The flight back to Ponyville was uneventful. Skyblazer was focused on making good time, and he stayed at a higher altitude with the strong Northern winds against his back.

Sunburst had failed to open the book. In spite of all his knowledge, he could offer no insight on the crimson crystals which held it shut. He did, however, know of artifacts which could reflect magic that belonged to the distant past.

It was not a forbidden kind of magic, just a forgotten one. Nopony knew how to enchant crystals to do such, and no old lore had been found on the subject.

Sky considered visiting the Crystal Empire a while longer, but he had all of Equestria to fly across. He was also worried for Cobalt's safety—and the safety of everypony else.

With saddlebags stocked with food and water and the enigmatic book, Skyblazer maintained ferocious speed on his way back South. He formed low clouds to rest on for lunch and for sleeping, conjured drinking water out of storm clouds, and spent several days at a time without once touching the ground.

An entire cycle of the moon went by, and half of another one, before he arrived in familiar countryside. The landscape hadn't offered much of interest through his flight. Simply a dark green blur of pine forests which became a blaze of orange and yellow with deciduous the further South he flew. Autumn had now arrived in full. The leaves were changing, crops were ripe for harvest, and the Apples would be holding cider season soon.

If only Sky had time to enjoy it all. He knew he didn't, and that the present mysteries needed answers before he could relax. There had to be some connection between Maud, Cobalt, and him. Some purpose to nine elements in total.

This was by far the longest distance he had flown, and further than most pegasi ever bothered to. Even messenger pegasi seldom had reason to travel across the entire kingdom.

Now, the mind-numbing monotony and the chill of blustering winds was at last broken up by the crags of mountains fast approaching. He slowed now, recognizing the place for what it was. The Smokey Mountains. His mother had spent moons here in solitude.

He shot past the rocky spires and changed his direction with the sun for his guide. Southeast now. For several more days he blitzed through the sky with the speeds only a pegasus or a younger dragon could hope to maintain. Rainbow Falls neared, the cloudbank and landmark which meant Canterlot was not far.

This place merited a stop. He paused at the town of Rainbow Falls to purchase more supplies and admire the waterfalls of liquefied rainbow, as it gleamed and glittered in the sunlight.

It was a good place to rest for the night, and a chance to have a hot meal. For weeks now he had gotten by on foliage and berries, although a lot of both to provide all the calories needed for his hours of flight.

In the morning he took off once more for the final, two-day flight to Ponyville. He would bypass Canterlot Peak and its fierce mountain winds. A talk with the princesses could wait until he reunited with Cobalt and the others.

At last he reached the cozy town at the base of the mountain, and breathed a tired sigh of relief. Sky found a consistent current in the erratic winds to glide on, giving his tired wings rest on the spiral down to Ponyville.

A strange beam of light caught his attention. It came from the Southern edge of town, where it bordered Everfree Forest.

When he had gotten close enough, his sharp eyesight recognized a familiar silhouette on the ground below.

Skyblazer grinned as he found renewed strength to dive towards the ground and swoop up into a flashy landing. His wings stirred up a cloud of dust. Through the haze lumbered the bulky figure of a griffon, who pounced and tackled Sky in a hug that sent them both toppling over.

Cobalt was sent flying back in a puff of strong wind. She landed gently with agile wings, and gave a mischievous smirk as she spoke,

"Sky! Am I ever glad to see you. Got some things we need to talk about."

Skyblazer got to his hoofs and shook the dust off before replying, "I was going to say the same thing! Why are you out here in the woods?"

"They just kicked me out of Ponyville," answered Cobalt as she preened the dust out of her dark blue feathers and shook twigs from her white fur.

With a sigh Sky asked, "Alright, what did you do?"

"It wasn't me!" growled Cobalt, "I was blamed for it. You don't have to believe me."

"No, I believe you. I just can't believe Ponyville folk would be so judgmental."

"Sky, let's head to Zecora's place and we can talk about it."

Together again, they took flight further into the Everfree Forest. It was only several hours by wing to reach the cabin.

Zecora, the zebra alchemist, did not step out to greet them this time. Nor did she offer any fond hello to her friends as they entered.

She sat in a chair by the hearth, her shawl wrapped around her and the hood up. A stack of books was on the floor next to her. The fireplace was lit, even though it was a warm day.

