Twilight groaned as she slowly trotted up the stairs, her hooves heavy as she stumbled her way out of the basement and into the library proper. Memories of her most recent ‘dream’ flashed before her eyes and she silently began to wonder if this was going to be the end of the weird romantics, as she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She hadn't been able to bring herself to think of such a subject now that she herself was effectively dead, but to imagine such a thing while both her, and her target of wonder were both dead was just too weird. Even for her.

Giving her head a quick shake, the mare climbed the last few steps and turned towards the main area, her ears already picking up the sound of conversation. Though Twilight’s paranoia-filled mind began to conjure thoughts of her friends devising a way to abandon her. Upon getting closer the dead mare quickly realized that they were only being quiet because they assumed she was still asleep.

“When do ya think the others are going to be up?” Rainbow Dash whispered, leaning closer to Applejack who sat across from her.

The farm pony shrugged, and pulled the stem from an apple. “I dunno. Why don't you go wake ‘em up?”

“Rarity and Trixie were up late talking about weaving, and I don't wanna mess with Twilight, that basement gives me the creeps,” Rainbow Dash replied, the thestral shivering at the thought.

Twilight chose that moment to walk into the room, the mare clearing her throat as she did. “Hey girls,” she greeted. “How was your sleep?”

“Surprisingly good,” Applejack replied without looking up. “Feels kinda homey in here, though maybe that's just Bloomberg feeling at home.”

“Your tree feels at home being inside a tree?” Rainbow Dash deadpanned. “That's weird.”

“Well it's not like that, I just…” Applejack snorted. “You wouldn't understand.”

Twilight settled between the two ponies at the table, her joints popping loudly when she did. “You’d think being dead would mean I’d escape my joint problems.”

Rainbow Dash snickered. “You should have been more active when you were alive, maybe then you wouldn't have such issues.”

Twilight mumbled, the unicorn grabbing one of the special apples set aside for her and pulling the stem off it. “It's a little hard to go for a run when you may accidentally cause a fear-induced stampede just by taking a jog.”

Applejack frowned. “City folk really are that weak?”

“I don't actually know for certain, but I do know they don't have to deal with as much danger as you forest people do,” Twilight answered before biting into the apple.

“We take offence to that, you know,” Rainbow Dash shot back, jabbing a hoof at the unicorn.

“Oh, cut it out,” Applejack replied, smacking the thestral’s hoof out of the air. “You know very well no one cares about that sorta thing, not even my family.”

Rainbow Dash retracted her hoof and shrugged while shooting Twilight a smirk. “Ahh, Twilight knows I’m just busting her chops.”

The unicorn swallowed and shot her friend an odd look. “I wasn't aware ponies had chops. Tell me, Rainbow Dash, where are these chops located on a pony?”

“I err…” The thestral opened her mouth to speak, only to notice that Twilight was holding back a smile. “Haha. Good one.”

Both unicorn and earth pony snickered at the comment, the two mares eating their respective apples in peace while Rainbow Dash looked on with a bored expression on her face. That was until they heard the sound of wood shifting, followed by a pony groaning and looked up to see a tired Trixie trudging down the stairs.

“Careful, there ain't a railing on there,” Applejack called out. “You don't want to follow Rainbow Dash off the side of the stairs.”

“I did not fall,” Rainbow Dash hissed. “I meant to glide to ground level.”

“Sure ya were, sugar,” Applejack remarked with a tired shrug.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is fine,” Trixie replied dismissively, though her continued stumbling did little to make her companions any more confident in her assertion. “I merely had a good sleep for once, and it seems as though my body isn't waking up in a timely fashion.”

Rarity followed close behind the unicorn, her hooves applying makeup while a small mirror floated in front of her. Her lips were already clad with a light sheen of lipstick while her eyelashes were styled to perfection, leaving only a slight touch of blush that needed to be used. “I did tell you my hammocks were to die for, darling,” Rarity remarked while applying her makeup.

“You weren’t joking,” Trixie muttered as she landed on the bottom of the stairs and turned towards the table, the unicorn only now getting her bearings and walking straight. “I shouldn't have been so generous when we were trading information, sleeping on one of those every night would make this entire excursion easier to deal with.”

Rarity blushed slightly as she finished up her makeup and followed the unicorn over to the table in the centre of the room. “I wouldn't mind making you one every night, provided I have the strength after a long day.”

“R-really?” Trixie stammered, stopping beside the table. “I will have to speak to mother when we return, perhaps she will be able to offer some extra pointers.”

“If you two are done flirting, we got a long day ahead of us and I for one can't wait to leave this place altogether.” Rainbow Dash deadpanned, the thestral’s forehooves crossed over her chest.

“T-Trixie was not doing anything of the sort,” Trixie declared.

Rarity remained quiet as she settled into Twilight’s left, the arachne folding her legs neatly under her, a slight blush on her face. “Speak for yourself, darling,” whispered the spider pony.

Twilight smirked, aware of the fact that none save her had heard the other being’s words. “Where's Fluttershy?” she asked suddenly, only now realizing that the bunny was nowhere to be seen.

Rainbow Dash snickered and used a wing to open one of the bags that were strewn across the messy table. “She's close by,” remarked the thestral cryptically.

Lifting an eyebrow, Twilight peered within the bag, her enhanced eyes easily picking up the shape of a slumbering bunny inside. The small forest animal had a carrot sticking out of its mouth and was snoozing soundly despite the fact it was currently slumbering on a small mound of apples. A chorus of daws echoed around the table, a chorus that even Trixie joined in after she leaned over and took a look.

The bunny twitched, its whiskers flicking this way and that before its eyes opened, revealing the familiar teal the group easily recognized. “There she is,” Applejack exclaimed, a grin already on her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” whispered the bunny as she crawled out of the bag, bringing the carrot she had been chewing on with her. “Were you girls all ready to go?”

“Nah, we were just having breakfast and thought we’d wake you,” Rainbow Dash replied while patting a small pillow she had placed on the table next to her.

The bunny nodded meekly and crawled over to the pillow before sitting down and chewing on her carrot. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash,” said Fluttershy.

While the rest of her friends all began to dig into their food, Twilight merely sat there, the unicorn knowing that her energy reserves were good enough that she no longer required sustenance. Though there was a part of her that wanted to appear normal, and to eat like her friends, she knew it would be a wasted effort, and that their food was limited. With little else to do, she stared off into space, slipping in and out of the scattered bits of conversation that popped up here and there.

Most seemed to have had a good, and restful sleep, while everyone definitely enjoyed the running water and fully functional bathroom. Something no one had expected to experience for another week at the bare minimum. Eventually, when breakfast was eaten, and the half-hearted conversation began to die down, Twilight sighed, the unicorn knowing that what she was going to say next was going to be divisive.

Yet she knew it must be done, and with a window in their conversation now open, she cleared her throat and leaned forward. “So, what's the plan now? Because I was kinda, sorta hoping that we could go a little deeper.”

Her friends looked at her in mixed levels of shock and confusion, all save for Rainbow Dash anyway. “Nuh uh, no way,” Rainbow Dash declared instantly. “We found the library, and had our adventure, now it's time to go home and let the experts deal with this.”

“Yeah, I gotta say this is pretty crazy already,” Applejack added with a shrug. “S’ides, we already found the tree of knowledge, what's left to find?”

“There is more,” Twilight assured them. “I… I had another dream.”

Rainbow Dash frowned, and crossed her hooves over her chest, but couldn't stop herself from leaning forward slightly, her curiosity getting the better of her. “So what is it this time?” she asked, trying to sound uninterested. “More dreams of our princess flirting with you?”

“Shh, darling, let's hear her out,” Rarity interjected.

Trixie nodded. “I am most intrigued to hear what you saw.”

Applejack nodded, while Fluttershy did nothing, though Twilight could tell she was interested as her eyes seemed barely able to contain her excitement. “Fine, you may as well tell everyone,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

Twilight nodded and leaned forward. “Right, so it all started like a normal day, but Luna was there and we were meeting your former incarnations in Ponyville, but-”

“And then I think we kissed,” Twilight muttered, her face bright red despite the fact that she no longer had blood flowing through her veins.

“Well then, ain't that something,” Applejack murmured.

“That certainly is a tall tale, but it sounds feasible,” Trixie remarked, the unicorn tapping her chin, deep in thought. “I do remember the restaurant you mentioned, they had terrible coffee.”

“You think you did, or you did?” Rarity pressed, the arachne’s eyes wide as her hoof gripped Twilight’s shoulder. “You must tell me, darling.”

The dead mare blushed brighter somehow. “I d-don't know actually, I woke up right before it happened.”

Rarity practically swooned. “That is so romantic.”

“I don't know about romantic, seems like a buzz kill to me,” Applejack remarked with a shrug.

