//------------------------------//
// Episode 18: The Crystal Empire Part 2 
// Story: The Equestrian Wind Mage Classic: Season 1 
// by LordSiravant 
//------------------------------//

Episode 18: The Crystal Empire Part 2

Cadance's shield had failed. The Crystal Empire was defenseless. And as Vaati and his friends watched, King Sombra issued an order to the monstrous winged wolves at his side. "Cadance!" Shining begged, shaking his limp, unresponsive wife. "Please! You gotta wake up!"

Vaati gripped the rails of the balcony tightly, watching his distant enemies prepare to attack. "Vaati, what do we do?!" Twilight panicked.

Vaati gritted his teeth. "I don't know. But whatever it is, do it quick! In the meantime, I'll hold him off!"

"Vaati, wait!" Twilight cried, but the sorcerer had already vanished.

"Din's tits, we're in trouble," Nigellas breathed, pulling down on his hat anxiously.

XXXXXX

Just as the Hounds of Majora spread their wings to take flight, a sudden gust of wind forced them all back and sent them careening back into the dismal cold. All except King Sombra, who stood firm in the face of the intense wind. He flashed a fanged smile as he saw the Wind Mage appear before him, pointing at the dark king. "That's as far as you go, Sombra," Vaati ominously intoned.

Sombra chuckled darkly at his foe's impudence. "We meet again, sorcerer," he spoke as the Hounds recovered their footing and prowled back up to their commander's side, growling at Vaati. "Have you not yet learned your lesson from our first meeting, boy?"

"I admit you caught me by surprise the first time around," Vaati replied, "and I congratulate you for it. Every other dark force I've faced in this world was too easily beaten, despite whatever power they held. But it was nothing more than a lucky blow. It will take more than that for you to prove yourself my equal!"

Sombra's grin widened. "As you wish." He then turned to his servants. "The lot of you are not to intervene."

The Hounds growled, but obeyed their master's wishes, backing away to give the combatants room. The wind howled in anticipation, whipping the two master wizards' cloaks about. Sombra's horn crackled with black lightning. "Let us test the extent of your power, Sorcerer of Winds!"

XXXXXX

Twilight watched from afar as Vaati battled against King Sombra, biting her lip. Shining was still trying to rouse his wife, while Nigellas paced about anxiously, trying to think of something. Rainbow darted through the air, unable to decide whether she should stay or help Vaati out with that nutcase of a king. Maulgrim stood still as a statue, impassive as ever, but one could tell it was because even he had no idea what to do. Crystal ponies throughout the city were beginning to notice the black mist surrounding the outskirts of the Empire and panicked, running to the safety of their homes.

Everything was going to Tartarus in a hoofbasket.

"C'mon, guys!" Rainbow Dash demanded. "We gotta think of something! Princess Cadance needs to get that shield back up somehow!"

Nigellas suddenly stopped pacing and looked up. "I think I have an idea! Miss Sparkle, I'll need your help with this!"

Twilight turned away from the balcony and looked at the Wizzrobe. "What do you need me to do?" she asked, a determined look on her face.

"Cadance is out of magical energy," Nigellas explained. "And it'll take too long for her to replenish it on her own. So we're going to do a little Wizzrobe trick we use to empower certain members of our Order in case of an emergency; a power transfer, of sorts. You following me?"

Twilight nodded. "We have a spell like that, I think. But it's risky. If we transfer too much of our own magical power to another…"

"We could very well completely drain away our own Life Force and die," Nigellas finished for her. "Aye, I know the risks. That's why we Wizzrobes only did it during emergencies, whenever the Grand Overseer himself was in danger or had already been killed, thus requiring a new one to be selected. We'll have to be careful, but the both of us have a great deal of magic within ourselves. Not as much as Lord Vaati, but an impressive amount nonetheless. Do you know the spell?"

Twilight nodded.

"Good. Follow my lead, and stop only when I tell you to. Be warned; the both of us will feel very tired after this."

"I understand."

