Ponyville wasn't far from Zecora's cabin. The three reached it by the end of the day.

Skyblazer, Cobalt, and Maud walked across a small bridge over the river, and into town. Talk was minimal. All were focused on the task ahead.

The evening was far too pleasant to be so dire, and the weather was nice. Cobalt, a griffon, didn't even encounter any hostility or fear from the ponies. Just idle curiosity. It would seem the residents of this town had, by now, become rather calloused towards danger.

They reached the crystal castle, and stepped inside. To their surprise, it was rather empty. Only Starlight, Trixie, and Spike were present.

Cobalt introduced herself.

Sky spoke to Starlight, "It's either a good thing or a very bad thing that no one else is here."

Starlight replied, "Well, so far things are fine. Twilight's friends are just doing their usual things. Trixie and I are watching the castle."

"Any word on Twilight?" asked Sky, as he glanced at the map room nearby.

Starlight shook her head no, and said, "Still just says her location isn't known. For now, the others have decided to trust her on this."

"What, really?"

"I know, it's crazy. Some kind of friendship thing. How are you holding up?"

"Not bad, aside from getting mauled by a dragon and Twilight just vanishing."

Starlight talked to Cobalt now, "A griffon, huh? Think you're the first I've met."

"Oh, is that what I am?" answered Cobalt, "All this time, I thought I was a pigeon."

Trixie chuckled, but Starlight wasn't amused.

Sky quickly spoke up here, "So, we have all three Elements of Conflict present, and almost all the ones of harmony. Ponyville should be plenty safe, right?"

Trixie answered this, "The ponies here really trust Twilight and her friends. They'd feel a lot safer if we could find her."

"Any idea at all where she went?"

Trixie said no, but Starlight had a possible lead. She said,

"I can think of one pony who might know... we can talk more about it in the morning. Friend of mine, from magic school."

They all rested in the massive crystal castle. Skyblazer found it hard to sleep. This whole town felt like nothing more than a giant target. Something else was bound to attack it soon, and they honestly needed the elements of harmony for protection.

Sunrise woke up Sky. Cobalt was still snoozing, and he quietly stepped out of the room.

Maud was busy examining the crystal which the castle was made of. Breakfast was ready.

Starlight sat at the table. She was using spells on a necklace which had words on it in an unknown language. Sky was curious about it, and Starlight answered him,

"It's an amplifier artifact. Don't tell Twilight I have this, please."

"Is it forbidden?" asked Sky, as he took a seat.

"No, but it doesn't look good for me to own it. With my past and Trixie's... experience with stuff like this."

"What's it do?"

"Enhances any spell put into it. I should be able to teleport straight to the Crystal Empire with it."

"I'd imagine there's a reason it's not common."

"Rare, expensive, and it can backfire badly," replied Starlight. Cobalt entered the room now, with a yawn.

Starlight explained, "We got a scroll back from the princesses, even they don't know where Twilight went. All we know for certain is that she wants more power to defend Equestria with."

Cobalt added here, "Lot of the things you've been dealing with are ancient and dark magic."

Starlight nodded, and said, "If she didn't go to the Canterlot archives, then I don't know where else would have info on those magics. My friend Sunburst would know, he's studied magic more than anypony alive."

"You mentioned the Crystal Empire. Take it he's there?" asked Sky.

"Yes, all the way in the frozen north."

Sky went to find his map and consider the distance. All the way across Equestria. It would take over two moons to fly there. That was ignoring Cobalt's slower flight speed.

Some of the other ponies stopped by in the afternoon. Rainbow Dash stopped in, wearing her Wonderbolts outfit. She invited them to visit Cloudsdale sometime.

Rarity was also free today. She seemed more wary of Cobalt than the others, but she spoke to her in a kind tone,

"Ahh, you must be the griffon Sky told me about. I must say, your feathers are a wonderful shade of blue."

Cobalt answered, "Thanks. First time I actually came into Ponyville. Surprised by how relaxed everypony seems here."

"This town has suffered far worse than a griffon visiting," said Rarity, "Not to be rude or anything. Well, I see that Twilight's cutie mark still has not moved. I must be on my way, business to take care of."

"Wait," said Sky, "We're going to look for her. Do you know anything?"

"Why yes, darling. I know that you shouldn't bother. Twilight will return when she is ready to."

"What if something attacks before then?"

