“Tired of standing out here yet?” Radiant Hope asks as she approaches Tempest Shadow, steam from her mug wafting from underneath her heavy cloak. Her eyes brighten as she reaches the very front of the airship. “Hey, I can see my house from here!”

“Really.” The broken-horned unicorn’s scowl remains as etched into her muzzle as always, the cheerful banter washing over her like the thick stratus clouds rolling around the southernmost mountains of the Frozen North. The oppressive blanket of gray sits uncomfortably low for her liking, with a constant threat of descending and completely blocking their vision. And for an airship relying on sight and not specially-trained pegasi scouts? They would risk running aground, crashing into the mountains whose tops recede into the murky gray above. Their travel through the relative valleys is precarious enough, and there isn’t even a pegasus on board to help clear the clouds, much less a unicorn capable of even small-scale weather manipulation.

“Okay, okay,” Radiant Hope admits, her smile remaining as radiant as her name. “It’s not actually my house. But Sombra and I would pretend that we were king and queen, or sometimes prince and princess, living inside the crystal castle. Or I was a scullery maid, called into the royal bedchambers for special cleaning.”

Tempest Shadow turns her head so her eyebrow raising can be clearly seen.

Radiant Hope rolls her sparkling eyes, tittering as she takes a sip from her mug. Her muzzle puckers at the bitter taste. “Okay, maybe that was just me. It was a lot of lonely years, being away from my Sombra! And I know he would never do anything like that.” She smirks. “At least, not with anypony else.”

“Indeed,” Tempest Shadow deadpans as she turns back to the horizon, trying to make out their destination from the gray rocks and white snow that encompass the entirety of the landscape.

“Do you see it?” Radiant Hope walks next to Tempest Shadow, sets her mug on the gunwale and points. “There, just starting to crest. I would recognize those spires anywhere.”

Sparks fizzle from the broken horn as Tempest Shadow peers into the depths, none too happy with the possibility that Hope’s perception is higher than hers. After a few seconds she locates the pointy blue top of the castle, a tiny spear seemingly jutting up through the snow of the closest mountain. She glances at Radiant Hope suspiciously. “How did you know we were getting close? Have you been up here before?”

“No, just heard the lookout squawking.” Radiant Hope sighs as more and more of the castle’s many spires slowly come into view, as well as the circle of verdant green clearly demarcating the limits of the Crystal Empire. She watches puffs of thick white smoke slowly grow closer to that circle from the north, the opposite direction from where trains should be coming from. Her gaze sweeps back and forth, but she sees nothing out of the ordinary; her breath catches, her smile slips a fraction. “Any idea where we should start looking?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the expert on the Crystal Empire?” Tempest Shadow retorts. She pauses for a moment, thinking; staying frosty around the ebullient mare is taxing, but isn’t enough to counter her lifetime of training. “When you returned, was it in the city itself?”

“No, I was…” Radiant Hope trails off, rubbing at her forehead. “I don’t know where I was, exactly. There was a massive snowstorm when I came back, and I wandered aimlessly for what seemed like hours. And then, as if by magic, it cleared up enough for me to spot the shield surrounding the Empire. I don’t remember where I went initially, either, except that there was a large red crystal jutting from the ground. It wasn’t there when I came back.” She sighs, staring glumly over the edge. “I know it’s not a lot to go on…”

“It’s not just ‘not a lot to go on’,” Tempest Shadow acerbically spits out. “It’s nothing to go on!”

“Well, it’s not like you have anything better,” Radiant Hope counters, as bitter as the fowl’s drink. “Or did you suddenly find a replacement for your horn while standing out here?”

A low growl rumbles in the orchid unicorn’s throat, but she says nothing.

Radiant Hope sighs and slumps against the gunwale. “I suppose that’s one place we could start.”

“And where is that?” Tempest Shadow demands, exasperated at the lack of explanation.

“Sombra’s horn.” Radiant Hope swirls her no-longer-steaming mug, then takes another sip. “I heard it was buried under the claws of the statue of Spike the Brave and Glorious.”

“Seriously?” Tempest Shadow stamps a hoof in frustration. “You don’t think that sort of fake message was specifically planted to try to draw wanna-be cultists, with some silly plan for world domination, to a tracked artifact?”

“Hey,” Radiant Hope retorts. She sniffs, affronted, turning her head up and looking away. “I’m not a wanna-be!”

“Oh, sure, that’s the part you object to.” Tempest Shadow sighs, rubbing at her horn with the vain hope it might make the pain go away. “We’ll go there after dark. If Sombra’s magic is as powerful as you claim, there should be some trace, even buried. Do you know any detection spells?”

“No,” Radiant Hope admits, yet remains full of cheer. “Because my love will lead me to him! I know it will!”

“Sweet Faust, have mercy on me,” Tempest Shadow mutters. “Okay,” she says, a little louder. “We’ll call that plan B. Maybe we should check the library, see if there’s a spell you can pick up in a matter of hours, or even days. Or a wizard we can hire on some false pretense.”

“Sombra and I were the only unicorns in the Crystal Empire,” Radiant Hope states bluntly. “Well, and Princess Amore, but Sombra turned her to stone. She didn’t come back with the Crystal Heart, so he must have hidden her somewhere.”

“Okay, so-” Tempest Shadow starts.

“-And it wouldn’t have to be under false pretenses,” Radiant Hope continues. “We could tell them that we’re trying to figure out if there is any trace of King Sombra’s dark magic and that we’re going to remove it if we find any.”

