In the stars, Midnight Armor, Sundance and Star Swirl turned at a flash of moonlight.

Surprised, Midnight Armor asked “What’s going on?”

“Twilight has something that she wants to discuss with all of us at once.” Celestia answered

Worried, Sundance turned to her youngest. “Is something wrong, Twilight?”

“Golden Thunder learned my magic signature when I took the necklace off of Jade Butterfly.” Twilight responded

Sundance gasped “That means he has the ability to block you now!”

Taking a closer look at his youngest, Midnight Armor remarked. “You don’t look worried.”

“I’m not.” Twilight replied “We know that he doesn’t have a way to block Magic’s power.”

After a moment, Midnight Armor reluctantly replied “Unfortunately, we have to assume that he’ll find a way to do that.”

“You’re right, Father.” Celestia said slowly

Worried, Sundance asked “Do you have a plan for dealing with that?”

“Yes, Mom” Twilight responded “Magic and I completed the first step of our plan a few minutes ago.”

When Twilight didn’t explain further, Midnight Armor asked “What did you do?”

“We helped my friends contact the spirits of their Elements.” Twilight answered “Now the girls can talk to them like I do with Magic.”

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl gasped in surprise.

Confused, Artemis asked “How is that going to help us stop Golden Thunder from taking Mother and Father’s souls?”

“The girls, the spirits of our Elements and I have come up with a plan.” Twilight answered “It’s rather extreme, so we’re only going to use it as a last resort.”

“What did you come up with?” Celestia asked

“Magic thinks it’s vital that Mom and Dad are protected, remember?” Twilight asked

Everyone either nodded or briefly brightened

“Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Kindness apparently feel the same way.” Twilight continued

She must be referring to the spirits of the other Elements of Harmony. “What makes you say that?” Sundance asked

Twilight looked at Sundance’s star “At first, it was just Celestia, Artemis, Magic and I working together to protect you.”

Confused, Midnight Armor asked “At first?”

Twilight nodded “After I explained everything to the girls, they decided to join us. The spirits of their Elements have agreed to help as well.”

Celestia gasped “Y-you mean . . .”

Twilight nodded again “If Golden Thunder discovers a way to block her power, Magic will tell the spirits of the other Elements. They will tell the girls what’s going on. Then everyone will lend me their power so that I can use the Elements of Harmony.”

Celestia, Artemis, Sundance and Midnight Armor were too stunned to reply.

“W-well,” Star Swirl said slowly “Golden Thunder shouldn’t be able to block that.”

Eyes wide, Celestia sat down “I-I think it’s safe to say that Golden Thunder won’t be getting Mother and Father’s souls any time soon.”

Also needing to sit down, Artemis nodded “A-actually, with all of us working together, I don’t think he’ll ever get them.”

“That’s the point.” Twilight replied

Everypony stared at her in stunned silence. After a few minutes, Midnight Armor’s star brightened.

Twilight gasped in surprise when she suddenly noticed that she was surrounded with their father’s magic. “I-is something wrong, Dad?” D-did I upset him?

Too choked up to speak, Midnight Armor levitated his youngest closer to his older children. Knowing what their father wanted them to do, Celestia and Artemis pulled Twilight into a tight hug.

Artemis whispered “When Mother and Father are in their star forms, they can’t hug us themselves.”

Nuzzling her sister, Celestia quietly continued “This is what they do instead.”

Deciding that he wanted to sleep among the stars, Artemis created a cloud under them and lay down, pulling Twilight down with him. Laying down as well, Celestia spread a wing over her siblings. It wasn’t long before all three of them were asleep.

Watching her children sleep, Sundance spoke softly. “I did not expect Twilight and her friends to do that.”

“Neither did I.” Midnight Armor quietly replied “Regardless, they’ve come up with a plan that will be very effective at protecting our souls.”

In the Dream Realm, Artemis turned his attention to the dreams of the foals of Equestria. I wasn’t able to sense the nightmares of the foals of Equestria while we were in the Crystal Empire. Now that I’m back, I’d better get to work.

The first nightmare he found was Jade Butterfly’s. Shaking his head, he entered her dream and looked around. This must be Golden Flash’s house. I’ve never been there before, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find the filly. Walking down the hall, he poked his head into the kitchen, dining room and living room.

Not finding anypony, he headed for the stairs. Just as he was about to go upstairs, he heard a noise. Glancing around, he noticed another staircase. Could she be in the basement? Hearing a scream from the floor below, he walked down the stairs. Turning left, he saw that Jade Butterfly was curled into a little ball on the floor. Before he could say anything, he heard Golden Thunder’s voice. That’s strange. It sounds like he’s really here. How is that possible?

Golden Thunder walked towards Jade Butterfly from the other side of the basement. He was so focused on the filly that he didn’t notice Artemis. “You were supposed to stay in the house! I told you that I would take the necklace off when I got back.”

Jade Butterfly whimpered “B-but it was hurting me!”

“Prince Artemis, Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight may be protecting you when you’re awake.” Golden Thunder growled “However, thanks to the Dream Walking Spell, I can still punish you in your dreams.”

Dream Walking Spell? I didn’t know that such a thing existed. I’ll have to ask Celestia about that later. Stepping out of the shadows, Artemis placed a shield over Jade Butterfly before turning to Golden Thunder. “You will not torment this filly any longer, Golden Thunder!”

Gasping in surprise, Golden Thunder turned to Artemis. “P-prince Artemis?! H-how is it possible for you to be here?!”

Artemis laughed “I’m the Prince of the Night, remember? In addition to taking care of my moon and Night Sky, I have the ability to Dream Walk. This means that I can enter the dream of anypony in Equestria.”

Shocked, Golden Thunder opened his mouth. However, before he could say anything, Artemis turned to Jade Butterfly. “Don’t worry, I’m going to take him out of your dream.” He smiled at the filly “I’ll be right back, alright?”

Shaking, Jade Butterfly nodded “Y-yes, Prince Artemis.”

Artemis and Golden Thunder vanished

In Golden Thunder’s dream, he opened his eyes and looked around. “What just happened?!”

“Simple” Artemis replied, materializing in front of him “I brought you into your own dream.”

“B-but I’m not asleep!” Golden Thunder stammered

Artemis smirked “You are now.” Can you hear me, Night?

Of course. I assume you have a plan for this pathetic excuse for a stallion?

Yes. I thought I’d let you have a little fun with him while I take care of the filly that he was tormenting.

Night laughed I’m going to enjoy this.

How long will it take you to get here?

I’ll be right there.

Artemis returned his attention to Golden Thunder. “How much do you know about my recent past?”