Nigellas nodded and strode over to Shining Armor. "Alright, set her down and step aside," the Wizzrobe ordered.

Too worried for his wife to object, Shining obliged and backed away as Nigellas and Twilight knelt by an unconscious Cadance. The Wizzrobe looked up at her. "You ready for this?"

Twilight nodded. "I'm ready."

Nigellas's hands and Twilight's horn simultaneously began to glow with energy. The magical energies streamed from their appendages into Cadance's horn, transferring into her body. As she began to look less and less exhausted, their fatigue grew worse. But they kept going. Just as Twilight was about to give out, Nigellas finally said, "Alright…enough."

With an exhausted gasp, Twilight and Nigellas severed their connections and fell limply to the ground. "Twily!" Shining cried, running to his sister's side.

"I'm fine, Shiny," Twilight tiredly assured him. "I'm just a little tired. Cadance…?"

Shining looked over and gasped in relief as Cadance got to her hooves, looking a lot less haggard than she had before. Before she could comprehend how her strength had returned, Nigellas wheezed from where he lay, "Now would be a good time to get that shield of yours back up, Your Highness!"

Cadance blinked for a moment before she finally understood what was going on. Looking over the balcony, she could see lights flashing in the distance as Vaati and King Sombra dueled fiercely. From the looks of it, the sorcerer was mostly on the defensive, but he remained within the Empire's boundaries and made sure Sombra stayed out of it. But it was obvious it wouldn't stay that way much longer. Without further ado, she lit up her horn and cast her spell.

XXXXXX

"Tch…unbelievable," Vaati hissed to himself as he narrowly avoided a bolt of black lightning from Sombra.

To his shock, he was actually struggling in the fight against his opponent. King Sombra was much more powerful than the Changeling Queen and was taking this fight much more seriously than Discord had. For the first time since he had arrived in Equestria, he was fighting an equally dangerous enemy. Snarling in frustration, Vaati countered with a flurry of electric-blue energy spheres, hurling them all at the black unicorn. Sombra's horn flashed, causing a wall of black crystals to emerge around his body, absorbing the energy spheres and shattering afterwards, leaving the dark tyrant unharmed. Vaati gritted his teeth once more; unlike his previous enemies, this one was a skilled fighter.

Sombra took a step forward. Then another. Black magic flashed from his horn, forcing Vaati back. He was a mere few hoofsteps away from setting foot on the Empire's soil. If he passed that threshold, the shield would be useless. Vaati growled in defiance as he summoned one of his Eye Sentries. Sombra halted, curious to see what the sorcerer was planning next. Vaati seized direct control of the sentry with his mind, and shifted its form into something he had not used in centuries: a sword, a rapier to be exact. The hilt was a pair of bat wings, and the hand-guard contained an engraving of Vaati's demon form. An amethyst stone was set in the pommel.

Without breaking contact with Sombra's eyes, Vaati experimentally swung his weapon around himself, refamilarizing himself with his old sword. He hadn't utilized his skill at swordplay since the Picori Festival all those centuries ago, due to relying more heavily on his magic. But he had learned his skills from secretly observing the swordsmen school his old enemy had been a part of. And though he had never fought the Hero of Legend blade-to-blade, he was confident his skills could match the upstart brat's any day.

Thus he levelled the tip of his sword at the smirking king. "You want to test the limits of my abilities?" he asked rhetorically. "Then you had best be prepared to test all of them. Magic isn't my only strong point, you know."

Sombra laughed. "How intriguing! A mage who actually knows how to use a sword! Very well, I'll play your little game."

At Sombra's behest, a red and black scythe appeared from thin air, enveloped in his dark magic. Twirling it rapidly around himself, Sombra grinned at his opponent, who looked uncertain for a split-second before throwing caution to the wind and meeting him in melee combat. The clashing of their weapons rang in the frigid air. Despite Vaati's skill, Sombra had the greater reach with his scythe, and Vaati could not get a hit through Sombra's defenses. Every time Vaati made a thrust, it was deflected by the constant spinning of Sombra's scythe. Finally Sombra swung at the mage, who blocked and pushed against him, trying to force the Crystal Tyrant back. Sombra snickered. "This is not like other duels you have fought, Vaati. My weapon is wielded by magic, not by hooves. Locking blades with me won't push me back."

