Opening her eyes, Twilight looked at the ponies around her. Everypony gasped when they saw that her eyes weren’t their usual violet. Instead, they were a beautiful combination of blue and green.

Sundance’s hazel eyes.

Wide-eyed, Celestia and Artemis glanced at each other. Both of them mouthed “What is she doing?!” before returning their attention to Twilight.

Golden Thunder was so shocked that he took control of Golden Flash’s body. “Q-queen Sundance?!”

Celestia, Artemis and Golden Thunder couldn’t tell if they were looking at Princess Twilight Sparkle or Queen Sundance. As such, they made an unspoken decision to wait for her to say something. When she spoke, while the voice was Twilight’s, the words clearly came from Sundance.

“Hello, Golden Thunder. I haven’t seen you in fifteen hundred years. Even so, I have no doubt that you still plan for my children meet the same fate that my husband and I did.” She narrowed her eyes. “Consider this a warning. Midnight and I are watching.”

Everypony watched as Twilight’s eyes closed. When they opened again, they were violet.

When Celestia recovered from her shock, she stepped closer and nuzzled Twilight. “Are you alright?”

Surprised, Twilight blinked a few times “Of course, Celestia. Why do you ask?”

Walking forward, Artemis nuzzled her as well. “Y-you just . . .”

After a moment, Twilight asked “Oh, you mean that?”

Celestia, Artemis, and Golden Thunder nodded.

“I heard the voice of a mare." Seeing their expressions, she shrugged. "She told me that her name is Sundance.”

Celestia and Artemis pretended to be shocked. Golden Thunder really was shocked. All three of them gasped. “What?!”

Twilight nodded “Sundance asked if I could help her speak to one of the ponies near me. She promised that she wouldn’t hurt me, and seemed sincere, so I agreed.”

Still using Golden Flash’s mouth, Golden Thunder stammered “I-is this new princess the reincarnation of Queen Sundance?!” Realizing his mistake, he let Golden Flash have control of his body again.

When she heard that, Twilight struggled to suppress her laughter. Somehow, she managed to keep a straight face and turned to Golden Flash. “She had to leave before she was able to say her entire message. Don’t worry, she asked me to tell you the last part.”

Obviously worried, Golden Flash gave Twilight his full attention. “Y-yes, princess?”

Twilight cleared her throat “The extreme fatigue is caused by the fact that your body is struggling to cope with the presence of more than one soul.”

Golden Flash gasped “I-I see.”

Twilight tilted her head “The obvious way to stop the extreme fatigue is to remove the extra soul from your body . . . No, that’s far too dangerous, for both of you. Besides, what would we do with the other soul?” She shook her head “There has to be another option . . . I need to do some research, but I’ll figure something out.”

Celestia and Artemis didn’t say anything because they were struggling to keep their expressions neutral.

Twilight made sure not to look at either of them. I have to act like I don’t know what’s going on. I’ll blow the whole thing if I start laughing. Instead, she gave Golden Flash a stern look. “Do not cast any major spells until I find a way to counter your fatigue. I know this is rather blunt, but I need to make sure you understand . . . In your weakened state, the exertion could kill you.”

She’s right. Golden Thunder commented I’ll need to borrow your magic from time to time, but you should leave the majority of the spellcasting to me.

“Y-yes, princess” Golden Flash stammered, eyes wide “Thank you for the warning.”

In the stars, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl were laughing so hard that it was a few minutes before they were able to even think about saying anything.

Star Swirl was the first to speak. “That was great!”

Still laughing, Sundance flickered “He thinks she’s my reincarnation? That wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Who cares?” Midnight Armor replied, also laughing “That was hilarious!” Calming slightly, he flickered “I told you that, not only would Twilight allow it, she’d help you! She even found a valid reason to keep him from casting any major spells!”

Sundance flickered again “I know I said this the other day, but we really shouldn’t underestimate her.”

Star Swirl laughed again “Now Princess Twilight has a great excuse for all of her research! She just has to claim that she’s looking for a way to help him!”

In Canterlot, Celestia and Artemis looked at each other, both saying the same thing.

“It’s time”

This is perfect. Golden Flash told Golden Thunder Now you’ll see them do it for yourself.

Don’t be ridiculous. Golden Thunder replied I know that Princess Celestia and Prince Artemis have some sort of connection with the sun and moon respectively, but there’s no way that they’re doing it by themselves. The first time must have been a fluke.

Twilight looked at Artemis and Celestia but, before she could say anything, she heard Sundance’s voice.

Thank you, Twilight. That went far better than I hoped it would. Now we know where Golden Thunder is. She paused I’d like to ask you to do me a favor.

Sure Twilight replied What is it?

Please pass a message to Celestia and Artemis. Sundance answered Your father and I want them to allow Golden Thunder to watch them lower the sun and raise the moon. He needs to know that they’re both far more powerful than he remembers.

Suppressing a smile, Twilight responded I will. Good night, Mom.

Good night, Twilight. Sundance replied

Twilight stepped closer to Artemis and Celestia. Nuzzling them both, she whispered “Mom and Dad want you two to allow Golden Thunder to watch you lower the sun and raise the moon because they want him to know that you’re both stronger than he remembers.”

Smiling, they returned her nuzzle.

Spreading her wings, Celestia lifted into the air, lit her horn and lowered the sun.

W-what?! Golden Thunder gasped

Prince Artemis is next. Golden Flash replied

Celestia landed next to her brother and nodded to him.

Returning her nod, Artemis lit his horn and spread his wings. As he lifted into the air, the moon rose with him. Then a flash of his magic brought out the stars. His job done, he landed next to his sister.

I-incredible! Golden Thunder exclaimed It used to take over two dozen unicorns to control each of the heavenly bodies! How in Equestria are they doing it alone?!

Golden Flash shrugged They’ve been doing that for as long as anypony can remember.

Shaking himself from his shock, Golden Thunder searched the area with his magic. That’s strange. We just saw Queen Sundance in Princess Twilight, but I don’t sense her presence. Perhaps Princess Twilight isn’t her reincarnation after all. If so, I need to find their souls.

Looking at the stars, Golden Flash tilted his head. How are you going to search for the late King and Queen?

That spell should be sufficient. Golden Thunder responded. After a moment, he began to laugh. If I’m right, the Spirit Reanimation Spell failed because King Midnight Armor and Queen Sundance’s souls are still alive. Unfortunately for them, they have no bodies to protect their souls. That means, no matter where they are, I’ll be able to pull them right to me.

Once he’d finished laughing, he continued. Actually, there might be a problem. Their son protected their souls fifteen hundred years ago. It’s possible that he’s still protecting them. I need to make sure he doesn’t get in my way.

