~~~~~Canterlot Castle, Extremely Early The Next Morning~~~~~

Cadence gently closed the trunk with a touch of magic, flipping the latches closed. "Are you certain you can't join us on the train for a while?" Cadence spoke with a soft plead, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. "We so rarely get a chance to just... talk anymore." There was sadness to that, a soft anguish.

Celestia firmly shook her head as the ancient saddlebags were snapped shut. "We must travel with all speed, Cadence." Celestia's wings flared out, stretching a little as they did so. Celestia relished in the physical sensation of extending her wings to the maximum length. "That means overland flight. With good fortune, we should arrive in the Kingdom of Neighpon in three or four days. Once there, I cannot say how long our search will take. I am sorry, my little one." Celestia leaned over to kiss Cadence's cheek. "I promise you, when this is all over I will make a royal visit to the Crystal Empire, and we shall spend an entire week doing nothing but talking." Celestia winked slyly.

Cadence couldn't restrain a smile. "Deal. Fair winds and following skies, Celestia." She returned the cheek kiss and a hug with her hooves. "Be safe." For a moment, the two Alicorns embraced tightly before separating. Cadence quickly loaded the case onto the small trolley, divesting herself of her royal jewels with reckless abandon. "Shiny! Get your flank in gear! We've got a train to catch!" She yelled out, dragging the small baggage cart with her.

Celestia allowed herself a soft, whimsical smile. I must trust her more than I thought. I'm not freaking out about her going in to that city with just Shining Armor. They had all agreed taking foreign soldiers into that environment would not be wise though. Celestia sighed and turned back to her own packing. Luna had talked her out of outright wearing their battle armor on their trip. Instead, it would be carefully packed away in the bags along with many of their other surprises. Just in case of emergency.

Celestia reflected with a smile on the small benefits to having the resources she did. Enchanted saddlebags that could hold vastly more than traditional bags were going to be very useful, given the length of the trip they were about to take. Let's see. High energy snacks, check. Armor, weapons, check. Plenty of currency.. She jingled the heavy cloth sack, with a cheerful grin. Check. Maps and other navigation gear, check. Tent and sleeping bags, check. I haven't gone camping in ages. That brought a delighted little smile to Celestia's face. Camping! With her sister no less! True, they were on a dangerous mission to save the soul of her student, but that simply added spice to the situation.

Celestia was therefore chuckling happily when Luna joined her a few minutes later. Luna arched an eyebrow at her sister in mild confusion. "Did I miss a particularly amusing jest?" She asked, her tone a little ironic "Or perhaps you have finally cracked and gone as mad as Discord. Truly, I cannot tell." There was just something about Luna's utterly flat delivery of that line that sent Celestia into gales of further laughter. Prompting the Moon Princess to look a bit concerned. "I was not being serious, you understand..."

Celestia shook her head, fighting down the giggles before she spoke. "Hehe... Yes I know, Luna." She shook her head, unable to lose that smile. "Come. We've got a long flight ahead of us." Celestia lead the way down the hall, nestling the travel saddle bags comfortably under her wings. Everypony who needs to know of our departure already does. She reminded herself as the two sisters trotted up the stairs to the observatory platform.

Here, at the highest point above the city the wind blew strongly. It had taken only a few words with the Canterlot weather team to ensure today's breeze pointed to the west - Fortuitously, it would not upset anypony's weather plans. Celestia flared out her wings - feeling the stiff wind catch her feathers in its talons and pulled gently at them. Luna did the same, and for a moment they stood there in silence, relishing in the wind. Without a word, both of them leapt over the short railing and caught a thermal updraft, riding it high up into the sky with powerful flaps of their wings.

Far below them, Cadence watched the two majestic figures soar speedily into the distance. She smiled slightly. "Good luck, Celly." She whispered into the wind before turning back to the train and trotting inside. And please hurry. Cadence thought in a silent plea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yeeeeeeee HAW!"

Two orange hooves came around in an almost whip-like motion and crashed into the thick trunk of the tree. The expertly placed vibrations shook up to the branches of the apple tree, and moments later the plump red fruits fell neatly into the wooden baskets surrounding it. Applejack twisted back to stand on her hooves and admire her work before wiping the sweat from her brow with her favorite hate. "Whew. that's the last of em for now."

After a few moments to catch her breath, Applejack began to load the full baskets up into her little cart while humming a friendly tune. Now ain't this just a beautiful day! she thought brightly as her hooves carried her and the latest bunch of apples back to the barn. Now, lessee. Big Mac's trimmin' the west orchards, so he'll be at that all day. Applebloom's off with her little crusader friends. Applejack couldn't restrain the little snort of laughter at the thought of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Plum fool foals, but what could ya do? Applejack had done her share of foolish nonsense as a filly too.

Once the apple baskets were safely in the barn and waiting to be sorted, AJ trotted into the house with a cheerful smile on her face. "Hey Granny!" She called out, wondering where Granny Smith had gotten herself off to. "Granny?" Applejack curiously called out, poking her head into the living room. Granny was sitting quietly with an unrolled scroll set next to her on the couch. She had a troubled look on her face and was pressing her hooves together. "What's wrong, Granny?" Applejack asked, trotting over to the couch and eyeballing the scroll.

Granny Smith sighed softly, patting the couch next to her. "Ain't good news, Applejack." She croaked out quietly. "Mr. Rich passed on yesterday. They say it was an accident." She held up the scroll, waving it airily around. "Damn fool broke his neck somehow." She shook her head slowly, a sad look written all over her face. "Sad turn of affairs this is. Dunno who's gonna be the big buyer for the Zap Apple Jam this year now." There was a sense of loss, a sharp pain in those words that went far beyond worrying about the Zap Apple purchases.

Applejack blinked and shook her head in shock. "Aw geeze, Granny." she spoke softly, wrapping her hooves around the old mare and squeezing softly. "Ah'm sorry. Truly am." Granny Smith gave a little sniffle, about the only pretense she'd make towards tears, and AJ simply held her close. Granny had known Filthy Rich for as long as he'd been alive, and they'd been friends for most of that time. Applejack gently shook her head in sadness. Ah'll have to talk t' Applebloom about not givin' Tiara a hard time fer a while. She thought, squeezing Granny's hoof.

Granny pushed a sigh out of her lips and gave a wry smile. "Nothin' we can do bout it, I s'pose. C'mon, Applejack. Nothin better for grievin' than baking. We'll slap together a coupla Apple Family crumbles and toast him off properly with some of the hard cider. Whaddya say?"

Applejack smiled slowly. "Now that sounds a mite better'n sitting here like a pair of half baked pies." That got a cackle out of Granny, who hopped off the couch and toddled her way into the kitchen. Applejack just shook her head in amusement and hopped off the couch.

Within an hour or two, the sweet smell of cinnamon and cloves was wafting out of the kitchen window as the two ponies kneaded and worked the dough beneath their hooves. Apples, mixed with cider and spices bubbled atop the stove in an ancient pot that had been put to this use for countless generations of Apples. Granddaughter and Grandmother worked in a companionable silence. If a few tears were mixed into the dough, or a little too long spent making sure the streusel was well crumbled and crushed, no one really noticed.

It was onto this scene three familiar figures walked up the path to Sweet Apple Acres, chatting and joking with one another. Applejack blinked at the sound of the high pitched giggling and looked up through the kitchen window. She stared for a moment before her face split into a big grin. "Granny, better break out another barrel of the cider. We're gonna have ourselves some serious company."