Skyblazer, exhausted from his long flight, wasn't sure how to feel or react. He quietly took a seat in the chair across from her as Cobalt relayed what had happened.

“And now she's reading lots of books on ancient and dark magic,” concluded Cobalt, “but none of them talk about spells that can tear reality or take over the mind.”

Sky nodded now, understanding. This was some scary, high-level magic. He suggested,

“Luna said that magic itself is weakening, and that is what's causing these tears into nowhere.”

Zecora looked up from her book now. She stretched and yawned, and spoke to Sky,

“That is the effect, of course, which leaves unknown the cause and the source.”

Cobalt spoke, “We don't know that the old dark wizard Sombra is actually dead. All this stuff that's been happening seems like dark magic to me.”

Now Skyblazer asked, “Where did you find this crack in reality?”

Zecora hesitated before speaking, “A cavern nearby the place where I scry.”

“You have a pool of scrying? I thought that was a myth...” replied Sky, “guess anything is possible, way things have been. Oh, I found a lead on Twilight.”

“You did?” asked Cobalt, piqued, “The girls and me didn't find a damn thing in Canterlot. I did get the tracking necklace thing though.”

Sky noticed the fine silver necklace chain with an intricate amulet, inset with small gems. He talked with Cobalt and Zecora about the ice storm and the fortress, and his detect magic spell.

“Sure does sound like Twilight,” said Cobalt, “You should go back and let the others know. I'll wait here.”

“So, what happened in Ponyville?” asked Sky.

“Someone managed to steal a dozen barrels of cider from the Apples while they were sleeping. I got blamed for it by this really wealthy, popular pony. My word against his. But I am trying to be nicer dammit so I left without a fight.”

“You shouldn't just stand for that! Here, go with me, I'll side with you. If there's no proof then they can't just pin the crime on you. Maybe we can figure out who did it.”

Zecora agreed, and said that she wished to stay for a further look at her books. Clearly, the unknown magic was bothering her. It was unsettling to Sky, as well, that anything could elude the zebra with her extensive knowledge of obscure magic.

Sky asked Zecora a question, “This might be stupid, but, would it be possible for me to learn the telepathy you guys have? It could be incredibly useful.”

The zebra answered, “I only have one runic charm. May it serve you well, and protect you from harm.”

She used a nail in the wall to carefully remove her earring. Cobalt then used her talons to affix the charm onto Sky's necklace, next to the crystal element of conflict which began to glow.

Sky took a moment to focus on the magic, Okay. Talking in the mind, crazy. How do I focus on that.

A high-pitched, gravelly female voice entered his mind, badly startling him, You just do it, stupid!

After lunch, Sky took off. Zecora offered some food, a refill for his canteen, and more supplies after his long trip. Cobalt went along with him, bringing a pouch of bits in case they would accept payment for the crime she didn't commit.

She had taken on several monster bounties nearby Ponyville, and built up some savings and good will for handling dangerous creatures. The town ponies didn't even mind her one bit and were happy to accept her. She had even considered moving into town—and then came the night of the cider incident.

Cobalt talked to Sky, flying right beside him to be heard, “Guess they were more suspicious of outsiders than I thought. Can't say it surprises me.”

Sky had been thoughtful and quiet. He said now, “A whole dozen barrels wouldn't be easy to hide, and they would need a cart and magic to pull that off without being heard.”

They landed at the outskirts of town. It was sunset. The warm, radiant colors reflected off the river ahead. With a stern look at each other, they nodded and walked across the bridge into town.

A short ways later, as they neared the main street lined with shops, two Canterlot royal guards trotted towards them, and told Cobalt she needed to leave, now.

Skyblazer began to argue with them, when he noticed they were just staring at him and not saying anything. He stopped talking, and walked around them. They weren't moving at all.

A shout from Cobalt, and Sky looked her direction. Everything else in town had stopped moving. The wind was no longer ruffling their fur and feathers. The steady din of town life had dulled to a sudden silence.

They approached a bird suspended in midair, and a blinding flash behind them caught their attention. Both Sky and Cobalt prepared for a fight, their magical elements glowing fiercely.

When they turned around, they saw Princess Twilight Sparkle calmly walking towards them. They both sat down in shock and surprise.

She approached them, summoned a pillow from nowhere, and took a seat facing them. Her visage was grim, her fur dirty and her feathers ragged. She wore dusty, threadbare saddlebags which jingled with many magical charms.