How will you stop Prince Artemis? Golden Flash asked

I’ve known Prince Artemis, and his sister, since they were very young. Golden Thunder answered As a result, I know quite a bit about both of them and intend to use one specific piece of that knowledge against them.

After a moment, he spoke again. You should go to bed early tonight.

Surprised, Golden Flash asked. Why do you say that, ancestor?

Queen Sundance is very knowledgeable. Golden Thunder responded Like Princess Twilight, her specialty is magic. He paused thoughtfully In fact, that might be how she was able to contact Princess Twilight.

Anyway, Queen Sundance is especially talented with magic scans. I didn’t feel anything, but she must have scanned your body. That’s the only way I can explain how she knew where I was.

Regardless, she believes that you’re exhausted because you’re struggling to cope with my presence in your body. That means you need to get some rest.

Y-yes, ancestor. Golden Flash answered. He looked up at a flash of moonlight to find that Celestia, Artemis and Twilight had vanished. Glad that he wouldn’t have to make any excuses, he headed home.

Artemis’ teleportation spell put them in his room. As soon as he cast a soundproofing spell, the three of them collapsed to the floor and began to laugh. It was several minutes before they were calm enough to speak.

“That was great!” Celestia giggled

Artemis pulled his mare close and kissed her. “How did you do that?! Did Mother possess you?”

“No” Twilight replied, returning his kiss “She created a spell that temporarily made my eyes look like hers. When she was ready, I let her use my magic to cast it. Then she told me what to say. I just acted like she was the one speaking.” She laughed “Mom wanted to see if it would get a reaction from Golden Thunder.”

Celestia laughed “It certainly worked! Thanks to the two of you, we know exactly where he is.”

Smiling, Twilight stood and walked to Celestia’s side. I want to do this now, before I forget.

Looking over her shoulder, Celestia watched her sister climb onto her back. She looked on as Twilight carefully spread her wings. “What are you doing?”

Knowing exactly what Twilight was doing, Artemis laughed.

Confused, Celestia looked at her brother. “What’s so funny? I just-” Before she could finish her sentence, her attention was drawn back to her wings.

Celestia gasped “Ooh . . .” Her wings shook uncontrollably when Twilight gently pressed the spot their mother had shown her. She sighed in pleasure when her little sister gently massaged both wings. When her wings stopped shaking, she folded them and pulled Twilight into a hug. “Thank you. I really needed that.”

Smiling, Twilight returned the hug. Artemis moved closer and nuzzled both of them. They cuddled together for several minutes before Celestia stood and walked to the door to his room.

“I want to get some reading done before going to sleep.” Celestia said “I’ll see both of you in the morning.”

Artemis nodded “Sleep well, Sister.” As Celestia closed the door, he turned to see Twilight climbing into their bed. He was about to join her but paused when he suddenly sensed something.

Settling under the covers, Twilight looked up to see Artemis looking out the window with a strange expression on his face. “Are you coming to bed?”

Glancing at her, he shook his head. “I’d like to look at the stars first.” Something’s happening to Mother and Father’s stars. I don’t want to alarm her, but I need to figure out what’s going on. He saw her start to stand and shook his head again. “It’s alright, stay there. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Nodding, Twilight lay back down while he walked outside.

On the balcony, Artemis turned his attention to the stars of their parents and noticed that both of them were flickering. Looking closer, he gasped, suddenly horrified. They’re unstable! What’s going on?! They’ve never had stability issues! Closing his eyes, he focused his magic on their stars, searching for the source of the instability. Somepony is trying to pull their souls out of their stars! Knowing that he had to act quickly, he lit his horn and vanished.

In the stars, the night started as it normally did. After setting the brightness of their stars to nighttime levels, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl turned their attention to their conversation.

A few minutes into the discussion, Sundance and Midnight Armor suddenly gasped. Star Swirl stopped, mid-sentence, and looked over at them. “Is something wrong?” He was about to say something else, but paused when he saw that their stars were flickering uncontrollably.

“T-this isn’t good!” Sundance said, clearly struggling “I-I’m having trouble controlling my star!”

Midnight Armor was struggling as well. “M-me too.”

Horrified, Star Swirl stared at them. W-what’s going on?! I’ve never heard of them having any trouble!

Midnight Armor gasped again “Someone is pulling our souls to them! The only reason we’re still here is that Artemis bound our souls to our stars.”

“Y-you’re right!” Sundance panted “It has to be Golden Thunder. He probably doesn’t know it, but he’s trying to remove our souls from our stars. That’s making them unstable . . . I-if enough stability is lost, our stars will die. T-then he’ll be able to bring our souls right to him!”

He needs to know about this! I just hope he gets my message in time to help. Star Swirl gathered some of his stored magic and prepared to contact Artemis. Before he could send the message, he heard a powerful voice.

“I won’t allow that”

Surprised, they looked over as Artemis appeared next to them.

Incredibly happy to see him, Sundance and Midnight Armor waited to see what their son planned to do about this. The first thing he did was firmly anchor their souls to their stars. The effect this had on their stars was obvious, they instantly stopped flickering and calmed. Sundance and Midnight Armor sighed in relief when Artemis also boosted their magic, giving each of them triple the amount they used to fight Golden Thunder’s spell.

Midnight Armor was confused. Why did he give his mother and I so much magic?

Sundance was equally confused, but didn’t want to interrupt her son. I can ask questions later. For now, I’ll just watch him work.

Assured that his parents weren’t going anywhere, Artemis turned his attention to the magic that was trying to remove their souls from their stars. T-this is . . .! I’m not going to leave that spell active! When he tried to stop it, he discovered that something was blocking him.

Cursing under his breath, he analyzed the situation. There is a way to make sure that other ponies can’t help with, or stop, a spell in progress. This is only possible if the caster knows the magic signature of the pony they wish to block and the right spell. Unfortunately, Golden Thunder knows both.

Since he’s blocking me, I need to bring somepony else into this. Due to our unique circumstances, Night’s magic signature is nearly identical to my own. That means he won’t be able to help. Golden Thunder knows Celestia’s magic signature, so he’s probably blocking her as well. He thought for a moment. I should call her anyway. Who knows, maybe he’s so focused on me that he hasn’t blocked her. He focused his magic on his sister.

Midnight Armor, Sundance and Star Swirl looked over in surprise when they heard Celestia laugh.

“What is it, Artemis? We need to go to sleep soon, but you can come to my room if you want to talk.”

Despite the dangers of the current situation, Artemis laughed. “I know that, sister. However, I’m not in the castle right now.”