~~~~~~

High above the clouds, Princess Luna flared out her wings and turned into the airstream, her mind only partially on the flight in front of her. She watched as Celestia pitched and rolled through the clouds, laughing like a schoolfilly on holiday. At the very least, she is relaxed. Luna thought amusedly for a moment, before her mind was wrenched back to the previous evening’s events...

Luna had been sitting alone in her room, with her sister catching a few needed hours of sleep before their planned departure in the morning. A single Night Guard had collapsed onto Luna's balcony from the sky, his coat slick with the sweat of a non-stop flight and his breath catching and heaving slowly. Luna had rushed over to the poor stallion, pressing her horn to his forehead and imbuing him with a little of her strength. "Breathe, my child. What news do you bring?" Luna suspected the very worst, but he did not appear to be injured. That was both reassuring and troubling at the time.

The Night Guard gasped out his report in chunks. Ponies being corrupted by dark powers, Nightmare Moon cultists, and the Lunar Archive under siege. Luna had every confidence in Commander Blade to recover the chest, but there would now undoubtedly be severe casualties. Winterlight's doing, no doubt. The damnable Shadowbolt knew secrets which Luna had hoped would remain buried for another few centuries. Sadly, that was not to be.

Luna's eyes continued to follow her sister across the sky, following in close behind her. My dear sister. she thought sadly. How painful this must be. After she has so often come to our rescue, so often been there for us when all we have strove to build has been placed on the line. You wish so desperately to be there for her. Luna shook her head a little, squinting her eyes to find the best air-route to keep her aloft with minimal energy. What will you do if we are chasing a ghost, sister? How far will you go to save her?

Luna feared what Celestia might do then. With all of her power, all of her millennia of knowledge, she had almost never known the sting of helplessness. And the one time she did, o Princess of the Night... She did not take it well. Luna winced away from the memories, focusing on her flight path. Do not worry, sister. I have already ensured we will be prepared for the worst. she thought silently, hoping that the worst would never come to pass.

And fearing that it already had.

~~~~Later that Afternoon~~~~

Winterlight slammed her hoof into the desk. "What." Were her flat words, the Shadowbolt agents wincing away from their Captain. Silence reigned in the room, as the three battered and beaten thestrals did their level best to examine every bruise on their forehooves. The Captain slammed her hoof against the desk again. "Tell me this is a sick joke." She growled, eyes darting from figure to figure in front of her. "Tell me you just got into a barfight."

The bravest of the three thestrals shook his head. "No, Captain. We're not going to lie to you. There were twenty of them, Ma'am and only six of us. We were instantly overwhelmed." He looked down to the floor, hanging his head in shame. "The other three were killed instantly. We only survived by virtue of being outside the building when they left with the chest."

Winterlight sighed dramatically. "Just peachy." She waved her hoof miserably. "Lock yourselves in the damn brig. You can answer to the Queen when she returns." The three Shadowbolts nodded as one and trotted out of the room in silence. Wonderful. thought Winterlight snappily. Just peachy. And today was going so well too.

Winterlight had effectively been given approval to build an army. Her Queen had immediately approved of nearly all her proposals the previous evening, and Winterlight was already building a new police force to ensure her Queen's will was fully obeyed by the populace. It would not be long until she had as firm a hold on Twilight City as she once had over the city that had stood here a thousand years ago.

All in all, it had already been a grand and glorious day. And now the next step in her plan had already been stymied at the outset. It seems I have underestimated the Sun Tyrant. her thoughts groaned. I did not expect her to put watchers upon the Elements of Harmony. Perhaps she should have. It seemed the Tyrant's arrogance had grown considerably less over the centuries.

Now the damnable rocks were on their way back to Canterlot under full armed guard. It was enough to give Winterlight a headache, knowing those weapons of mass destruction would still be loose to ruin all of her plans yet again. Calm yourself, Winterlight. You have three of the bearers under the protection of the Shadow. It will take Celestia time to find replacements for them, even if she started today. Which she will not, as she still naively believes she can 'save' her poor student. Naive or not, Winterlight worried. Celestia was as canny as they came, and she had a legendary knack for finding solutions where there ought to not be one. There was no telling what she might come up with in her desperation.