“Philistine,” Rarity hissed.

“Anyway,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “What is really important is this amulet, are you sure it does as you say it does?”

Twilight nodded, grabbing it in her magic and lifting it over her head. “Absolutely, see for yourself,” she announced, offering the jewelry to her friend.

Rainbow Dash blinked, and tentatively took the amulet in her hooves, as if the metal object was actually made of glass, and any arrant twitch might destroy it. “Are you sure?” she whispered, her gaze drawn to the object.

Twilight nodded. “Just do as I said and it should activate.”

“But don't you need to have magic?” Applejack asked, while scratching her head. “Seems to me like you need to be a unicorn in order to ‘summon the magic’ like you said.”

Trixie laughed and shook her head. “Oh, what are they teaching you these days? Everypony has magic. Even creatures that aren't strictly ponies anymore have magic. Even mother has her own kind of magic.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “The night guard teaches that all creatures that have even the faintest amount of pony blood have magic, the only variable is just how much you have at your disposal.”

Twilight nodded along with her friend. “Any creature whose ancestry includes some amount of creatures who are imbued with magic will retain this gift.”

“Huh, guess Granny must have skipped that lesson,” Applejack remarked with a shrug.

“Wait, you were homeschooled?” Twilight asked, giddily. “Me too!”

Rainbow Dash gulped, and chose that moment to put the necklace over her shoulders, ignoring her friends. Closing her eyes, the mare focused on her magic, and did as she had been told. When her eyes opened, blue light could briefly be seen leaking from either side of the thestral’s violet orbs before quickly vanishing. “Whoah.”

“Pretty cool, huh?” Twilight asked.

“What do you see?” Trixie asked, prodding Rainbow Dash on the shoulder.

“My night vision is even better,” muttered the guard. “It's like I can see everything.”

“Now try and focus on the other half,” Twilight prompted.

Nodding, Rainbow Dash did just that, the mare focusing intently, while the room fell quiet. After several seconds of tense silence, the guard pony frowned, and pulled the necklace from her neck. “It's there. Probably a little below where we were judging from our current position,” Rainbow Dash remarked. “Though I could be wrong, as we are pretty far away.”

“That's the same feeling I got,” agreed Twilight, who took the necklace back and put it over her neck.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is in, as they say,” declared the showmare confidently. “I have no doubt that finding this other half will help mother achieve her goal.”

“You can't be serious!” Rainbow Dash remarked with a groan. “It's near the bottom of the tower! The nightmare is down there!”

“Yes, well if what Twilight says is true, then we shouldn't have much to fear in that regard,” Rarity muttered.

“Not you too!” Rainbow Dash whined, the mare’s chin falling to the table.

Rarity winced slightly, throwing up her forelegs defensively. “I didn't agree yet, I’m just saying that the nightmare may not even be in our way anymore.”

“But there are still a whole bunch of scary traps and golems down there,” Fluttershy added, the bunny clutching her sides and shivering.

“I have no doubt there is, but I believe that between Rainbow Dash’s expertise, and my knowledge of the tower, we can do it,” Twilight declared with as much confidence as she could muster.

Rainbow Dash frowned and ran a hoof down her face. “Look, that's not the point. We already found this place, why go any further? It's the freaking lost library of knowledge for crying out loud! We should run back to town and try and figure out how to get it back, not risk it all by going deeper.”

“Have I mentioned that it's dangerous down there?” Fluttershy whispered, raising a tiny paw. “Because it is very, very dangerous.”

“We know, Fluttershy,” Twilight placated. “Think about it though. We could be on the threshold of the greatest discovery in a millennium.”

“Or one of the worst tragedies in recent memory,” Rarity remarked, only to hold her hooves up defensively once more when Twilight shot her a glare. “Sorry darling, but you must admit that is a possibility.”

The unicorn frowned, and crossed her hooves over her chest. “We are all the way down here already, why not go a few floors deeper, would you girls really want to have to do it all over again?”

“I’ve been having nightmares about leaving this place, nevermind coming back,” Fluttershy whispered, the bunny nervously clinging to the last of the carrot.

“I’m in,” Applejack declared suddenly, the earth pony clanging her hoof against the table. “Let's do this.”

“You can't be serious,” groaned Rainbow Dash.

“I am,” Applejack replied sternly.

Fluttershy sighed. “If Applejack is going, then so am I. You might need my help.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash muttered, mouth agape. “This is ridiculous! Noone has come back from the last floor, nobody. Not even Daring Do was able to best the traps and guardians down there! What possible reason could you have to think we could do better than her?”

“I don't have a reason,” Applejack announced. “It's just a feeling, like we’re meant to be here. That this all was meant to happen. I can feel it in my bones.”

Rainbow Dash let her face fall to the table, where it clunked audibly. “You have got to be kidding me. Please would someone tell Applejack that it is not her destiny to wind up dead after getting offed by some trap in the undertower? I’m pretty sure her cutie mark is of an apple and not her own corpse.”

“Wait just a second, darling,” Rarity interjected. “I feel it too, like my star is burning brighter.” The arachne rose suddenly, her eyes sparkling. “Something important is going to happen.”

“Your death is a pretty important part of your life considering it's the end of it,” murmured the guard glumly.

Rarity shook her head. “My mother always told me that we all had a star, and that in times of great importance we will be able to feel that connection to the eternal sky. This is one of those times, Rainbow Dash, can't you feel it?”

“You know as well as I that's a load of hogwash.” Rainbow Dash deadpanned, the guard peeling her face off the table. “That's just an old mare’s tale from before the coming of the moon.”

“So, what are you going to do then, hmm?” Trixie asked. “Just go back by yourself while we forge ahead?”

Before Rainbow Dash had a chance to answer, Twilight frowned and clopped a hoof against the table. “No, we can't do this without Rainbow Dash, either we all continue on, or all go back.”

The collective look of everyone at the table turned to Rainbow Dash, who quailed beneath the sudden attention. For a moment she seemed ready with some fiery rebuttal, her jaw tense and her hoof already jabbing towards Twilight, only for her features to soften suddenly. “What is your plan then? Follow the amulet and pray it's not in a wall or on a golem?” asked the guard.

Twilight nodded. “I studied the amulet last morning when I woke up and I can say for certain that the other half hasn't moved.”

“So we just need to follow it and find a way to control the nightmare somehow,” Applejack concluded with a nod. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

“Provided the nightmare even can be controlled,” added Fluttershy.

“Which isn't something we know for certain,” Rarity muttered.

“I…” Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself. “I feel like this plan will work, though I don't know how.”

“So, you are trusting your gut now eh?” Applejack prodded, while smirking at the guard. “What brought this on?”

“When I put on the necklace it was like... I knew I could do it, but I needed the other half,” Rainbow Dash replied, only to sigh and shake her head. “It's hard to explain.”

“I felt it too,” Twilight added, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “The connection you share with it when you put it on is powerful, but it's not as strong as it could be.”

“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“So, if we find this other half we could control this nightmare thing?” Trixie asked, while scratching her head. “But isn't that a part of Princess Luna, who is well, not with us?”

“She is always with us,” Applejack replied instantly.

“Yes, I must agree with Applejack, anyone who looks upon the moon can feel her presence,” Rarity added wistfully.

“The moon is her promise,” Rainbow Dash began. “For as long as you can feel her gaze, she is with us.”

Trixie held up her hooves defensively. “Alright alright, I get it. You are worse then mother sometimes.”

“I know how you feel, Trixie, but I think it's something to do with being nightborne, or whatever,” Twilight muttered.

“While sunspawn feel a connection to that horrifying rage orb.” Rainbow Dash snorted.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Though I am even less of a fan of the sun as you, I feel like we should at least call it for what it is.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Rainbow Dash replied dismissively.

“Anyway,” Twilight interrupted, “we need a plan, and we need your help, Rainbow Dash. Help us get to the bottom of the tower and I promise you answers, I can-”

“If you say I can feel it, I’m going to punch you in the face,” Rainbow Dash declared, though her words lacked any seriousness.

Twilight smiled. “So you’re in?”

“Yeah yeah. But I’m only doing this to make sure you don't all end up as a red stain on the floor somewhere,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Yay!” Fluttershy yelled, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

“But,” Rainbow Dash raised a hoof, grabbing everyone’s attention, “you are going to follow my orders at all times, and we are planning this properly.”

“Absolutely,” Twilight replied.

“You got it, boss,” Applejack added, the mare throwing in a short salute.

“I suppose I could take a few orders, but don't push your luck,” Trixie muttered, her eyes narrowing.

Rarity nodded. “Excellent, now then. Where do we begin?”