Surprised, Golden Thunder replied “Golden Flash told me that you were taken over by Nightmare Forces and sealed in the moon for a thousand years.”

Nodding, Artemis asked “What was that form called?”

Not sure where Artemis was going with this, Golden Thunder answered “Night-Terror Knight”

“You called?”

Golden Thunder jumped “W-who said that?!”

Night materialized next to Artemis. “Hello, Golden Thunder.”

“T-the Elements of Harmony defeated you!” Golden Thunder exclaimed, backing up several feet “H-how could you be here?!”

Artemis laughed “The Elements of Harmony purified both of us before binding our souls together. This means that he never left my body . . . in fact, he can’t.”

“W-what?!” Golden Thunder shouted, shocked

“Now then,” Artemis continued “I need to take care of Jade Butterfly, but I’ve made sure that you won’t be alone.”

Night stepped forward “I’ve been told that you like nightmares. Therefore, I’ve created a special one for you.”

Taking several steps back, Golden Thunder stammered “T-that’s not necessary.”

Artemis let out a sinister chuckle “I’ll leave the two of you to your fun.” Make sure he regrets messing with that filly, Night.

Don’t worry, I will. Go take care of her.

Artemis vanished, leaving Golden Thunder alone with Night.

Artemis reappeared in Jade Butterfly’s dream. The first thing he did was change her dream. The basement was replaced by a lovely field of flowers next to a river. Walking to her side, he lay down next to her and covered her with a wing.

Jade Butterfly jumped when she felt feathers slide across her back. Opening her eyes, she looked around in shock. After a few minutes, she smiled “Pretty!”

“I’m glad you like it.” Artemis said softly “Would you like me to bring your mother into your dream?”

Turning to him, her eyes widened “C-can you really do that?” When Artemis nodded, she said “Yes, please!”

Nodding again, Artemis lit his horn.

Surprised at the sudden change, Amethyst Rose looked around for a few minutes. Noticing that Artemis was lying next to her daughter, she walked over to them. “Prince Artemis? What’s going on?”

Artemis turned to Jade Butterfly “You’re safe here. Why don’t you go play?”

Squealing in delight, she stood and ran towards the river. As she got closer to it, her eyes widened when she saw a group of butterflies. Changing her mind, she chased them through the field.

After watching her daughter for a moment, Amethyst Rose turned to Artemis. Before she could say anything, he showed her Jade Butterfly’s nightmare. When it was over, she glared at the image. “He was doing what?!”

“There’s no need to worry.” Artemis responded “As you saw, I stopped it before taking him out of her dream.”

Amethyst Rose sighed in relief “Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Prince Artemis.” I’m certainly not complaining, but I’m surprised that he did that. He has no reason to help Jade Butterfly, especially when you consider what Golden Thunder has been doing to his parents.

Artemis smiled “You’re welcome.” Jade Butterfly has nothing to do with the actions of her father or ancestor. Besides, I vowed to protect the foals of Equestria as they sleep.

Artemis stood “Make sure that you bring your daughter to court on Monday.” Seeing the look on her face, he paused. “I assume that look means that Golden Thunder will try to stop you.”

Amethyst Rose nodded “He told both of us that we’re no longer allowed to leave the house.”

Two can play that game . . . and my authority far surpasses his. “Very well.” Artemis replied “I’m going to make it an order. I expect to see you and Jade Butterfly when court opens Monday morning.”

Also standing, Amethyst Rose nodded again “Yes, Prince Artemis”

“There are other foals having nightmares, so I must leave.” Artemis told her “I’ll see both of you Monday morning.” Before she could respond, he vanished.

The next two nightmares were the usual fears of young foals. One was afraid of the dark and another was afraid that he was going to get sucked down the drain in the bathtub. After taking care of both foals, Artemis allowed himself to fall asleep.

Artemis woke to the pull of the moon. Narrowing his eyes, he growled. “I can’t believe he did that!”

Yawning, Celestia opened her eyes. “What are you talking about, Artemis?”

Celestia, Midnight Armor, Sundance and Star Swirl listened while Artemis told them about Jade Butterfly’s nightmare. All four of them had the same reaction. “What?!”

“Why is everypony shouting?”

Startled, Midnight Armor, Sundance, Artemis, Celestia and Star Swirl looked at Twilight in time to see her yawn and open her eyes.

Looking at everypony around her, Twilight asked “Will somepony answer my question, please?”

“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to be so loud.” Artemis responded, nuzzling his mare “As for your question . . .” Touching his horn to hers, he shared his memory of Jade Butterfly’s nightmare.

Twilight just stared at him for a couple of minutes. Shaking her head, she muttered something too softly for even Artemis to hear.

“We didn’t catch that, Twilight.” Midnight Armor said “What did you say?”

“I’m sorry, Dad.” Twilight replied “I’d rather not answer that question. If you heard what I just called Golden Thunder, you’d probably tell me to wash my mouth out with soap.”

After a moment of shock, Midnight Armor laughed. “I doubt it. There’s no way that you could have called him something that I haven’t already thought of myself.”

Everyone else laughed as well.

Celestia and Artemis looked at each other before turning to their parents and Star Swirl.

“Unfortunately, we have to go.” Celestia told them

“That’s alright, we understand.” Sundance responded “Besides, I’ll be speaking with Twilight in a few minutes.”

Nodding, Artemis brought them back to Ponyville.

In Ponyville, the three of them walked onto the balcony. Artemis lowered the moon and stars before Celestia raised the sun.

Not even a minute later, Twilight heard their mother’s voice.

Good morning, Twilight.

Laughing, Twilight replied “Good morning, Mom.”

Turning to her, and laughing as well, Celestia and Artemis said “Good morning, Mother.”

Sundance laughed Good morning, Celestia and Artemis.

As they walked back into the room, Twilight relayed their mother’s message.

Celestia glanced at her brother before nuzzling her sister. “When did you come up with that plan?”

Returning her nuzzle, Twilight asked “Remember when we were discussing what we’d do if Golden Thunder found a way to pull Mom and Dad back to Equestria?”

Artemis nodded

Celestia gasped “That’s when you came up with that plan?!”

Twilight shook her head “That’s just when I got the idea.”

Eyes wide, Artemis asked “W-why didn’t you tell us?!”

“I-I’m sorry.” Twilight replied, ears drooping “It’s just that I wasn’t sure if it was possible. Besides, I had to ask the girls if they’d be willing to help and discuss my idea with Magic. Then Magic and I had to help them connect with the spirits of their Elements.”

Pulling her sister into a tight hug, Celestia whispered “We’re not angry with you, Twilight. We just wish we could have helped you.”

Artemis nodded but, before he could say anything, the three of them turned at a knock on the door. He opened it with his magic to find Spike standing in the hall.

