pole, that transformed between a mace and a pike, whichever was best suited to the situation.

    “Queen of the Changelings! Leave!” Celestia’s voice shook the room, and her staff quickly glowed red-hot. King Sombra joined in the fight, and she had to deal with two attackers. The magical barrier fell as Sombra had to focus on his skirmish. Shining Armor quickly sprang at the opportunity.

     “Get to Princess Luna!” He said, while tending to Cadence, kneeling and hugging her weak body. She managed a smile, and caressed his face. Her hand was cold, almost icy.

    “Cadence?! Stay awake, please!” He pleaded, and she simply chuckled, her face pale and gaunt.

    “I’m already feeling better,”

    Shining Armor thought of potential solutions, anything to heal her.

    “One of you, whoever’s the fastest, get the Crystal Heart!” He shouted at the six. Rainbow Dash nodded.

    “That’s pretty much my specialty,” She remarked, before sprinting toward the balcony. But they all suspected Shining Armor’s request, of just being blind hope.

    “Princess, wake up!” Applejack shouted, but Luna still whispered and shook. Rarity sighed.

    “If only she can shut the nightmares out,”

    “I think she can, Rarity. I read a book somewhere, that Princess Luna can control dreams. I mean, she did shut them out once, right?” Twilight replied, with another question.

    “Yeah, back when she crashed through the shield, so maybe she just needs help!” Applejack to her friends, glancing at Luna’s smoky eyes.

    “Maybe you can go into her nightmare?” Fluttershy spoke up, “Help her out?”

    “If such a spell exists, it’s probably at the library in Canterlot,”

    Changelings charged up the stairs, blood-stained. They rushed to help Queen Chrysalis, but stopped, like they were given mental commands, before charging at the people beside Luna.

    “Where’s the Royal Guard when we need them?!” Rarity complained, as Twilight joined her friends on the battle, and disintegrated foes left and right. Fluttershy crawled closer to Luna.

    “Princess Luna, if you can somehow hear me, then, we need you to wake up,” She said softly and Luna’s eyes focused on Fluttershy’s, for a brief moment before another attack to the mind forced her to close them tightly.

    “Fluttershy, keep trying!” Applejack shouted, breaking a Changeling’s jaw with the axe butt.

    “Princess Luna, it’s very, very important for you to wake up!” Fluttershy tried again, saying it slightly louder.

    “Ah, damn it!” Rarity muttered, her arm cut along its length, before she bashed the Changeling that caused it in the skull.

    “Please wake up! You said you would try your best to be like your sister!” Fluttershy shook Luna’s body, pleading, seeing Celestia knocked down by Sombra and Chrysalis, Shining Armor slashing at Changelings leaping towards Cadence. Luna blinked, the smoke dissipating as she gasped, and scrambled to her feet, grabbing her sword before conjuring a massive shock wave around her, blowing the Changelings away, but not touching the six people around her.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Luna quickly said, before facing them. Celestia was held down by Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra’s smoke flowing into her mind.

    “No!” Luna shouted, dashing towards them.

    “I reckon you did a good job, Fluttershy,” Applejack helped her up, “but what are we going to do now?”

    Rainbow Dash landed on the balcony, and ran towards Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, a faded Crystal Heart on her arms.

    “Let’s help Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie declared, sprinting towards her, her friends following.

    “Let’s get this to Shining and Cadence!” Rainbow Dash shouted, before quickly recovering and flew towards them. Sombra noticed and kicked Luna away, before hastily launching a black crystal before Luna dashed at him. The crystal scratched her wing, taking her down, Rainbow Dash groaning as she hit the glassy floor. Fluttershy quickly knelt beside her.

    “Rainbow, are you okay?!” Fluttershy panicked, and Rainbow Dash just grinned.

    “Relax, it’s just a scratch! But, it hurts,” She chuckled through the pain, before her expression became more urgent, “Take the Crystal Heart, Fluttershy! Get it to them!”

    Fluttershy’s cheeks reddened, and she stuttered. Rarity noticed.

    “If you don’t want to do it, I’ll take the Crystal Heart,” she said, and Fluttershy quickly nodded, as she grabbed it. Rarity looked at all of them, and saw Spike running towards them.

    “Let’s do this.”

    “Right behind you, Rarity!” Spike hastily caught up.

    Fluttershy stayed, tending to Rainbow Dash’s wing, while the rest of them took off, toward Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. King Sombra started to shoot black crystals at Rarity, still preoccupied with fighting Princess Luna. Rarity dodged one, and narrowly dodged another, losing her balance. She threw the relic towards Pinkie Pie, desperately trying not to lose momentum. Pinkie Pie caught it easily, laughing.