“Well we are going to have to adjust our plan upon reaching each floor’s safe house,” Rainbow Dash whispered, the guard tapping her chin while deep in thought. “Once we figure out where the other half is, we should be able to hunker down and devise something more serious in order to seek it out.”

“So, this next floor, what are we in for?” Twilight pressed.

“It's fairly light, minimal golem presence, but there is some sort of blue liquid all over the floor that makes it impossible to walk across it,” Rainbow Dash began, the thestral pulling out a small map and using the digit atop her wing to draw out a quick visual representation. “So we will need to hop from one point to another.”

“I don't know about that,” Applejack muttered. “Bloomberg and I don't exactly do jumping.”

“I should be able to lift you over any obstacles, but we can't break my concentration though,” Twilight added.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Perfect, with that solved let's move onto-”

Six females piled into a small room that was strangely devoid of any kind of damage. The wooden walls seemed unaffected by the passage of time, and the small bedroom was complete with a bookshelf, a bed, an armoire, and several empty chests which were hanging open. The entire room was lit up by a trio of glowing fake torches which gave off a light that looked close to true moonlight. The floor was even still carpeted, and the bed still had the sheets and pillows on it, a fact that was eagerly taken advantage of by Rarity who all but threw herself into it.

“I can't believe we managed to get past that last golem,” she muttered, the arachne face-down in the luxurious pillows.

“I can't believe Applejack tripped on nothing.” Scowled Rainbow Dash as she fell to the ground and sighed.

“It was not nothing,” Applejack growled back, only to wince and rub the back of her neck. “It was just a small rock, or something, I didn't see it is all.”

“It's fine. We made it out and everyone is okay. That's what matters,” Twilight reassured, the unicorn crossing the floor and seating herself upon a small mound of pillows.

Trixie nodded. “And we are an entire story lower than first planned.”

“Something I was hoping to avoid…” Rainbow Dash remarked, only to sigh. “Regardless, we are here now, and we had better make the best of it.”

“I agree,” Fluttershy added, hopping off Applejack’s back and landing on the bed. “We should be close to the bottom by now, right?”

“We should,” Rainbow Dash began. “But we need to figure out how close we are to the other half.”

“Right,” Twilight replied, nodding confidently before closing her eyes and focusing. “We’re close. It feels like it's right below us.”

The guard gulped. “I was afraid you'd say that.”

“Is that where this nightmare thing is? ‘Cause so far you haven't exactly scared me with all yer talk.” Applejack shrugged.

“The nightmare comes out of nowhere and shows you the most horrifying thing you can imagine,” Rainbow Dash announced, glaring firmly at the farmer. “Which is usually enough for most to run screaming in terror.”

“That doesn't sound so bad,” Trixie remarked. “Being scared isn't a pleasant feeling, but it's not as bad as getting your legs chopped off or something.”

The guard snorted. “Those are the lucky ones, the others are shown their worst nightmares or most horrifying memories and forced to experience them over and over while their bodies wither and die and that's if it doesn't simply kill you outright.”

“It won't harm us,” Twilight began, her confidence slowly waning. “I have the amulet after all, it's supposed to protect me.”

“Yeah, but what about the rest of us?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I-I don't know…” Twilight stuttered, the mare looking down at the amulet with mixed emotions.

“It will be fine, right darling?” Rarity stressed, the arachne pressing her forehooves together nervously. “The amulet was supposed to give you control over it, right?”

“If I had both sides, yeah,” Twilight replied glumly.

“So we’ll run away if Twilight can't stop it,” Applejack piped up. “Right?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head slowly while studying her sword carefully, wary for any dents or dings in the metal weapon. “Noone has ever managed to see the nightmare coming. It doesn't follow the laws of this world, and can pass through solid objects with ease. The most you might see before it's upon you is a flash of darkness, and then, nothing.”

Fluttershy gulped, the bunny clinging to Rarity’s side and shaking. “M-maybe we should turn around.”

“Or maybe I should go alone,” Twilight offered suddenly.

“Hey now, we don't have time for this hero nonsense.” Applejack snorted, the earth pony stamping her hoof in emphasis. “We are in this together, dammit.”

“You heard Rainbow Dash, the nightmare may not even respond to the amulet,” Rarity replied hesitantly. “I don't want to leave Twilight alone either, but I also don't want to…” Her voice trailed off and the arachne looked down, a sad frown on her face.

“Hogwash,” Trixie announced suddenly, smirking at the other beings. “We already talked about this before, we are in this together. But if you would all like to leave the glory to Trixie, then I will not be opposed to leaving you lot behind.”

“You don't have to do that, Trixie, it's going to be incredibly dangerous,” Twilight began, the mare putting a hoof on the other unicorn’s shoulder.

Only to be rebuffed by the showmare, who brushed off the limb and flashed her a winning smile. “I am merely doing my part to aid in mother’s vision, I am not helping anyone but myself.”

“That's strangely comforting,” Twilight muttered.

“So are you girls in or what?” Applejack pressed. “‘Cause I sure don't feel like having this conversation every time we stop.”

The arachne sighed, and ran a hoof down her face. “I’m still in, as they say, but I am just… scared, is all. This is much more dangerous than just making clothes.”

“You don't have to come along, Rarity. You don't have a dog in this metaphorical fight,” Twilight replied firmly. “I need answers, you’ve already gotten what you want.”

The arachne rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, unable to meet the unicorn’s gaze. “That's true. Trixie did teach me how to do the basics, but I’ll still need more lessons.”

Trixie shrugged. “Mother is already planning on teaching you how to weave like her. She told me as much before we left, one of my siblings will summon you when she has the time.”

“I-” Twilight began, only to be cut off by the sharp clop of an armored hoof.

“We are joining you and that's that,” Rainbow Dash declared. “Now, let's get everything prepared, in ten minutes the golem will pass us by and we need to be ready.”

Twilight’s jaw hung open, and she watched lamely as the guard slipped her sword back into place. With a sigh, the unicorn shook her head, and chose to drop it, silently reminding herself that this was just a thing friends apparently did for one another. How on earth am I going to pay them back for this? Twilight thought to herself.

As she watched her friends pack their stuff back up and get ready, the dead mare considered the implications of what she had just thought in more detail. She needed to do something to pay them back, no matter how much they may disagree with her in this regard. Applejack was easy, she just needed to figure out the map she started building after she arrived in Ponyville, but now that she thought about it, that didn't seem to be enough. That was payment for room and board after all, not putting her life on the line for answers she didn't even need or want.

With one last sigh, Twilight shook her head and decided to think more on the subject after she got the answers she sought, as right now they had more pressing concerns ahead of them.

“Ready?” Rainbow Dash asked, waving a hoof in front of Twilight’s face.

The unicorn gave a look over her supplies, and nodded. “Ready.”

“This has got to be the weirdest trap I’ve ever even heard of,” Rarity muttered, the arachne looking up at the ceiling where four different colored crystals hung from the ceiling.

“It seems kinda easy too,” Applejack added.

In the center of the room Twilight stood at an altar which had four smaller pads made of identical colored crystal. Each one corresponded with one on the ceiling and after some trial and error they had figured out how to get past the puzzle. For now though, they waited, each being staring up at the ceiling, tense, and ready for the next flash of lights.

“This is pretty anticlimactic,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a snort.

“Shh, it's starting,” Twilight hissed.

The ceiling crystals lit up faintly, before the red crystal glowed brighter than the rest, followed by the green, then the blue, then the yellow. After that, the different flashes of colors became so fast that no one save for Twilight seemed to have any idea what order they came in. When finally it died down, the unicorn held her eyes shut, thinking long and hard before she suddenly lurched into motion and her hooves became a blur.

The process was a long one, but through it all, Twilight remained confident, and collected. Unlike her companions, who looked on with mixed levels of anticipation and confusion. Rarity and Fluttershy shivered at the sight of the strange glowing crystals, and cast fearful glances at the oddly crystalline room they found themselves in. Applejack seemed a little nervous, but was generally more ready, than scared, while Rainbow Dash and Trixie were completely aloof and unbothered by the odd situation. Either confident of their friend’s success, or simply assured by the knowledge that this particular puzzle didn't seem to fault someone for failing.

After several relatively tense moments of furious button pressing, Twilight pressed the final one four times in a row before taking a breath and a step back. “There,” she declared firmly.

The room remained silent for several seconds before a sudden grinding sound could be heard from behind them, where a wall of crystal slowly rose into the ceiling, allowing the group to continue deeper. Twilight grinned and pumped a hoof in the air triumphantly. “Yes!” she yelled.

“That was something else,” Applejack expressed, the mare pushing back her hat and shaking her head. “How many of those light thingies were there near the end?”

“Sixty-two,” Twilight declared.

Applejack whistled and shook her head. “Well shoot, I can safely say we would have never gotten through that one without your help.”