Vaati smirked. "No. But this will!"

Without warning, Vaati grabbed hold of the shaft of Sombra's weapon and channeled a burst of magic into it, disrupting Sombra's hold over it. Grunting in surprise, Sombra dropped his weapon. That grunt became a cry of agony as he suddenly felt Vaati's blade slice cleanly through his horn, severing it from his body. Sombra clutched the stump of his horn as he reeled back in pain. And to finish it off, Vaati kicked the evil king squarely in the chest, knocking him back into the blizzard just as the shield suddenly began to rise up from the ground. Opening one eye, Sombra could only scream with rage as Vaati smirked and raised his middle finger at him, a gesture of extreme disrespect he had picked up from the Hylians, before disappearing behind the shield's reflective surface.

"VAAAAAAAAATIIIIIIII!"

XXXXXX

Vaati just stared at the shield where he could imagine Sombra raging on the other side for several quiet moments, breathing heavily. Finally he dropped his sword to the ground, fell on his back, and laughed. He laughed at the adrenaline still flowing through his veins. He laughed at the look on Sombra's face as the shield went back up. He laughed at himself for being stupid enough to endanger himself like that. He was laughing too much to notice the severed tip of Sombra's horn sink into the ground, a pool of dark energy forming around it.

XXXXXX

With the shield once again active, Cadance could now turn her attention to the Wizzrobe and unicorn both lying on the ground, both panting profusely. Frowning in anger, she yelled, "Do you have any idea how irresponsible that was of you, Twilight?! Giving your magic to me?! If something had gone wrong, you could have died!"

"Don't blame her, Princess," Nigellas groaned as he slowly got to his feet. "The whole thing was my idea. I've done it before myself, so I had her follow my directions. She was never in any danger."

"You had lost consciousness, Cadance," Twilight slowly added as she too stood upright. "What else could we do?"

"I understand it was the only thing you could do," Cadance answered. "That doesn't mean I still have to like it."

"What about Vaati?" Twilight asked. "Is he okay?"

As if in answer, Vaati appeared out of thin ear, panting quietly. "I'm right here and in one piece. What more do you want?"

Twilight gasped and immediately wrapped the mage up in a bear hug. "Vaati, I'm so glad you're okay!" she cried. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Now if I did that, my life would get too boring," Vaati commented dismissively before turning his attention to Cadance. "Rest assured, Sombra won't be bothering us again for a while. Not much a unicorn can do without a horn, after all."

Rainbow's mouth dropped. "You cut off his horn?!"

Vaati smirked as he dismissed his rapier. "I can hold my own in more than just magic duels, Rainbow Dash."

"…Okay, that's pretty dang awesome," Rainbow spoke in awe.

Vaati couldn't stop himself from preening. Compliments from Rainbow Dash were a rare occurrence. But before Twilight could speak up and lightly berate her friend for feeding Vaati's ego, Shining suddenly let out a pained gasp and collapsed on his knees, clutching his chest. "Shiny?!" Twilight cried.

"Shining!" Cadance cried, rushing to her husband's side and removing the bandage from Shining's chest.

Everyone gasped at what they saw.

Black crystals were slowly growing out of Shining's chest where his wound was, tearing through his white coat. Shining's breathing became labored; the agony of a single breath was excruciating. "W-what's happening to my brother?!" Twilight stammered in a panic.

"His body is becoming crystallized," Vaati slowly replied in mortified fascination. "That spell Sombra hit him with…it must have had a side-effect."

Cadance shuddered a breath. "I have to stop this!"

Shining urgently held up a hoof, wincing at the pain the action and his words caused him. "No! Cadance, you can't drop the shield! Not for a moment! Not even for me…"

"Shiny, you can't let this get worse!" Twilight cried. "It'll kill you!"