    “This is like the times in the rock farm!” She laughed, and started to zigzag around sudden crystal barriers, almost predicting where and when they rise, until Pinkie Pie was forced to pass it to Applejack, after the crystals started surrounding her. Applejack caught the Crystal Heart smoothly.

    Sombra grunted, and formed crystals around their goal, sealing them in. Applejack quickly ran around the tent-like crystal formation, trying to find a gap. Twilight stopped in front of it, breathing deeply. Applejack tried to hack it with her axe, but the crystals were like steel.

    “Get ready, Applejack!” Twilight shouted, and Applejack obeyed, though had no idea what to expect.

    The crystals started to shift, making a small opening. Twilight struggled to hold it, to fight against King Sombra’s magic, and Applejack started to try and throw it through the gap, before another crystal erected in front of her, razor sharp, and would’ve impaled her, but Applejack dodged it, losing her balance and vainly throwing the Crystal Heart into the hole. Twilight struggled to hold down the crystals, the spires gradually rising, watching the Crystal Heart bounce off glassy black rock.

    It seemed to be over, until Spike caught the deflected relic and threw it in, before Twilight yielded to Sombra’s tremendous magical strength. Applejack slowly stood up, and grinned at Spike.

    “I can’t believe you did that,”

    “I don’t just sit around, Applejack!”

    Spike was cut off, once another shock wave shook the room, Luna forming a blue transparent shield around her sister. Chrysalis started to chip away at it, and Sombra focused his shadowy magic.

    Luna offered a hand to her fallen sister.

    But Celestia just picked herself up, and grabbed her spear.

    “Sister,” she spoke bitterly, refusing to look at her.

    “You’re still angry at me?” Luna asked softly, and Celestia just sighed.

    “I just need time to think,”

Luna’s magic shield shattered, and they both charged. Sombra quickly turned into his shadow form, smoke flying towards them. Both seraphim projected magic to the tips to their weapons, orbs of plasma turned into a beam against the shadow. Chrysalis dashed towards Luna, and lunged, forcing her to cancel her beam spell, and parry, while Sombra’s magic collided with Celestia’s spell, in a clash of yellow and black.

    Shining Armor noticed the Crystal Heart, and quickly grabbed it, before Cadence weakly hugged it.

    “I can still feel some magic inside,” she whispered, and Shining Armor just looked into her now-grey eyes.

    “Does it help? The Crystal Heart?” He asked her, blindly hoping.

    “We never get a lot of time with each other, come to think of it. I didn’t say I love you for a long time,” Cadence grinned, watching him blush.

    “Stop changing the subject!”

    “I love you,” she told him, watching him start to cry.

    “I love you too,” He responded, before their lips met, Cadence embracing him tightly.

     The Crystal Heart glowed, warming them both.

    Princess Cadence separated, feeling her magic return, her strength renewed. She fired pink light into the Crystal Heart, rejuvenating it.

    Chrysalis blasted Luna away with a powerful burst of green magic, before helping King Sombra overpower Celestia.

    “Sister, no!” Luna desperately flew towards her, but it was too late. Sombra crawled into her mind, leaving Celestia lying on the tiles, her eyes the same as Sombra’s.

    The crystal prison burst, and Princess Cadence quickly faced King Sombra, firing a beam of magenta. Queen Chrysalis projected a shield in front of him, her magic blocking it.

    Luna flew to Cadence’s side.

    “Should I banish them?” Cadence asked Luna, waiting for her command, the Crystal Heart ready to project another shield of magic.

     “Not yet. I have no idea what they have done to Celestia.”

    The fight ceased, both sides staring at each other. Cadence’s staff flew to her hand. Celestia lay on the stairs to the throne, in the same nightmarish state Sombra left Luna in.

    “What did you do to my sister?!” Luna shouted, eyes glowing with magic.

     “I’m encouraging her,” Sombra simply answered, “encouraging her to follow her own ideals.”

    Princess Celestia turned towards Princess Luna, her eyes reptilian. Her hair ignited, and heat radiated from her body, a shimmering wave around her.

    “Not again, I thought she recovered.” Twilight said softly, her friends nodding in agreement. Celestia grabbed her weapon, and turned into a stream of fire, that flew above Luna, until it shifted back to Celestia, swinging her blade from above. Luna parried her strikes, losing ground to her.

    “Sister, please! I don’t want to fight you!” She tried to pacify her, but Celestia said nothing. Luna blocked a overhead strike, until Celestia bashed her hand with the blunt end of her staff, and disarmed her. Luna raised her hands, her one last chance to know, if any remnant of her sister’s self.