“Yeah Twilight, that was really impressive,” Fluttershy added.

The unicorn blushed and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Aww, I’m sure you girls would have gotten it eventually.”

“Yeah maybe by the time we turned fifty.” Rainbow Dash snickered, while making her way over to the door. “Well come on. We may have put the golems behind us but we still got one last trap, and after that a final obstacle.”

“So what's this last trap anyway?” Trixie asked, the unicorn trotting beside the others as they all made their way from the room and into the hall beyond.

Rainbow Dash sighed and shrugged. “The only group to ever get past this point somehow managed to get past this mystery trap, but before they could send their full report they were attacked by something and the last letter they were able to send back was damaged. All that we know is that they called this next trap impossible.”

“That doesn't sound good at all,” Rarity replied with a frown.

“Well they made it through, so it isn't completely impossible,” Applejack added. “Right, Rainbow Dash?”

“Well sorta, all the letter said was that it was impossible, and that they made it through somehow. They could have found a way around it and avoided the whole thing.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “We’ll just have to see.”

Twilight frowned, the unicorn searching through her memories and trying to figure out more about this impossible trap, only to realize that not only did she know nothing of this mystery trap, but also knew nothing of the puzzle they just passed by. She began to wonder how she had missed something like that, only for another memory to come out of nowhere and make her stop dead in her tracks.

“Wait, what?” Luna muttered, scratching her head. “How is that even possible?”

“It's simple. I’ve bent spacetime in such a way that certain levels only exist after the alarm has been sounded,” a much younger Twilight Sparkle replied while pointing to a spot on the enormous, labyrinthian plans laid out before her. “After the alarm is sounded they will spring into existence and halt any would-be invader dead in their tracks.”

“I… but you…” Luna blinked. “I need a drink, a strong one.”

Celestia, on the other hoof, merely chuckled, the alicorn gazing down at the unicorn with an amused expression. “She truly is our better,” mused the immortal.

“You are telling me. I would have literally never guessed that was even possible,” Luna answered, the alicorn placing a hoof on the younger mare’s back. “You truly are amazing, my friend.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to find that her words caught in her throat and she merely stood there awkwardly, her jaw hanging open as a blush spread across her face. She continued to stand there for nearly a minute before Luna leaned over and looked her in the face. “Oh no, Tia, it seems as though we have broken our Twilight,” she muttered in fake shock.

“It seems so, dear Lulu, mayhaps a kiss will break her from her stupor,” Celestia replied with a smirk, the alicorn already licking her lips.

“Oh yes, but who shall do it? Or maybe we should both kiss her,” Luna remarked, prompting the unicorn to blush even brighter.

“Auuuuugh!” cried the flustered pony, her face having become so red that one may have assumed she was turning into a tomato.

“Bwuh?” Twilight Sparkle muttered.

“You alright there, Twi?” Applejack asked, the mare waving a hoof in front of her friend’s face. “Ya kinda zoned out for a second there.”

“Just another memory, it's nothing,” Twilight replied, shaking her head.

“Well try not to get one when we need ya.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “I don't feel like having to carry you if you decide to zonk out for an hour or something.”

“R-right,” Twilight muttered, the unicorn following her friends as they climbed down the stairs and entered the final layer of the much feared undertower.

“Sooo,” Rarity whispered, the arachne following close behind the unicorn, a salacious grin on her face. “Did you see Luna again?”

“Why do you ask?” Twilight replied defensively, the unicorn silently happy that no one could see her huge blush, or at least she hoped so.

“Oh nothing, but you may wish to wipe that tomato off your face by the time we get to the bottom.” Rarity snickered, the arachne falling back a step and giggling at Twilight’s obvious discomfort.

“Stupid alicorns,” Twilight muttered, the mare grumbling under her breath as she tried to think of something, anything else.

“We are here,” Rainbow Dash announced, the guard stepping out into the final floor, and gesturing towards a long, featureless hallway that ended in a nondescript wooden door.

“Hmmm, hold on a second, I don't remember this,” Twilight replied, the mare focusing her magic on the amulet and detecting that the other half of it was indeed straight ahead of them.

“Well?” Trixie asked impatiently.

“It's straight ahead, but I can't remember there even being a trap here,” Twilight replied hesitantly. “Someone other than old me must have put it here.”

“Now that definitely doesn't inspire confidence,” Rarity muttered nervously.

“Oh come on, I’m sure it's not that bad,” Applejack shot back, the earth pony taking a step forward, only to be stopped by Twilight’s magic.

“Just hold on a second while I scan the area,” Twilight pressured, the unicorn taking a step forward. “I might be able to figure out what this quote unquote impossible trap is.”

“Alright, we got the time, so feel free to use it,” Rainbow Dash replied, before sitting down and pulling off her pack.

The rest of her group quickly followed suit, leaving Twilight standing there alone as she stared out over the hallway. Summoning her magic, she quickly cycled through every scanning spell she knew, only to come up with nothing. The hallway was normal by all known measurements, the stone was just stone, the floor contained no hidden mechanisms, and though magic filled the area, it wasn't part of a spell but rather felt the same as the ambient magic that seemed to fill most of the lower levels of the undertower.

Though she was tempted to try her spells again, she knew that she had done them properly the first time, and knew the attempt would be a wasted one. Instead, she tried to force another memory, the mare thinking of this exact space, and following the same motions that had brought on the last few flashes. After several minutes of standing there with her eyes closed, Twilight frowned and looked out over the area once more.

No memory came, and no clue could be unlocked, there was only a hallway and a door, with nothing impeding them.

“There's nothing,” Twilight muttered. “No magic, no hidden mechanisms, nothing.”

“You sure about that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, the earth pony slowly standing and taking a spot to the unicorn’s right. “‘Cause I can tell you something don't feel right about this place.”

“Yeah, it can't be that easy, can it?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly.

Rainbow Dash frowned. “It doesn't exactly look impossible.”

“Or maybe the letter was more mixed up than you thought,” Trixie offered. “You did say they probably perished shortly after. What if it wasn't them that sent it?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “That's not how our report system works. We would know if someone else sent it.”

“Why don't we see?” Rarity offered, gesturing to the hallway. “There's only one way to find out, right?”

“Though I don't like it one bit, I think Rarity is right here,” Applejack added, the earth pony straightening her hat with a hoof. “Only one way outta here by the looksa things.”

“I don't like it either,” Twilight began, before turning to their resident guard. “What do you think, Rainbow Dash? Should we try it?”

The mare seemed shocked that she was being looked to for guidance, only to quickly set her jaw and take on a professional expression. “Most traps are either non lethal, or had some manner of warning system before they went off, I don't think we will be seriously harmed if we give it a shot.”

“Finally,” Trixie groaned, the unicorn took a few steps forward before turning around. “Are you coming or what?”

With a shrug, Twilight joined her, with the rest of her friends close behind. Together the varied beings trotted down the hall and towards the exit, which was fast approaching at this rate. At about the halfway point, Twilight felt a sudden shift in her gut, but after looking around, didn't notice anything out of place. By the three quarter mark, this initial shift suddenly returned, accompanied by the floor beginning to glow, stopping the troop dead in their tracks and making them look down in confusion.

There on the floor, was an enormously intricate sigil spell of some kind which stretched from one side of the hall to the other, and was nearly twice as long as it was wide. Though the entirety of it was not illuminated completely, and there were several minor symbols that werent quite visible, Twilight could already tell what this rune was meant to do. “Stop!” she shouted.

“Err, we already did,” Applejack remarked, the earth pony cocking her head. “What's the deal, Twi, these fancy lights don't seem that scary.”

“I must agree with Applejack, this circle only appears half complete,” Rarity added.

“That's because it's not fully activated yet,” Twilight explained. “If it was, we’d all be dead.”

“Woah, are you serious?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly, only to notice the serious expression on her friend’s face. “Nobody move.”

“This is beyond Trixie,” added the showmare, who gulped and looked down at the floor with fear in her eyes.

Twilight studied the sigil quickly, and came to the realization that it wasn't even twenty percent activated, a realization that made her breathe a sigh of relief. “I think if we just take a step back we can make it turn back off,” Twilight explained slowly.

“I’ll go first,” Fluttershy offered, the bunny hopping off Applejack’s back and landing back outside the circle.

Looking down revealed that the sigil remained unchanged, and Twilight turned to the apple farmer herself. “Alright, you next,” she commanded.

The tree-bound mare nodded and slowly did just that, leaving only Twilight and Trixie inside the circle itself. This time it did dull, though it wasn't by much, prompting Trixie to look over at the other unicorn with barely contained fear. “N-now what?” she asked hesitantly.

“Slowly walk back and join the others,” Twilight replied slowly.

