*Chapter 4*

Into the Breach

**We sailed away across the seven seas

To find an answer to the mysteries.

We sailed away into eternity

We wrote our names in the book of memories**

-Olympos Mons- Seven Seas

...

Celestia had just been banished to the sun.

Summer Blaze and the other ponies were aghast with a disbelieving horror. How could Celestia be so easily overcome? And being banished into the sun...could she possibly be...

Nightmare Moon Laughed with a maniacal triumph; seeing no further hindrances before her. "And now to claim my rightful dominion of the sky!" Nightmare focused her magic and slowly lowered the brilliant sun with an almost casually dismissive toss of her terrifying head. And in it's place, rose the bright moon, shining with a forlorn pearl-like pallor.

"This can't be it...it jus' can't..." Ivy Leagues' eyes were reflecting the moon in all it's terrible splendor.

"Blaze...what do we do?" Summer Dusk whined into Blaze's flank.

"I don't know..." It just now only seemed to occur to him what had truly transpired here on this night; the return of the tyrannical Nightmare Moon; the entrusting of the Elements of Harmony with himself and his friends; and seemingly worst of all, the death of Princess Celestia. (Blaze did not want to say 'death', but he doubted that even Celestia could survive on the sun.) And with the elements failing to have any effect on Nightmare Moon whatsoever, Equestria seemed almost destined to fall under her darkness.

It was now that Nightmare seemed to notice that the six ponies were still in her immediate field of vision; it was as if she thought they would simply turn tail and flee for their lives along with the others. After all, with their elements all but useless against her, why bother even standing their ground? Their stupidity (or perhaps it could be seen as 'bravery') was starting to become quite irksome. "Apparently..." Nightmare hissed, as she advanced on the group of ponies. "You lot wish to suffer the same fate as your foolish princess? That can be easily made so!" Her long spiral horn came alive with dark magic as she took aim at the ponies.

Mirrorrim snapped into action. "Everypony gather around me!" The six ponies huddled together as Mirror focused her teleportation spell around them. And then in a blinding flash, they vanished from the stage, just barely avoiding a blast of evil magic that would have jettisoned them to Nightmare-only-knows-where.

The group re-appeared within the candle-lit walls of Mirror's home. Summer Blaze landed upon a teetering stack of books and crashed to the floor in a tangle of hair and paper.

After recovering from teleportation indued shock, a heavy silence fell over the group. It was the kind of silence that seemed to settle over everything in the room; making everypony much more awkwardly aware of themselves than usual. This silence, however, was broken by Nova Burst, simply because he was not somepony to keep a punchline to himself any longer than he had to. "So...anypony wanna tell me what the buck just happened?"

"It was a teleportation spell," Mirror said back, quickly resuming her wisely impatient manor. "Surely you would have recognized-"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT THE HAY I MEANT!" Nova exploded.

Mirrorrim seemed unfazed by Nova's direct outburst. "Well, obviously, Nightmare Moon has returned," she said. Blaze admired how Mirror accepted these facts with such a calculatingly logical approach, and was able to voice such things without preamble. Where as Blaze was afraid to open his mouth due to immediate fear of vomiting. "And we six have been gifted the most powerful of all magics to stop her once again."

"All tha good tha most powerful of magics did us," Ivy Leagues said. "Now why in tha world didn' the elements work on Nightmare Moon?"

There was another silence, this one seemingly longer than the first, punctuated only by the soft clip-clop of Mirror's hooves as she paced the floor, apparently in deep thought. It was a near miracle that she was able to walk about at all, for Mirrorrim's home was stacked from top to bottom; from wall to wall; from floor to ceiling; with books. Books, books, books. She had since ran out of room on her seemingly innumerable bookshelves, and as a result, books littered the floor in an apparent organized chaos. Mirror weaved between various volumes and tomes, carving a path she had obviously ordained and clearly memorized. The group knew better than to disturb her when in deep concentration like this; they simply remained silent, waiting for Mirror's imminent brainwave.

After another lap through her book maze, Mirrorrim rejoined the group and sat slowly on her haunches. "I have a theory," she said simply. The group waited for her to continue. "I believe that the reason the elements have no effect on Nightmare Moon, is because she is no longer the same Nightmare moon from a thousand years ago."

"Uh, beg pardon," Ivy said. "But last I checked, there was only one pitch-black pony hay-bent on covering tha world in eternal night time. Now 'less she has sister...not Celestia I mean of course..."

"What I mean is," Mirror spoke, clearly finding Ivy's retort lacking. "That something about her has changed."

"Something like what?" Fairweather said.

"Something either in her conscious, or her genetics," Mirror said to the group. "While the elements are indeed the most powerful magic ever devised by pony kind, it is still only magic. Given that Nightmare Moon has been vanquished by the elements on two separate occasions, she would have by now had the time to perfect a counter spell, or develop an immunity."