"She did say that she was improving her magic and finding the next threat ahead of time. I do not see cause for alarm. Trusting in each other is the only way my friends and I have survived thus far."

"Huh, I see," said Sky, unconvinced. After Rarity left, Sky spoke to Starlight,

"That's nice and all, but we need her back. Cobalt and I aren't ready for this kind of responsibility.”

"That's an understatement," said Starlight, as she placed the necklace on, “but I am ready to get us all to the Crystal Empire now. I've been measuring and preparing all day, so the amplifier should be good to go.”

Starlight had the other four gather in a huddle. Her horn began to glow fiercely. There was an unsettling rush of speed, and a blur of color. A second later, they appeared far, far to the north. Everything was obscured in a flurry of white.

When the powdery snow settled, they saw a bleak terrain of ice and snow. Pine trees climbed frozen cliffs. The hollow arctic winds whistled through ravines. No signs of a town anywhere nearby.

Sky asked, “Where are we?” as Maud and Cobalt looked at the winter landscape in equal confusion. Trixie seemed annoyed with her friend.

“I'm... not sure,” answered Starlight, “This is my fault. I'll take care of it. Let me think...”

After a moment, she walked away from the group and stared at a towering mountain peak in the distance. Her horn glimmered, the snow stirred, and she was gone in a blink.

The others looked at the mountain, where a brilliant flash of magic and a puff of snow could be seen. There was a few moments of silence. The soft snow muffled sound and left the area in a tranquil calm.

Another distant flash, and then one right nearby them. Starlight appeared. They all jumped at the sound of tiny thunder as air refilled the vacuum from teleportation. Starlight lowered her shield spell, and walked over to chat. She spoke,

“It looks like my aim was off. I've honestly only attempted mass travel once or twice before... but there is a settlement not far from here. Should be able to hike over there before it gets dark.”

Cobalt spoke up now. Her high-pitched and gravelly voice was unusually free from sarcasm, “I'm sure the smallest error in accuracy means being off by days of travel at a distance like this.”

Starlight seemed impressed. She responded, “That's exactly right. Have you studied magic?”

“Yeah, my friend Zecora taught me a bunch and got me books from the Ponyville library.”

“Can't say I've heard of her,” said Starlight, “but she sounds competent.”

“She lives in Everfree by herself and knows everything about making potions, so I'd damn well say so.”

They began hiking towards the village now. Sky and Cobalt occasionally took flight to find their bearings. Even for ponies, and even for unicorns with a wide variety of magic, the deep snow and bitter cold was harsh. Cobalt, the griffon, was plenty used to cold and snow—her homeland was a cold place.

They reached the village before sunset, though it was hard to tell through the uniform gray clouds far above. These wild lands were far removed from pegasi weather control, and Skyblazer couldn't see much use in modifying the weather here.

The village was nestled in a snowy valley, frightfully close to mountains full of snow. It seemed an avalanche risk.

To call it a village was to say that Sky's hometown was a sprawling city, and Dodge Junction was a one-street ghost town.

It would be more proper to call this a settlement, as Starlight had so politely put it. From the totems, the frosty buildings of log and thatch, and the visible inhabitants, it became clear that this place was tribal in nature.

Trixie spoke in an annoyed tone, “Oh great, we get to ask the yaks for help.”

Cobalt and Sky hadn't even heard of that race before. The questions they had were quite suddenly answered as one yak approached.

This creature was a living bush of matted fur. No doubt that was useful in their northern climate. The yak seemed calm, but resolute. He spoke,

“You there, halt! This yak home. Why ponies come here?”

Cobalt, offended, said, “Do I look like a pony?”

“No,” said the yak, “You are bird. Why bird and ponies seek entry to yak home?”

“Close enough,” muttered Cobalt as Sky nudged her away from the yak.

Starlight and Maud spoke to the yak now, while the others stayed back a ways.

Maud was perhaps best suited for this. She spoke in her usual bored, flat voice, “We are lost. Can you give ponies direction to Crystal Empire?”

“Hmm, yes! Crystal city and yaks good friends for all time!”

“Ponies and bird very cold,” said Maud slowly, knowing that the yaks only had a small knowledge of her own language, “Trapped in blizzard. Not finding trail. Need fire and food.”

“Hahaha, silly ponies. Should follow fuzzy crystals.”