“Really?” She asked “Did you take Twilight out for a night flight or something? If so, don’t stay out too late.”

Sundance and Midnight Armor laughed

Laughing again, Artemis replied “That sounds like fun, but no. I’m in the Night Sky.”

“What do you . . . I see. You mean your Night Sky.” Her tone turned serious. “Is there a problem?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He replied “Somepony, I believe it’s Golden Thunder, is trying to pull Mother and Father’s souls to them.”

Horrified, Celestia gasped “What?!”

“Don’t worry,” he told her “I’ve anchored their souls to their stars. However, when I tried to stop his spell, I found that he’s blocked my magic signature.”

Sighing in relief, she asked “What do you plan to do about it?”

“I was hoping you could try.” Artemis replied “Even though he knows your signature, it’s possible that he hasn’t blocked you.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Midnight Armor remarked

Without hesitation, Celestia responded “I’ll be right there.”

A flash of sunlight later, she was standing next to her brother. Not wasting any time, Celestia searched the area for foreign magic and located the spell that Artemis was talking about. W-what?! This spell is . . . .! No wonder Artemis asked me to help. We have to stop this spell. Unfortunately, I can’t move as fast as I’d like because I have to make sure that Mother and Father’s stars don’t come into contact with the power of the sun. She started to shut the spell down but suddenly found herself blocked.

Celestia turned to her brother. “You’re right, it’s Golden Thunder. I was able to detect his magic signature before he blocked mine.” She thought for a moment “There’s no way he can block the power of the sun, so I could use that to stop his spell. Unfortunately, doing so would burn those at both ends of the spell. Golden Thunder is one thing, but forcing the power of the sun into contact with other stars . . . Well, it isn’t a good idea.”

“You’re right” Artemis replied “We just have to think of something else.” Suddenly he smiled. I know he saw her magic when he returned, but he was distracted at the time. That means Golden Thunder probably doesn’t know Twilight’s magic signature. If I’m right, he won’t be able to stop her. He searched for the link connecting him to Twilight. After a moment, he found it and touched it with his magic.

Sundance, Midnight Armor, Celestia and Star Swirl were startled when they heard Twilight’s voice.

“What’s wrong, Artemis?”

“Golden Thunder is trying to pull Mother and Father’s souls to him.” He replied

There was almost a minute of stunned silence before . . . “WHAT?!”

He quickly reassured her. “Don’t worry, I’ve anchored them to their stars.”

Twilight sighed in relief.

“Celestia and I tried to stop his spell,” he continued “but found that he’s blocking our magic signatures.”

Surprised, Twilight said “Most unicorns can’t do that.”

“If I recall correctly,” Artemis answered “Mother taught him how.”

Sundance’s star dimmed “I-it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Regardless," Artemis continued "I don’t think he’s familiar enough with your magic to be able to block your signature. If I’m right, you should be able to stop his spell.”

“I’m on my way.” Twilight immediately replied

Star Swirl stared at the lavender alicorn that suddenly appeared in between Artemis and Celestia. Her Soul Mark really is symbol for the Element of Magic!

“I hope you don’t mind,” Twilight began “but I used the link created by the Linking Spell to teleport directly to you.”

Artemis nuzzled her “Not at all. Thanks for coming so quickly.”

She gestured to the stars in front of them. “These two?”

Celestia and Artemis nodded

Twilight searched for any magic that didn’t belong to their parents, Celestia or Artemis. She found two magic signatures, but noticed that only one was currently casting a spell. Dad told us that he and Mom can talk to Star Swirl. That means his star must be nearby and that the other magic signature is probably his. After analyzing the spell being cast by the first unknown magic signature, she released her magic and turned to Artemis. “I can stop the spell, but there’s a problem.”

“What’s the problem?” He asked

“The backlash from forcefully terminating that spell will hurt those at both ends.” Twilight replied “The best way to avoid that is for me to take control of his spell. Then I’ll simply shut it down.”

“Are you sure there isn’t better way?” Artemis asked “That’s going to take a lot of magic and you just recovered from stopping the Spirit Reanimation Spell.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow “How much magic did you use to anchor their souls to their stars?”

“As much as I needed to!” Artemis instantly replied “What does that . . . I see your point.”

“I don’t care how much magic it takes.” Twilight continued “I’m going to terminate that spell in a way that doesn’t hurt Mom and Dad.”

Celestia reached over Twilight to nuzzle both of her siblings. “It doesn’t matter how much magic you use because, as soon as you’re done, we’re going to give you some of ours.”

Artemis nodded

Twilight was about to respond but paused when she heard two unexpected things. Laughter and a voice.

I’m glad she already knows the safest way to stop that spell. I wish she could . . .

Twilight sighed “I like talking to Mom, but I’m not happy about hearing anypony else's voice in my head.”

The owner of the voice gasped. You can hear me?!

Twilight hesitantly replied “Yes, I can hear you.”

That’s great!

Twilight heard the owner of the voice laugh again. “I don’t understand why you’re laughing.”

It seems that Sundance has done me a favor. Speaking to her for the last two days must have increased your sensitivity to spirits enough that you can hear my voice. Please tell her that I said “Thank You”.

“I can do that,” Twilight replied “but I still need to know who you are.”

Look at your Soul Mark.

Glancing at her Cutie Mark, Twilight noticed that the pink star was glowing. That’s odd, it looks like my Cutie Mark is trying to say hello. Wait. My Cutie Mark . . . Her eyes widened as she suddenly understood who she was talking to. “Y-you’re the spirit of the Element of Magic?!”

Artemis, Sundance, Celestia, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl gasped. “What?!”

Laughing again, the voice replied. Yes, but please call me Magic. Having you constantly say the long version of my name will annoy both of us.

“A-alright.” Twilight replied, voice shaking “Why did you contact me, Magic?”

The soul that was brought back . . . What’s his name?

“Golden Thunder”

Thank you. Anyway, the first thing he did was cast the Spirit Reanimation Spell, trying to revive those two.

“What?! Celestia’s supposed to be notified whenever that spell is cast!”

She didn’t receive a notification because the attempt was unsuccessful. As for why it didn’t work, you were correct. Sundance and Midnight Armor never entered the Realm of the Dead. Their souls are alive, so that spell has no effect on them.

Twilight sighed in relief “That’s good.”

When I discovered that he had cast the Spirit Reanimation Spell, I tried to tell you. Unfortunately, you weren’t sensitive enough to spirits to hear my voice. Thanks to Sundance, that’s no longer a problem.

Anyway, he tried something different tonight. He cast a spell that, under normal circumstances, would have allowed him to bring their souls to him. Because of the way their souls were bound to their stars, they were able to fight his spell long enough for Artemis to notice.

