The celebration in the Crystal Empire has come to an end. Twilight, exhausted from using magic, finally falls into a deep sleep in her beloved Ponyville library. Suddenly, she finds herself in an endless maze of black crystals.

Sombra's voice doesn't rattle—it whispers softly directly into her thoughts, repeating the spells she used. She wakes up in the middle of the night. The room is flooded with cold moonlight, but Twilight is not afraid. On the contrary, she feels a strange surge of strength, which the magic of friendship did not give her.

She lights the horn. Instead of pure purple light, uneven dark shadows dance on the walls. Twilight looks down at her hooves, which are still shaking from the power she received.

"Princess Celestia said that this magic is dangerous... — she mutters, and for a moment a green light flashes in her eyes. "But I've never felt like this.".. collected. So effective.

She notices Sombra's shadow in the doorway and turns around abruptly. Her gaze is unusually sharp and piercing.