“Everypony else is in the kitchen.” He told them “I’ve reheated a few of the apple muffins that Applejack brought over last night for you, Twi. Everyone else is eating pancakes.”

Celestia, Artemis and Twilight nodded and followed him downstairs.

How did you hide that plan from me? Sundance asked

Twilight chewed her bottom lip. I purposely didn’t think about it during the day. I’m sure this sounds strange, but I did as much of the planning as I could in my dreams. Last night, after Artemis raised the moon and stars, he and Celestia decided to have a private discussion in her room. I used that time to speak with the girls and Magic.

Shocked, Sundance slowly replied I-I see.

In the stars, Sundance flickered “I-I can’t believe she was able to do that.”

“Are you upset that she hid that from you?” Star Swirl asked

“A little.” Sundance answered “Don’t worry, I have no intention of punishing her.”

“Agreed” Midnight Armor added “It would be extremely hard to justify giving her any form of punishment for creating a plan to protect our souls.” A few minutes later, he began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Sundance asked

“Once again, Twilight thought she was going to be wrong about something, but . . .” Midnight Armor couldn’t finish because he was laughing too hard.

Also laughing, Sundance finished her husband’s sentence. “As usual, she was right.”

Star Swirl flickered “I’m starting to wonder if there’s a problem that she can’t find a solution to.”

Still laughing, Sundance and Midnight Armor just briefly brightened.

In Ponyville, Celestia, Artemis, Twilight and Spike joined Velvet and Night Light at the table. When they had finished eating, they followed Spike to Rarity’s boutique.

As they walked inside, Sundance looked around in wonder. Where are you now?

Twilight smiled Rarity’s boutique. She makes clothes, like the dresses that I wore in the Crystal Empire. What you see around us are the fabrics, and other materials, that she uses to make them.

W-wow Sundance said softly

Rarity looked up “Good morning! Spike, will you turn the business sign around, please?”

“Sure” Spike replied, flipping the sign around so that it read “Closed”. Then he walked over to Rarity before turning to everypony else. “You already know that Rarity is making the clothes that everyone will be wearing to Artemis and Twi’s wedding.”

Everyone nodded

“Rarity said that she won’t allow anyone to pay for what Twilight and Artemis will be wearing.” Spike explained “However, I’ve already paid for everything else.”

Everyone gasped

Rarity smiled “I already have measurements for Twilight and Artemis. Princess Celestia, I’d like to get yours next.”

Nodding, Celestia walked to the middle of the room. “Unfortunately, your measuring area is too small for a pony of my size.”

“That’s alright, princess.” Rarity replied “The middle of the room will work just fine.” Before Celestia could say anything else, Rarity levitated over half a dozen measuring tapes.

Everyone watched as Rarity measured every part of Celestia, including her horn and tail.

Noticing everyone’s confusion, Rarity explained “If I decide to include a headpiece, I need to make sure that it will fit around her horn. As for her tail, it wouldn’t look right to have it poking out from under the dress. That means I have to make sure that the dress is long enough to cover it. To do that, I need to know how long her tail is.”

Understanding her point, everyone nodded.

“Now that I have Princess Celestia’s measurements, I must respectfully ask Twilight, Artemis and Princess Celestia to leave.” Seeing their expressions, Rarity answered their question before they could ask it. “I don’t want you to see these until they’re ready for the fitting.”

Nodding, Celestia, Artemis and Twilight turned towards the door. However, before they could leave, Rarity called out to them.

“Wait a minute, Twilight. What’s the theme for your wedding?”

Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight smiled at her friend. “Take a guess.”

After a moment, Rarity smiled as well. “How silly of me. Of course it’s going to be a Night theme. I assume that means the moon and stars will be prominently featured.”

Nuzzling Twilight, Artemis replied “That’s right.”

Everyone, including Sundance, laughed

Celestia smiled at everyone “Why don’t we plan to see everyone for dinner before we return to Canterlot?”

“That’s a good idea.” Artemis responded

Twilight giggled “We’ll see you later then.” Before anyone could say anything else, she teleported herself, Celestia and Artemis to the room she shared with Artemis.

As soon as they arrived, Twilight turned to Celestia and Artemis. However, before she could say anything, she paused when she heard Magic’s voice.

I’m sorry to interrupt your plans for the day, but I need you to come to the Tree of Harmony. Don’t worry, there isn’t anything wrong. I’ll explain more when you get here.

One more thing. I need you to come alone.

Seeing the look on Twilight’s face, Celestia exchanged glances with Artemis. “Is something wrong?”

“Magic wants me to go to the Tree of Harmony.” Twilight slowly replied “She says that there’s nothing wrong, but I need to go alone.”

Artemis’ eyes widened “Why?”

Twilight shrugged “She said that she’ll explain more when I get there.”

Artemis took a deep breath. “Promise me that, if there’s any danger, you’ll contact me immediately.”

Twilight pulled him into a kiss before replying. “I promise.”

Don’t teleport. I can’t explain why right now, but you’ll need all of your magic soon.

“Alright” Twilight said slowly “In that case, I’ll fly.”

Celestia and Artemis followed Twilight onto the balcony and watched her take flight.

Do you know what she wants? Sundance asked

I have no idea. A few minutes later, Twilight landed in front of the entrance to the Cave of Harmony. Walking inside, and stopping near the entrance, she looked at the Tree of Harmony.

Sundance gasped Is that what the Elements of Harmony look like now? When a couple of minutes went by, but Twilight didn’t respond, she asked. Twilight?

Twilight wasn’t intentionally ignoring Sundance. Instead, she had no idea that her mother had spoken. After a few minutes of silence, she tilted her head. I thought Mom would have asked a question by now. Is something wrong with her spell?

Sundance gasped Twilight can’t hear me?! She instantly checked her spell. There’s nothing wrong with the spell or our connection. What’s going on?! Deciding to try again, she spoke a little louder. Twilight?

In the stars, Sundance turned to her husband. “I can hear, and see, what goes on around her. However, she can’t hear me.”

“That’s a problem.” Midnight Armor replied, worried

“Perhaps you should try speaking louder.” Star Swirl commented “She is in a cave.”

“It’s extremely unlikely,” Sundance said slowly “but I suppose it’s possible that the roof of the cave is blocking my voice.” She paused thoughtfully “How loud do you think I should get, Midnight?”

Midnight Armor thought for a moment. “Start at normal speaking levels and slowly work your way up to the Royal Voice.”

Sundance gasped “Do you have any idea how much pain that’s going to cause her?! I don’t want to hurt our daughter, Midnight!”