And so, Winterlight had painfully agreed to accelerate her original plans. The Queen would take her friends to each of the remaining Elements and bring them into the fold at her own pace. As much as I hate discarding well-crafted plans, we no longer have time to wait. Rumors were already abounding about spanners being hurled into her works. There was no telling what sort of vital intelligence was already leaked. No telling what could possibly go wrong next. She would have to discard her original ideas and now work from the hip. It wasn't going to be a painless experience, but at least she wouldn't be caught completely by surprise.

No sooner had she thought that when a Shadowbolt burst into the room from beneath Winterlight's desk - sending her chair crashing to the ground and the Captain sprawling out on the floor. She shot a venomous glare at... Ribbon Bound? "Captain, we have a very serious problem." She said softly, panting heavily.

Captain Winterlight shoved herself back up to her hooves, frowning. "You're supposed to be following Rainbow Dash. What happened?" her voice was thick with concern - and worry. What on earth could be going wrong now?

Ribbon shook her head firmly. "The Crystal Princess and her husband just arrived in Ponyville. I believe they are coming here."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Apple Acres rang with bright laughter and hooting jokes. Dinner last night had been mostly like old times. This? This was exactly like old times. Twilight had fully released the shadow power within her, and now simply resembled a unicorn supermodel in looks - her dark mane sparkling in the candle light of the farmhouse dining room. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were clowning around with one another over half an apple pie, while Pinkie giggled madly and stirred at a cauldron of hot chocolate.

Granny Smith and Big Mac were both laughing their heads off at some joke Pinkie had just cracked, and Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were doing something with several large sheets of paper and a quill - scribbling something that looked disturbingly like some kind of plan for another crazy adventure.

And Twilight? She was drinking it all in, leaning up against one wall of the dining room and watching her friends with a small smile on her face. Dash had stolen Applejack's hat and was now wearing it while talking in a comedic southern accent, while Pinkie served up steaming cups of cocoa to the whole room. Pinkie stole a kiss from Twilight, her lips sweet with sugar and cream and the two shared a broader smile. "You okay, Twi?" asked Pinkie Pie softly, as the Crusaders toasted one another with mugs of cocoa to their latest scheme.

Twilight nodded a little, speaking gently. "Its times like this I can just forget about everything that's happened." She said gently, her hoof finding Pinkie's and squeezing it softly. "And pretend I'm still just a regular librarian, and I've only got to worry about sending my next report to Princess Celestia." Twilight was still smiling, but there was brightness in her eyes that seemed to speak of tears. "It seems like so long ago now."

Pinkie shook her head firmly, and tucked a hoof under Twilight's chin. "Hush now, Miss Twi." She said softly. "No more sad faces or tears. C'mon." She tugged at Twilight's shoulder, a little wickedness in her smile. "Let's have some fun tonight. Just us girls." She giggled softly. "And maybe Big Macintosh."

Twilight rolled her eyes a little, and had to grin back at Pinkie. "Were you always like this, or did I really pull it out of you?" She asked as Pinkie hopped up on a chair next to her and snuggled up next to Twilight like a kitten. "I mean, I don't remember you being quite this... bawdy. Not that I mind." She purred a little, unable to keep it out of her voice at the sensual pleasure of the nuzzling pink earth pony.

Across the room, Twilight watched Applejack and Dash chasing one another around the kitchen to the bellowing laughs of Big Mac and Granny Smith. Before too long Applebloom and her gang were joining in the fun, as Dash started passing AJ's hat between the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Pinkie smiled softly and kicked her hooves back and forth as they watched the chaos. "Oh, I was pretty bad." She drawled, nibbling on her hooftip modestly. "Maybe not this bad, but I was a naughty pony." Pinkie smiled slightly, laying her head on Twilight's shoulder. "Listen Twi. I'm not the most brilliant pony in the world, but Dashie is right. You're doing this for a reason."

Pinkie leaned up, wrapping a hoof around Twilight to hide her nibbling along Twilight's neck for a moment, before whispering. "And when we've beaten all the bad guys, Twi - You'll find a way to bring us all back to normal. I know you will." She winked softly, sending a soft flutter through Twilight's heart. "Because I believe in you."

Twilight's mouth opened for a moment, then shut suddenly. And she nodded once, seriously. Pinkie giggled brightly, and whispered conspiratorially. "Now come on. Put on your happy face, and let's enjoy this for as long as we can!" There was a sly, naughty grin on her face. "Besides, I wanna find out if Big Mac lives up to his name."