After Trixie joined the rest, Twilight looked down and noticed that the sigil had dimmed even more, though it was still illuminated slightly. A sudden idea came to mind, and the unicorn extended a hoof, prompting the sigil to glow brighter, only for it to die down slightly when she recoiled the limb. “Strange, it doesn't care how many people are on the sigil, only how far across you are,” Twilight reported.

“Land sakes girl, warn us before you do something like that again,” Applejack replied, one hoof over her heart.

“Sorry Applejack,” Twilight muttered sheepishly.

“Don't worry about it, just come on back, you are freakin everyone out,” the farmer replied.

Twilight nodded and stepped back off the circle, causing the entire thing to dim until it disappeared completely. “Well, that was terrifying,” Rarity murmured.

“What exactly was it anyway?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m not doubting you, Twilight, but I don't really know much about magic.”

“It’s called a life ward,” Twilight explained. “It detects when living beings pass over it, and, if activated, would kill everything inside a designated area.”

“How big of an area are we talking about here?” Rainbow Dash inquired, the guard giving the spot the sigil had appeared on a wary look.

“Not large,” Twilight replied. “I was able to tell that it would both only activate when someone crossed over it, and that it would only kill anyone inside of it.”

“And it ain't like Rainbow Dash can just fly over it, eh?” Applejack half asked, half stated.

“Unfortunately no. The spell is instantaneous, so even if she flew her fastest she’d still be dead before she passed over the other side,” Twilight explained.

“Well, there goes that idea,” Rainbow Dash muttered, the guard kicking a rock randomly and sending it skittering across the ground.

“But aren't you already dead?” Trixie questioned. “I mean, I don't know necromancy very well, but it seems like it shouldn't affect you of all people.”

Twilight pursed her lips for a second before shaking her head. “I’m still sort of alive from what I’ve been able to gather. The truly dead have neither soul nor mind, two things I still obviously retain as I am both sane and able to cast magic.”

“And here I thought having a zombie would come in handy.” Trixie smirked.

“She is not a zombie,” Fluttershy corrected.

“She's dead and yet not dead, until you come up with a better word for it, she's a zombie,” Trixie remarked with a shrug.

“I think revenant would be the most appropriate, though I suppose I could technically be called a lich, if my own body has become a phylactery of some kind,” Twilight puzzled.

“We can argue semantics and whatever later, right now we got a death ward to deal with,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, the guard gesturing to the spot the sigil had appeared on only moments earlier.

“Would it still be there? Maybe it went away after we stepped back,” Applejack offered.

Twilight shook her head. “That's not how it works I’m afraid, see?”

The unicorn extended a hoof over the spot, prompting the room to fill with purple light once more, the sigil appearing right where it had been only a minute ago.

“Jumpin’ jackrabbits, get that leg of yours back here this instant,” Applejack reprimanded.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight did as she was told, the sigil slowly dulling and eventually disappearing. “It's fine, Applejack. So long as we don't go all the way across, it won't go off.”

Applejack shuddered. “Still, having that thing light up like that gives me the heebie jeebies now that I know what it is.”

“So how do we get past it then?” Rainbow Dash asked. “‘Cause I don't see a way around it.”

Twilight shook her head. “I have no idea.”

“Well, that's just great,” Trixie muttered, throwing her hooves up. “We manage to get all the way down here only to get stopped by a trap that is guaranteed to kill at least one of us.”

“There has got to be a way around,” Rarity added. “It's not like past Twilight to leave something like this. All her traps were annoying, or meant to injure and sometimes even maim, but never outright kill”

“Unless it wasn't her,” Fluttershy corrected.

Twilight pursed her lips and extended a hoof over the sigil again, ignoring the arguing of her friends and focusing on the actual ‘trap’ itself. Recalling her other past memories, Twilight quickly built up a firm understanding of how she created sigils and generally cast spells. After a good few minutes of running over every image and memory that she could find on the subject, Twilight looked down once more.

This time it all seemed vaguely familiar, and though no new memories came back to her, she could feel a hint of recognition amongst the magical circle. From the way she overused the enhancement charm even when it was redundant, to the way that she employed flowing, almost calligraphy-like lines when constructing the base magical structure. Now that she had a chance to really stare at it, the sigil even felt like something she would create and it was akin to looking down at a note that you only now realized was written by you.

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around, aware of the fact that her friends were still arguing about the sigil, and how to get past it while ignoring her completely. With a smirk on her face, Twilight silently trotted across the sigil until she reached the far side, when Rainbow Dash’s terrified voice suddenly spoke up. “Wait, stop!” she cried.

Holding out a hoof, Twilight made the thestral pause right before she was about to dive in and ‘save’ the unicorn. “Trust me. This is something past me created, and I know her. She wouldn't make something that would demand a sacrifice of some kind.”

“How can you be sure, darling? Ultimately, you are not her,” Rarity pressed, the arachne shifting nervously from side to side.

“Just trust me, I know this is going to work,” Twilight restated.

Rainbow Dash frowned, her wings slowly slipping back against her sides. “Fine, but if you die, you are not allowed to haunt us.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to die. Past me was kind, compassionate, and wouldn't make something like this.”

The unicorn took a step over the other side of the sigil, only for nothing to happen. “Unless it was all an illusion meant to dissuade someone from getting this far.”

“Well, would ya look at that,” Applejack muttered.

“And here I thought I was the master of illusions,” Trixie whispered.

Fluttershy stomped across the sigil and walked right up to the unicorn, before making a ‘come here’ motion with her paw. When the unicorn leaned down, the bunny gave her as firm a smack as possible, which was about the lightest tap Twilight had ever felt. “Don't you ever do that again, missy!” the bunny yelled, voice quivering.

Twilight sighed and gently picked her friend from the floor. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but it was the only way.”

“That doesn't mean I have to like it,” Fluttershy declared while wiping tears from her eyes.

The rest of her friends joined her on the other side without delay, all save Applejack who eyed it carefully for nearly a minute before sprinting across the sigil like it was made of hot coals. “Drama queen.” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

“It freaks me out, okay?” Applejack shot back, the earth pony shivering slightly.

“Come on, we got a mystery to solve and an alicorn to bring back to life,” Trixie declared as she reached for the door handle.

Twilight was about to interject, as she felt a familiar pulse of magic, but it was too late, and the showmare had already turned the knob. Twilight couldn't so much as shout a warning before the world itself seemed to crack, and their surroundings suddenly exploded, the very walls having been turned into what looked like enormous chunks of glass. Though that glass neither cut, nor even seemed to exist as each peice dissipated the second it touched something, revealing what lay beyond the surprisingly detailed illusion spell.

“What the hay?” Applejack bellowed, the earth pony backing up as she looked around frantically.

Rainbow Dash had already retrieved her sword and was standing over a terrified Fluttershy. “Get behind me,” she commanded.

Throughout the confusion, Twilight’s mind reeled as she recalled the last obstacle Rainbow Dash had mentioned. An obstacle that came in the form of a halberd wielding unicorn skeleton who seemed to be watching them closely, itss magic glowing yet not forming any particular spell. It stood next to a single large door that seemed strangely plain, though Twilight knew otherwise. Thinking quickly, and before her friends had a chance to freak out, Twilight held out a hoof, hoping to calm them before someone did something stupid.

“Wait a second, I know her,” Twilight reassured.

“Wha-” Rainbow Dash turned to the skeleton, and her eyes went wide. “Stay back! That must be the thing that killed Daring Do!”

“Do not move, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight hissed, while shooting the mare a withering glare. “Trust me. Like you trusted me before.”

The thestral relaxed slightly, and let her sword dip. “Fine, but make it snappy, I don't like looking at this murderer.”

The rest of her friends exchanged nervous glances but otherwise remained silent, each one putting away their respective weapons, or otherwise relaxing slightly. “Do be careful, darling. I think one heart attack a day is enough, thank you very much,” Rarity whispered nervously.

“I got this,” Twilight reiterated, the unicorn hiding the very real doubt that even now swirled at the back of her mind.

Sure she had sounded confident, but all Twilight had to go on was the fact that she knew the skeleton’s owner from her memories. Twilight didn't know who raised the pony, or what orders she had been given, but she also knew that she would have to try and communicate with it. The unicorn cleared her throat and took a step forward, noting that the undead’s eyes tracked her, though she did not grip her weapon tighter, or begin to cast a spell.

“Good afternoon, Sharp Eye.” Twilight smiled. “How have things been in my absence? Beaker didn't blow anything up again, did he?”

Though the skeleton had no means of smiling, Twilight could instantly tell that it was doing just that, and after a tense moment, the skeleton placed its halberd against the wall, and bowed slightly. “Greetings to you, head researcher. It is good to see you well and no, Beaker is no longer able to damage anything, I’m afraid,” spoke the undead creature, its voice strangely familiar to the dark purple unicorn, while at the same time being slightly off when compared to the voice she remembered.