“I know, Honey.” He said softly “I really hope you don’t need to use the Royal Voice, but it might come to that. We need to reestablish communication between the two of you. What if something happens? She may need your advice . . . or you may need to protect her.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Sundance replied, reluctantly doing as her husband suggested. She even tried adding magic to her voice. Unfortunately, Twilight didn’t respond to anything . . . even the Royal Voice.

In the Cave of Harmony, Magic shuddered Harmony, she’s powerful. I really hope Sundance doesn’t do that again.

Magic paused W-wait a minute. When I release my spell, my bearer is going to hear what Sundance just did. She gasped In fact, Twilight Sparkle is going to hear her mother yelling inside her head! H-her head is going to feel like Tartarus exploded!

She shuddered again Unfortunately, there isn’t anything I can do to stop it. I’ll just have to warn her before I release my spell. For now, I’d better get on with the reason I called her here.

Thank you for coming so quickly.

Don’t worry, the spell that Sundance cast on you is working just fine. She can still hear and see what goes on around you. However, I’m blocking any messages from her because I don’t want you to be distracted. I assure you that this is a temporary measure and promise that I will release my spell when you’ve completed your task.

Twilight’s eyes widened “You’re not letting me hear Mom’s voice because you think she’ll distract me?!”

What?! Sundance asked, shocked What is it that Magic doesn’t want me to distract Twilight from?!

Twilight tilted her head “You said that Mom can still hear me, right?”

Yes

“She’s probably really worried right now.” Twilight said slowly “Is it alright if I explain what you’ve done?”

Of course. Magic instantly replied I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. She gasped again Sundance probably wouldn’t have done that if I’d explained what my spell was going to do before I cast it.

Oh no. T-this means that it’s my fault that my bearer will be in pain later.

Sundance laughed I should have known that Twilight would do this.

“As you just heard, I can’t hear you because of whatever spell Magic cast. Don’t worry, she promised that she’ll release her spell as soon as I complete the task that she has for me.”

Sundance sighed in relief. Good. For now, I’ll just watch what Twilight does. After a couple of minutes, she continued. Actually, I might be able to figure out what spell Magic used.

Magic froze when she felt Sundance’s magic again. What is she doing this time? After a minute, she sighed in relief. I see. She wants to know what spell I used. I don’t have a problem with that, as long as she doesn’t try to terminate it.

Sundance carefully tested Magic’s spell. Once she realized which one it was, she took a few minutes to remember exactly what it did.

In the stars, Sundance gasped, suddenly horrified. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” Midnight Armor asked

“I-I know what spell Magic used.” Sundance whispered “More importantly, I know what’s going to happen to Twilight.”

Worried, Midnight Armor asked “What are you talking about?”

“W-we already know that her spell blocks any communication from me to Twilight.” Sundance shakily explained “It does this by creating an unbreakable wall of magic in the line of communication from me to Twilight. When Magic releases her spell, that wall will suddenly vanish. As soon as it does, Twilight will hear everything that I’ve said to her since Magic cast her spell.”

Somewhere between shocked and horrified, Midnight Armor echoed his wife. “Oh no.”

Concerned, Star Swirl asked “What am I missing?”

“Twilight is going to hear me yelling, in the Royal Voice, inside her head.” Sundance said softly

Shocked, Star Swirl responded “S-she’s going to have a terrible headache.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Midnight Armor said quietly “And I’m the one who told Sundance to do it.”

“I didn’t have to listen to you, Midnight.” Sundance whispered

Star Swirl’s star dimmed “I’m the one who suggested that you speak louder.”

In the Cave of Harmony, satisfied that Sundance wasn’t going to try to break her spell again, Magic returned her attention to Twilight.

Please come closer to the Tree of Harmony.

Nodding, Twilight walked forward until she was standing right in front of the Tree of Harmony. “What’s going on, Magic?”

In the stars, Sundance and Midnight Armor turned to each other.

“Did you hear that?” Sundance asked

“Yes.” Midnight Armor replied “We should tell our children this time.” Before Sundance could respond, he turned to Star Swirl. “Please send a message to Artemis. Tell him that he and Celestia need to come here immediately.”

“Please make sure that you also tell him not to bring Twilight, or contact her at all.” Sundance added Actually, I don’t think Artemis can contact Twilight right now. It’s quite likely that Magic is blocking all communication to Twilight. Additionally, she might have sealed the cave so that nopony else can enter.

If I’m right, whatever task she has for Twilight must be very important. I hope it’s not another problem.

Surprised, Star Swirl spoke slowly “I can do that.” He paused “You are going to explain what’s going on, right?”

Sundance briefly brightened “We’ll tell you what we know when Celestia and Artemis get here.”

“Very well” Star Swirl responded. After gathering the necessary magic, he sent a message to Artemis.

In Ponyville, Celestia and Artemis were looking up at the ceiling of Twilight and Artemis’ room when Star Swirl’s message appeared in front of Artemis.

Your parents want you and Celestia to come to their stars immediately. Do not contact Twilight, or bring her with you. I’m not sure what’s going on, but your parents have promised to explain it when both of you get here.

Celestia and Artemis read the message several times before it faded. Thoroughly confused, they looked at each other for a moment before shrugging. Without a word, Artemis brought both of them to their parents’ stars.

In the stars, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl saw a flash of moonlight and turned to see that Celestia and Artemis were standing in front of them.

Taking a couple of steps forward, Celestia asked. “What’s going on?”

“And why did you tell me not to bring Twilight?” Artemis added, joining his sister

Sundance and Midnight Armor explained what had happened in the time since Twilight arrived in the Cave of Harmony. They watched as both of their older children suddenly sat down.

Celestia shuddered “S-she’s going to be in a lot of pain when Magic cancels that spell.”

“A-and we won’t be able to give her any medicine.” Artemis continued, shuddering as well

“I know” Sundance said softly, her star dimming “I-I wasn’t trying to hurt her, I just-”

“It’s alright, Mother.” Celestia interrupted “We understand. You didn’t know what Magic had done and were just trying to get through to Twilight.” Taking a deep breath, she continued “We need to figure out a way to ease the pain that she’ll be in.”

Artemis thought for a moment. “The last time she had a bad headache, I warmed the muscles in her head. I made sure to focus on the ones around her horn. She said that helped.”

“That’s what you did?” Midnight Armor asked “I thought you-”

“You’re right, Father.” Artemis quickly replied “That’s what I did next.”

Midnight Armor chuckled “I see. Both were good ideas.”

Artemis turned to his sister “We’ll need to work together to help her.”

Celestia nodded to Artemis before turning back to their parents. “I doubt that’s the only reason you called us here.”

Sundance briefly brightened “You’re right, Celestia. There’s something that your father and I haven’t told either of you. We’re not sure why, but we can hear anything that’s said around the Tree of Harmony.”