"And King Sombra will kill all of us if he gets inside the Empire!" Shining shot back, grunting in agony as the pain in his chest spiked in intensity. "D-don't worry about me, alright? We need to find the Crystal Heart. If we do, we can use it to undo this spell."

"What's this we business?" Nigellas spoke up. "Your ass belongs in the infirmary. We'll look for the Crystal Heart!"

"No, Nigellas," Vaati interrupted with a frown.

"Sir?" Nigellas inquired.

"You and Maulgrim are to stay here and keep the fair up and running alongside the others, as well as continue to provide security. If anything, you can partake in a few of the events yourselves. Just make sure that the Crystal Ponies have a good time, otherwise they won't be able to power the Crystal Heart, even if we do find it. Twilight and I will search for the Heart ourselves."

"I'm staying by Cadance's side," Shining said, pulling himself to his hooves. "There's nothing the infirmary can do for me anyways. My wife needs me."

Vaati nodded before turning to the others. "Maulgrim, Nigellas, you have your orders. Twilight, let's go."

"Do you even have any idea where to start looking?" Twilight asked.

"Why do you think I'm bringing you along instead of Rainbow Dash?"

"Hey!" Rainbow griped in the background.

"Be careful, both of you," Shining said.

As Vaati and Twilight retreated into the palace to begin their search, a dark crystal began to grow from where Sombra's severed horn had come to rest.

XXXXXX

King Sombra gritted his teeth in hatred as he felt his black magic take form around him, focusing on his stump of a horn and regenerating it, the power of his hatred towards the Sorcerer of Winds strengthening his magic. Within moments Sombra's horn was fully restored, and the dark king's grimace became a savage grin. "Foolish sorcerer," he spoke to himself, chuckling darkly. "Your attempt to disable me has only worked to my advantage."

He glanced at the snarling Hounds. "Continue to assault the barrier. I will weaken it from within."

As the Hounds of Majora renewed their assault on the shield, tearing and biting at it with a bloodthirsty zeal, Sombra charged black magic into his horn and connected with the small crystal on the other side of the barrier. Slowly but surely, the black crystals began to spread as the Crystal Tyrant's magic seeped into the Empire's borders like a deadly disease.

XXXXXX

As Nigellas and Maulgrim paced around the fair, watching the Crystal Ponies partake in the festivities, Nigellas sighed audibly. "Well this is a fine kettle of fish we find ourselves in."

"How so?" Maulgrim rumbled.

Nigellas lowered his voice to prevent the unsuspecting ponies from eavesdropping. "Lord Vaati and Miss Twilight are heading off to find that Crystal Heart while we're stuck keeping these crystalline dimwits too entertained to notice the crazed Equestrian equivalent of Ganon literally right at their doorstep, trying to force his way in! It's bloody ridiculous, I say!"

"It is the way it must be," Maulgrim replied. "If anyone can find the Heart, it's Master Vaati. And when he does find it, we will no longer have to worry about the dark force beyond our borders."

Nigellas sighed, exasperated. "Remember the days when we just blew whatever was giving us trouble into dust and left it at that?"

"Perhaps, then, you should follow the Crystal Ponies' example and find a way to entertain yourself and keep your mind off the concept of our impending doom."

"…Conversations with you are always so uplifting," Nigellas muttered sarcastically.

Maulgrim was about to reply when his vision was suddenly blocked by a mass of sky-blue and rainbows. "Hey, big guy!" Rainbow Dash declared. "Think you can help me out?"

Maulgrim grunted and stepped back to give himself room. "What do you want?"

"I'm about to start up the jousting tournament," Rainbow explained. "But my opponent, Fluttershy, ended up chickening out, and now I got nobody to joust against! Think you can pick up her slack?"

Maulgrim scoffed. "You could not budge me if you tried your hardest, rainbow one."

Rainbow sneered. "Is that the Darknut way of saying you're chicken?"

