The week nearly passed and Twilight finally managed to translate it. "This would have taken less time if I would know the language, but I suppose learning ancient Crystalian would take months at best." She felt frustrated with her skills in translation, as the letter was only one sentence. 'Meet me in Unicornia for your answers. ~ Sombra'
Turns out ancient crystalian has very long words that make a test look longer than it actually is. 'Seriously, I took a week for one sentence? Wait, where is Unicornia?' Twilight remembered she saw a few – most outdated – maps on a shelf. There should be something.
She left the library as she found a wonderfully outdated map featuring Unicornia – twice – and walked into her brother. "Are you finished with the translation?"
"Yes! But I need to leave again. I need to talk to Sunburst!" she explained all psyched up.
"Oh, Sunburst is coming here, Twilight. He should arrive in an hour." revealed her brother. "He wants to go over the elixir again. Just wait."
"Seriously? But he…" Either way, this is good if he comes to her.
"Isn't good with potions, I know." he said. "Now rest, Twily." She had nothing to counter this, she just had to wait for Sunburst.
When Sunburst arrived in the Empire, he did not expect to be met by Twilight. Or for her to ask about his project. "Sunburst! You research Unicornia, right?"
"Ah, yes!" It made him happy that someone else was caring about this topic.
"Do you have an idea where it is supposed to be?" she asked. She found two spots on different map. One map even featured two Unicornia's!
"Hm, according to most sources I found – even the ones that tend to contradict each other – it was build somewhere between Applewood and Canderlot." he explained. "If you were to find it, you have to show me! That's why you're asking, right?"
"Right!" she confirmed. "Thanks, Sunburst. But now I need to go!" So not at the celestial sea! Good! If anything, that one should be flooded.
With that, she rushed into the train before it returned to Equestria. "That was odd." thought Sunburst. "Well, time to blow up Cadence's floor again."
The train stopped near Canterlot. Running out into the city, she looked for a dark alley. There she ended the disguise and reapplied her own, a trick copied from Luna. Her wings stayed, but she had hidden her horn. Her coat got lighter, her mane lost the colorful stripes and shorter. Only her Cutie Mark would sell her out as disguises can't cover those. But an illusion can. Sure, it could break easily, but it can hide a mark. She changed it to a feather. Like she had done so often out of Celestia's sight.
Her own disguise in place, she took to the air and flew into the direction of Applewood, keeping her eyes open for anything that could indicate an old city long lost. Be it ruins or other oddities.
Spike joined the others as they boarded a train to Applewood, Rarity and Pinkie Pie already there as Lady Quill asked them for help. Apple Jack asked, "Where's Twilight?"
"She works on a project – no, can't give details – she should follow suit." explained Spike.
"When she peaks at a clock or what?" guessed Moondancer. "I won't put it past her to forget about it because of her project."
"So, like three years ago?" chimed Minuette it. "Yeah, could happen."
Normally Twilight would enjoy to fly freely, but she was too focused on finding the remains of Unicornia. She circled over a plain, both Canterlot and Applewood in view. Well, that obnoxious Applewood sign to be specific. While circling the area, she thought if meeting Sombra is really worth it. "Maybe I should tell the others… and we go against him together."
'Or you let me guide you, little Star.'
"Or I kick him for calling me that." She snapped out of her thoughts and looked around. Twilight then scanned the area for dark magic. She felt something radiating from a rather big hill. Landing on it, she felt the magic coming from a rock. A weirdly rectangular rock.
"This is too square to be natural. And the stone itself – limestone I think – does not occur naturally here." she stated while analyzing it. "The stone is a good magic conduit. And was used to build in the past!" She levitated it away and found a hole underneath, a tunnel. Placing it away from the hole, she looked around to see if anypony could watch her. Seeing nopony, she broke her disguise and illusion before flying into it.
As the descended into the hole, lowering with each wing flap, she touched ground after ten flaps which surprised her. She thought this would be deeper, if this is really Unicornia. The light of the hole started to get darker. "Oh, it is getting night." She cast a clock spell. Looks like she may miss the summer sun celebration. Twilight realized she doesn't care about missing it. She only cares that things are getting dark, so she cast a flashlight spell.
Twilight made her magical aura white to see everything in it's true colors and not a magenta hue of it. Looking around, she saw ruins of an old city. Unicornia. The houses looked well preserved, if you ignore the giant cracks. Every stone – gray with lightning patterns craved in – was broken, so was ancient glass.