Celestia and Artemis gasped “Really?!”

Sundance and Midnight Armor briefly brightened

“The most recent time, aside from today, was when Twilight returned to Elements to the Tree of Harmony.” Midnight Armor explained “We couldn’t see anything, so we had no idea what was going on. Additionally, we hadn’t met Twilight yet, so we didn’t recognize her voice.”

Celestia tilted her head “You said “aside from today”, Father?”

Sundance briefly brightened again “That’s right. Your father and I can hear Twilight speaking right now. Before you say anything, it has nothing to do with my spell. Instead, it sounds like she’s standing right next to us.” Well, that’s not entirely accurate. It actually sounds like she’s almost directly above us. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to tell them that without them thinking that I’ve lost my mind.

Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl gasped

Turning to Star Swirl, Sundance asked. “Is it possible to cast your spell so that Celestia and Artemis can watch what Twilight does?”

Surprised, Star Swirl replied “I’ve never tried to use my spell like that, but it’s worth a try. Give me a moment.” I’ll use some of the extra magic that Twilight gave me the other night. “This will be a little different than how it looks for us. Even so, you should be seeing something momentarily.”

Celestia and Artemis gasped when a sphere of magic appeared in front of them. Looking inside it, they saw Twilight standing in front of the Tree of Harmony.

In the Cave of Harmony, Twilight tilted her head. “Magic?”

I’m here, Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Please call me Twilight. Hearing you constantly use my full name is getting annoying.”

Magic laughed Very well.

Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to tell you exactly what’s going on. However, I CAN tell you that you must carefully examine your surroundings.

Twilight blinked “You want me to carefully examine the Cave of Harmony?”

That’s right.

“Okay” Twilight slowly replied, looking around her “I don’t see anything unusual.” She sent a wave of magic through the cave. “Still nothing.” She tilted her head “Well, that was only above ground.” Scanning the stone under her hooves, she said “Nothing unusual there either.”

Magic didn’t respond. Come on, Twilight. You have to figure this out for yourself. She watched Twilight slowly turn to face the Tree of Harmony again.

“How close to the Tree of Harmony am I allowed to scan?” Twilight hesitantly asked

You are completely unrestricted.

Surprised, Twilight just stared at the Tree of Harmony for a couple of minutes. Then she shrugged. “Alright. In that case, I’ll scan the Tree of Harmony as well.” Carefully scanning the part she could see, she frowned. “Nothing.” She thought for a moment before shrugging again. “I probably won’t find anything but, just to make sure that I cover everything, I’ll scan the roots of the Tree of Harmony as well.”

Magic struggled to contain her excitement. That’s exactly what I want you to do, Twilight.

Unaware of this, Twilight scanned the roots of the Tree of Harmony. “Wow. This root system is much larger than I expected a tree of that size to have. Wait. What’s that?” Closing her eyes, she focused her magic. “That’s weird. It looks like the roots of the Tree of Harmony are wrapped around a large sphere of magic.”

In the stars, Celestia and Artemis looked at each other in confusion. After a moment, both of them asked the same thing. “A sphere of magic?”

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl were just as surprised.

“I have no idea why that would be there.” Sundance commented

Flickering, Midnight Armor remarked “Neither do I.”

Shrugging, Celestia and Artemis turned their attention back to what Twilight was doing.

In the Cave of Harmony, Twilight asked “Why is there a sphere of magic under the Tree of Harmony?” When Magic didn’t answer, she sighed “I guess I’ll have to figure it out myself.”

Twilight reexamined the results of her scan. “I used the most powerful ground-penetrating scan I know, but it wasn’t able to tell me anything specific about the sphere of magic. That means that I have to go down there.” She hesitated “Am I allowed to do that?”

You are completely unrestricted.

“Fine.” Twilight replied, gathering her magic

Surprised, Magic watched her bearer slowly sink into the ground as if it was made of quicksand instead of stone. How did she do that?

Once she was sure she was completely underground, Twilight glanced around. Not seeing anything, she commented. “It’s possible that I got turned around a little. I need to figure out which direction the Tree of Harmony is in.”

Magic struggled not to laugh. I can help with that.

Twilight was surprised when she saw a flash of magic off to the right. Instantly recognizing it, she giggled. “Thanks, Magic.” She must really want me to figure this out. Walking in the direction that Magic had indicated, she slowly began to make out the roots of the Tree of Harmony.

As she got closer, she saw the true size of the sphere of magic. Eyes wide, she just stared at it for a minute. “It’s as big as a house!” Looking through the pale blue surface, she gasped. “There’s something inside the sphere of magic! No, two things.” Chewing her lip again, she asked “Am I allowed to go inside?”

You are completely unrestricted.

Twilight sighed “Maybe I should stop asking.” Shaking her head, she began to walk around the sphere of magic. “What’s the best way to get inside? It has some sort of skin on the surface, so walking through it isn’t a good idea. Teleporting isn’t a good idea either because-” She suddenly stopped walking, and speaking. Instead, she just stared at the vertical line of magic that had appeared in front of her.

Twilight watched this gradually create an opening in the sphere of magic. “That’s not Magic’s power. Somepony else wants me to go inside.”

Her eyed widened when the roots around her began to glow. “T-the Tree of Harmony wants me to go into the sphere of magic?!”

The roots glowed again

“I-I’ll take that as a yes.” Twilight slowly replied, walking through the opening. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched it close behind her. If things get bad, I can always teleport out. I hope.

She began to walk towards the two objects that she’d seen earlier. As she got a little closer, she gasped “They’re not objects, they’re ponies!”

When she got close enough to identify them, her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Stopping in her tracks, she just stared at them for several minutes. Eventually, she managed to whisper two words. “No way”

Sundance and Midnight Armor were floating in a small sphere of magic. This seemed to float in the center of the larger one. Neither of them turned towards her, or opened their eyes. In fact, it was almost as if they didn’t even know that she was there.

Sundance was too stunned to think, let alone speak. Instead, she just stared at what appeared to be the bodies of herself and her husband. After a couple of minutes, she managed to shake herself from her shock enough to notice that Twilight had started walking again.

Slowly walking around her parents, Twilight examined them carefully. Reaching through the smaller sphere of magic, she nuzzled both of them. “T-they’re not illusions. T-these really are Mom and Dad’s bodies.” This is really strange. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that Mom and Dad weren’t dead. I-I mean, it looks like they’re just sleeping.

Twilight gasped when she realized what she’d just thought. Even though she knew that she wouldn’t be able to hear Sundance’s response, she quickly said. I’m sorry, Mom.