“I get the impression that you want me to do something. I’m sorry, but I’m a little busy at the moment.”

You don’t need to apologize. We’re trying to accomplish the same thing.

“What are you talking about?”

Both of us want to protect the souls that are anchored to the stars in front of you. I’m a spirit, so I can’t do that without the help of my bearer.

“Alright. What can I do to help you?”

Now that I can talk to you, I can ask you to act on my behalf.

“What do you have in mind?”

I like your idea. If you take control of his spell, you’ll be able to stop it without harming the souls of your parents.

“That’s the plan.”

Good. Use my power to do it.

“What? I thought that power was only supposed to be used for . . .”

Maintaining harmony. Don’t worry, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. I’ll explain why at a later date, but it’s vital that their souls are kept safe.

I don’t have a magic signature because my power is pure magic. That means, when you use my power, he won’t be able to block you.

“Very well” Closing her eyes, Twilight called on the spirit of her Element.

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl gasped as she suddenly lit up from within. Instantly understanding what she was doing, Celestia and Artemis smiled.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before.” Star Swirl remarked “What kind of power is Princess Twilight using?”

“The Element of Magic” Celestia replied

Star Swirl gasped “What?!”

Paying no attention to what was being said around her, Twilight focused on Golden Thunder’s spell. She noticed that he immediately tried to block her and giggled when she felt his confusion once he saw that he couldn’t.

She felt him increase the casting speed, trying to finish his spell before she could stop him. She laughed when she felt his shock as he realized that he couldn’t do that either. Clearly not wanting the spell to drain anymore of his magic, he gave up. No longer receiving any resistance, she took control of his spell. Not bothering to hide her actions, she terminated the spell.

In Canterlot, Golden Thunder’s soul stood next to the bed of his descendant. He was trembling, but couldn’t tell if it was from fear, exertion or exhaustion. It’s probably all three . . . What the hay just happened?!

He recalled the events of the last hour. After several fruitless searches, I finally found the magic signatures of King Midnight Armor and Queen Sundance.

I hate to admit it, but Prince Artemis found a very good way to protect his parents. While I can sense their magic signatures, I have no idea where their souls are.

He thought for a moment. If I recall correctly, fifteen hundred years ago, he said he was going to put them in the night sky. I don’t, even for a second, believe that he has the power to do that.

Anyway, I cast the spell to pull their souls to me. At first, it was working. Even though they fought my spell, their souls were slowly being pulled to me. Then all of the progress I’d made was suddenly undone and their souls were being firmly held by somepony. I’m sure that was Prince Artemis because the next thing I felt was him trying to stop my spell. He realized that I had blocked his magic signature and called in his sister. I should have seen that coming but, for some reason, I didn’t.

I almost wasn’t able to stop Princess Celestia. In fact, I was only able to block her because she seemed hesitant. That’s probably because she didn’t want to harm her parents. If she truly controls the power of the sun, she could have easily destroyed their souls.

This is where things get extremely confusing. Suddenly, another magic signature appeared, but it wasn’t in contact with my spell long enough for me to figure out who it belonged to. As soon as whoever owned it analyzed my spell, the signature vanished. Just when I thought I wasn’t going to receive any more resistance, somepony began to take control of my spell. I tried to block them but, because their magic had no signature, I had nothing to block.

He shook his head. How is it possible for a pony to not have a magic signature?!

A-anyway, I heard somepony giggling. That made me angry enough that I tried to race this new magic. If I could have finished my spell before they took control, I would have gotten those souls. To my surprise, they were moving fast enough that I couldn’t finish my spell in time. I made no attempt to hide my shock.

The new pony must have sensed this because they actually laughed at me! In order to prevent my spell from draining my magic, I had no choice but to give up and watch as . . . whoever that was . . . took control of my spell. They even made me watch them terminate it.

He glanced at the bed, seeing Golden Flash sound asleep next to his wife, before turning to look out the window. The view of Canterlot at night was nice, but it did little to calm him. I need to think about this carefully. The magic that stopped me may have had no signature, but it’s far too powerful to belong to a unicorn.

I blocked the magic signatures of Princess Celestia and Prince Artemis. As far as I know, the only other alicorn in Equestria is Princess Twilight Sparkle. I haven’t had a chance to learn her magic signature yet, but I’m sure she has one. That rules her out as well . . . actually, maybe it doesn’t. Even though they’ve clearly gotten stronger, and certainly wiser, I have a rough idea of what Princess Celestia and Prince Artemis are capable of. However, I have no idea what Princess Twilight can do.

Whoever terminated my spell is extremely talented, especially with magic. Golden Flash told me that Princess Twilight Sparkle’s specialty is magic. It’s unlikely, but I suppose it’s possible that she’s the one who stopped me.

Golden Flash told me that he’s supposed to see the prince and princesses off tomorrow. I’ll just have to pay close attention to all three of them. That might tell me something.

For now, I need to get some rest and recover my magic. He entered Golden Flash’s body and allowed himself to fall asleep.

In Artemis’ Night Sky, Twilight had just finished terminating Golden Thunder’s spell. She paused when she heard Magic’s voice.

I made sure that Golden Thunder heard your laughter.

Eyes still closed, Twilight asked “Why did you do that?”

I believe that it’s important for him to know that you’re the one who stopped him. A moment later, she continued. Golden Thunder will probably try this again. If he does, I want you to help Artemis protect them.

“You don’t have to tell me to do that.”

Good

Opening her eyes, Twilight looked at everyone around her. “I took control of his spell and terminated it.”

Celestia and Artemis smiled while Midnight Armor, Sundance and Star Swirl brightened considerably. All of them sighed in relief and said the same thing. “Good”

You should tell them what happened, but please make sure that no one else is told. The main reason is that I don’t want Golden Thunder to figure out that I’m involved. At least, not yet.

Twilight nodded and left her empowered state. “I will”

One more thing, it may be a good idea keep Golden Thunder as confused as possible. The events of this evening were a good start.

“What?”

Magic laughed Seeing his reaction to what you and Sundance did . . . I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.

Well done, Twilight Sparkle. I’ll be talking to you soon. Until then, go well.

“You as well, Magic.”

After Magic left, Twilight shook her head. “That was . . . interesting. I know the spirit of my Element tested me, but I had no idea that she could talk to me.”

Artemis nuzzled her “What happened?”

Twilight leaned into his side. “It’ll be easier if I show everypony what happened, but from my point of view. That will tell you everything I know.”

“Good idea” Artemis replied, turning to his sister “We should get some sleep.”

