Twilight yawns as she opens her eyes, she came face to face with four pairs of eyes, both belonging to Crystal and Flurry Heart.

Twilight screams. “Do you girls know what time it is?” Twilight asks, as she narrows her eyes at her nieces.

“Yeah, it's 9:00 am.” Crystal said, her tone blunt.

“And you promised us that you would spend the day with us!” Flurry said.

Twilight rubs the sleep from her eyes, and yawns. “I did promise, but why this early? Ponies are still asleep you know.” Twilight narrows her eyes at the two.

“Well we can always have fun before anypony else wakes up.” Flurry suggested.

Twilight sighs. “Fine. What do you girls want to do?” She asks the girls.

“We can have a picnic in the garden.” Crystal suggests.

“That sounds like a nice idea Crystal.” Twilight said, placing her hooves on the cold hard crystal floor. Flurry jumped up and down around Crystal excitedly.

“This is gonna be so much fun! Come on Aunt Twilight!” Flurry Heart grabs her aunt's hoof and the three hurry out the door.

The picnic blanket landed safely on the grass as the sun reflected off the leaves. Crystal gently sat down as Flurry laid down on the blanket. Twilight giggled as she levitated a orange platter of cucumber sandwiches placing it on the blanket along with a pitcher of lemonade.

“Thank you for inviting me girls. I guess I needed this.” Twilight said, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.

“You're welcome, Aunt Twilight.” smiles Flurry Heart.

Crystal takes a bite of her sandwich, savoring the flavor. “We could have went to the spa, but Flurry suggested something more relaxing.” Crystal rolls her eyes.

“The spa would have been a nice idea, Crystal, but this is simply relaxing as well.” Twilight smiles at her niece.

Twilight looked around the garden and frowned. The garden looked like the one back at her castle. Her eyes became watery as she remembered the times she had with Discord in her garden. She could remember the times where they would laugh and tickle each other or the times where they would sit and talked about things that were on their minds.

“Aunt Twilight? Are you okay?” Crystal asks.
Twilight blinked her eyes and smiled at Crystal. “Of course Crystal. I’m fine.” she said, sipping on her lemonade.

She watches as her nieces was enjoying herself, as she remained lost in thought. It's as if she was in a trance as she was slowly eating her cucumber sandwich.

“Aunt Twilight?” Flurry asks.

No response.

“Aunt Twilight?” Crystal asks.

Again no response.

“Aunt Twilight!” They said in unison.

Twilight jumped a little, startled. “Sorry girls, I guess I was lost in my own thoughts at the moment.” She said, her cheeks held a hint of pink. Clearly she was embarrassed by her action.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Flurry Heart questions, double checking.

Twilight nods. “I'm fine! Honestly, I'm just trying to figure out what this Friendship Mission is that I'm suppose to go on. I mean I'm not even sure where it's located at.” She explains.

“Well, hopefully you will figure it out soon.” Flurry said, her tone hopefully.

“Maybe…” Twilight mutters. She takes another bite of her sandwich.

The girls clean up the mess, as they fold the blanket and throw away their trash. “You girls head inside, I'll be inside in a few.” Twilight said.

For now, she just wanted to enjoy the sounds of nature to herself. Twilight closes her eyes, as the soft breeze blows through her mane. She could not shake the feeling that maybe there was no friendship problem at all and that maybe the should just head on home.

Twilight gets up and walks into the empire. She comes face to face with Cadence, who smiles at her. “Good morning, Twilight!” She beams.

Twilight gives her sister in law a sheepish smile. “Oh! Good morning Cadence. I was actually coming to tell you that I'm heading home early.” Twilight said.

Cadence looks at her sister in law, confused. “I thought you had a friendship problem that needed to be fixed here?” Cadence asks.

“I thought I did. Maybe it was just a false alarm.” Twilight assumed.

Cadence sighs. “Well I'm sorry to hear that your friendship mission was unsuccessful.” Cadence said.

“It's fine, really. I've been meaning to head back home anyways to take care of Harmonia.” Twilight said.

Twilight gives her sister in law a hug. “Alright. Well I will guess I will see you soon then.” Cadence said.

“Tell Shining that I have left and not to worry.” Twilight said.

Cadence nods her head, watching as Twilight leaves the castle.

The walk to the train station was fairly long. Twilight enjoyed the cool breeze that blew on her face. She sighed as she enjoyed the quietness of the peaceful that the Crystal Empire had to offer.

Twilight slowed her pacing, her cutie mark started to glow once again. She looks at her cutie mark, slightly confused. “Huh? The friendship problem must be near here.” She mutters. She watched, as her cutie mark glowed before her. It's like it was guiding her to her problem.

Twilight's cutie mark gives her a trail. She follows it.

After what felt like miles of traveling, Twilight's cutie mark stops glowing, leading her into a crystal forest.

“The forest? Why on Earth would my cutiemark send me here?!” Twilight asks confused.

She wonders around, looking for anypony who needed her help. “Hello? Is anypony here?” Twilight calls out, in the crystal clear forest.

Nopony answer. “Great! Just great! My cutiemark just had to lead me here!” Twilight mutters to herself. “Another false alarm…” she thought.