A brief, uncomfortable silence ensued before Nigellas broke it, clearing his throat. "Ah, kid, there are things one would consider courageous, and things one would consider foolhardy. What you just did was mind-numbingly stupid."

"I accept your challenge," the Darknut rumbled ominously. "And tonight, I drink to your bones."

Even the arrogant, cocky attitude of Rainbow buckled momentarily beneath the death gaze of the Black Knight. But she would not accept that she had bitten off more than she could chew. "Hey, egghead," she said to Nigellas.

"Yes, chicken horse?"

Rainbow bristled. "Don't call me chicken horse!"

"Don't call me egghead," Nigellas replied in an even tone.

Rainbow glowered at the Wizzrobe. Touché, egghead. Touché.

"Anyways, while I'm off teaching the big guy here a thing or two," Rainbow said, "would you mind watching my stall for me? I'm giving out flugelhorns."

Rainbow pointed towards the stall in question. Nigellas shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I have little else to do. Good luck getting your hide tanned twelve ways to Sunday, kid."

Maulgrim's armor clanked ominously as he slowly walked past Rainbow, heading for the jousting area to put her in her place. The young pegasus could not resist gulping nervously. As they left to settle their business, Nigellas took up Rainbow's stall and picked up one of the silly-looking horns, waving it in the air. "Oi! Who wants a flugelhorn?!" he hawked.

"Ooh! Ooh! I want a flugelhorn!" Pinkie Pie declared, dressed up as a clown.

Nigellas glared at her. "Nobody cares about you, Pinkie Pie! Who ELSE wants a flugelhorn?!"

"I WANT A FLUGELHORN!" Pinkie demanded, stomping her hooves like a bratty foal.

Nigellas was sorely tempted to give her one, alright. Right across her painted face. The Wizzrobe slumped his shoulders and groaned. "Gyuh, why this?"

Meanwhile, Maulgrim and Rainbow regarded the bleachers full of cheering ponies with half-interest as they idly adjusted their armor, staring each other down all the while. Maulgrim looked at the lance clutched in his hand, a truly puny weapon for one of his size and stature, with a measure of disdain. He then glanced at Rainbow, who pawed at the ground in preparation for a charge. Time to take this one's ego down a peg, the Darknut thought to himself, smirking.

The rainbow pegasus lowered her lance and charged.

Maulgrim did not move.

WHAM!

The next thing Rainbow knew, she was swaying on her feet and seeing stars. "But I dun wanna feed Gramma while she's in the bathtub," Rainbow slurred before falling on her back, knocked clean out.

Maulgrim looked down at the small dent in his chestplate and the shattered lance laying in pieces around Rainbow's body. The entire audience burst into laughter at the scene, and Rainbow would have blushed furiously were she not already unconscious. Raising his arms towards the crowd, the great warrior boomed, "Are you not entertained?!"

He was answered with raucous cheers from the audience.

It was good that Maulgrim was a natural crowd-pleaser. Otherwise, they would have noticed crystals in the background darkening to a sinister shade of black as the artificial sky flickered, revealing the dark mist indicating Sombra's looming presence circling the Empire like a snake coiling around its victim.

XXXXXX

Crystal Palace…

As Vaati and Twilight fruitlessly searched throughout the palace for any sign of the Crystal Heart, Twilight suddenly noticed the Throne Room, and something occurred to her as she observed the throne.

If the Empire is filled with hope and love, those things are reflected across all of Equestria.

If fear and hatred take hold…

Noticing Twilight staring off into space, Vaati said, "Find anything?"

Twilight shook her head. "No. How could we? This isn't King Sombra's castle!"

Vaati quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't this where he lived during his reign?"

"Right…but it didn't look like this!"

Twilight looked up at the crystal situated above the throne and concentrated, grinding her teeth as she forced herself to think of something she truly hated and feared, something that would allow the dark magic forming around her to take shape. Her aura began to darken. A purple haze trailed out of her eyes. But as she came close to taking hold of the black magic, she suddenly felt someone slap her horn harshly, startling her and breaking her concentration. Reeling in surprise, she stared at Vaati, but fell quiet when she saw the glare in his eyes.