Celestia nodded “Should we head back to the castle?”

“No, we’ll sleep here.” Artemis answered, creating a cloud in front of them. “In addition to replacing what they used to fight Golden Thunder’s spell, I used the spell you made to give Mother and Father extra magic. That, combined with our close proximity to them, should allow them to talk to us.” He paused “Give me a moment.”

Star Swirl was surprised when Artemis boosted his magic as well. I guess he wants me to participate.

Moving onto the cloud, Artemis, Celestia and Twilight lay down and snuggled together. Tired from the stress of the day, and channeling so much magic, Twilight fell asleep as soon as her head hit the cloud.

Midnight Armor laughed softly “I’d be surprised if she wasn’t tired.”

“You’re right, Midnight.” Sundance whispered “She certainly earned her rest.” Her star flickered “That was incredible!”

Star Swirl’s star flickered as well “You’re right.” He commented, keeping his voice low “All three of them did an excellent job.”

Smiling, Celestia and Artemis gently nuzzled Twilight before laying their heads next to hers. As Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl looked on, Celestia and Artemis followed Twilight into the Dream Realm.

In the Dream Realm, Artemis opened his eyes and saw that he was standing among the stars. “Mother, Father, Star Swirl? Can you please say something? I need to know if it worked.”

“Well done, Artemis” Midnight Armor replied “I’m glad you noticed what he was doing.”

“Yes” Sundance briefly brightened “Thank you for acting so quickly.”

“Thank you for allowing me to participate.” Star Swirl added

Artemis sighed in relief “I’ll bring in Celestia and Twilight.” Two flashes of light later, they were standing next to him. Knowing that this might take all night, he created another cloud for them to relax on. This time, they were already standing on it.

Celestia lay down, using a wing to pull Twilight down with her. Laughing, Artemis lay down on Twilight’s other side.

Once they were settled, Twilight showed them what happened, making sure that they could hear Magic’s voice. When her memory finished, everyone was silent for several minutes.

Eventually, Sundance spoke. “The next time you speak to Magic, please tell her that I said “you’re welcome”.”

Twilight nodded “I will”

Celestia nuzzled her sister “Magic doesn’t need to worry about us telling anypony what happened because we’re planning to keep this between us anyway.”

She looked at her brother “I find two things disturbing. One, Golden Thunder immediately tried to revive Mother and Father. Two, I didn’t notice the attempt. I know Magic told Twilight that it’s because the spell was unsuccessful, but the implications aren’t good. I need to look into that.”

Artemis nodded “At least we know that the Spirit Reanimation Spell doesn’t work on Mother and Father’s souls.”

“You’re right. That is good to know.” Sundance commented, sighing in relief “However, I’d like to know why Magic believes that keeping us safe is vital.”

“Yes” Midnight Armor added “How are our souls important to maintaining harmony?”

“I’m also curious about that,” Twilight replied “but I’m not complaining. Magic helped me stop Golden Thunder’s spell because she believes that the two of you need to be protected.” She shrugged “I’ll let you know when, and what, she tells me.”

Sundance’s star brightened “Thank you”

Twilight sighed “Unfortunately, what happened tonight confirms my theory.”

Star Swirl hesitated, not sure if he should enter the conversation, but decided to ask his question anyway. “Which one, princess?”

Surprised, Twilight looked at his star. For a moment, she had no idea who had spoken. Then she smiled “Star Swirl, right?”

He briefly brightened “Yes, princess”

Twilight laughed “I’m sorry. This is the first time I’ve heard your voice, so I didn’t recognize it.”

He hesitated “Do you mind if I ask questions?”

She shook her head “Not at all. In fact, it’ll probably be helpful to have another point of view.”

He brightened “Thank you”

“To answer your question, Golden Thunder is obviously still after souls.” Twilight replied “Not only that, he clearly has a special interest in Mom and Dad’s souls.”

Midnight Armor was about to ask Twilight what she meant, but paused when he saw her expression. “I wonder what she’s thinking.” He said quietly.

Hearing this, everyone else turned to Twilight as well.

For several minutes, Twilight stared at a random star. Then she turned to Artemis. “Did he go after Mom and Dad’s stars or did he specifically target their souls?”

Artemis thought for a moment before his eyes widened. “He never touched their stars, it was their souls that he went after. Remember how the snake part of the Chimera Anima had the ability to pull souls to it so it could eat them?”

Everyone nodded, or briefly brightened, and waited for him to continue.

“That’s the spell he used to call Mother and Father’s souls tonight.” Artemis thought for a moment “Mother and Father’s souls were bound very closely to their stars. Because of this, Golden Thunder’s attempt to pull their souls to him made their stars unstable.”

“I was afraid of that.” Twilight sighed “He knows he can’t revive them. That means he wants their souls for a different reason. Unless I find another option, I’m going to work off the assumption that he wants their immortality. I have no idea how he’d be able to take that from them, but at least I have something specific to look into.”

Celestia tilted her head “Perhaps he doesn’t know either. In fact, that might be why he went after Mother and Father’s souls tonight.”

Sundance paused “What do you mean?”

Celestia reluctantly replied “He probably needs somepony to experiment on . . .”

Everypony was silent for several minutes.

Suddenly, Twilight laughed “We have at least one thing going for us.”

Surprised at the sudden change of topic Star Swirl asked. “What are you talking about, princess?”

Still laughing, she replied “I don’t think he knows where Mom and Dad’s souls are.”

Artemis turned to her “I told him what I planned to do with them fifteen hundred years ago.”

Twilight shook her head “Golden Thunder may know what you planned to do with Mom and Dad’s souls, but he didn’t live long enough to see you do it.” She smiled “He saw Mom in me this evening. Remember his comment about how I might be her reincarnation?”

Artemis grinned as he understood her point. Celestia, on the other hoof, was laughing so hard she couldn’t speak.

“That stallion must be extremely confused.” Star Swirl commented, laughing as well. “I almost feel sorry for him.”

Sundance laughed “Making him think that you’re my reincarnation wasn’t part of my plan, but I found it hilarious.”

Star Swirl brightened “You weren’t the only one who found that hilarious, Sundance. I did as well.”

Sundance’s star flickered “I don’t think he believes that anymore.”

Midnight Armor briefly brightened “You’re right. If he believed that Twilight is your reincarnation, he wouldn’t have tried to call our souls to him.”

“Even if he doesn’t believe that Twilight is Mother’s reincarnation,” Celestia commented “he probably thinks that she protected your souls.”

Midnight Armor briefly brightened again “He would be correct.”

“You’re right, Midnight.” Sundance replied “Regardless, why would Golden Thunder believe that, Celestia?”