She spoke calmly, “Leave Ponyville alone for now. We have far more critical issues to contend with. I need you both to listen.”

Still unable to process the situation, both Sky and Cobalt nodded.

Twilight continued, “I found the next big threat before it could find us. This time it's different. Skyblazer, your mother calls me Twi because we are that close as friends. Normally I only accept Twilight. Is that right?”

“Y-yes?” answered a confused Sky.

“Good. The changelings are gathering their strength. Their queen wants Equestria as her own. Be careful who you trust. I want you to go to the castle and warn Luna and Celestia. If you share this with anypony else it could mean the end of Equestria.”

“Wait,” said Cobalt as she stepped forward, “Don't fight them alone. I've spent my life trying to go my own way, and I realize now... magic is powered by friendship, you know that! Your friends need you here.”

“I'm sorry, griffon, but I don't want to let them take that risk. I'm strong enough now to handle this on my own. I will be back soon, and this time, we will have peace and solace. Let them know I love them all, in case anything happens.”

Another burst of light. Sky and Cobalt shielded their faces with their wings. Twilight was gone, and the town came back to life. Suddenly, the ground beneath them tremored and swirled and, in an instant, they found themselves on a hill overlooking the distant town.

Sky and Cobalt exchanged a glance. They hesitated, but turned away from Ponyville and galloped into flight towards the mountain castle of Canterlot.

Deep within Everfree Forest stood the crumbling ruins of the old royal castle. Luna trotted towards the ruins with cautious reservation.

Starlight, Trixie, and Maud accompanied her. All were quiet, and had been since passing by the skeletal remains of some poor soul who had tried to challenge the monsters of this woods. Judging by the armor and fire potions, the pony had been a hunter or adventurer.

It was a somber reminder of their purpose in being here. Equestria had become dangerous and unpredictable. Princess Luna remarked at one point on their hike through the forest that she had not seen this amount of constant danger since the times before her banishment.

The four gathered here were perhaps the most dangerous creatures presently in the forest, and for them, only the most powerful beings represented any threat. However, three of the four had used their power in selfish ways before, and now wished to find a means of protecting their entire kingdom with that power.

Luna entered the old castle, followed by the others. She paused and let Maud take the lead. The gray earth pony studied the cracked brickwork and rotting mortar of the walls with bored interest, and gave the okay to proceed.

They followed a winding spiral stair several levels underground until they arrived in a dusty and forgotten coal chamber. The walls were caked with black soot that absorbed the magic light from the horns of the unicorns.

Crumbling piles of coal harbored dusty rats. The rope and bucket to the higher stories now lie on the floor, broken. A rusty coal chute led through a tiny hole in the ceiling, and a stone arch behind them led to the stairs.

Luna nudged the bucket away and dug at the ground near the wall with a front hoof. Her horn shimmered brightly, and the quavering dark magic energy scrubbed the soot from the stone until a rune was revealed.

Maud stepped up as Luna said, “While this may not work, we should at least try.”

With a nod, Maud lie down in front of the rune, and put her ear to the wall as if listening. Her earring began to flicker with a weak glow. Maud focused, closing her eyes, and the glow became stronger.

The stone floor beneath the chute began to shimmer along with the rune. Slowly, it became more and more transparent until a stairway was visible where the floor used to be.

It wasn't perfect. The mechanism that retracted the chute had rusted long ago, and Starlight ripped the metal chute off the wall with a burst of telekinesis. It made an awful creaking noise as it went.

Part of the ceiling had fallen in. Maud cleared this with her Element, blasting stones to bits as the others kept up shield spells.

Luna took the lead once again. At regular intervals on the way down they reached landings which curved. At each landing, Luna stopped and her horn glimmered. There was a burst of dark purple light as ancient curses were dispelled.

They had nearly reached the bottom when Luna took one step too far and suddenly froze, not moving. She had been utterly paralyzed in place. Carefully, Starlight moved Luna back with her own magic as Trixie dug into her saddlebag.

A potion, provided by Zecora, was tipped into Luna's mouth. A few minutes passed, and with a grunt, Luna was able to free the bind and move again. She dispelled the curse in an angry flash, and the party continued downstairs.

“How far down is this place?” asked a concerned Trixie, looking at the walls and ceilings with interest. As they exited the stairs, the orderly stone bricks and antique arches had opened out into a cavern. Natural stone walls glistened with crystal formations. Somewhere ahead, rushing water could be heard.