"An immunity?" Summer Dusk squeaked. She cast her eyes down toward her necklace. The jewel there set inside the gold seemed to resemble a balloon. "But the story book said that there's nothing stronger than the Elements of Harmony..."

Each pony in the room looked more closely at their elements now. Ivy Leagues' necklace resembled an apple; Fairweather's was in the shape of a butterfly; Nova Burst's was set like a bolt of lightning; Summer Blaze's was hewn in the shape of a diamond; but the jewel on Mirrorrim's tiara was much more abstract in appearance, akin to something like a twinkling star.

After this introspective, Mirror continued her theory; "Given that Nightmare Moon now seems impervious to the elements as they are now, it is apparent that we ourselves must make a change."

"And that change would be..." Blaze said hesitantly.

"Changing the polarity of the elements," Mirror said simply.

Her statement was met with a silence longer than any that came before it. "So you're suggesting..." Fairweather ventured slowly. "That we change the elements entirely?"

"Yes," said Mirror.

"Is that even possible?"

Mirror took just a small moment before offering her reply, which was a cautiously confident, "It might be."

"Might be?!" Nova snapped. "We don't have time to take chances on something that might work!"

"Nova, please," Fairweather said softly. "Isn't any chance we may have better than none at all? We need to put our heads together and think; we won't be able to do this without each other." She cast Mirror a looked that bade her to continue her speech.

Mirrorrim began to pace again with an intellectual restlessness. "There's a legend that has been told since the days before even Equestria was born. It tells of two powerful alicorn rulers, both presiding over provinces on opposite sides of the world. It is said that both alicorn rulers are each in possession of one half of the knowledge used to create the Elements of Harmony."

"So these two alicorns created the elements?" Blaze asked.

"Yes," Mirror replied. "One alicorn contributed three elements, and the second provided the other three."

"Good golly," Ivy snorted. "Jus' how the heck do ya know all a this, Mirror?"

"Because apparently, I'm the only pony who reads anymore," Mirror said. She cast her horn aglow, and from another room entirely, floated a thick leather-bound book. "It's all right here in my copy of "Mysterious Mysteries and Mythical Myths." She magically rifled through the pages until she found her selection. She lay the book flat on the floor and the ponies gathered around it. "See here? There are two alicorns pictured. The first, Princess Fimbulvetr, ruler of Saba at the winters' edge. Second is Valentinian, also known as the stallion of steel; ruler of the empire of the white mountains. Together they contributed three elements of their choosing and combined them to create the Elements of Harmony."

Nova let out an awed whistle. "They must have been some powerful ponies."

Blaze leaned into the book for a closer look. He was hoping for a detailed depiction of what these ponies actually looked like, but being as Mirror said; this book and these ponies being in existence since before the days of Equestria; both ponies were rather crudely pictured; rough sketches drawn from whatever the ancient ponies at the time could get their hooves on. They did very little to capture any detail the powerful alicorns may have had. And that's when a thought occurred to Blaze, "Wait a second. If these ponies were alive before Equestria, would they even be alive today?"

There was a murmur of assent amongst the group. "Well, they are alicorns," Mirror said. "Perhaps, like Luna and Celestia, they are immortal."

"Princess Twilight and Mi Amore Cadenza were alicorns; they did not live forever," Fairweather said. "Eternal life isn't gifted through ascension, I think you have to be born with it."

This seemed to even give Mirror pause, from which she recovered quickly. "At any rate, this is still our only lead. If the ponies who created the elements are no longer alive, maybe their knowledge still is; we just have to find it."

"That sounds simple," Blaze said, driving home his sarcasm. "So where do these two alicorns live anyway?"

"Well, as I said, they both existed on opposite sides of the world." Mirror paused slightly before stating something she seemed unwilling to speak. "Which sides of the world are never specified..."

"So let me get this strait," Nova hovered near the ceiling, his wings beating out of frustration. "All we have to do, is travel to some distant, undisclosed places on the planet that existed practically before time, which, might I add, we have only a fifty percent chance of guessing right their locations the first time; and then persuade a couple of alicorns, who are in all possibility long dead, to somehow change the Elements of Harmony?"

As though she could sense Nova's impending and unpleasant retort, Mirrorrim took a moment before simply saying, "Yes."

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR BUCKING MIND?!"

"Nova, chill!" Summer Blaze said fiercely. Summer Dusk had taken refuge between her brother's fore legs, frightened by Nova's outburst. "You're scaring Dusk." He cast a long look into Mirrorrim's silver eyes, he saw her determination alive inside them. "I agree with Mirror," he said. "This is the only lead we have. It's a long shot-"

"A real long shot," Nova interjected.