~~~~~~~~~

Two rumpled looking ponies sat on a stone balcony as the sun hung low in the western sky. They both shifted a bit from side to side, obviously still sore from some sort of physical exertion. They stretched limbs and legs and winced a little with every complaining muscle. A Strong breeze out of the east blasted their manes even further out of styling, and they had both long since stopped trying to put them back into shape.

The pegasus of them glanced into the east with her milky blue eyes and spoke softly. "Can you feel that, Dancer?" she spoke softly. "There is great power in the wind. The world is changing." Her voice was soft and calm, but also a little awed.

Shadow Dancer snorted, her voice even crankier than it normally was after she woke up. "The world is always changing, Moon. What the heck are you talking about this time?" She snapped, grabbing a mug that sat next to her and slurping down the cold coffee within. She was even sorer than Silent Moon, and worse still she was painfully unsatisfied.

Silent Moon shook her head slowly. "You don't understand, as usual." Her tone of voice was just a little bit testy... which was enough to shock Dancer into listening more carefully. Moon never lost her temper. "Things do change every day, of course. But the world? True, permanent changes in the world do not come often. They do not come easily, and they never come quickly. The wind knows though, when a change is coming." She lifted a hoof up into the stiff breeze as it cooled their coats. "It is the breath of the world, Dancer. The entire world is taking a deep breath, because it knows all things will soon be plunged into change and uncertainty."