"Don't you even think about doing that ever again, Twilight," Vaati growled. "Black magic is not to be underestimated. Its corrupting influence could easily make you just as twisted as King Sombra. I myself fell victim to its allure and did not recover for centuries. I have learned to control it without it controlling me only through countless decades of self-discipline. I will perform the spell."

Twilight could only nod in response and stepped back as Vaati brought his hand up, enshrouding it in dark energy. He cast a beam of dark magic at the crystal, causing a shadow to spread forth from the crystal and envelop the hall, revealing a hidden staircase leading downwards into a dark abyss. Looking down at the winding staircase, Twilight said, "The Crystal Heart must be somewhere down there!"

"Indeed," Vaati agreed. "Along with who knows how many traps, pitfalls, and all manner of security measures that will no doubt make our progress quite the chore."

Twilight gulped as Vaati took note of just how far down the stairs went. "Hop on my back, Twilight," Vaati ordered.

Trusting in her friend's judgment, Twilight didn't question him and got onto his shoulders. Without further ado, Vaati floated into the air and began descending into the depths of the secret stairwell, stealing one last glance out the window and not liking what he saw.

Dark crystals were spreading like wildfire within the Empire. The shield was flickering continuously. It was obvious Cadance's spell was weakening faster than before, likely due to Sombra's influence weakening it from within. Time was running out.

It took several minutes before the two of them reached the bottom of the staircase and immediately noticed a door in front of them. Twilight got down from Vaati's shoulders and approached the door, enveloping the handle with her magic.

The door suddenly slid across the wall, causing both of them to jump in surprise. "And here we come across our first trial," Vaati remarked rhetorically.

"W-what the?" Twilight stammered, grabbing the door handle again, causing it to slide away from her once more.

Vaati scrutinized the door as it passed him by before idly casting a black magic spell at the crystal centered overtop the doorframe, causing it to stop moving. Vaati and Twilight watched as the door slid open, a light pouring forth from within. "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Vaati mused quietly as he stepped through. "Come along, Twilight."

Vaati took two steps forward…and stopped abruptly, his jaw dropping at what met his eyes.

He had somehow reappeared in Ponyville, but something about it was dreadfully different. The whole town was in flames.

Much of the once-peaceful town lay in ruins, and numerous ponies lay unmoving within the wreckage. Vaati immediately felt ill; he recognized many of those faces. There were even a few children lying about as well, and the sorcerer trembled as he realized that they were dead. Nopony else seemed to be around. Either the survivors had evacuated, or…

…or there weren't any survivors to begin with.

"What…what happened here?" Vaati stammered, looking around.

Then he felt his heart stop as he recognized one of the foals half-buried in the wreckage of the Cutie Mark Clubhouse.

"Oh Goddesses, please no…"

Her orange coat was covered in soot. Dried blood was caked to her forehead.

"SCOOTALOO!"

Vaati desperately sprinted towards his foster daughter's limp body, but was halted by an energy beam that struck the ground before him. Vaati whipped his head around to see his assailant approaching from behind, and his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Twilight?" he spoke. "What's going on here?!"

The look in Twilight's eyes didn't sit well with him. They were full of anger, confusion…and hatred. Tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why did you do it?" she demanded. "Why, after everything we've been through together! Why did you attack us?!"

Vaati's breath caught in his throat. "I…I did…no, I couldn't have done this! I couldn't have!"

"I watched you do it!" Twilight sharply retorted. "And now everypony's dead because of you! My friends…our friends…Look! Not even your own daughter was spared!"

Her words cut through Vaati like a knife, leaving him unable to reply. "I thought you said you could control your dark magic!" Twilight yelled. "You lied to me! I trusted you, AND YOU LIED TO ME!"

"Twi…I didn't…"

"I shouldn't have believed you," Twilight said quietly. "I should have known you couldn't be trusted to live amongst us."