Twilight tried to suppress the urge to be an archaeologist, she has to find Sombra. Remembering that, she scanned the area for magic. As she opened her senses for magical signatures, she was overwhelmed with ambient magic. "What is this place? Not even the castle of two sisters has this much ambient magic."
"This is Unicornia. Held together by literal magic. Its citizens had forsaken conventional building methods to embrace their superiority." spoke Sombra, his voice echoing though the lost city. "While I am impressed with the idea, like you can see, it failed. Their magic failed and the city fell apart and sunk into the earth. The main part of the remaining magic… look for yourself."
She was looking, not for the city, but for him. She walked though the city, looking at the remains. As she saw a big gap into the floor, a small canyon, she walked into a pony. "Sombra-Ahh!" She wasn't faced with Sombra, but a Unicorn of stone. It's face picturing the shock Twilight felt walking into it. "What?"
She powered her light and saw where she was, some sort of plaza, these statures everywhere.
"No need to be afraid, little Star. These are just statures." said Sombra, walking out an alley, his horn producing green, eerie light. "Weird art, don't you think? Then again, this isn't art, these are the remains of the citizens of the third Unicornia. The same destiny of the second Unicornia. And the first. Fools never learn."
"Their magic that held the city together failed." concluded Twilight. "Turning them to stone."
"The ones that didn't died of the earth quake or got crushed by debris, yes." he confirmed. "And no, I do not have anything to do with this. Unicornia was history by the time I was born. It was just easier to find back then. Nasty magic."
"What do you want from me?" she asked, turning her focus to the dark unicorn, opposed to the biggest archaeological discovery in centuries.
"For the last weeks, I tried to trick you into doing dark magic. Which failed, I admit. But I managed to tickle your frustration of Celestia." he explained. "She will realize you broke from her and her values when she notes you're not at her celebration." Sombra spoke the last word with disgust.
"What is your issue with the celebration, it should have no meaning to you." Twilight said.
"Ah, it has, by proxy. It may surprise you, but I was in love with a pony, one who suffered for this holiday!"
"That is surprising." She then realized what he said. "Wait, do you mean Princess Luna?"
"Yes! Honestly, I am insulted she denies her connection to me." he said insulted. "Then again, with a control freak like Celestia as her sister…"
"Celestia won't-"
"Force her sister to just forget a past relationship?" he ended her sentence. Sombra walked to Twilight and tapped her necklace, the jewelry clanking. "She is quite stubborn of your true identity, isn't she?"
"Well…"
"You can't argue that, can you? Oh well, I wasted enough of your time! Use your time spell, if you go now, you can make it to the ceremonial sunrise and stop Chrysalis." he said, just slightly mocking her. "You're after her, aren't you? That elixir you carry. You should have an easy time finding who she pretends to be." He vanished into shadows.
Twilight dropped her wings, her eyes wide. "Chrysalis at the celebration? Oh no!" She took into the air and flew though the opening, the moon shining high in the sky. "How did I miss the time?"
'A little spell that screws with ones perception of time. Not the only spell I used on you.' mocked Sombra's disembodied voice. 'Then again, with Celestia you must be used to having magic be used on you. Get going, Chrysalis will start her invasion when the sun shines.'
With that, she shot to Applewood, reapplying her own disguise, but not her Mark.
Celestia wasn't nervous per se, she was just sad her relationship with Twilight took such a dive. For a second she was considering to oblige with her demands.
"Are you okay, sister?" asked Luna. "Are you still worried about Sombra?"
"Of course, but this isn't it.", said Celestia. "I am worried about Twilight."
"Right, she still ignores you." replied Luna. "Or her project Spike mentioned is distracting her. Mm, I am curious what it is about that it distracts her from you. She is normally so dedicated to you."
"You think?"
"Yes. Which reminds me, why does she have a student when she still learns under you? Trixie Lulamoon was one thing, but Starlight are different circumstances." asked Luna. "Oh, we should focus, I am so nervous! I am just waiting to feel the moon's reminding pull."
"Right! Remember, we guide our celestial bodies at the same time." stated Celestia. "We need to show ourselves as equals to the ponies."
Twilight flew in the air, scanning the plaza the celebration is held at. She saw her two friend groups acting like one big group. This made her smile, it is nice to see them interact together. That smile fell off when she saw who her group was talking to.
Herself.
"Oh, Chrysalis, you!" she muttered. Twilight searched for a spot to land. As soon as her hooves touched the ground, her disguise vanished, startling a nearby unicorn, but Twilight didn't care.