“What?” asked Maud, in the most startled voice the others had ever heard her use. The effect of her tone of surprise was very much the same as finding a palm tree out here in the snow.

“Warm crystals go to crystal city. Gift to yaks, before crystal city go away. Yaks wait. Yaks tell story of crystal city to baby yaks. Crystal city comes back. Warm crystals fuzzy now, but still is trail.”

Maud just stood there for a moment, her eyebrow raised in thought. She asked Starlight to write all of that down.

The yak continued, “It no matter. Yak land dangerous. Yaks give ponies and bird food and fire.”

They all took that unconventional invitation and stepped into the gate, past the sturdy log wall. They spent the night here at the yak's village. Thankfully, the yaks ate hay during the snowy seasons, and they kept water jugs in their homes where it wouldn't freeze.

This wasn't much consolation to Cobalt, who needed meat, and so she went off to hunt. While she was gone, the others talked.

Trixie said, “Guess I was wrong about the yaks. They're nice enough.”

“Yak thank you for that!” said the yak from earlier, as he walked through the blanket which served as a door for the tiny hut. He was soon followed by Cobalt, who plopped down by the fire with a satiated sigh.

Maud tried to talk to the yak about exactly what 'fuzzy' meant, but couldn't get a clear answer. The others sat around the fire at the center of the room.

Starlight and Cobalt were amusing themselves by using magic to turn the flames different colors. Cobalt, who was a novice with her magic element, turned the fire a putrid shade of brown by mistake. They had a good laugh at this, and kept it that way.

Skyblazer called Maud over, and asked her how far the Crystal Empire was. Maud spoke, “With the snow, it may be three or four days to walk there. We should have brought winter clothing.”

This proved to be of no concern. The yaks had ample scarves and beanies and blankets for the cold. They also provided some old but edible hay for the trail. Cobalt and Sky had food in their packs, so they didn't need any.

They left the next morning. Starlight and Cobalt, the more adept magic users, stayed at the front where they could take turns using arcane shields to ward off the snow and freezing wind.

Sky, who still struggled managing the magic of his amulet, stayed back with Maud. His best spell was pyro, and so he kept their canteens from freezing over. Maud had just recently found her element. With her intense knowledge and calm, she could already handle several spells.

Maud quietly kept a spell of detect magic active, unknown to the others. The frozen north was still a mystery even to Celestia and Luna. The crystalline and ancient magics at work here posed unfamiliar dangers. However, according to her reading in the Ponyville library, this spell should be able to make known to her all magic which was nearby.

With that in mind, it was strange that there should be any magic which she couldn't simply identify. It ought to be concerning, perhaps something to share with the others, but then again, she was new to the use of magic. The average earth-pony would never make use of it, except perhaps with the sort of artifacts which were forbidden.

Whatever it was, it didn't feel threatening. The yaks were correct, it felt... fuzzy. Like static electricity. The feeling grew more intense. Maud decided to say something.

“Starlight Glimmer,” said Maud in a voice just loud enough to carry over the wind.

“Yes?” replied Starlight.

“Something feels fuzzy. Try using magic detection.”

Cobalt took over the arcane shield for her as she did so.

“Huh,” said Starlight, “That is weird. I've never felt anything like that.”

They hiked on and the feeling began to fade.

“Wait,” said Maud. They did so, and she turned back around. The odd feeling became stronger again. She dug into the snow until the frozen ground was visible.

Her earring, one of the three Elements of Conflict, began to glow fiercely. Rocks beneath the ground shattered until the permafrost was broken up. Starlight and Trixie watched this in shock.

Visible now was a buried quartz crystal. It looked perfectly ordinary, but Maud knew better. She carefully targeted more rocks until more ground was worn away.

The quartz was only the top of an entire sculpture made of crystal. This was a quartz statue of a unicorn. Only the head was visible, and this alone was the size of Maud.

The others had gathered in a circle now. Maud spoke, “Hundreds of years of weather and erosion buried it. Why has the statue itself not chipped away at all? It is flawless.”

Every finely carved detail was still in perfect condition. The face and the spirals of the horn hadn't been worn away at all. Cobalt, enamored by the beauty of it, just about reached out to touch it. Maud stopped her.

Starlight asked the others to back off a good ways. She then crouched, and stretched a back leg back, bracing herself. A massive blast of energy from her horn slammed into the statue. The frozen ground was blown into powder, and most of the statue was revealed, but it did not suffer any damage.