Maud's earring glowed as she closed her eyes. She opened them, and said, “About six or seven stories underground. The cavern opens into a massive space to our north. South of us is an unnatural cubic shaped room, perhaps carved.”

“Our destination,” said Luna quietly, as she used her wings to fan the dust off of her fur.

They walked carefully along the slick and uneven cavern floor, at some points winding past stalagmites. It was all very lovely, but this wasn't the time or place for admiring the scenery.

A giant iron door barred their passage. It had no locks, no handles, no visible hinges, and impeded the way like a wall of metal. Luna had them all stand back.

Her horn and her eyes glowed in a vicious dark purple as she began an incantation in Old Ponish. Dust and small stones began to swirl around her.

The three with her collectively gasped, shouted, and almost fell over in shock. Luna's own shadow detached from where it should be, and slipped like liquid underneath the door. There was a click, and then a loud grinding noise as the door began to slide sideways on unseen wheels.

It opened fully, revealing a dungeon beyond and the shadow. Luna's shadow had assumed a vaguely three dimensional shape which was hard to look at. Two glowing purple eyes were on the head of it. The mane and tail were purple fire. Luna braced herself and yelled for the others to run back to the stairs.

They did so immediately. Behind them were several flashes of white light and purple magic beams. All was quiet. Cautiously returning, they found Luna breathing heavily and sweating. Her shadow was back where it belonged. The others stayed well away from it.

Before any of them could ask what in the name of Tartarus that was, Luna cryptically commented, “Young foals do well to fear their own shadow.”

Even Starlight had chills. She had studied stolen books of dark magic, but never had she encountered anything remotely like that.

She shook it off. Luna was an immortal alicorn who had been alive millennia ago, when magic was still very wild, feared, and unknown. While it hurt her to think of, it was probably a spell far beyond Starlight's ability.

Princess Luna breathed deeply, and exhaled mist in the frosty air of the deep cave. She adjusted her saddlebags, and said, “Above once was the Castle of the Two Sisters. Before you is the Pit, as the prison was aptly named.”

Inside the dungeon, they passed empty cells and wound through a zig-zag path formed by metal gates and fencing. Luna noticed the others looking around with concerned glances, and she spoke,

“Before we discovered a physical egress into Tartarus, the most dangerous offenders were kept within here. In those times this chamber was proofed against magic, and kept far remote and underground to ensure that no telekinesis or teleportation could be properly performed.”

They continued through a cave passage shaped by forces of time and magic. The ceiling was far, far above, and looking up they could see stone ledges with buildings on them.

“Quarters and structures for the guards,” noted Luna.

Ahead, a stone fortress wall crossed the cavern, complete with ramparts and decayed crossbows at the top. Several locked doors were easily blasted through, and they proceeded to the chambers beyond.

From the icy and forgotten cave of the prison, they crossed into what felt like a different world. It was warmer, for one thing, and the rooms here were lavish. The floors were wooden planks with carpet which fell apart as they stepped on it from sheer age. It seemed that they had stepped into some fortified mansion.

Maud announced that this thousand year old structure was, in spite of being preserved in a cave, in serious disrepair. They walked very carefully now, always watching for signs of collapse.

Luna now spoke, “You will recall that Equestria was exceedingly dangerous in the era before my banishment. At times, the entire castle was destroyed to the foundation and had to be rebuilt. This did not bode well for such services as the guards, the treasury, and the studies. All were moved here, within a fortress within a prison within a cavern beyond a secret passage in the basement.”

Trixie spoke in a sarcastic tone, “Are you sure that's enough security? How about a dragon to guard it too?”

“We had one,” said Luna, dismissing her, “But I digress. We are here to look for Twilight, as she is privy to the knowledge that this location exists. Let us see if the study is intact.”

While the upstairs was still stable, the wooden stairs had long since collapsed and rotted like the floorboards. Luna flew upstairs, carrying Maud on her back. Starlight nearly tried to teleport, and caused the composed Luna to panic and smack her with a weak magic missile.

Dazed and angry, Starlight yelled at her. Luna replied back to think about her actions. Starlight instead used her magic to fly the short ways up, and avoided the forces of teleporting that would further strain the ancient fortress.