"But it's the only shot we have!" Blaze shot back. He looked to Mirror again. "So, what would be the best method for traveling to somewhere that may not exist? I don't suppose you could teleport?" he said wryly.

"By sea," Mirror said, ignoring Blaze's dig.

"By sea..." Fairweather mused. "You don't suppose we could take the Ponyvillian?"

"Of course we can," Mirror said. "That is I arrived here in Ponyville in the the first place."

"I could probably convince my uncle Fairwind to let us use it. Of course I'd have to tell him what we plan on using it for..."

"That should go over well," Nova huffed.

The conversation was interrupted by a sudden rabble of voices that floated through the window. They sounded just vaguely alarmed. No doubt wondering why the sun still wasn't up, and why a contingent of Canterlot messengers had suddenly appeared in the town square. They were all, unfortunately, about to receive a piece of devastating news. This thought apparently occurred to Summer Dusk, who sprung from underneath Summer Blaze and said, "Oh, no!" Why didn't we think to warn anypony about Nightmare Moon coming back?"

Mirror gave a logical answer; "It was actually better for us to remain silent about such a thing. Running down the streets screaming of Nightmare Moon's return would have incited mass panic and hysteria."

"So would Nightmare Moon suddenly popping up in the middle of Ponyville," Blaze countered. "Which I'm surprised she hasn't done yet..."

"She's more than likely keeping a low profile for now," Mirror said back. "Once the masses know of her return is when she'll probably reveal herself. Not that it matters when she appears, for who can stand against her but us?"

"Good point," Blaze said. "We need to set out sooner rather than later. Nightmare Moon doesn't know what we're planning, so we have to take action."

Everypony's head swiveled to the night blackened window as screams of dread pierced the air. Apparently the Canterlot messengers had delivered the news.

Ivy Leagues stamped his hoof. "Well, we're not gunna make a journey like this wit out supplies. Everypony head on home and gather what ya can carry on yer backs; food; fresh water; and some spare clothing."

The group nodded in silent agreement. While Mirrorrim disappeared to her bedroom, the rest of the ponies headed out into the night, to gather supplies for their impending journey.

...

Back home, Summer Blaze had packed two saddle bags and three separate rucksacks with everything they thought they would need for a journey of this magnitude. While packing, Blaze noticed Dusk poking about her belongings rather halfheartedly. She had her back resolutely turned towards him and had said not a single word since they left Mirror's house. As it happened, Dusk did not want to let her big brother see her crying, and so had adopted what she thought was studiously detached silence. However, it was this same silence that caused Blaze to notice her troubles.

"Dusk..." Blaze said softly. "I know this seems overwhelming and unfair, heck, goodness knows I'm in shock too. But-"

Dusk had finally turned to face her brother, silent tears of anguish and a strange defiance rolling down her face. "I'm not overwhelmed about leaving..." she started. "If we really are the Elements of Harmony, then we have to go; I want to go. It's just..." Blaze stayed silent, knowing she needed time to continue. "...Princess Celestia. Is she really...really..."

Blaze knew she couldn't bring herself to say 'dead', he didn't want to believe it either. Being banished to the moon was one thing; Blaze had actually heard legends of an ancient lunar kingdom on the moon, so surviving there was indeed possible (even if Blaze couldn't fathom how). But being banished to the sun...even Celestia had no hope of surviving such a thing. The were no kingdoms there. Nothing could live on the sun.

Blaze wanted to comfort his sister more than anything. But coddling her and sugar-coating the dismal facts that stared them all too plainly in the face was not the way to go about it. And yet he did not want to be forcibly and shockingly blunt either. But he was spared of having to prepare such a response by Dusk coming to her own resolution. "If Celestia really is...gone." she was still careful about using the word dead. "Then we don't really have a way around this, do we? She would want; expect us to carry on in her place. Who else is going to stop Nightmare Moon? We're the only ones who can do it!"

Blaze was absolutely awed by Dusk's acceptance and determination in the light of their situation. He could not have been any prouder of his little sister.

"And besides," Dusk went on, a rather emotionally unwarranted grin stealing over her face. "Defeating Nightmare Moon means we can get Luna back. And I know how much you would want Luna back."

Blaze's flare of brotherly pride was quickly replaced with an embarrassed wonderment of Dusk's observational capabilities. "Well, o-of course I want Luna back!" He sputtered. "We all do. She is our princess after all."

"Blaze, I was poking you in the belly for three minutes and you didn't do so much as blink; what with you staring at Luna and all-"

"-I think we've got all we can carry!" Blaze exclaimed, hastily focusing his magic and levitating their gear. "We should head down to the dock and see how the others are coming along, no?" Blaze beat a hasty retreat out the door and came to a dead stop.