“Holy crap, it talks,” Rainbow Dash muttered in shock.

“Am I to assume that these… creatures are guests of yours?” the skeleton asked with a hint of condescension, its rusted armor rattling somewhat when it pointed a hoof at them.

“Yes, they are with me. So they are to be protected as you would I,” Twilight declared as confidently as she could muster.

The skeleton nodded slowly. “It will be so, head researcher.”

“Could you open the door please?” Twilight asked.

“Of course,” the skeleton replied, bowing slightly before turning, lighting its horn and beginning the process of interlocking its magic with the wards before bringing them down one by one.

After one final, resounding click, the undead’s horn stopped glowing and it pulled open the door with a skeletal hoof. “There we are. Welcome back, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded with what she hoped looked like an air of authority before hastily turning to her friends . “Come on, inside, quickly,” she commanded.

Her friends looked at one another, and then the skeleton, before reluctantly filing through the door, each one keeping a close eye on the undead creature as they passed it by. Once they were all inside, Twilight pulled the door shut behind them, allowing the group to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

“That was… unnerving,” Rarity remarked nervously, the arachne glancing over her shoulder as if expecting the skeletal creature to have followed them somehow.

“Y-yeah,” Fluttershy whispered, the bunny hugging herself tightly. “I’m not sure I like it.”

Trixie shrugged. “Why are you complaining? We didn't have to fight anyone or even do anything this time.”

“Even you have to admit that seeing that thing was a tad creepy,” Applejack remarked while gesturing towards the door behind them.

“Her name is Sharp Eye,” Twilight corrected, the unicorn feeling strangely defensive all of a sudden. “And she is an honorable pony.”

“Hey now, we ain't claiming otherwise, it's just a strange situation,” Rainbow Dash replied diplomatically.

The unicorn sighed, and turned back around. “Let's just keep… moving?”

Twilight only then realized that they weren't alone yet, as the large open room they were currently in was also inhabited by a short, stocky undead unicorn stallion who was little more than bones. On hastened hooves, he ran from one destroyed experiment station to another, muttering something under his breath with each step. Upon reaching another station he would nervously step from hoof to hoof while berating himself for his foolishness and sprinting off towards another long-since destroyed pile of beakers and jars.

“What in the hay?” Applejack murmured.

“Oh, this is no good at all, not at all,” the creature murmured as it passed them by, not even seeming to notice the group as they stood near the door.

“Uh, Twilight, who is that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That's Beaker, I think,” Twilight replied, her gaze narrowing on the distraught skeleton.

Most workstations were destroyed either wholly or at least partly, but between time, and the damage sustained from whatever fight that had occurred here, everything had been rendered useless. Every last bunsen burner was smashed, and every book was burnt or had otherwise been rendered unreadable. Even the ceiling had been damaged somewhat, and in one corner Twilight could see a small mound of skeletons that had been stacked haphazardly.

“Beaker!” Twilight shouted as it came closer.

The skeleton skidded to a stop, its vacant eyes turning to the unicorn and looking her up and down. “It's you, it's really you! Oh stars above, I really screwed up this time. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

“Why are you sorry?” Twilight asked, looking around. “I doubt you caused all this fighting.”

The skeletal creature collapsed several feet away from the mare, its hooves going to its eyes, as if weeping. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, you have to believe me, I didn't know they would do that! It was all an accident. I’m sorry!” it cried, its voice even sounding like he was weeping audibly despite the clear lack of tear ducts or even eyes.

“Anyone else a little weirded out here or is that just me?” Rainbow Dash murmured.

A small chorus of murmured agreements could be heard, with most beings nodding along. All save for Twilight, who looked down at the skeletal creature with a strained expression, silently wondering what it was referring to. “Beaker, tell me what happened here,” Twilight commanded with as much authority as she could muster.

The skeleton didn't seem to notice though and merely continued to weep on the ground, its hooves pressed firmly against its eye sockets. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, he said he was trying to help. I was a fool! I just wanted to save everyone!” it cried, voice hitching every other word.

“What are you talking-” Twilight began, her hoof extending to the creature and brushing across its shoulder.

Beaker breathed hard, his magic straining to lift what felt and looked like an enormous stone tablet as he hurried his way through the door and into the laboratory proper. Behind him the sounds of battle grew dimmer, and he dare not look Sharp Eye in the eye, as he could tell without looking that she was conflicted. He was as well, though he stowed such confliction deep down inside himself, silently sure that no matter how confused he may be about the situation, he was doing the right thing.

Careening around a table, the stallion made a beeline to the back of the room, keenly aware of an explosion that went off somewhere above him. A second later the door slammed shut behind him and the dull din of battle vanished, replaced only by the deep thuds that came when powerful spells were cast. His journey through the tower had not gone perfectly though, and he sported a small burn on his hoof, as well as a trio of paper thin cuts across his cheek.

The pain was minor, and not what ultimately bothered him, as not even the considerable weight of the tablet could drag him down quite as much as the knowledge of what was happening above his head did. Gods warred in the skies above, making the earth tremble and armies to clash. Blood flowed in rivers, and though his sprint through the tower had been brief, he had seen more than enough horrors to ensure he never again slept soundly.

Pushing such terrifying thoughts from his mind, the stallion continued onward, determined to bring the head researcher what she had desired. He wasn't sure how this would help her, but he also knew that in the end, he would help bring about stability even if it killed him in the process.

Rounding the last table, the stallion ran up to a blank section of wall and pressed his hoof against a random brick. A click, followed by the sharp hiss of steam alerted him to the fact that it had worked as intended and he retrieved his hoof, leaving behind a bright red print where it had been a second earlier. He winced at the sight, but had no time left to wipe it away, and after hefting the tablet up once more, jogged through the door and into the room beyond.

A room that seemed to have been hastily carved from stone, with tools scattered everywhere and partially dug alcoves set into the wall at regular intervals. Though it was only half complete, it had the space they needed, as it was roughly thirty feet across, with enough height to allow a full grown alicorn to stand upright without issue. The stone itself was plain and unadorned, leaving the room feeling more like a cave, than something designed by pony hooves, all while a powerful stench of rot and decay seeped into his pores.

At the center of it all stood a panicked unicorn mare who was hastily scrawling sigils on the floor with four brushes at the same time. Each sigil she drew connected to another with such intricate artistry that it was hard to tell where one ended and the next began. Already the sigils encompassed nearly every last bit of the floor that was not otherwise occupied by the tall, imposing unicorn, or the large bones of what looked like a half dozen different creatures of varied size.

“I brought the tablet, Miss Twilight,” Beaker shouted, raising the tablet above his head.

The unicorn spun towards him, her brushes becoming still as her pitch black eyes bore into his. Instantly the male flinched backward, unnerved by the strange, otherworldly nature of her midnight orbs. That wasn't the only thing that had changed about the mare though, as she had also grown much, much taller, to the point that she would have towered over most mortal ponies, and was now equal in height to Luna herself. Her horn was also far longer than even an alicorn’s having also become curved slightly, as well as becoming far sharper.

Her fur had also grown so dark that it was nearly black, something her mane and tail had also done. Her eyes seemed sunken slightly, her ribs clearly visible, and her limbs so thin that Beaker wondered how she stood as clearly there was little muscle left on her legs. Most disturbing still was the fact that she seemed to radiate an evil aura so dark that it pulled the very light from the room, dulling the roaring torches that burned at regular intervals along the wall. An aura that was exemplified in her horn, which glowed with what could only be described as purple unlight, leaving the pony with a downright disturbing appearance.

“Quickly, Beaker, lay the tablet just above Discord’s head!” boomed the unicorn, her voice crawling into the stallion’s ears like a horde of maggots.

“Y-yes, Twilight,” Beaker stammered, the assistant looking down to the bones with a newfound respect, and fear.

He knew what she was doing was strange, but he never would have assumed that she would experiment with Discord’s corpse at a time such as this. Then it struck him, and he turned and looked to one of the complete alcoves, where a trio of massive black tomes lay. The very sight of the arcane tomes of knowledge seemed to tug at his soul, as if they were trying to pull his spirit from his body.

“Are you trying to raise-” Beaker began, only for Twilight to spin back around, and her midnight orbs to rob the breath from his lungs.

“Close the wall, Beaker,” Twilight whispered, her voice losing some of the strangeness it had a moment earlier and gaining a calm command that Beaker knew well.

“Y-yes, Ma’am,” Beaker replied, the unicorn quickly turning and using his magic to close the solid stone wall, and watching closely as it slid into place, leaving what looked like a cave wall in its place.

