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    When everything seems dark, don't be.

    Chapters

    • Chapter 4: Parlay Cover
      by Starscribe It became immediately clear to Twilight that they weren’t visiting the private study this time, as they ascended only a single set of stairs before turning sharply into the castle proper. For all that Nightmare Moon’s ponies had repaired and overhauled the castle fortress, they had done nothing to the basic layout. So Twilight found herself walking up the stairs of the massive throne room, its sloped layout unchanged from when she’d once explored it with her friends.“This shouldn’t take too…
    • Chapter 5: Prison Cover
      by Starscribe They didn’t have very far to go to reach the railway station. Twilight should’ve known that a capital would need better transportation, and that was what the castle and its surrounding buildings had become. Yet as they reached the station, it wasn’t like anything she knew to recognize. There were weapons pointed at the platform, including a full-sized ballista, though none were armed or ready to fire. There was already a train waiting as well, a train unlike anything she’d ever imagined could be…
    • Chapter 6: Transit Cover
      by Starscribe Beyond the door Twilight found more powerful spells, along with traps at regular intervals.“Remember,” Rarity called from behind her, voice faint. “Don’t step on the—”“The round panels. I know.” They hopped and weaved their way around the dangerous traps, and Twilight found herself wondering how long it would take an escaping creature to figure that out. Guess they have to hope that the first one is lethal. But that didn’t make sense either, did it? The ones locked here had been given…
    • Chapter 7: Military Intelligence Cover
      by Starscribe Twilight was in the back of the group as they made their way out of the train station and back to the Obsidion Fortress. She almost didn’t notice as a set of hooves wrapped around her neck and yanked her suddenly down a side-corridor. She didn’t so much as squeak before she was pulled into a bubble of silence, and any crying out she might’ve done was quashed.She faced the unicorn who had pulled her in, eyes wide with shock and surprise. Sunset Shimmer hadn’t changed much since the last time…
    • Chapter 8: Performance Cover
      by Starscribe Twilight resisted the temptation to send the pony right back where she came from. For a citizen of this strange, dystopian world that Equestria had become, Trixie seemed basically identical to the way she remembered her. The mane was a little shorter, and not smoothed with the magician’s usual cocktail of expensive conditioners. She looked a little leaner under the robe, probably a sign of just how much worse her act had done. But otherwise, she was the same pony. I guess I should just be glad she…
    • Chapter 9: Agate Cover
      by Starscribe Twilight hated to admit when Trixie was right, but there was no getting around the good sense of having a base of operations. By letting Twilight and her friends stay close, Trixie was taking on much of the risk herself, since she was likely to be implicated if any of them were seen breaking the rules. It’s okay, we won’t be. And even if we are, we’ll reverse all of this. It won’t matter.She still felt guilty taking advantage of Trixie’s kindness, as well as feeling a little skepticism bubbling…
    • Chapter 10: Heart of Onyx Cover
      by Starscribe Twilight Sparkle woke with a throbbing ache in the back of her head, splitting her vision into different colors and making her wish she could just close her eyes and go back to sleep. But something jostled her again, and she sat up a little, moaning in pain. What was she doing here again?Something attacked me. I came investigating where Rarity had gone, and… Twilight tried to cast a spell, maybe take herself home or something similar. But it hurt so badly that her magic flashed and spluttered, then went…
    • Chapter 11: Crystalarium Cover
      by Starscribe As their expedition passed into the Crystal Empire, Twilight could still see faint traces of what a beautiful city it had once been. All the old buildings were still here, spires of transparent rock rising twice as high as ponies could build in Canterlot or Manehattan. Truly ancient, powerful magic had once been invoked here.And its inheritor was trampling all over it. It was true that the crystal ponies in her own world had forgotten their magic, and so the new things they built used regular pony methods.…
    • Chapter 12: Dragon Cover
      by Starscribe Twilight’s whole body was rigid with fear. Her horn glowed, and a dozen spells passed through her mind. Force dissipators, shields—but she settled on a teleport. King Sombra was entirely unmoved by her presence, not even startled. It had taken the Crystal Heart and all the Empire working together to beat him last time. She couldn’t do it alone.Her horn flashed, and the world blurred… then her and Rainbow Dash smacked against the crystal wall, so hard that she went sprawling. Rainbow moaned, rolling…
    • Chapter 13: Rebel Cover
      by Starscribe There was something surreal about returning to Ponyville’s corpse. It wasn’t that the village had changed much since their last visit—there wasn’t any new decay, none of the structures had fallen down, and the liberal layers of ice on various surfaces were still as thick as ever.But now Twilight knew better. What she had taken for isolated destruction was in-fact a blight on the entire planet. The suffering these ponies had felt was only the beginning. But we’re close to ending it. Remember that,…
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