“Maybe you should let me do all the talking,” Tempest Shadow growls out.

“Fine,” Radiant Hope huffs. “But don’t be surprised when they question why the foreigner is looking for a fellow villain, instead of the Crystal citizen who harbors a sweet, innocent love for the colt she once knew.”

“Innocent?” Tempest Shadow’s scar over her eye begins to hurt with how much she is raising her eyebrow. “You fantasized about him dominating you.”

“Oh, please.” Radiant Hope turns a glare of her own. “How many times has the Storm King had his way with you?”

“That is neither here nor there,” Tempest Shadow spits out, scraping a series of deep gouges into the deck.

“Good,” Radiant Hope states, nodding firmly. “And, just so you know, we’ve never delved into that particular crevice. Although…” She trails off, sighing heavily.

Tempest Shadow feels a tiny pang of concern as the other unicorn seems to crumple against the rail. “What?” she demands, only somewhat harshly.

“I don’t know if he can sire foals,” Radiant Hope admits glumly. She takes a deep breath. “He’s a shadow pony. I overheard him accuse Princess Amore of knowing all along, and she confirmed it. That’s why he could never attend a Crystal Faire. That’s why I needed to be there, to help protect and rejuvenate him when light and love was literally tearing him to shreds. That’s why I need to help him overcome that darkness; or, failing that, we need to leave the Crystal Empire entirely.”

Tempest Shadow stares at Radiant Hope, almost in disbelief. “You would remove the villain from the one device capable of stopping him?”

“He’s not a villain!” Radiant Hope rebuts immediately, stamping a hoof against the wooden floor. “I’ll prove it! All he needs is a little guidance, an example to follow. I will be that example, so help me Celestia.”

“Yeah,” Tempest Shadow mutters bitterly. “We’ll need her help.”

The two watch as the airship descends into the Crystal Valley, then through an almost transparent bubble. They can feel the shift in the air, a steady warmth that drives away the tundra’s chill, everypony and everyparrot shedding their heavy coats in sheer relief. The guards, initially suspicious, are overjoyed when they discover the cargo consists of numerous delicacies, food staples, and other necessities.

“Thanks for the ride!” Radiant Hope shouts to Captain Celaeno as she studies a clipboard in her talons.

The green parrot’s dour gaze doesn’t stray from the ship’s manifest. “Thank whoever put a premium on shipping supplies here.”

After a cursory check through customs - Radiant Hope as a native citizen, and Tempest Shadow a credentialed member of the Storm Empire, now holding a set of crystal heart-stamped papers - the two trot along the main thoroughfare toward the castle. Ponies bustle on each side, many packing up what looks like their entire lives into boxes and leaving them outside their house. It is only once they get to the castle where, under the statue of Spike - now titled ‘Emperor Spike, the Brave and Glorious - they figure out what is going on.

A yellow crystal mare with a light purple mane, Fleur de Verre, stands behind a booth with stacks of paper. Half a dozen ponies are in line, some with filled out forms already in their hooves. The pony in front, the crotchety old Tough Nut, is arguing with her.

Radiant Hope gets in line with Tempest Shadow. She closes her eyes, concentrating. It doesn’t take long for a faint smile to cross her muzzle. She whispers, “I can feel him.”

“You can?” Tempest Shadow whispers back, somewhat amazed. She looks down at the solid foundation, built to support the castle. It would be quite difficult to drill through, and dangerous, to say nothing of hiding their tracks.

“Not here,” Radiant Hope whispers. “There.” She flicks her mane, barely noticeable, to a section a little further away, closer to the tail of the dragon. It’s hard to tell, but the ground does bulge up slightly where the foundation had to be repaved following Spike’s impact. Foals scamper around, climbing up the scales of the statue and sliding down the tail. “We’ll have to come back later.”

Once Tough Nut departs, muttering something about ‘colts these days’, the line moves quickly. Fleur de Verre smiles once Radiant Hope gets to the front of the line and pulls out a thick form.

“Hey, Verre,” Radiant Hope greets. “What’s this?”

“Hey, Hope,” Fleur de Verre greets back. Her voice has a touch of fatigue, like she’s had to explain this many a time over, yet she remains chipper. “Census, don’t ya know. Emperor Spike is taking a count, kind of like we did when we voted him in. Going to help get us back on track, make the Crystal Empire shine even brighter than we used to! Hard to believe, I know!”

“Yeah,” Radiant Hope agrees, taking the lengthy form. “Didn’t take long at all.”

“Bring it back by nightfall,” Fleur de Verre continues. “I’ll be here if there’s any you need help answering.” She sighs, resigned. “There might be some you don’t remember. Lots, even. Don’t worry about it at all. Just don’t leave anything blank, instead write ‘can’t recall’ or something to that extent, ya know. Emperor Spike’ll do all he can to make it fair, for everypony.” She turns to Tempest Shadow. “Anything I can do for you? Enjoying our fair weather?”

“It’s… bright,” Tempest Shadow says, unused to the glare reflecting off every single surface imaginable. She feels a headache coming on already, as well as spots in her eyes. She can’t wait to get inside the library.

“That it is,” Fleur de Verre says with a broad smile. She waves as the two depart for the library. “Next!”

Next Chapter: Ch. 68 - Frozen Trail, Part Three Estimated time remaining: 21 Hours, 11 Minutes