“And yes, I am raising Discord,” Twilight explained, her gaze thankfully having turned back to the task at hoof, her brushes continuing to slather bright red liquid across the ground. “Harmony needs to be restored.”

Beaker bit back his retort and merely looked on in horror, silently amazed that she had been able to both find and acquire the bones of the draconequus. He wanted to fire back and tell her that harmony was doing well without its antagonist, but knew that argument would not end well. Instead he merely stood there awkwardly, watching and waiting, until he noticed something out of place and took a step forward, eager to help.

Only for the very darkness that enraptured Twilight’s form to peel off of her body and lunge directly into the stallion’s face, coalescing into the form of a dark, alicorn shaped figure. Before its enormous, dagger-filled maw could close over his head, Twilight growled, and stamped a hoof. “He was not trying to harm me, or disrupt the ritual,” she muttered in a harsh, low tone.

The dark shape recoiled as if slapped and slowly shrunk until it was able to slink into the unicorn’s imposing shadow once more. Twilight released the grip she held on the odd moon shaped amulet she wore around her neck before continuing to get back to work. The unicorn’s brushes becoming a flurry of motion once more, though she had apparently enough concentration left unused to turn to speak, and quickly cut off the flood of questions she felt coming from her assistant.

“Are Luna and Celestia still fighting?” stated the dark unicorn.

Though it was obvious she knew the answer, Beaker still nodded. “I’m afraid so, head researcher, but Celestia seemed to be winning, last I heard.”

The dark, imposing mare grew ever more intimidating, her aura deepening at the same time Beaker could hear faint whispering at the edge of his perception. He knew not what the words said, but he knew in his heart that what they promised was as dark and as terrible as the mare that stood before him. “We must finish the ritual quickly while there is still a chance I can deffuse the situation,” she muttered, more to herself than Beaker.

Who nodded weakly, and took an awkward step back. “What are those books?” he whispered, a shaky hoof pointing to the strange, unearthly tomes that rested against the back wall.

“Textbooks left behind by…” her voice trailed off and the mare shook her head suddenly. “It hardly matters where they came from, only that they were able to teach me the necessary ritual to raise a god. All you need to worry about is keeping them out, and ensuring the ritual is undisturbed, if anything goes wrong, the fallout could be catastrophic.”

Beaker pursed his lips, the stallion silently doubting the mare’s words, though she was too absorbed into the ritual to notice his worry. “Okay, Twilight, I trust you,” he whispered half-heartedly.

And then the brushes stopped and were hastily tossed against the wall, Twilight’s body became rigid as her voice lowered, and her aura grew darker still. The whispers grew louder, though they remained distant, and unintelligible. The stench grew worse still, and Beaker had to hold his nose shut, though that wasn't enough to stop him from dry heaving. He had grown used to the smell over time, but nothing could prepare him for what smelt like a thousand dead and decaying rats that seemed to lie all around him. All while the mare’s voice grew deeper and deeper until it sounded like the stones themselves spoke her words, as no throat of flesh and blood could produce such sounds.

Words that made the stallion’s spine tingle, his very bones to itch and the muscles beneath his skin to crawl as if filled with centipedes. It took every last bit of willpower the stallion had left in his body to resist the urge to curl into a ball while vomiting uncontrollably. The knowledge that there was something left undone, and help he needed to give kept him at least mostly upright.

Twilight’s voice grew louder, more dominating, and her words all but drowned out even the faintest whispers Beaker could not banish. On the floor he could see the bones begin to rattle, and the tablet begin to glow, power seeping from the stone to the corpse. His gaze fixated on the tablet, only now studying its strange surface despite the fact that he had carried it for almost five floors.

It was filled with strange writing that covered every last bit of space available on the front, while the stone itself looked more like a scale that had been peeled off a great black dragon. Both of which struck Beaker as strange, as the great wyrms of old had been slain en masse before even the time of ponies and yet here he was, staring at a massive scale, covered with what looked like draconic script. Though he wished he had time to study it further, it was everything he had merely to pinch his nose shut while waiting for the signal.

He didn't have to wait long though, as time seemed to pinch and stretch, as if distorted by the sheer power the dark mare had at her disposal. An eternity passed one moment only to stop suddenly, and blur past him by in an instant the next, the result being that it felt like both years, and only seconds had passed in the same breadth of time. A sudden crash against the wall behind him alerted him to the fact that there existed something outside of this strange, and terrifying place and he slowly rose to his hooves.

Though reality itself seemed to swim before him, his perception bending in unexpected and horrifying ways, he pushed himself forward. As he walked towards the wall, he felt his form shift and bend, and one moment he was younger, and the next he was so old he could only limp forward. More disturbing than even that was the way he could feel his mind and soul twist and bend while he waded through the waves of power, his spirit shifting and writhing inside him. His bones ached, and when he neared the door, and raised his hoof, he lifted only bleach white bones.

He wanted to scream, but the sound did not come, and he was left to stare in horror for several seconds before the limb reverted back into its normal form. When that happened he realized how long he had been standing there, as the thumping was growing louder.

“We know you are in there! Open up!” yelled a male voice from beyond the wall, the sound obviously amplified by some manner of spell, as it had managed to pierce the stone wall and Twilight’s chanting with ease.

“Stop!” shouted one of Twilight’s many voices, this one sounding like a much younger version of herself. “Don't open that door!”

Beaker turned around and instantly regretted the action, as the sight he beheld would be one that would remain with him for over a thousand years. The mare’s dark form was twisted even more than normal, and it seemed to fluctuate almost at random, other versions of herself emerging from her body only to flicker in and out of existence. For a moment she was taller, darker, and had great purple wings, the next she was younger, smaller, and little taller than a foal of twelve.

“This must end, Twilight!” he shouted back, gesturing to the vibrating bones and glowing tablet. “The age of chaos cannot return!”

“You don't know what you are doing, the circle is nearly complete! If we stop now, horrible things will happen!” Twilight yelled back, her form continuing to twist and writhe as her many other voices continued to chant in an unknowable language.

“It's over, Twilight! Luna is dead, and the rebellion is over!” bellowed the male from behind the wall, his voice filled with malice. “The rightful queen rules over all, and she has decreed that the ponies of Equestria will live in harmony for eternity!”

“No!” Twilight growled, her hoof extending towards her assistant, the limb twisting, and growing longer and shorter seemingly at random. “Please, Beaker, you have to trust me, this is the only way!”

The stallion shook his head. “They told me the truth, Twilight, we can't let him return.”

Then, before she had a chance to offer any kind of rebuttal, he pressed his hoof forward and made the wall rise, revealing a cadre of gold-armored unicorns. Beaker opened his mouth to speak, elatation burning in his chest as salvation itself neared. Only for the flash of steel and the splash of blood to sever all such elation and leave him confused and mute on the ground, his hooves clutching his open throat.

Before him, the soldiers walked forward, none giving him so much as a glance as they advanced upon the chanting unicorn and her ritual.

The last thing he saw before succumbing to darkness was a gold armored hoof touching the edge of the ritual circle.

Then, darkness.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight!” wailed the skeletal creature, who was now clutching Twilight’s hoof tightly. “I should have listened, I should have trusted you, but she convinced me. I was just a fool!”

For a moment the unicorn didn't know where she was, and even looking around the room didn't help in that regard. “What’s going on, how did I?” she muttered, a hoof going to her amulet, which she quickly realized was only half complete.

Memories not her own swirled within her mind, and though they were all as terrifying as they were confusing, one stood out from the rest. A memory that Beaker himself didn't know was significant, but Twilight did, as while her past self continued to twist and writhe as the flow of reality bent around her, a familiar shape emerged. It had happened for only a moment, but in that moment Twilight Sparkle did not see another version of herself from the past, but herself as she was right now, in this very moment.

She shuddered in barely contained rage and guilt, before the emotions suddenly fled, leaving her standing in a dark room, a skeleton clutching at her hoof as it sobbed on the ground. Looking down, Twilight could feel only pity, though in her mind she felt that rage was a justified emotion, the anger never came. He had been doing what he thought was right, and after not only walking in his hooves, but living as him, she understood.

That didn't mean she had to like it though.

“Beaker,” Twilight whispered, “go stand with Sharp Eye while I deal with this.”

The skeleton's voice hitched and it looked up at her a moment before slowly rising, sniffing all the while. “Y-yes, I’ll get right on it,” it muttered, before turning and walking away.

Leaving Twilight in an oddly quiet room, alone, and with not but her thoughts as company. A realization that stung her and made the pony turn quickly, eyes wide and filled with fear. Sure enough, her friends were behind her, yet she was alone still, as they stood silently, eyes glassy and unfocused.

“Rainbow Dash, wake up!” Twilight yelled, the unicorn running over to her semi-armored friend and waving a hoof in front of her face.