Trixie's blue magic energy encompassed the old stairs, which formed themselves into a ladder. This collapsed when Trixie tried to use it. “I'll just wait down here,” she said.

Maud's earring glowed, and she considered the exciting practical application of magic in maneuvering objects. Trixie was shrouded in a magic glow, hoisted upstairs, and set down gently—although upside down.

Trixie folded her cloak back around her body and picked up items that had fallen from her saddlebags. She offered a disgruntled 'thank you for that'.

Most of the floorboards and entire rooms had collapsed to ground level. The roof, also wooden, had caved in as well and was home to sleeping bats.

They all avoided stepping on this floor. Luna flew, Starlight and Trixie used a spell of soft falling to walk gently, and Maud caused a large cobblestone to levitate which she lie on smirking, as the others yelled at her that she shouldn't be able to do that.

Past the decrepit wooden structure, they reached a natural alcove of the cavern. Another iron grate barred the way, but a drip of water had reached the iron and rusted it to a dark red, fragile state.

A wood and metal door led through an arch in the cave. Luna spoke,

“I believe this endeavor was for naught. I have not detected any recent magic use here besides our own, except for such lingering curses as do not fade in seven hundred years. Thankfully the curse of stupidity over the study threshold is one that did not last so long.”

Starlight nodded, and added, “I have a lot of respect and envy for Twilight's insane arcane skill, but even Twilight would have had to use some force to get through here. Luna, is it at all possible to teleport without badly disrupting the air?”

“No, Starlight, it is not, and I am afraid you are correct. The curses and the doors would have needed a physical interaction.”

“Do you suppose,” asked Trixie, “she could have learned whatever that shadow thing was?”

“Twilight is exceedingly gifted and is capable of mastering any spells which exist. Therefore no, she could not.”

“Wait... the spell, doesn't exist?”

“Not in the real world, at least it shouldn't, and I wasn't certain I could control it. It was simply too risky to teleport in this aged place.”

Starlight was staring at them aghast, her eyes wide in shock. She said, “I had heard of cracks in the dream world, but, things can actually get out?”

“Yes, which is why I have been so very busy of late.”

“So, what exactly was that spell? It was terrifying!”

“As dreams do not abide by constraints of reality, nor does magic abide by established arcane rule and order in the dream world. It has magic of a sort, but one which may never be tamed.”

Maud spoke now, “Let us continue searching for Twilight. We may discuss theoretical magic and existential threats to all life on the hike back to Ponyville.”

The others stared at her in an annoyed way, not quite sure how to respond to that.

Luna prepared a spell to knock the door open and said, “The Delve. Our most secure study and the former repository for any uncovered forbidden magic. All books have been relocated to Canterlot, along with any artifacts which were safe to move. Twilight may not have known this, however, and it would be a place to find any remaining long-forgotten secrets.”

The door was blasted open in a dusty shatter of splinters and clattering iron. They stepped in.

The space, a natural cave chamber, had empty shelves and a long hall off to one end where tables of dusty items sat, some of them glowing brightly, others melted through the table. It had the look of a tomb for a powerful wizard.

No sign was found here of Twilight Sparkle. Not one purple feather, not one disturbed artifact.

Together, they neared the end of the rows of tables where the room rounded a corner. A heavy iron vault sat here, now rusted shut. It took several hearty combined magic missiles from Luna and Starlight to open it.

They stepped in as the dust settled, and stopped, and then sat down. Luna held her right wing out and her left hoof up, as though to say something. Starlight and Trixie looked around in shock.

Maud let out a loud, “What?!” that echoed off the metal of the vault room.

Shelves once filled with dangerous arcane objects now sat empty, marked by spaces free from dust. Sanguine red crystal formations covered every surface. All present illuminated the room bright as daylight with their magic, and observed the red glint of the crystal which coated the floor.

“It's... the same...” said Luna slowly, “As the crystal which coats some of our memory orbs. Celestia and I together could not damage it, and it is invulnerable to everything. It simply absorbs crystal magic.”

The jagged crystal on the floor had a set of tracks sunken into it, leading towards one wall of the vault. Large splayed pawprints with claws, the tracks of a dragon. They ended suddenly at the wall, which was intact and solid metal.

Author's Notes:

I have finished moving to a new apartment, taken care of all the nonsense to get classes going at community college, and now that I'm settled, I can write more chapters. I have been as busy as Luna dealing with the dream world of late.