Sundance wasn’t offended at all. Twilight has a good point. Midnight and I died fifteen hundred years ago. This means that there shouldn’t be anything left of our bodies. Why does it look like we could wake up at any moment?

By this point, Twilight was in front of her parents again. Lost in thought, she accidentally bumped into Sundance’s chest. Realizing what she’d just done, she automatically said I’m sorry, Mom.

Sundance laughed I don’t have a problem with that. Instead, I wish I could move my body because I’d love to really hug her.

Twilight suddenly froze T-that felt like . . . N-no, that can’t be right.

Sundance watched Twilight place an ear to her chest and listen for a few minutes. Why did she do that? Confused, she looked on as her youngest did the same thing to her father. Why does she look so shocked?

Suddenly sitting down, Twilight whispered “I-it’s so soft that, if I hadn’t bumped into Mom like that, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it.”

“A-as impossible as this sounds, Mom and Dad are breathing . . . and their hearts are beating. That means . . .” Eyes wide, she gasped again “T-they’re alive!”

In the stars, Midnight Armor, Sundance, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl stared at each other in stunned silence. After a couple of minutes, all of them shouted the same thing.

“WHAT?!”

Not bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes, Celestia asked “W-what does this mean?!”

Eyes wide, Artemis shook his head “I-I’m not sure.” S-should I really believe what I just heard?!

Sundance turned to her husband. “H-how is this possible?!”

“I-it shouldn’t be possible at all!” Midnight Armor answered, voice shaking “W-we used the last of our magic, remember?!”

Everyone’s attention was drawn back to the Cave of Harmony when Twilight raised her voice. “What’s going on, Magic?!”

“That’s a very good question.” Star Swirl remarked

Sundance and Midnight Armor briefly brightened while Celestia and Artemis nodded.

“Knowing Twilight,” Celestia said slowly “she’s not going to stop until she finds the answer.” Glancing at her brother, she continued “And we’re going to help her.”

Still staring at the bodies of their parents, Artemis just nodded.

Sundance and Midnight Armor immediately replied “Good”

In the Cave of Harmony, Twilight listened for several minutes. “I guess Magic wants me to discover the answer to that myself.” She thought for a few minutes. “Am I allowed to cast spells on Mom and Dad?”

You are completely unrestricted.

Twilight rolled her eyes “Why am I not surprised?” Standing, she walked in front of her parents before turning to face them. “Unfortunately, none of the spells that I know are thorough enough to give me the answers that I want.” She shook her head “That just means I need to create one that will give me the information that I need.”

Everyone watched Twilight create, and carefully test, her new spell. Satisfied, she took a deep breath. “This is going to take a lot of magic, but I don’t care. I can rest later.” She cast her new spell on both of her parents before sitting down again.

Knowing that Sundance was listening, she explained “The spell that I just cast on you and Dad is a combination of a diagnostic spell and a magic scan. I did this because . . . well, I want to know what’s going on. I asked Magic, but she didn’t answer me.”

Curious, Sundance examined Twilight’s spell. Extremely impressed, she commented I didn’t know that it was possible to create a spell like that.

Twilight’s magic scan isn’t as in-depth as mine, but that doesn’t surprise me. After all, I have centuries of experience. What does surprise me is the fact that it’s far more detailed than a pony of her age and experience should be able to create.

Twilight tilted her head “I wonder how Mom and Dad’s bodies got down here. I mean, I highly doubt that Celestia and Artemis did this. Besides, if they knew about this, they would have told me about it by now.” She gasped when she felt a sudden surge of magic before her eyes turned white.

Worried, Sundance waited for her youngest to do, or say, something. Magic won’t hurt Twilight . . . I hope.

Fifteen minutes later, Twilight shook her head before blinking several times. “W-where did that come from? More importantly, did what I just saw really happen?”

The roots of the Tree of Harmony began to glow again.

Twilight turned to the nearest one. “That’s happened several times today. I wonder why it’s doing that.” She thought for a few minutes. “The Elements of Harmony have spirits, so I guess it’s possible that the Tree of Harmony has one as well. If so, that may be the spirit of the Tree of Harmony’s way of communicating with me.”

The roots of the Tree of Harmony glowed again, much brighter this time.

Surprised, Twilight hesitantly said “One flash for yes and two flashes for no. Was I right?”

The roots flashed once.

“O-okay.” Twilight slowly responded “What do you want me to call you?”

She says that she’d like you to call her Harmony.

I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s probably best if I just go with it. Maybe I’ll get some answers soon. “Are you the one who sent me that vision, Harmony?”

The roots flashed once.

“A-alright” Twilight replied “I highly doubt that Harmony sent me a false vision.” She tilted her head. “I’m sure that Mom and Dad are curious. Is it alright if I describe the vision for them?”

Harmony asked me to tell you that she doesn’t have a problem with you doing that. She also asked me to tell you that Celestia and Artemis are in the stars with your parents and Star Swirl. All five of them are aware of what you’ve done, and discovered, so far.

However, Harmony says that you can’t tell anyone else yet.

Nodding, Twilight lay down in front of her parents. Why did Harmony say that I can’t tell anyone else yet? Does this mean that she wants me to tell someone else? If so, who else needs to know? And when should I tell them? She shrugged I doubt Magic will tell me now, so I’ll have to ask about that later.

Magic struggled to suppress her laughter I should have known that she would catch that.

Turning her attention to her family and Star Swirl, Twilight said. “There was a lot in that vision, so it’s going to take a while to explain. Harmony says that I can tell the five of you, but we have to keep it a secret from everyone else.”

“It’s probably going to be a few minutes before I get the results of my spell.” Twilight added “While I wait, I’ll describe the vision I just saw.”

In the stars, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “The five of us?”

Artemis shrugged “Perhaps Magic, or Harmony, told her that we’re here with Mother, Father and Star Swirl.”

Seeing his point, Celestia nodded “You’re probably right.”

Celestia and Artemis lay down on the cloud that Artemis created under them. Then they, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl turned their attention back to Twilight.

A few minutes later, Twilight hesitantly said “This begins towards the end of that battle, so I know that it’s going to bring back unpleasant memories for four of you. I’m sorry, but this is important.”

Midnight Armor flickered “She’s worried that?”

“I’m not surprised.” Sundance said softly “She knows that we don’t like to discuss that topic.” She paused “I know we said that we didn’t want to discuss those events for a couple of centuries, but I’m willing to make an exception for this.”

“Same here” Midnight Armor replied “Twilight’s right. This is important . . . especially if her vision explained why our bodies appear to be alive.”

Celestia and Artemis nodded

Celestia, Artemis, Midnight Armor, Sundance and Star Swirl turned their attention back to Twilight.