Celestia laughed again “Magic made sure he heard Twilight’s laughter.”

Artemis nodded, laughing as well. “Even if he doesn’t connect the laughter he heard to Twilight, the magic that stopped his spell didn’t belong to me or Celestia. Additionally, it took a lot of magic to stop him, far more than unicorns are capable of using. It won’t take him long to figure out that he was stopped by an alicorn.”

“I see” Star Swirl said thoughtfully “The natural assumption for him to make is that his spell was stopped by Princess Twilight.”

Twilight thought for a moment “I’m going to tell him that I’m the one who stopped him.”

Confused, Sundance asked “Why would you do that?”

“Magic wants him to know that I’m the one who stopped him, remember?” Twilight shrugged “I’m not going to wait for him to figure it out.”

Midnight Armor laughed “I wonder how he’ll react to the news. Please let us know what he does.”

Before Twilight could respond, Celestia laughed. “You’ll be able to hear that for yourself, Mother. He’s one of nobles that are going to see us off tomorrow.”

Sundance flickered “Unfortunately, I won’t able to communicate with Twilight anymore. My spell was cancelled because the events of tonight disrupted my magic.”

Celestia sighed “I wish there was a way for Mother to cast her spell on Twilight again.”

Artemis thought for a moment. “Mother, if I give you enough magic, will you be able to cast that spell on her again?”

Sundance turned to Twilight “This time, I’m not casting anything on you without your permission.”

Without hesitation, Twilight nodded “Go ahead.”

“A-alright” Sundance answered “I’ve never cast a spell of that complexity in this form, but I suppose it’s worth a try.” She gasped when all three of her children lit their horns.

Midnight Armor, Sundance and Star Swirl watched as Celestia and Twilight gave some of their magic to Artemis. He added some of his own and sent their combined magic to their mother.

Sundance’s star glowed for a moment as she received such a large amount of magic at once. Then she cast her spell on Twilight.

After focusing for a moment, Twilight looked at Artemis. “I think it worked.”

Celestia smiled “Then you’re going to hear Golden Flash’s reaction for yourself.” She laughed “You might get to hear Golden Thunder’s reaction as well.”

Artemis sighed “I hate to admit it, but Golden Thunder was smart about this. I didn’t sense Golden Flash’s magic or magic signature.”

“I didn’t either.” Celestia responded, sighing as well “Golden Flash wasn’t involved, so we won’t be able to punish him for this.”

Twilight smiled “We may not be able to punish them, but I bet we can scare them.”

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl laughed.

“I can’t wait to see what you have in mind.” Midnight Armor replied

Artemis turned to Star Swirl’s star “I sense your magic. Was there another problem that I need to know about?”

Star Swirl’s star flickered “I tapped into the link that Sundance created with Princess Twilight so that Midnight Armor and I could hear what was going on as well.”

Twilight’s eyes widened “Both of you heard everything as well?”

Midnight Armor briefly brightened “Everything that was said during the day.”

After a moment, Artemis smiled. “That’s not a bad idea. This means we don’t have to tell you what’s going on. You should cast your spell again. Do you need more magic?”

Star Swirl flickered “You've already given me enough.” After a flash of magic, he continued. “I linked my spell to your mother’s so your father and I will be able to hear what’s going on as well.”

Before Artemis could respond, he and Celestia looked at each other. “It’s time”

They said farewell to their parents and Star Swirl. Then Artemis woke himself, Celestia and Twilight and brought them back to the castle in Canterlot.

In Canterlot, Celestia looked around to find herself in her room, lying in bed with an open book in front of her. Standing and stretching, she walked onto her balcony. After watching her brother’s moon sink below the horizon, she raised the sun. Her job done, she walked back through her room and headed for the dining room.

In Artemis’ room, Twilight opened her eyes and noticed that she was back in bed. Looking outside, she saw that Artemis had already lowered the moon and stars. His job done, he was watching the snow fall. After standing and stretching, she walked onto the balcony and nuzzled him. “It’s way too cold to be standing out here.”

He returned her nuzzle “Alicorns can withstand cold temperatures, remember?”

“That doesn’t mean you have to.” She countered

Sundance laughed You’re right, Twilight.

Good morning, Mom. Twilight stuck her tongue out at Artemis, catching a snowflake as she did. “Mom just said I’m right. I’m saying come inside before you freeze!”

Sundance and Artemis laughed

“Very well” Artemis replied, turning towards the door to their room. “We should head to the dining room, anyway. I’m sure Celestia’s waiting for us.”

They walked through their room and out into the hallway. Looking around, Artemis remarked “I know the guards started their Holiday Vacation today, but it feels strange to not see any of them around.”

As they headed towards the dining room, Sundance spoke up. About last night . . .

Twilight froze, instantly beginning to panic. “D-did I do something wrong?!”

No! Sundance hastily replied In fact, you couldn’t have done anything more right!

Twilight sighed in relief “I thought you were going to say that I did something wrong.”

Glancing at her, Artemis asked “What did Mother say?”

“I-it’s alright,” she replied “I just panicked for no reason. She started to say something about last night and I automatically assumed that I did something wrong.”

Draping a wing over her back, he pulled her into a hug. “That’s not panicking for no reason. When I first placed them in the Night Sky, I had the same reaction. No matter what Mother and Father told me, I was terrified that I’d hurt their souls. It sounds like you’re going through the same thing I did.”

“I was only able to stop Golden Thunder because he couldn’t block Magic’s power." She shuddered "There are many ways that last night could have gone horribly wrong. ”

He nuzzled her “That may be true, but you were still able to stop him.”

By this point, they had arrived at the dining room. Walking inside, they jumped when they heard laughter. Looking up, they saw Celestia smiling at them.

“I was starting to think you two had gone back asleep.”

They walked to the table and sat down. Before either of them could say anything, Spike walked into the dining room. “Good Morning”

“Good morning, Spike” they replied

One of the castle staff entered the room carrying a goblet of rubies and emeralds. Spike licked his lips and sat on Twilight’s other side.

Apple Crunch walked into the room. He placed plates of waffles and glasses of milk in front of Celestia and Artemis before turning to Twilight. “I’ve made an apple filled breakfast pastry for you, Princess Twilight.”

Smiling, Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Apple Crunch.”

Apple Crunch? Sundance asked

He’s the head chef. Twilight replied

Apple Crunch placed her food, along with a bottle of apple juice, in front of her and watched as she took a cautious bite. Several bites later, with half of the pastry gone, he smiled. I’m definitely making that for her again. Happy that she would be able to keep her meal down, he went back to the kitchen to get lunch ready. I have to make sure they head to the Crystal Empire with full stomachs. Only then will I allow myself to focus on my own vacation.