Twilight in Celestia's disguise made her way thought the masses. She saw how the night became day as the sun and moon switched places. The crowd cheered at the princesses showcase. When they landed on the stage, the real Twilight yelled loudly, for all to hear, "There is a Changeling under us!"
The crowd froze, so did the princesses. All eyes were on the two Twilight's. Applejack exclaimed hocked, "What the hay! Two Twilight's?"
The pretender looked unsure. Chrysalis assumed she would stay away for longer. Sombra said so. She spoke up, "Come on! She is the Changeling! I was here the whole time! Princess Celestia can confirm!"
Said princess jumped off the stage and landed in front of the two identical unicorns, the surrounding masses making space. "But you came late! For all we know, that is because you took the real Twilight's place. Then again, you didn't act weird. A hard choice."
"Not really! We just ask a question only the real Twilight can know!" proposed Pinkie Pie.
"She is right." said Starlight. She smirked, "I already know the right question!"
"And that would be?" asked Chrysalis in her disguise.
"What is the matter with the sapphire necklace?" asked Trixie.
"What necklace?" asked the pretender.
"The one I always wear." said Twilight. "You're bad at your job, Chrysalis!"
"I am not-"
"Right, the necklace. A dead give away." said Celestia.
A citizen of Applewood chimed in, "Not to disrespect you, your Highness, but a necklace isn't enough proof! Changelings are a dangerous matter!"
"I see your point, Playhill." she agreed.
Chrysalis illusion looked relaxed. "It is just a necklace. I just choose not to wear it today."
"That's it! That is not Twilight!" yelled Shining Armour, stepping besides Celestia. "You know why, Princess!"
"Not to mention, this Twily has the vial of elixir, this one doesn't." pointed Fluttershy out. "We're supposed to wear them for this exact case." She turned unknowingly to Chrysalis. "Tell me what this elixir is for."
She thought a bit. "It is to break a Changeling's illusion?"
"You make it sound like a question, not convincing." said Rainbow Dash.
"Hey!" A containing shield of magenta magic popped up around one of the Twilight's, powered by the one wearing the necklace. She sighed annoyed and started to channel her own magic at the shield, breaking it. Their magical rays than connected, each pushing to the other with their magic.
Twilight felt her hitting her limit – Celestia's glamour not only blocks her wings but also a part of her magic to appear like a normal unicorn – so the magical sphere, the point where their magic meets, moved slowly to Twilight. She doubted Chrysalis just powered a shield spell. To her luck, her brother stepped behind her and helped with her spell.
The sphere moved to the other Twilight, before she powered her end more, the sphere returned to the duo. "Oh, Yak dung!" yelled Twilight frustrated. "Idea!"
"Twily?" asked Shining, having reached his limit.
"Throw your vial when the connection cuts!" She tapped her necklace, revealing her wings, in the same second a magical wave smacking the pretender, shattering her illusion. Chrysalis was there.
As the connection ended, Shining threw his vial. On contact with the substance, Chrysalis' chitin started to burn, she hissed in pain. "Mm, the one vial only burns her. Others!"
Trixie and Starlight were the first ones to dunk their vials on Chrysalis. Chrysalis then took to the air, fleeing. "Not so fast!" yelled Twilight following her.
Celestia was frozen in shock. Her mind wasn't focused on Chrysalis or her attempt to flee her mind was on the fact that Twilight disregarded her ruling and broke her disguise in public. Her sister vocalized her shock. "Since when has Twilight wings? How don't we know her she is an Alicorn?"
Twilight – with Chrysalis once again in a bubble, one she can't overpower – descanted. She told Luna, "Celestia knew, but she didn't tell anyone, she kept it a secret. Even from you."
"Auntie! Can you now lift the silencing spell off me? Twilight's secret is out now anyway." asked Cadence.
"Fine." said Celestia, looking at Twilight with slight betrayal in her eyes. Her horn glowed for few seconds.
Chrysalis the while just pouted in the bubble. "Don't think you won just because you caught me!"
"Why that?" asked Luna.
"She is just the distraction." said Twilight. "I found Sombra before I came here."
"This! Oh no..." Celestia told the residents, "I am sorry but we need to cut this year's celebrations short! Guards, bring Chrysalis to the palace."
"Yes your Majesty!" replied to guards. One of them asked, "Would it be possible that Sparkle keeps the bubble up?"
"Oh, right. Of course." agreed Celestia. With that, she watched Twilight following the guards, flying besides them.
Luna told her, "Why did you keep this a secret? And for how long, may I ask? When this is done, you owe me and the whole of Equestria a few answers, Celestia! But now, we need to handle Chrysalis. Lets go home.