Twilight sighs, as she tried to find her way out of the forest, but with no luck she was lost. A cold chill, the same cold chill she felt in the hallway of the Crystal Empire swept through the forest grounds, sending chills down her spine.

“That's the same feeling I felt at the Empire.” Twilight thought to herself.

Twilight musters up all the bravery and courage she had. “Whoever is out here! Show yourself!” Twilight demands.

They didn't say a word, not even a sound. The only last sound that could be heard was Twilight's scream.

Harmonia looks out the window of Pinkie Pie's window. “Where's mommy?” She said, she gazes out her aunt's window, patiently waiting for her mother arrival.

It was going on 2:00 pm. “Maybe she's just running late.” Confetti suggested.

“I hope that's the only case.” Mutters Harmonia.

She looks down at the board game that the twins picked out. “It's your turn Harmonia.” Cotton Berry said, as he placed his piece on the board.

He give Harmonia the spinner. She flicks the spinner, landing on a 7.

She moves her piece on the board, quietly, but she couldn't stop thinking about where her mother could be.

Twilight illuminates her horn, she was casted into complete darkness. “Hello? Where am I? Is anypony here? Show yourself!” She demands, her voice echoing into the darkness.

She waits her pony-nappers response, but only received a wicked and cold laugher from them. Twilight turns around, startled by its mysterious eyes.

“At last we finally meet face to face….Twilight Sparkle.” He hisses.

“Come into the light so I can see who you are!” Twilight demands. The mysterious pony, steps out of the shadows and into the soft glow of Twilight's horn.

Twilight gasps at who she came face to face with.

It was no other than King Sombra.

Twilight's eyes widen in fear, her body went tense. “I thought you were-” Twilight said,, her tone quaked in fear of the stallion.

“What dead?” He lets out a sinister smirk. “No I am very much alive, my dear.” He held his hoof to Twilight's face.

Twilight swats his hoof away. “What do you want Sombra? And that's Princess Twilight Sparkle to you!” She hisses at the handsome dark stallion in response.

“Oh right, well excuse me if I wasn't invited to your coordination six years ago.” Sombra said, his voice leaking with sarcasm.

“But I must say you fit those wings fit you quite well.” He smirks at her.

Twilight looks at him, slightly confused by what he was going on about. “What are you talking about?” She wonders.

“I'm just saying, why be a princess when you can be a queen.” In his hoof, he manifests a silver crown with her element of Harmony embedded in the center of it.

“W-what?” Twilight was speechless.

“When you first arrived at the castle, you was just starting to learn about dark magic. Why you even used more than once. Looks like to me you even enjoyed it.” He smirks at her.

“Look, Sombra I'm not sure what game you are trying to play here but I'm not interested in your bidding!” Twilight snaps. “I swear to Celestia if you do not let me go!” She warns.

“Ah yes, Celestia. Isn't she the mare that took your husband away from you?” He asks, his tone nonchalant.

“That's not what I came here to talk about, Sombra. I'm going home! Besides your just a cliche bad guy in all the fantasy books I've ever seen or read.” Twilight snorts, her eyes narrowed.

“You're not even a real King! You are only a shadow.” Twilight sneers at him.

Sombra looks at Twilight, an unamused look on his face. “So I'm just a cliche bad guy in any fantasy book you ever read?” He asks, he tone slightly amusing.

Twilight narrows her eyes at him. “Then you don't mind if the fantasy story turns real!” Sombra's horn glows, revealing black, shadow like tendrils erupting from the ground. The black shadow tendrils wraps Twilight's wings, neck and hooves together.

Twilight gasps for air, as she chokes. Tears forming in her eyes. “You know we're not so different you and I.” He walks up to her, a smirk played on his lips. “But since you don't want to corporate then how does this sound for a perfect ending: the spunky young heroic princess gets killed by the big bad villain. End scene.” Sombra then cackles wickedly at Twilight, as he watches her struggle.

Twilight bares her teeth, her eyes giving the same effect Sombra's did. Sombra gasp at the sight before him. But he moved, quickly out of the way, before the black shadow tendrils could attack him.

He smirks, as he watched the young Alicorn become slightly dizzy by the dark magic she just performed. “What did I tell you princess? Not. So. Different.” He hisses.

Twilight shook her head regaining her vision. “Sombra, Let me go!” Twilight screams. “Or I’ll-” she warns.

“You’ll do what?” He hisses, his eyes narrowed. “You do realize that you can't leave until your friendship mission is solved right?” He asks, circling around her.

“I know that! So let me go so I can go see who needs my help!” Twilight demands.

“Why of course, princess, but your looking at your friendship problem.” He smirks.

Twilight eyes narrowed at him. “You and friendship, doesn't even belong in the same sentence.” She spats.

“Well you can't leave until I get what I want!” Sombra sneers.

Twilight was scared to ask or even wondering what it was that he even wanted from her. “And that is?” Twilight asks, her tone full of curiosity and worry.

“You.” He hisses in her ear. Twilight's eyes shrinks to the size of dimes.

What has this map possibly got her into?

Inspiration for Chapter 24: A Somber Meeting by Omny87