With newfound determination, the ponies placed the amulet around their necks, feeling its weight settle against their chests. They closed their eyes and focused, envisioning their connection to their respective Elements and the bond of friendship that held them all together. As they opened their eyes, the amulet glowed brightly, a testament to their unity and strength. 'Remember,' Princess Celestia said, her voice filled with pride and faith. 'You are not alone. You carry the legacy of friendship and the spirit of Twilight within you.' And with that, the ponies set off, their hearts filled with hope and determination, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them. As they walked forward, the amulet continued to glow, guiding their way and reminding them that no matter what, their friendship would always light their path, however what came next, would shock not only Starlight Glimmer, but Celestia herself.
''Starlight! Starlight, we have a problem.'' Suddenly Eira, was running up to them. Starlight Glimmer's eyes widened in concern as she saw the state of Eira. Her usually vibrant, multi-colored mane was tangled and disheveled, and there was a visible weariness in her eyes. ''What happened Eira?'' Starlight asked, her voice filled with worry. ''You look like you've been through battle?''
''Eira?'' asked Princess Celestia, a expression of confusion masked upon her beautiful face. ''I don't believe I'm met you yet.'' she let out softly, however the softness behind her voice shifted quickly as she took in Eira's appearance. An appearance that matched that of her late friend and number one student, Twilight Sparkle. ''I know this is going to be hard to believe, Princess.'' Started Rarity, ''But this is our new friend Eira. She's a spirt. She came to us in the EverFree Forest, said she was sent by Twilight to help us on our journey to stop the princess. She said she had to borrow Twilight's appearance because she knew if we saw her, we would know we could trust her because Twilight sent her.''
Princess Celestia's eyes narrowed as her gaze fixed on Eira. The mention of Twilight Sparkle stirred deep emotions within her, resulting in a mix of longing and grief to take over inside her chest. The loss of her beloved student had left a giant void that still ached in her heart. But could it be possible that Twilight had found a way to communicate with spirts, and have them appear in the world of the living? Just what exactly what her student capable of? Had she deserved more than just being granted the title of princess? Even Celestia didn't have the power to communicate with the living from the spirt world. If she could, things might not have turned out so horribly for Luna. Maybe her parents could have helped from the other side? With a graceful movement, Celestia approached Eira, her regal presence filling the room. Then without question she reached out a long, white hoof, atop Eira's translucent mane. A tingling sensation traveled up her leg as she realized that she was indeed in the presence of something otherworldly. ''Eira,'' Celestia said, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and caution. ''If you truly are a good spirit sent by Twilight, then I welcome you with an open heart. The bond I shared with Twilight was one that transcends this realm, and if she has chosen you to help us, I trust her judgement.''
Eira's ethereal form shifted slightly, her violet eyes shimmering with a mixture of gratitude and determination. ''Thank you, Princess Celestia. Twilight has spoken highly of you and your wisdom. She believed that together, we could overcome the challenges that lay ahead.''
''Of course, little one.'' Celestria returned.
''Now, Eira, what was it you were going to tell us?''
''Oh, right! Princess Cadence is in danger!''
As Eira finished her sentence, her words never seemed to die out, almost they were lingering over the ponies heads, echoing off the walls as the grave meaning of her words crashed into them like boulders. The room was instantly stunned into silence at Eira's words, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Princess Cadence, the beloved ruler of the crystal empire, and wife to Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle's older brother, was in danger? The news sent a shockwave through the hearts of everypony present. ''But why? She's not even in Ponyville, I don't even think she knows what happened to Twilight? I mean with everything going on, I don't think anypony had the chance to notify her. Or Shining Armor.''
''The death of an alicorn isn't so easily hidden. I fear she has learned of the horrific act, and as ventured out to Canterlot, most likely in hopes of surrounding herself with friends and family. She must be wanting to visit Twilight's parents?! Twilight Velvet and Nightlight.'' Starlight could see the confusion and worry etched on her friends faces as they grappled with the news. ''If that is true, she'll be heading to Ponyville. Didn't Twilight's parents move to Ponyville, I believe Twilight shared something with me about them wanting to be closer to her.'' Rainbow Dash, always quick to react flew up into the air, her wings beating rapidly. ''Isn't their new home close to the EverFree Forest?''
''We need to do something! We can't just stand here and let Cadence fall to the same fate as Twilight!'' Rainbow Dash shouted, her voice tinged with urgency.