Dancer stirred a little where she sat, licking her suddenly dry lips. "So it's beginning then." She stated. Neither of them needed to elucidate on what 'it' was. "Are... Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Dancer hesitantly asked, reaching her hoof out to touch Moon's shoulder. "There's still time to find somepony else. Still time to t-turn back." Dancer's voice broke a little on her last words, fighting back some thick, painful emotion.

Silent Moon gently shook her head. "Dancer... My love. We've talked about this." She turned those blind eyes towards the other mare with a gentle smile. "You know there is nopony else who will serve." She grasped Dancer's hoof, and reached with her other to touch the thestrals cheek. "You know I love you, Dancer. And I always will."

Two mares reached towards one another and pressed their lips together in a forbidden kiss. Dancer's words whispering along the winds of change. "I love you too Moon. And I will forever."

~~~~~~

Rainbow Dash gently kissed Twilight's cheek. "I love you, Mistress." she said softly, and Twilight smiled lovingly in return, unable to not at the pure affection in Dashie's tone.

Pinkie giggled and popped up to kiss Twilight's other cheek. "Me too! And we'll all be here for you, no matter what!"

Pinkie grinned in her best cheesy fashion, and the trio of friends laughed softly as Applejack's voice called at the three of them from down the stairs. "And what'n the sam hill are you three talkin' about down thar?"

Pinkie adopted her best spooky face, her eyes shining." We're just talkin' about how we're the best of friends Foreeeeeeeever!" Her voice carried out along the western winds, as the three friends burst into joyous laughter, soon to be joined by a fourth.

~~~~~~~

Cadence softly squeezed Shiny's hoof as they stood at the silent stone gate which separated Ponyville from the Everfree Forest - and within it, Twilight City. The two figures stood in the silent darkness - no longer fearing the forest, but what shadows might still live in plain sight. Shiny shook his head slowly. "Still hasn't gotten any less creepy." He muttered at the sight of the beautifully repaired stone road. "You sure you want to do this, Cadence?"

Cadence nodded slowly. "We must. I'm not afraid though." She gently nuzzled her cheek against Shining's and smiled. "Our love is our shield, Shining Armor. Of course, I'm certain your barriers will help a little bit." She winked at him and he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Better I should ask, are you certain you wish to come with me? I know this place will hold nothing but ill memories for you."

Shining shook his head firmly. "No way you're going in there without me, Cadey." He paused and smiled a little. "Tantalus was wrong about her, you know. He thought she'd just follow his stupid plan for revenge. But I know Twily better than he ever could. I bet she's already working out a plan to put an end to all this right now."

He strode forward confidently, and Cadence quickly fell into step beside him. "And I'm gonna be there for her this time." He gave Cadence a cocksure grin - stealing a kiss from her on the fly as a stiff wind caught their manes through the trees, sending them fluttering heroically. Shining spoke softly, his words carried by the winds. "After all, I am her Big Brother Best Friend Forever."

~~~~~~~~~

Luna peeled away from the thermal to follow her sister down towards the ground - An entire day of flying was tiring even for an Alicorn, and finding a proper camp site would take time. Her hooves alighted upon a rocky outcropping as her horn slowly glowed to life - raising the moon above the horizon as she had done so many times before.

Luna gazed up at the blank white face of the moon - and just for a moment - she imagined the profile of a young unicorn darkening the moon’s surface in silent repose. Tears came unbidden to Luna's eyes as she imagined the vision, her words spoken softly upon the blustery winds. "You saved me, Twilight Sparkle. You saved me from the darkness, from my inner shadows. You were there for me, when all others had forsaken me."

Luna lifted her hoof up to the sky, as though caressing across the face of the moon. Her voice broke with emotion as she continued to whisper, silvery tears falling from her cheeks to splash upon the rocks. "And should the worst come to pass, I will be there for you. To lay you down to sleep each day, and rise you to wakefulness each night." Luna sucked in a breath, trying to master the flood of emotions she had been suppressing all of these months. "I shall watch over you for a thousand years and more, until the night comes when I can at last save you as you once saved me."

"But no matter what I shall not leave you, Twilight Sparkle. For you are my one true friend, forever."

~~~~~~~~

Luna's words carried along the swift western winds, and as the world took the its last deep breath before the plunge.

Before the winds of change came once again to remind all the creatures of the world of one simple truth.

That nothing lasts forever.

Author's Notes:

For those of you who are not big fans of the talky bits, fret not - Crazy shit is about to go down in a big way.

So stay tuned.