Starlight entered the empire as she teleported back. She moved towards the castle as she was thinking. She was in front of the doorfront, wondering what to do next.

“Oh, what to do…” she asked herself. It was then that she noticed Cadence. “Hmm? Cadence? What are you doing out here?”

She looked at Starlight with confusion while she was wandering about. “I was looking for something… or somepony? Strange… Oh right. I was looking for Shining Armor,” she answered with uncertainty.

Starlight noticed something off about her. She looked fatigued. She wanted to see if she could do anything to help Cadence. However, she had no time to waste in reporting herself to Luna.

“Alright. Just make sure you don’t overwork yourself, Alright? If you do… I will make you rest,” she said with firmness in her voice.

She walked away before Cadance could stop her. She continue onwards inside the castle. Getting ready to make a report to Luna.

. . .

Meanwhile, Twilight was elsewhere, unaware of what happened at the empire. She searched around, looking for any clues. Her mind only had one thing that she was focused on. Which, at first, was an obsession. She devoted herself of her emotions to getting the job done. By the time she had come to her senses… she was too late. She loathed herself as she realized how idiotic she’d been acting. She couldn’t continue suppressing her emotions, which seemed to be pointless as she wasn’t acting like herself. After what happened with Starlight, she couldn’t take it anymore. She made it her mission to revert back to her old self. To make sure she didn’t fall back into the darkness. However… a part of her still was in denial about Princess Celestia's death.

“Celestia? Where are you? Please answer me…” She tried everything in her power to find a trace of life. Something that would prove she was still alive… “Are you there? I need help…” She remained alone, trying to find a clue on where the Princess of Light was.

And even though she tried to hide it, she tried to hide all the good memories of her former teacher. She’d chosen to remove it from her mind, to ignore, all because it would be one more weakness the corruption could use against her if she kept thinking about it.

“Twilight, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“If something were to happen to me, what would you do? Would you search for me?”

“That would never happen. Because I am always with you.”

“Hmm… let me change it a little… What if I disappeared? Somewhere nopony could ever hope to reach? And you had to make your own choice?”

She stopped moving around. Immediately, Twilight turned around to see if Celestia was there. “...What would make you say that…?”

She saw an image of her former teacher in front of her as she collapsed. She was a corpse and Twilight ran over to her. “Or perhaps, you just don’t care anymore? Would you give up everything… just to find me?”

She started to shed tears as she remembered that conversation. The time when they were in the garden alone. When everything was peaceful for a time.

“I… I would… Never stop!”

She started to have a massive headache as she recalled that event. Twilight was screaming as the ooze started to surround. She could hear the corruption’s voice when she got on her knees.

“Twilight? Twilight?!”

Her mind was filled with memories of what the monster did to her. How the monster started corrupting Equestria. When the ponies that fought this calamity were pushed back to the Crystal Empire. After a few moments of struggling, she managed to calm down, albeit, with difficulty.

“P-Pinkie?” she asked.

She nodded. “Who were you expecting, a shooting star?” She made a small laugh about that little quip. It was short lived however as she dropped her joking side for a moment as she continued. “Anyways, I didn’t mean to interrupt your… um… Thought process? Judging from the looks of things, I guess you didn’t find her yet… I’m sure you would be back to your old self once you did!” She tried to be cheerful despite the situation as she added, “In any case, I came looking for you because… I’m in a bit of a pickle here.”

Twilight got off the ground, feeling as if the migraine went away. She looked at Pinkie Pie who was being serious this time. A thing that knocked Twilight for a loop.

“I know I Pinkie Promised that I could handle this… I truly did try. But the dead refused to listen to reason… They’re too scared, too far gone that they may become corrupted. What's even worse is because the Princess of light is gone… nearly everypony has lost hope. It seems that even I can’t… save them on my own. I-I’m aware that you need to do this on your own and I know how much she means to you- to everypony… I can do just about anything. I should be able to make anypony happy and to never-”

“I’ll help,” Twilight said as she cut her off.

Pinkie was surprised to hear Twilight say that. She had expected to be rejected and turned away and yet, Pinkie didn’t seem reluctant. “But what about our hope? We can’t just-”

“I’m not giving up… but everypony needs a leader. I need to be that leader. I can’t keep running away… I can’t be selfish and ignore everypony in pain. I know a part of her is still here… I can sense it in my heart… and when she needs me… I’ll be the first one to help.

Pinkie smiled and grabbed Twilight. They both ran towards the Crystal Empire. Ready for their next assignment.

. . .

Meanwhile back at the empire, Fluttershy tried to find a way to bring back the Princess of Light. But all the books she researched were doing her any less good. Every book she read had the same answer. She was told to find a way to resurrect the dead and to hopefully turn the tide against the monster. But she doubted herself and anyway she could be of help. Out of everypony, she was the only one that could heal anypony and was the closest to life itself.

She knew there was a way… she just didn’t know how. Since their light had vanished, everypony started to have doubts... It went from hope to pure sadness and despair. They were heard but nothing could be done. Everypony was dying sooner and the corruption was spreading faster than a swarm of bees. She had an idea… but an idea that came with a cost. When everything and everypony came to her for health and guidance, she offered a holy but terrifying solution. She would have to sacrifice part of her lifespan and she would use the Crystal heart as a result.

“I… will sacrifice myself so everything and everypony can survive,” she said, knowing full well what her fate was.

Everypony gladly accepted her offer although the animals weren’t so keen on letting her go... For the first time, somepony had to make the ultimate sacrifice so others may live. So others can be happy. So, she asked the unicorns to take a part of her life and split it up so everyone had a chance. It was painful for her to go through. But she had to save everypony’s spirits. However… she was unsuccessful. Her spirit did not help them. She was connected to the Elements of Harmony and to some extent, the Crystal Heart and anyone unworthy of them would instantly become corrupted. As everypony slowly turned, she ran away, crying at what lied before her. She was the cause of their corruption. In a panic, everypony tried to stop… but there was nopony left. The only survivors left were in the empire and the mane six. All was lost…