The feeling of static fuzziness became strong enough that it could be felt in the air. Sparks glanced off of the statue. When Starlight ceased her powerful magic missile, the fuzzy feeling faded.

Everypony gathered again, in silent awe at the devastation. With one short burst Starlight had excavated the whole statue, leaving a hole in the snowy ground. Cobalt caught the glint of metal at the base, and fluttered down to look at the plaque. Sky warned her to keep a shield up, and she did so.

This statue was of some ancient unicorn unknown to them. Ancient in the sense that he was from centuries ago, and ancient as in elderly. This unicorn was depicted with a long beard, a cloak, and a pointy hat with spirals on it.

Cobalt said she couldn't read the plaque. Starlight came down now, flying by force of sheer magic.

“Oh, that's why,” said Starlight, “It's Old Ponish. I don't know a whole lot of it... something about stars, that's all I can gather. This rune is interesting though...”

She brushed snow off of the edge of the plaque. A rune weakly glowed here, in a faint blue. Starlight suddenly jumped back. Cobalt flew up into the air and waited.

Starlight told her, “It's the same as yours!”

“What—the rune?” asked Cobalt, as she landed and began to undo her leg armor.

They compared it. Sure enough, it was a match. Cobalt spoke,

“Let me try something... this might be dangerous, keep a shield up.”

Starlight did so. Cobalt closed her eyes, and her rune glowed brightly. For a moment, nothing happened. And then, Cobalt heard something. A voice in an unknown language.

She opened her eyes, and said, “It worked! It's also for telepathy—but I can't understand the language.”

“Here, let me try this...” said Starlight, as her horn glowed and light suffused Cobalt.

The griffon tried it again. This time, she could understand the words. They echoed in her mind, In honor of Starswirl the Bearded, whose bravery kept the Empire from the shadows. Never shall shadow prey upon this land, nor shall dark mage Sombra meddle with forces beyond magic again. The Crystal Empire is safe, and all may be at peace.

This message was repeated to Starlight. She said, “Sombra is the wizard who invaded and overtook the empire. Twilight, Celestia and Luna just battled him again, actually—and he did have a shadowy, dark magic form.”

Cobalt spoke in a scared voice, “Is that pony immortal? How?”

“No, no I don't think so. Just got sent wherever the Crystal Empire went, came back with it."

They returned to the others and shared what they had found. Nopony seemed certain what it could mean.

Several more days of cold walking took them to the Crystal Empire. The fuzzy feeling of the strange magic statues helped them find their way. Some of these were buried beneath the snow. Other ones were still visible.

They arrived at town right at sunset. All present sat in awe at the majesty of the scene.

The playful colors of sunlight sparkled through the crystal spires of the translucent castle in the distance. Rays of light shone through across the town. As the sky faded to black, the northern lights danced in hues of green and blue against the backdrop of the rustic town.

Now this was worth everything Sky had been through so far. This was the stuff he had left home to find. In spite of all the danger of their world and the frosty cold of the landscape, this far northern city brought a sense of innocence and wonder.

As they trotted into town, Starlight took the lead. She was the most familiar with the place.

The houses and structures were not crystalline, but the ponies were. It was beyond weird looking at the shimmering texture of their fur, which had the same oddly translucent quality that the castle did.

“Long-term exposure to concentrated crystal magic,” said Starlight quietly.

The cobblestone streets were quiet. Most residents were staying home where it was warm, preparing for bed. The street lamps were some kind of glowing crystals, bright enough to offer illumination.

They soon arrived at a rather plain looking wooden house. Starlight knocked, and a unicorn answered. He spoke in a calm tone,

“It's good to see you, Starlight. Caught me just before bed,” he noticed the others, “My, that's a lot of company. I take it you need to talk about something?”

“Yes, it's important. It's about Twilight,” answered Starlight.

They all stepped inside. It wasn't a small house, but between the six of them and the endless stacks of books it was rather cramped.

Despite being about to go to bed, the unicorn wore a cloak and glasses. He took a seat in a tattered easy chair which was surrounded by books on magic.

Starlight spoke, “I'm sorry for barging in so late, Sunburst. Twilight has just vanished, and we were hoping you had some idea of where she might be.”

“I see,” said Sunburst, “I don't really know Twilight that well, so I may not be of much assistance.”