After they had finished eating, they walked into the hall.

Spike turned to everyone “I want to buy the comic book that came out yesterday. Then I’m going to stop at Pony Joe's. He promised to make me some gem encrusted donuts for the trip.”

Twilight looked at him “Do you have enough bits?”

He blushed “Only for the donuts . . . I was going to ask-” He stopped when a piece of paper suddenly appeared in front of him, suspended in her magic.

“I wasn’t going to tell you until we got back,” Twilight began “but I already paid for it. I reserved it at the store here in Canterlot so you wouldn’t find out about it. Here’s the reservation slip.” She shrugged “I guess you’re getting your Hearth’s Warming present a little early.”

Eyes wide, he just stared at her for almost a minute. Then he jumped on her back and gave her a hug. “T-thank you, Twilight!”

Smiling, she returned his hug. “You’re welcome, Spike. You’d better hurry, you know there’s going to be a long line. Make sure you’re back in time for lunch because we’re leaving after we eat.”

“Okay!” Jumping off her back, he ran down the hall.

For several minutes, Celestia and Artemis stared after him. They turned to Twilight when she began to laugh.

Sundance was also laughing. He certainly seems happy with what you got him. But I have to ask . . . what’s a comic book? I mean-

It’s alright, Mom. Twilight interrupted, stopping her before she could say anything else. I know what you mean. Artemis went through the same thing when he returned. I didn’t laugh at him when he asked questions like that and I won’t laugh at you.

Sundance sighed in relief Thank you

Twilight smiled A comic book is a type of book where the story is told using drawings. There are several books in a set and it takes the whole set to tell the story. They usually focus on superheroes.

I’m not sure I completely understand, Sundance replied but it sounds like he really enjoys them.

That’s an understatement. Twilight responded

Artemis noticed the confusion on Celestia’s face as she looked at Twilight. “She’s talking to Mother.” He whispered

“Ah” she replied

Twilight glanced up and saw that both of them looking at her. “She wanted to know what a comic book is.”

Artemis chuckled “Spike’s trying to get me to understand that as well.”

Sundance laughed

He nuzzled Twilight “Can you stay with Celestia for a while? There’s something that I need to take care of.”

Celestia smiled at her brother “That’s not a problem. We’ll be in my room.”

Artemis smiled “Thank you, sister. I’ll join you when I’m done.”

Celestia nuzzled him before teleporting herself and her sister to her room. Then she walked over to her bed and lay down. “Come join me, please.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow “No sleeping pillows?”

Celestia laughed “I promise”

What’s a sleeping pillow? Sundance asked

Twilight climbed into Celestia’s bed and snuggled close to her big sister before replying. It’s a normal pillow with a sleeping spell cast on it. She used to give me one whenever she wanted me to spend the night in her room. I didn’t like to because she would always wake me when she raised the sun. She paused for a moment. I like to sleep in.

Sundance laughed

Celestia nuzzled Twilight “What are you two talking about?”

Laughing, Twilight returned her nuzzle “I was telling her what sleeping pillows are and why you used to give them to me.”

Celestia blushed

Sundance was about to say something but stopped when Twilight asked a question.

Can you please tell me more about the spell you cast on me?

It will be easier for me to show you. Sundance replied Are your eyes closed?

Yes Twilight responded. She watched as their mother showed her the spell. Is it possible to alter the spell after it’s been cast?

To a limited extent. Sundance answered. Why do you ask? Is there something you don’t want me to hear?

No Twilight replied I’d like to add something to your spell.

Sundance thought for a moment. I’ve never tried to add anything after the spell’s been cast, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

I think it’ll work. Twilight focused on their mother’s spell and made a small change. That should do it.

W-whoa! Sundance exclaimed D-did you do what I think you did?

Twilight giggled “Yes, Mom. You should be able see what’s going on around me now, instead of just listening to it.”

Sundance gasped

Smiling, Celestia nuzzled her sister “Good idea. Hold on, I’d like to try something.” Touching her horn to Twilight’s, she found their mother’s spell. Carefully examining it, she found the spell that Star Swirl had linked to it, made a small change to it and added some of her magic. “That should allow Father and Star Swirl to see it as well.”

Stunned, it took Sundance a moment to reply. G-give me a moment and I’ll see if it worked.

In the stars, Sundance turned to her husband and Star Swirl.

Midnight Armor flickered “I-I didn’t expect our daughters to do that.”

Star Swirl also flickered “That surprised me as well. Regardless, it worked.”

Midnight Armor briefly brightened “It worked for me as well.” After a moment, he laughed. “They must want us the see Golden Flash’s reaction, not just listen to it.”

In Canterlot, Celestia turned to Twilight. “Will you still be able to help us close the castle?”

Twilight nodded “I didn’t use much magic.”

Celestia’s plan worked. Sundance said Your father and Star Swirl can also see what goes on around you.

Twilight turned to Celestia “Mom says that your plan worked.”

Celestia smiled “Good”

Twilight, Sundance began I’d like to talk to you. Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. Well, aside from the obvious.

Twilight raised an eyebrow “Mom wants to talk about something. That means I won’t be paying attention to what’s going on around me for a while.”

Celestia laughed “You shouldn’t keep her waiting. Mother’s a little impatient.”

I am not! Sundance indignantly replied

Twilight laughed as well “She said she’s not impatient.”

Laughing harder, Celestia answered “Listen to what she has to say.”

Cheeky little filly . . . Sundance grumbled

I can honestly say that this is the first time I’ve heard anypony use those words to describe Celestia. Twilight remarked, laying her head on a pillow and closing her eyes. Anyway, what do you want to talk about?

I’d like to get back what I started to say earlier. Sundance replied

Twilight nervously responded A-alright

After hearing your conversation with Artemis, I understand why you’re nervous. Sundance began Regardless, you didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I . . . Unable to finish, she trailed off.

Worried, Twilight asked A-are you sure there’s nothing wrong?

Sundance laughed softly Yes, I’m sure. We have you to thank for that.

For a moment, Twilight was so shocked that she was unable to think of anything to say. Then she managed a single word. What?

Sundance laughed again, just as softly as before. I don’t think you fully understand what you did last night.

Um . . . Twilight began, clearly confused I’m pretty sure I used the Element of Magic to take control of Golden Thunder’s spell before terminating it . . .

Yes, Sundance agreed but what was Golden Thunder trying to do?

He tried to bring both of you to him. Twilight answered, not sure what their mother was getting at.