“When both of you used the last of your magic, your bodies began to glow.” Twilight began “I noticed that when I saw Mom’s memory, but thought it meant that the last of your magic was leaving your bodies. According the vision, it actually meant that Harmony had placed a small amount of magic in your bodies. However, she made sure that you couldn’t use it.”

Everypony gasped

“That was just enough magic to keep both of you alive.” Twilight continued “Nopony realized this because you fell to the ground as soon as the shield shattered. As a result, everypony thought you were dead. In reality, both of you fell to the ground because most of your magic had left your bodies so quickly that you had gone into shock. Even though you were still alive, both of you were close enough to death that the Chimera Anima was able to pull your souls from your bodies.”

Twilight tilted her head “I don’t think she did this on purpose, but the shield that Celestia used to protect your bodies was opaque. That meant nopony could see your bodies. Harmony took the opportunity to cast a Stasis Spell on both of you before you took what would have been your final breaths.”

After a couple of minutes, Twilight hesitantly added “I don’t know why, but Celestia and Artemis buried both of you just inside the Cave of Harmony.”

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl gasped

Watching Twilight suddenly close her eyes, Sundance focused her attention on her youngest. After a moment, she said “She’s looking at the results of her spell. That means we should have a few minutes.”

“Good.” Midnight Armor responded

Turning to Celestia and Artemis, Sundance asked “Why did you do that?”

Celestia bowed her head “I-I’m sorry, Mother. Neither of us thought to scan your bodies, so we didn’t know that you were still alive.”

“That’s not what your mother was asking.” Midnight Armor replied “Why did you chose that location to bury us?”

“After I placed your souls in the Night Sky, Celestia and I turned our attention to the citizens of Equestria.” Artemis responded “They had two very different ideas of what we should do with your bodies. Half of the population wanted us to create a memorial and bury you near the castle. The other half wanted us to make another Chimera Anima and allow it to eat your bodies.”

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl gasped

Surprising both of his parents, Artemis growled. “They even demanded that I allow it to eat your souls.”

For a moment, Sundance and Midnight Armor were too shocked to speak. When they regained their voices, both of them shouted “What?!”

“They thought that would allow both of you to keep protecting the kingdom.” Celestia explained “Naturally, Artemis and I immediately said “No”. However, we liked the memorial idea. In fact, we quickly created the plans and were about to start building it.”

Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl were surprised when she growled as well.

“That’s when we found out that a large group of ponies was planning to steal your bodies and make a Chimera Anima themselves.” She continued “To avoid letting them get their hooves on the two of you, we buried you in the one place that we knew nopony would look.”

Artemis nodded “However, as Twilight said, we buried both of you just inside the entrance of the cave. I have no idea how your bodies ended up under the Tree of Harmony.”

Celestia shook her head “I don’t either.”

“This worked out perfectly.” Sundance commented “Twilight just thought that she should get back to the explanation.” She laughed “In fact, she thinks I’m angry with her for taking so long.”

Midnight Armor, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl laughed as well.

“Sorry about that.” Twilight said “The results actually came at a good time because they answered some of my questions.”

She listened for a moment before laughing. “Magic says that Harmony was very happy when Celestia and Artemis basically brought the two of you right to her.”

Celestia, Artemis, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl laughed as well.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued “after Celestia and Artemis left the cave, Harmony moved your bodies to their current locations. Then she, and the spirits of the Elements, created the spheres of magic around you. Once they were finished, Harmony released the Stasis Spell before quickly casting a Life Support Spell on both of you. That’s why both of you are breathing and have heartbeats . . . even though your souls aren’t in your bodies.”

“It would require a very powerful Life Support Spell to keep bodies alive without their souls.” Sundance commented, turning to her husband “In fact, I’m certain that not even our children would be able to accomplish that.”

“You’re right.” Midnight Armor agreed “However, because it was done by the Spirit of the Tree of Harmony, the magic requirement probably wasn’t a problem.”

“That’s true.” Sundance replied “But there’s something that confuses me. Harmony must have a very good reason to expend the kind of power necessary to keep our bodies alive . . . especially over fifteen hundred years. I’d really like to know what that reason is.”

Everypony nodded, or briefly brightened, before returning their attention to Twilight. They looked on as she listened to Magic for a few minutes. “Artemis kept your souls alive while Harmony did the same for your bodies.” She smiled “According to Harmony, this means that neither of you are dead. You’re just living a little differently than everyone else.”

Sundance, Midnight Armor, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl gasped.

In the Cave of Harmony, Twilight tilted her head. I don’t think they’re going to complain, but Mom, Dad, Celestia and Artemis probably want to know why Harmony did all of that.

Don’t you want to know as well?

Of course! Twilight immediately replied I didn’t include myself in that list because they’re the ones who’ve really been affected by Harmony’s actions.

Magic giggled I see. To answer your question, Harmony has a plan for your parents. Before you ask, it does not include either of them dying. In fact . . .

In the stars, Midnight Armor, Artemis, Celestia and Star Swirl turned to Sundance.

“I can hear Twilight’s half of the conversation.” Sundance commented, her star flickering “Unfortunately, it’s not telling me anything. Perhaps I can-” She was cut off by a startled shout from Twilight.

“That’s what Harmony has planned?!”

Concerned, everyone turned their attention back to what was going on in the Cave of Harmony.

After thinking for a couple of minutes, Twilight gasped “That’s why you’ve been helping me protect Mom and Dad’s souls, isn’t it? I-if that plan is going to work, Harmony needs their souls and their bodies to be alive.”

Curious, Midnight Armor, Sundance, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl watched Twilight listen to Magic.

“N-not at all.” Twilight stammered “I-I don’t think they will either.” She listened for a moment before narrowing her eyes. “After telling me that, you’re saying that I can’t tell them?!”

Confused, everyone looked at each other for a minute before turning back to Twilight.

She listened for a few more minutes. “Fine. How long do I have to wait before I can tell them about Harmony’s plan?” After another minute or so, Twilight frowned. “I don’t like this, but I’ll do as you’ve asked.”

Looking at the expression on her sister’s face, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Twilight really doesn’t like whatever Magic just told her.”

“You’re right.” Sundance said slowly “Magic is blocking me from hearing some of Twilight’s thoughts, but I can still hear most of them.”

Curious, Artemis asked “What is she thinking?”

“She did not like being told that she can’t tell us about whatever they’re discussing.” Sundance answered “Additionally, Twilight isn’t happy that Magic won’t give her a specific answer to her question. Apparently, Magic simply told her that she’ll be allowed to tell us at some point this year.”

“No wonder Twilight’s annoyed.” Artemis remarked

Midnight Armor flickered “If I hadn’t seen Twilight angry a few days ago, I’d have trouble believing that she isn’t angry now.”