Starlight gave him the note which Twilight had left. He read it, and closed his eyes in thought. Finally, he spoke, “If she's looking for greater power, then she's probably studying ancient, dark, and crystal magics. Those comprise most of the recent weird events.”

Skyblazer spoke up now, while Cobalt browsed the bookshelves, “Do you know where she could go to learn about those?”

“Well, there are only a few known archives in Equestria that would have the knowledge. The first isn't far from here, it's at the old fortress in the tundra. Canterlot castle, of course, has the most arcane lore. And then the libraries here in town, but I sure haven't seen her around.”

Starlight asked, “What about spells of concealment—she could be using invisibility, or stopping time even though that's dangerous.”

Sunburst shook his head no, “If the friendship map doesn't know where she went, then it's a greater magic ward. As a result, she cannot use magic while it's active.”

Sky and the others didn't have a clue what this meant, but Starlight seemed shocked by it. She spoke, “I mean no disrespect, but could Twilight really have mastered such an advanced spell?”

“She has alicorn magic,” said Sunburst, “that puts her in a whole different league from unicorns—well, most of them,” he said, with an askew look at Starlight.

Trixie spoke to him now, “If anything else crazy happens in Ponyville, they won't be able to stop it without her. The way things are going, that could threaten all of Equestria!”

Sunburst calmed her down by saying, “I am aware, but I would say Twilight's friends know best. If they trust her as a good friend, then I'd say we should, as well.”

Skyblazer called Cobalt over, and spoke to everyone present, “We have a couple of leads now, and we need to split up. Cobalt and I can go find that fortress and search around the frozen north.”

“It's a long, cold flight back from here,” noted Starlight.

“We're explorers anyways, so it's fine. Right Cobalt?”

Cobalt nodded, and said, “If we're choosing to trust Twilight, it's fine by me. We'll take on some monster bounties and help out if anything crazy happens.”

Sunburst spoke to her now, “You're certainly abnormal for a griffon. Have you immigrated to Equestria?”

“Well, yes, I suppose so,” she answered, “but I haven't had the best experience dealing with ponies.”

“That should be understandable. A pony has good reason to fear a griffon.”

“Sure, but you could at least give me a chance.”

“I am, I'm not as dense as that. You don't seem very threatening.”

“Huh. Thanks.”

Starlight interrupted here, “Do you suppose Maud should stay with you, since she's one of the elements? You could take the train back.”

Maud spoke now, “While it could be a chance to gain greater insight into our elements, I would prefer to be near my sister at this time.”

“Fair enough,” replied Starlight, “In that case, Maud can stay in Ponyville while Trixie and I visit Canterlot for clues... I'm not looking forward to meeting the princesses.”

Maud answered this, “In light of recent events, I would suppose that your backgrounds are less essential than your knowledge of magic.”

“Well said, Maud. It's about time to get going, can't waste time right now. Sunburst, may Cobalt and Sky stay here for the night?”

Sunburst had no problem with it. He spoke, “With as determined and intelligent as she is, if Twilight doesn't wish to be found then it may be better to be patient. Stand by the others and wait, see what happens.”

Sky perked up at this, and said, “See what happens, huh. What if Zecora could give us more insight with her prophecy stuff?”

“Thinking of heading back with Starlight?” asked Cobalt.

“Maybe. I'm not sure right now.”

“What if we... no, that's crazy.”

“What?”

“You're a really fast flyer. It wouldn't take you long to get back to Everfree from here.”

“We're all the way in the frozen north, Cobalt. At best, two moons and a week with a good tailwind.”

“Yeah, and during that time I can go to Canterlot and get properly registered, introduce myself to five of the elements of harmony, and then go visit Zecora. Also, maybe look into the remedy for your sister. I know a ton about alchemy, remember?”

Starlight butted in, “What's wrong with your sister?”

Sky answered, “Some kind of ancient curse. Zecora found a remedy, but it needs 'water from the pool of reflection'. Whatever that is.”

“It's an eldritch pool that can create duplicates of a pony,” said Starlight, “It's been sealed off by Twilight.”

“You know where it is?”

“No, not personally. I only know of it through Sunburst.”

Sunburst spoke, “I actually asked the royal sisters while they were here, and Celestia said it was in Everfree, but no specifics.”

Sky seemed confused, “Zecora told me it was a myth, you don't suppose... she lied to me?”