That’s right. Sundance responded Artemis was able to keep our souls there by anchoring them to our stars. However, because Golden Thunder had blocked Celestia and Artemis’ magic signatures, there wasn’t anything they could do to stop his spell. If the spell hadn’t been stopped . . .

Suddenly understanding where their mother was going with this, Twilight quickly responded I didn’t do that alone.

That’s not true. Sundance replied, voice shaking Magic may have allowed you to use her power, but you were the one who decided what to do with it. You’re the one who stopped Golden Thunder’s spell and saved our souls. She was stunned when she heard Twilight’s response.

Did you think I was going to do something else?

Before she could think of a response, Sundance heard somepony teleport into the room.

Twilight opened her eyes to see Artemis standing in front of Celestia’s bed.

“Apple Crunch asked me to tell you that lunch will be ready soon, sister.” He turned to Twilight “We should head to our room so we can pack.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow “What do you want to bring?”

“A few things” He replied

Twilight and Celestia looked at each other for a moment before shrugging.

Celestia turned to Twilight “What did Mother want to talk about?”

“What happened last night” Twilight answered

Celestia froze “Oh no. Did we miss something?!”

Artemis froze as well “I hope not. Give me a moment to make sure.”

Voice still shaking, Sundance spoke up. Please tell them that, thanks to the three of you, Midnight and I are just fine.

Celestia and Artemis sighed in relief when Twilight relayed their mother’s message.

Artemis frowned “We need to come up with a plan to keep Mother and Father safe. I don’t want to repeat last night.”

Neither do I. Sundance commented Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a way to avoid it. Golden Thunder is very persistent, so I’m sure that he’ll keep trying.

Before Twilight could respond, or relay the message, Celestia nuzzled her. “Are you sure Golden Thunder won’t be able to block you?”

“Yes and no.” Twilight answered “He’ll be able to block me when he learns my magic signature, but he won’t be able to block me when I use the Element of Magic.”

“Is that why Magic told you to help me protect Mother and Father?” Artemis asked

Twilight nodded

Artemis looked out the window as he thought. Several minutes later, he turned to Celestia and Twilight. “Sister, I’d like to use our combined magic to keep Mother and Father’s souls anchored to their stars. That way, you'll be able to help without harming them with the power of the Sun. Twilight, you’ll use the Element of Magic to stop whatever spell he uses. We’ll do this until we’re able to send Golden Thunder’s soul back where it belongs.”

“That’s fine with me.” Twilight replied

Celestia smiled “I like that plan.” Turning to Twilight, she asked. “What do Mother and Father think?”

In the stars, Sundance and Midnight Armor were speechless.

Noticing this, Star Swirl remarked “They’re waiting for a response, you know.”

“I-I’m not sure how to respond . . .” Midnight Armor eventually replied “Celestia and Artemis’ reactions are understandable. A-as for Twilight, we know she has the power, and skill, to protect us but . . .”

“She has no reason to do so.” Sundance continued “I-I’m not even sure why she protected us last night . . .”

Confused, Star Swirl asked “Doesn’t she call the two of you the modern version of “Mother” and “Father”?”

“Yes” Midnight Armor answered, equally confused “What does that have to do with anything?”

Star Swirl brightened “Why wouldn’t she want to protect her family?”

Midnight Armor was too stunned to respond.

Sundance was so shocked that she didn’t even notice when Twilight asked her a question. Instead, she stammered “S-she barely knows us!”

Star Swirl flickered “She obviously doesn’t think that matters. If she did, she wouldn’t have protected the two of you last night. More importantly, she wouldn’t be willing to keep protecting you.”

They heard Artemis’ voice and turned their attention to what was going on in Canterlot.

In Canterlot, Artemis walked closer, nuzzled Twilight and repeated Celestia’s question. “What does Mother think of our plan?”

“I’m not sure.” Twilight replied “I tried asking her, but she didn’t respond.”

Celestia looked worried “Perhaps she’s talking to Father and Star Swirl.”

I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore your question. Celestia’s right, I was talking to your father and Star Swirl. Sundance said T-that plan will definitely work, but . . .

Twilight raised an eyebrow “Did we miss something?”

Worried, Celestia and Artemis glanced at each other before turning back to Twilight.

N-no Sundance slowly replied I-it’s just that your father and I aren’t sure why you would protect our souls . . .

Twilight blinked a few times. “ . . . I can’t believe she just said that.”

Nervous, Artemis nuzzled her again “What did she say?”

Frowning, Twilight looked at Celestia and Artemis. “She said that she and Dad aren’t sure why I would protect their souls.”

Both of them stared at her. Finally, Artemis asked “What?”

Shaking her head, Celestia asked “Did she say what they think of the plan?”

Twilight nodded “She said that the plan would definitely work.”

“Let me get this straight.” Artemis began “They think our plan will work, but they don’t understand why you’re willing to protect them.”

Not sure what to say, Twilight just nodded. After a moment, she muttered “Maybe I should ask her why she stopped me from using too much magic.”

Unable to believe what she’d just heard, Sundance immediately replied. I had to make sure that you would be safe!

Why? Twilight asked

I don’t need a reason! Sundance exclaimed I’m your mother!

Twilight instantly responded. Then I don’t need a reason to protect you!

In the stars, Sundance and Midnight Armor sat in silence. They were too stunned to think, let alone speak.

Star Swirl, however, was busy laughing. After a couple of minutes, he calmed down enough to speak. “I tried to tell you.”

They watched Twilight tell Celestia and Artemis about the exchange she just had with their mother.

In Canterlot, Celestia had her face pressed into a pillow while Artemis had collapsed to the floor. Both of them were laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

Finally, Celestia calmed slightly “Well said!”

Still laughing, Artemis stood and walked back over to his sister’s bed. After kissing Twilight, he commented “I’m sure she understands now.”

Twilight was about to respond but paused, eyes wide, when she heard their mother’s voice.

T-thank you . . .

Instantly concerned, Celestia asked “What’s wrong?”

“I-it sounds like Mom’s crying . . .” Twilight slowly replied

Artemis nuzzled her “It’s impossible for them to do that when they’re in their star forms. However, when they’re experiencing strong emotions, it may sound like that’s what they’re doing.” He paused “D-did we upset her?”

No!

“She just shouted “No!” so . . .” Twilight responded

He sighed in relief. “We need to head to our room.”

Twilight nodded

Celestia nuzzled her siblings. “I’ll meet you in the dining room in ten minutes.”

Nodding to his sister, Artemis teleported himself and Twilight to their room.

Next Chapter: Chapter 54 Estimated time remaining: 19 Hours, 47 Minutes