Sundance giggled “Twilight doesn’t know it, but she scared Star Swirl.”

If Star Swirl was in his pony form, his face would have been bright red. “No, she didn’t!”

“You said that she’s scarier than Artemis.” Midnight Armor reminded him, chuckling

“She was!” Star Swirl instantly replied “I’ve never seen Artemis or Celestia that angry!”

Sundance, Midnight Armor, Celestia and Artemis laughed

In the Cave of Harmony, Twilight had been silent for a couple of minutes. Finally, she said “There’s something I’d like to ask you, Magic.”

Of course.

“Why did you call me here?” Twilight asked “I’m very glad you did. It's just that I don't understand why you forced me to discover this now.”

That’s a very good question. Sundance commented

There are several answers to that question, but the main one is that Harmony and I need your help.

Shocked, Twilight asked “T-the two of you need my help?!”

Sundance was just as shocked. That’s . . . unexpected.

Magic laughed at the expression on her bearer’s face. Yes, Twilight.

Harmony, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness and I have done everything that we can. However, for our plan to work, there are a couple of spells that we need. Unfortunately, neither of them currently exist. After watching you create your spells, we knew that you would be able to help us.

“I see.” Twilight said slowly “I’ll create the spells you need . . . as long as they won’t hurt Mom and Dad.” She glanced at Sundance and Midnight Armor’s bodies. “They’ve been through enough of that.”

Not sure what to say, Sundance just stared at her youngest.

Thank you, Twilight. I promise, we have no intention of harming either of them.

“Very well.” Twilight responded “Let’s start with the first spell. What do you want it to do?”

In the stars, Sundance and Midnight Armor turned to each other.

Sundance’s star flickered “I’m not sure which surprises me more. The fact that Magic and Harmony need her help . . .”

“Or that Twilight only agreed to create the spells they need after they assured her that we wouldn’t be harmed.” Midnight Armor finished, flickering as well

Celestia smiled “The second part doesn’t surprise me.”

Surprised, Sundance and Midnight Armor turned to their eldest. “Why not?”

Celestia’s smile widened “She’s very protective over her friends and family.”

Before Sundance and Midnight Armor could respond, they heard Twilight’s voice. Everypony turned their attention to what she was saying.

“You want me to create a spell that will move Mom and Dad’s bodies?” Twilight asked, clearly confused “Why would you want me to move them?”

“Good question.” Midnight Armor remarked

They watched as Twilight listened to Magic.

“I see.” Twilight said slowly “We have to assume that Golden Thunder might discover that their bodies are here. You want me to be able to move them to a safer location if he does.”

Celestia took a deep breath “I didn’t think about that.”

“I didn’t either.” Sundance said softly “In that case, having Twilight create such a spell is a good idea.”

Twilight listened for a few more minutes. “All right. I understand what you want this spell to do.”

Thirty minutes later

Twilight spread her wings, sighing in pleasure when a joint popped, before folding them again. “The spell is ready. If we need to move them, Celestia, Artemis and I will get everything ready. Then I’ll cast the spell that I just created.”

After listening for a moment, she shook her head. “Harmony doesn’t need to worry. I made sure that my spell won’t interrupt her Life Support Spell.” After listening for another minute, Twilight replied “I’ll get to that in a minute. There’s something else that I need to do, and I want to do it before I forget.” Before anyone could ask, she cast a spell on her parents’ bodies.

Everyone watched as Sundance and Midnight Armor’s bodies briefly glowed with Twilight’s magenta magic before returning to normal.

Twilight stood and stretched before asking her next question. “Now that that’s done, what do you want the second spell to do?”

The answer turned out to be a lengthy one. Five minutes later, Twilight gasped in surprise. Taking a deep breath, she slowly replied “I-I’ll definitely create that spell as well, but I won’t be able to do so until next week.”

Curious, Artemis asked “Why does she need to wait that long?”

Midnight Armor, Sundance, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl looked on as Magic apparently asked the same thing.

Twilight raised an eyebrow “Harmony doesn’t want anypony else to know about what she has planned. That means I should to wait until Mom, Dad and Star Swirl can’t hear or see what I’m doing. Besides, I need to do some research before I’ll be able to create an effective spell.”

Not sure what to say, Midnight Armor, Sundance, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl just looked at each other for a few minutes. However, before any of them could say anything, they heard Twilight’s voice again.

In the Cave of Harmony, Twilight had spent the last few minutes listening to Magic. Surprised, she asked “You’re not going to release your spell until I join everyone in the stars?”

That’s right. You’ll understand why soon.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but nodded “Is it alright if I teleport from here, or do I need to return to the surface first?”

You can teleport from your current location.

“Alright.” Twilight looked at her parents’ bodies for a moment before closing her eyes and using the link created by the Linking Spell to teleport to Artemis’ side.

In the stars, Midnight Armor, Sundance, Celestia, Artemis and Star Swirl watched Twilight appear between Artemis and Celestia.

Now that Twilight’s here with us, there’s no point in keeping my spell active. Star Swirl released his spell.

Opening her eyes, Twilight smiled at the stars of their parents and Star Swirl, nuzzled Celestia and kissed Artemis before laying down where she stood. “Alright, Magic.”

Magic made sure that everypony could hear her. "Before I release my spell, I need to apologize."

Confused, Twilight asked “For what?”

"I didn’t tell you that I was going to block communications from Sundance to you. As a result, your mother was worried enough that she tried to break my spell."

“How did Mom try to break your spell?” Twilight hesitantly asked “And what does that have to do with why you’re apologizing?”

Before Magic could answer the question, Celestia touched her horn to her sister’s and shared her memory of their parents’ explanation of what their mother had done.

Eyes wide, Twilight whispered “Oh no” I don’t blame Mom for doing that, but that’s going to hurt . . . a lot.

Magic sighed "I should have told you what I was going to do before I did it. I have no doubt that you would have immediately told Sundance. That means she wouldn’t have felt the need to take such a drastic measure."

Twilight took a deep breath “I might as well get it over with.” Burying her face in Artemis’ shoulder, she said. Go ahead, Magic.

Very well. Magic reluctantly replied I am so sorry, Twilight. Then she released her spell.

Almost immediately, Twilight heard Sundance’s voice. The first thing she heard was Sundance asking about the Elements of Harmony. Then she heard her mother say her name. Several times. Each repetition was a little louder. She cringed when she noticed that some of them were mixed with magic. T-that wasn’t so bad.

Then she heard the last three. Twilight? TWILIGHT? TWILIGHT?

Next Chapter: Chapter 64 Estimated time remaining: 12 Hours, 57 Minutes