“If she did, I doubt it's personal,” said Sunburst, “the pool is incredibly dangerous. Besides, it's not likely that she knows everything that goes on in that forest. It's one of the most enigmatic locations in Equestria.”

Sky and Cobalt stepped outside to talk now. Skyblazer said,

“Are you sure you want to split ways? We'd be safer together, and then these elements have to mean something.”

“We'll be okay, Sky. We're both tough, ain't we?”

“What about that whole 'darkest hour, doom and gloom' thing?”

“If we're apart, it can't possibly take place, right? Supposed to be 'our' darkest hour. And prophecy isn't always right anyways.”

“What if something else attacks Ponyville?”

“I'd say there's more than enough skilled wizards to handle it.”

“Yeah, I guess... and Celestia and Luna are standing by.”

“Luna can reach us in that dream world if we're both needed, for whatever reason.”

“Alright then. So I'll look into this fortress place, and you go with the bitchy ponies to visit the royal castle. You guys should get along fine.”

Cobalt laughed, and pushed him over. She said, “Oh please, Trixie and Starlight annoy me too... but yeah, they would know what to look for if Twilight did sneak into the castle library.”

Sky got back to his hooves, shook the dust out of his wings, and said, “Looks like any bounty hunting is gonna have to wait... I wouldn't mind earning some bits, too.”

“Pretty sure protecting Equestria from eldritch monsters is more important,” remarked Cobalt.

“Do you... know why ponies don't trust those two?” asked Sky.

“You mean our magical new friends?”

“Yeah. Trixie and Starlight... have a history. Both of them used to be wanted outlaws.”

“Can't be much worse than us.”

“Trixie attacked Ponyville with dark magic, and Starlight enslaved an entire town.”

“Oh.”

“Seems like a lot of misunderstanding, though they're trying to do better. I don't know if we can really trust them...”

“You're trusting me, aren't you?” asked Cobalt.

“Yeah, true. Take care of yourself, okay? Hopefully we can find Twilight.”

Sky and Cobalt had a brief hug, and then returned indoors. Starlight had cleared a space in the middle of the room, and Trixie was moving the last few books away.

Maud, Trixie, Cobalt and Starlight stood in the cleared circle.

Sunburst noted the necklace she wore, and whistled. He said, “Even I wouldn't trust a power amplifier.”

“It's not for anything risky,” said Starlight, “just a teleportation spell.”

“Would you like a list of things that can go wrong?”

“Not needed,” said Cobalt, “We ended up days away from here here and had to get directions from some yaks.”

“Yes,” conceded Starlight, “But Ponyville is a bit more than a couple days' walk from here. Equestria itself could be in grave danger if we don't figure out what Twilight is doing. If anypony wants to stay, fine, but I'm getting back quickly.”

“Just watch that temper of yours,” said Sunburst, “I really don't want to know what happens if teleportation backfires.”

Starlight nodded, and took some time to enjoy tea and chat with Sunburst before leaving. When she felt calm, she prepared to leave. The glowing energy from her horn was absorbed by the necklace, a sturdy magic shield was conjured around them all, and they vanished in a blink.

Sunburst calmly returned to reading like nothing had happened. Sky needed a moment to recover after seeing magic that nuts.

Skyblazer walked over and took a seat in a chair nearby Sunburst. He quietly asked, “What did you mean by 'even you' wouldn't use that type of artifact?”

Sunburst seemed a bit miffed. He said, “Don't worry about it, it's nothing. I have a guest room—you will have to move some books off the bed. I've got spare bedding in here somewhere.”

It was a quiet and peaceful night of rest. A fireplace in Sky's room, and thick quilts, kept the autumn cold away well enough. Morning came. Sunburst offered breakfast, but didn't say a whole lot. He was a very quiet and isolated sort of pony. Sky wondered why, but didn't wish to be rude.

Sky took his leave, and went off to visit the extravagant castle and see the alicorn baby he'd heard about.

The crystalline ponies of this town were really neat to look at, but hard to talk to. It felt like being in a historical reenactment. He walked to the castle, giving his wings rest for the long hours of flight ahead.

Starlight Glimmer and company had safely returned to Ponyville the previous evening.

Through another rush of color and wind, they found themselves precisely at the town. In the air far above it, in freefall.

Cobalt instinctively unfolded her wings and took flight. Starlight, Maud, and Trixie began to fall towards the streetlamps far, far below.