It was now common knowledge in Ponyville that Nightmare Moon had indeed returned. Ponies were scattered about all over the town; some staring, as though unseeing, up at the moon that now permeated the sky; others galloped about pointlessly, and some were packing their wagons with all of their personal belongings. If they thought that by leaving Ponyville, they could somehow leave this eternal darkness behind, they were sadly and desperately mistaken. The force of Canterlot guards were doing their best to regain order amongst the citizens, but it was a losing battle.

Blaze was, at this point, grateful for the crowd of ponies fleeing from the Canterlot gardens upon Nightmare Moon's return. They had not seen him and his friends gifted with the Elements of Harmony, and thus they largely ignored him and his sister as they milled about miserably, failing to realize that these ponies held the fate of the world in their hooves. "Let's get moving, Dusk," Blaze told her.

The two ponies made their way through town towards the very south end of Ponyville, where the dock was located. Many ponies ambled past them ;all their earthly possessions in tow as they bade escape from the town. Though Blaze knew that he was now responsible for once again bringing them peace of mind, he had not the heart to stop them. After several minutes in which Blaze completely forgot his hooves were even carrying him, he and Dusk had arrived at the Ponyville docks. For all the ponies fleeing Ponyville, the place was strangely empty; perhaps nopony thought that sea was the best way to travel in these times.

Blaze met the others as they put the last touches on their packing. The cargo hold of the Ponyvillian was laden with more than enough food, blankets, an fresh water to last several weeks. The prospects of their sea-faring survival was furthered again by the assurance of Mirrorrim having learned a spell to convert seawater into fresh water. The Ponyvillian itself was a fine vessel, built more for recreational cruises rather than trans-oceanic voyages, but to all ends, it would certainly get the ponies where they needed to go...wherever it was.

Fairweather gave a swift rear kick that snapped the cargo hold closed with a metallic thud. With her being a pegasus born on earth, Fairweather had quite a deceptive physical strength at her disposal, having been raised by her earth pony uncle, Fairwind, who, most fortunately, was not present at the moment. "I wonder what he'll say when he finds his ship gone," Fairweather mused.

"We can worry about that later," Mirror said. Her tone of complete directed focus seemed to stiffen the air between the group. It was here, and only here, did Blaze truly realize for the first time what undertaking this journey really meant.

He knew the first truth was that he was not going to be seeing his home again for a very long time, if at all. In all probability, he and any number of his friends could end up dead. None of the ponies knew in the slightest what could be waiting for them out there beyond the sea. Their pursuit of the element-changing knowledge left behind by two ancient alicorns would take them further to the edges of the world than anypony has gone before.

And there may be no coming back.

Summer Blaze instinctively nuzzled his sisters' neck. The six ponies stood in a tense circle, each contemplating what this life-and-death mission would entail; their silent preparation perforated by the clip-clops of wandering pony hooves and the occasional cry of despair. None of them seem to notice the group of ponies standing at the docks, ready to take not only their own lives, but the lives of every being in the world into their hooves.

The silence was broken by Nova Burst, who stamped a hoof and said, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting bored just standing here."

Mirrorrim nodded her silver head. "Let us go," she said.

The group boarded the Ponyvillian and Fairweather shut the gangway. They settled themselves on the deck as Mirrorrim took her position on the very bow of the ship. It was agreed upon that they would alternate between using the ship's engines and Mirror's amazing come-to-life spell to power the ship; this providing not only a forward vigil, but also less strain on the delicate machinery for the unfathomably long trip.

With a spark from her horn, the Ponyvillian glided into motion. And the six ponies were off to worlds unknown.

*End of chapter four*

...

A/N:

Back again with another chapter. Pretty quick this time around too, eh? Not much happening in life worth discussing, so onto the business;

I like to thank those who took the time to give my story a read, and a bigger thanks to fanfiction user Sweeti3Belle for the fav, the story follow, and the author follow, thanks a bunch, Sweeti3Belle!

And if I can make a recommendation; if you're looking for a great pony fic (other than mine of course), you guys should totally check out Diary of an Aspiring Tyrant by fanfiction user SugarPesticide. Her writing is beyond awesome!

And on another note (I know this A/N is dragging on forever, but bare with me!) I've decided to take my MTG fic The Angel and the Saint, off of termination status. The damn story is too popular and too far along to leave it in limbo like that. I've gotten several requests (and angry demands) to finish the damn thing. So in all likelihood, my next update will more than likely be to that particular story (but not guaranteed). Now I just have to get my MTG wheels turnin' again...

Anyway, sorry for keeping you. I'll see you guys when I see you.

-B.D. Skunkworks

P.S:

Remember guys, fight back against SOPA! Otherwise the simple and harmless pass time of writing fanfiction will be illegal. Don't give up your rights, fight the machine!