The thestral swayed slowly, her eyes open, but distant, leaving little doubt that she was no longer with her.

“Wake up!” Twilight screamed, only to find that her efforts have once more been rendered moot by some unseen force.

Shaking the mare did little, and the bat winged pony seemed as solid as stone, her muscles tight, as if locked in place.

She sprinted over to Rarity next, yelling and waving her hoof in front of the arachne’s face. “Rarity, it's me, Twilight! You have to wake up.”

When nothing happened she growled bitterly and rose to her back hooves in order to stare the pony in the eye, hoping that would be enough to wake her up.

The clawing branches of a thorn bush pressed in on all sides, though even the stab of a hundred tiny pricks was not enough to get her attention. Her gaze remained on the gulch before her, where two arachnes much older than her lay bleeding, their bodies peppered with arrows. One gurgled faintly, her pink forehoof reaching towards her, tears in her eyes, and blood all over her body.

The words on her lips were never spoken though, as a gold armored hoof came down on the back of her head, making the female collapse, unable to utter her final words.

Stumbling backwards, Twilight recoiled from the sudden and intrusive memory. Her eyes shut tight, and her hooves pressed against either side of her head as she tried to make heads or tails of what she had seen. The arachni in the vision were clearly traders of some kind, as their had been numerous arachne-made objects strewn around them. They were also no doubt related to Rarity in some manner as they both had stubby horns, and similar coat colors to the fashionista.

“What have you seen?” Twilight muttered, staring aghast at her friend as she stood there rigidly, her eyes welling with tears that never seemed to come.

Shaking her head, Twilight took a step back and lit her horn, her mind trying to concoct a spell that would help wake her friend. Flash after flash darkened the room, as the unicorn went through every spell that could possibly help. Yet when she stood there, panting and without any ideas, so too did Rarity, her eyes as empty and vacant as the second Twilight had first seen her standing there.

“Maybe the answer is in these visions,” Twilight muttered to herself, unaware of how frantic her voice had become, and how wild her mane now was. “That has to be it, right? Why else would I be shown such horrors?”

Nodding hysterically to herself, Twilight ran over to the nearest pony, who happened to be Trixie. Though her eyes remained as unfocused as the rest, the glazed orbs also twitched occasionally, as if the pony were frantically looking around for something. After a reassuring gulp, Twilight gazed into the other pony’s eyes as she had in Rarity’s.

She was alone, painfully alone, and around her the forest blurred as she ran from one tree to the next. Time itself had seemingly come unhinged shortly after she had fled Ponyville and years passed in seconds. Beneath her, the forest floor shifted and contorted as trees she had seen one moment earlier disappeared the next second, replaced by a half-rotten stump.

Her breathing grew sharper still, and she poured on the speed, twisting her way through the distorted landscape as she pressed ever deeper into the wilder woods.

This time Twilight was ready, and when the vision ended, she calmly took a step back and considered what she saw. Trixie had been lost in the woods, that much was obvious, but what was not obvious was how much time had been passing. More pressing then that was the feeling of something being… off. Though Twilight could not put her hoof on what detail of Trixie’s previous story was wrong, she knew something was not as it seemed.

Shaking her head, Twilight stepped away from the pony, her mind churning as she tried to connect any dots that may exist between the two visions. Only to come up with very little, other than the forest which seemed ever present through it all. With a final shake of her head, Twilight dismissed the cloying memories and made her way over to Applejack, who stood nearby.

The apple farmer was different from the others, as though her eyes were distant, they contained neither terror, nor fear, only a deep resounding sadness that made Twilight’s heart lurch at the sight. This was the gaze of someone who had witnessed something so profoundly terrible that their mind recoiled from the sight, unable to process the true depth of their own agony. With that thought firmly in mind, Twilight paused as she neared the mare, wondering silently if she could truly face whatever her friend had faced.

The unicorn bit her lip and forced away such thoughts for now, focusing completely on the tantalizing possibility of answers, and a way to free her friends.

Twilight stared into Applejack’s eyes, and was once more transported far from where she had been standing a second earlier.

The rough and irritating grass and weeds beneath her body would normally be enough to make her wince and stand back up, yet she found herself unable to do so. Her body was utterly powerless, unable to move an inch while she beheld the most horrifying sight she could ever imagine. Though to untrained eyes it was a calm, almost beautiful scene, Applejack knew better than most.

Before her, twin trees curled about one another, their trunks intertwining and separating, as their canopies did much the same. Pears and apples growing side by side and leaving behind a space in the center in the rough shape of a cartoon heart. She tried to focus on that beauty, rather than the bones that poked out from the wood at odd angles, or the skull that had been picked clean of meat which emerged halfway up the trunk of one tree.

And failed.

“How? They had been alive that morning,” Twilight found herself muttering, barely noticing the transition from vision, and reality.

“It's not your fault Applejack,” Twilight stated, while giving her friend a shake. “You couldn't have known!”

Not waiting for a response, she rushed back over to Rarity. “You couldn't save them! It's not your fault either!”

When nothing happened, she trotted up to Trixie and laid a hoof on the unmoving pony’s shoulder. “You did your best, you survived. The past can't harm you anymore, your family is here.”

She knew it was a wasted effort, that her friends couldn't hear her anymore, but she had to say it, a part of her unwilling to accept that they were beyond her reach. Pushing past that, she made her way over to Fluttershy, the bunny’s ears drooping, and its paws hanging loose at its sides. With a sigh, she leaned down and looked the furry creature in its glassy eyes, ready for anything.

The crinkle of dried leaves under hoof was usually a pleasant experience, one that Fluttershy reveled in, but today things were different. Today she merely trod through the underbrush without a care, hardly giving a passing thought to her surroundings. She paid no attention to the dangers that might be lurking just out of sight, as she was here for a reason after all, one that she would need a clear mind for.

Or at least as clear as she could manage anyway, as right now she couldn't stop thinking of the bruise on her cheek, and who had left it there. Love, it seemed, was not something she deserved, and so she chose today to give the last of the love she had to the only thing that had ever cared about her. The forest, and in its tender embrace she would exist forevermore, free from the pain and sorrow that had nipped doggedly at her heels for the entirety of her brief existence.

A sentiment that Twilight couldn't help but agree with, at least in part.

Shaking her head, Twilight brushed aside the tears on her cheek and hugged the bunny as much as she dared. “You are loved, you are worthy of love. Things will get better,” she whispered, a hoof gently caressing the furred creature’s back.

With a sigh, she placed the bunny back in the spot it had been standing in a moment earlier and took a step back. Sure enough, Fluttershy hadn't awoken, or so much as twitch, yet Twilight continued, trotting slowly up to the one pony she should have started with.

“Sorry about the breach of privacy everyone, but I was hoping it would help. Maybe it still will,” Twilight muttered weakly.

She hardly had the energy to look into the thestral’s eyes, but she knew that if there was even a one percent chance that this would help matters, she would do it, no matter what that meant for her own mind. “This had better work,” she muttered before gazing into the thestral’s glassy orbs.

The rage burned hot in her chest, and she stomped her way into the small cave and bucked down the door. Tears stung her cheeks as she was approached by an irate thestral female, who had a long cigarette sticking out of her lip. Pain thundered through her hoof when it connected with the thestral’s face, shattering her glasses and sending her toppling to the floor in a heap.

Her lips spewed icy insults and angry accusations, her thoughts consumed by images of the strange tree she had found, which grew on the same spot she had found her friend’s body. A bottle crashed upside her head, and sent the angry teenager to the ground, her muzzle landing on the dirty, unwashed floor. Even while hooves pounded away at her back and legs, she struggled on, desperate to eke out a bit of revenge even after she felt her leg snap under a particularly brutal kick.

“She didn't deserve you, she didn't deserve what you did,” Twilight growled, only to realize that she was herself once more, and was no longer Rainbow Dash.

Sighing, the unicorn took a step back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “It wasn't your fault, Rainbow Dash, you couldn't have known,” she explained, hooves gripping the thestral’s shoulders. “Some pain we don't share with even our closest friends.”

When nothing happened, Twilight sighed and turned away. “Well, it was worth a try,” she muttered, her hooves clacking across the stone floor.

Behind her, the companions who helped her through thick and thin stood a silent vigil, their eyes seeing nothing, and their minds no longer in this moment of time. Before them, Twilight strode as confidently as she could towards where she knew the secret room lay waiting for her. Upon reaching the entrance, her hoof went to her amulet, which she gripped tightly, and focused her magic into.

This time when she detected the other half of the amulet, she could feel that not only was it close, but that it lay in the very next room. With her spine straightened, and her will steeled, Twilight glanced back over her shoulder one final time.

“I’ll save you. I swear,” she vowed, before turning and pressing her hoof against the switch.

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