''But wait. There's something that bothers me. If the lost princess was an alicorn just like Celestia and Twilight, why is she targeting other alicorns?'' Starlight's mind raced with thoughts and possibilities, as she fell deeper, and deeper into her thoughts. ''It's almost as if she is seeking revenge? Perhaps she thinks she's getting revenge on her sister by attacking other alicorns?'' Applejack nodded in agreement, her hat slipping forward slightly as she leaned in close to the others. ''That sounds right, Starlight. If my sister did such a thing to me, I'd be pretty upset too. But no matter, we gotta find a way to warn Princess Cadence.''
''Eira! You were gone for a long time, were you able to locate the lost scrolls we were told about? The ones I asked for?'' Starlight asked. Eira, who'd been quite up to this point, suddenly emerged next to the light pink unicorn, where a light brown satchel appeared slung over her form. ''I managed to locate a few of them. I believe the ones I was able to find hold the key to better understand the lost princesses motives. It took some time to translate everything into a language I could read, but I believe they hold the answers we seek.'' It didn't take long, and everypony was gathered around Eira, watching with unblinking eyes as she unfolded the aged parchment, revealing intricate illustrations and faded text written in an ancient dialect. Starlight scanned the words, her eyes widened in realization. ''According to this, the lost princess is named Amara. Based on these few paragraphs, she goes into detail about her banishment by her older sister, Euphoria...oh my goodness...'' As Starlight drew her eyes to the last few sentences, her mind and heart were doing back flips inside her body. It was as if she was going into shock as a result of the horrible act she would be forced to describe to the others.
''Euphoria didn't just banish her. She cut off her wings and broke off her horn.'' The room fell into another void of pure silence as the weight of those words hung heavy in the air. Then as if in sync, the ponies gasped, their eyes widening in shock once their minds were able to catch up to what was going on. Starlight, her expression, full of sorrow, as she continued to translate the ancient text, her voice trembling as she spoke. ''Amara describes her pain and anguish, how she was left to wander, broken without magic. It says that even though she had the beautiful forest she had created, nothing could bring her joy.'' Starlight felt a surge of anger and sympathy welling up inside her. How could Euphoria perform such a heinous act upon her own sister? The magnitude of her sister's cruelty made Starlight's blood boil. And even without her magic, Amara chose to save her older sister, by locking the darkness that had consumed her sister from her jealousy. Consumed by her vengeance, Amara became corrupted, her once vibrant colors turning into a dark, sinister shadow. With her newfound abilities, Amara decided to exact her revenge, not only on Euphoria but on all alicorns. She believes they had turned a blind eye to her suffering.''
''It probably didn't help that no pony knew who she was, and those who did, chose to forget.'' Rarity whispered. ''I can't imagine how that must have felt.''
Starlight's heart sank as she finished the last line. In her mind, everything made sense. Amara's targeting of alicorns, her targeting of Twilight, was not only an act of revenge, but also a twisted attempt to gain back the power and recognition she felt she deserved.
''Does it say anything about what happened to Euphoria? What Amara did to he, I mean.'' Fluttershy clairfiled. Rarity seemed to have taken a glance down at the scroll, seemingly taking over in reading as it looked like Starlight could continue no more. ''It doesn't. But I doubt it was good.'' she whispered. ''Oh my...this is so devastating.''
''Poor Amara.'' Fluttershy whispered as her eyes looked as if they were filled with tears as she couldn't stop herself from imagining the utter turmoil Amara had been put through. ''If only there was some way we could have helped her.''
''But we can. It says here on the very back of the scroll, there is a way to restore Amara to her former self.'' Eira spoke up, her voice filled with a mix of hope and caution. ''If we gather the Elements of Harmony and then perform a powerful spell of redemption, we may be able to bring her back into the light!''
''Well what are we waiting for?!'' Shouted Rainbow Dash.
''But first we need to track down Cadence, if Amara is targeting alicorns, she's not safe in Ponyville.'' Rainbow Dash's wings twitched with excitement at this. ''We need to head to Twilight's parents house right away!''
''Yes, but we need to be careful. Who knows who could be watching us..'' Applejack cautioned as with their new powers, the mane six set off, fleeing from the room, Princess Celestia's eyes glued to them as her expression wavered. ''Be careful, my little ponies.''