    “I don't want to fight you. Put that down, please, let us talk-“ Luna dodged a lunge straight to her stomach, without hesitation, and in that instant, Cadence activated the Crystal Heart’s shield, repelling everything that was evil. King Sombra and Princess Celestia were pushed out, the blizzard gone. A blue flash emanated from the Crystal Heart, as it flew to it’s place; underneath the tower, spinning and floating, bringing back cheer and life to the Crystal citizens, and, to Princess Luna, the ability to easily control the sun and moon.

    Only Queen Chrysalis remained, and the two princesses glared at her. She simply walked towards the balcony.

    “You can’t just leave!” Luna quickly flew in front of her, raising her sword. Chrysalis looked at the sword, almost bored.

    “I can defeat both of you,” she said, angering both princesses, “You’re weaker than Celestia; I can tell.”

     Cadence started to walk towards Luna, to support her, until Chrysalis glared at her.

    “Your magic is the same stuff me and my Changelings devour, so, in short, get out of my way. You’re lucky that I won’t just aimlessly attack,”

    Chrysalis gathered all of her remaining Changelings, still an impressive swarm, and spread her insect wings, flying away into the horizon. Luna finally sheathed her sword, looking at the wrecked throne room. There were holes on the floor, and black crystals, along with corpses, and shattered windows.

    “I’m sorry, Princess Cadence.” She tried to apologize, ashamed at herself again.

    “We’ll rebuild,” Princess Cadence responded brightly, “Princess Luna, don’t blame yourself. You tried your best!”

    “The same thing, happened again!” Luna shouted, “King Sombra corrupting someone with his magic, all those years ago-“

    “Who got corrupted?” Fluttershy asked calmly, and Luna faced her.

    “I did. He planted hate into my heart, all those years ago. I turned into Nightmare Moon, a day after his banishment. Now, he got to my sister,” her voice trembled, and quickly turned to the balcony.

    “I need to get back to Canterlot. Princess Cadence, stay here,” Luna told all of them, spreading her wings, and looked at Twilight, “you six need to find King Sombra, and Queen Chrysalis, as he probably has the Elements of Harmony, and my sister.”

    “What will you do, Princess Luna?” Twilight asked her, an uncertain future ahead of them.

    “I have to reform the HFS Guard,” Luna responded, “it seems to have dissolved, so I will reorganize them.”

    They watched Luna fly away, her wings producing gusts, against the sunset. They were silent, until Cadence spoke up.

    “Thank you for the help,”

    “It’s cool, Princess,” Rainbow Dash grinned, and Cadence scoffed.

    “It’s not just cool, it’s amazing! You six saved the Crystal Empire!”

    “Spike saved the Crystal Empire,” Applejack remarked, “at the end, anyway.” The boy in question chuckled.

   “I did do that…”

   "Princess?" Twilight started to speak, "What about Princess Celestia, King Sombra, and that woman?"

   "That woman's bluffing. Maybe she can defeat one of us, but not me and Luna at the same time," Cadence started to look serious, as she walked toward them, "And as for Sombra, he cannot enter."

   "And Princess Celestia?" Fluttershy asked, and all her friends looked at Cadence for answers, but she simply smiled sadly.

   "I don't know what happened to her, but I think Sombra influenced her," she answered uncertainly, and saw all of their faces accept the fact glumly.

   “Well, whatever the case, you all would be honoured here, and I mean all of you,”  Cadence thanked them again, extremely grateful, and noticed them start to wince, their adrenaline fading, making the pain in their wounds gradually grow. She gripped her staff with both hands, and pointed it's heart-shaped tip towards them.

   "Stand still, this won't hurt," Cadence assured them, as pink sparks charged at the tip, before pink light enveloped them with a warm aura, closing cuts and healing scrapes. They quickly examined their body, shocked.

   "Woah, thanks, Princess!" Rainbow Dash said, grinning. Cadence nodded towards her, smiling.

   "Now, go and find King Sombra!"

   They all nodded, and went to the stairs, reinvigorated.

“All we have to do now, is find King Sombra, and the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said, focusing on her thoughts.

“You must have some idea where they went,” Rarity  told her, and Twilight shook her head.

“I never even heard of King Sombra,”

“Oh, Celestia…” Applejack murmured once they got to the bottom of the stairs. Slaughter Royal Guards lay dead, blood splattered on the tiles, surrounded with bodies of slashed Changelings, having gave up their lives to their leaders. The denizens of the Crystal Empire grimly pulled corpses out, making a path through the dead, a iron-like stench of blood bathing the room. Fluttershy looked queasy, Pinkie Pie showing an inkling of sadness. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak, once they came out of the castle.

“We have to find the shadow guy, as fast as we can.”