Vaati could feel something wet trailing down his cheeks as he collapsed to his knees, overcome with despair. "I…I did this…"

"Everypony was right!" Twilight shouted, her voice dripping with venom. "You ARE a monster! You never changed! I…I HATE YOU!"

Vaati just sat there, watching as Twilight gathered black magic in her horn, fuelled by her hatred towards her former friend. Her eyes began glowing eldritch-green, with a violet haze trailing out of them. And Vaati just sat there, waiting for the end. His mind reeled; how could his life have fallen apart so abruptly? His home, his friends, his family…all gone.

All because of him.

Just before Twilight unleashed her power, she somberly spoke, "So much for the magic of friendship."

Vaati's world was consumed by light, and then he knew no more.

XXXXXX

The next thing the sorcerer knew, he had fallen on his rump, breathing heavily and shaking profusely. It took several moments for him to clear his head and realize that he was back in the catacombs of the Crystal Palace. Twilight was standing over him, looking worried. "Are you alright, Vaati?" she asked.

"I…we were in Ponyville…I had destroyed everything…" Vaati shakily responded, staring at the floor. "I-I couldn't control my powers, and…and everyone paid for it. You were the only one left, and…you hated me for what I did…"

Vaati was cut off by a firm hug from Twilight. "Whatever you saw isn't true," she reassured him, gently rubbing his back. "You're my friend, and I know you wouldn't lose control of your powers like that. I could never hate you."

Vaati seemed to calm down, prompting Twilight to disengage the hug. "But…what happened?" Vaati asked.

Twilight glanced at the door, which she had shut in order to free Vaati from its trap. "King Sombra's magic. It's a doorway that leads to your worst fear. Had either of us come alone, we would have been trapped in that illusion for who knows how long."

Vaati slowly got to his feet as Twilight sent a beam of magic into the crystal, causing the real door to appear. Vaati took a shuddering breath to calm his nerves, but blinked as he felt a hoof on his hand. He looked down to see Twilight smiling at him reassuringly. Overcome with relief that his closest friend was by his side, he returned her smile before glancing at the door with a determined look.

"Come on, Twilight," he bade. "The Crystal Heart is near."

They stepped through the door and frowned as they saw what awaited them.

Stairs. Lots of them.

"I'm beginning to think Sombra may have an unhealthy obsession with stairs," Vaati flatly remarked.

"Be that as it may, we've got no time to waste!" Twilight cried, galloping up the winding staircase.

Several minutes later, Twilight's run slowed to a walk, and finally to a crawl. The poor mare's knees buckled as she panted profusely, struggling to continue. Then she noticed Vaati slowly floating up the staircase, his arms folded and a smug look on his face. "Bet you wish you could fly, don't you?" he quipped.

"S-shut…*pant*…up," Twilight wheezed sourly.

Vaati scoffed. "Honestly, Twilight. You make things so difficult for yourself."

Twilight stomped her hoof. "You think you're the only one who can screw around with gravity?"

Twilight cast a spell around herself, lifting herself into the air. Suddenly her body flipped upside-down and attached to the underside of the staircase, reversing her field of gravity. She then began sliding up the staircase, cheering all the while. Vaati quirked an eyebrow before following her. "Okay, I'm impressed."

Though the staircase seemed endless, the two magicians' unique methods of travel shortened the journey exponentially, and they both reached the top soon after. After a short moment of reacquainting themselves with the laws of gravity, they took in their surroundings. They had reached the top of a tower, its windowless archways allowing a perfect bird-eye view of the entire Empire. But that wasn't what captured their attention.

Floating in the very center of the room, glowing radiantly, was the Crystal Heart.

Taking a moment to observe the background, Vaati noted, "Looks like we got here just in time. Cadance's magic is flickering faster than ever, Sombra's already redecorated half of the city, and the unwashed masses have just discovered our little ruse concerning the fake Crystal Heart."

Twilight grinned and stepped towards the Heart. "Well, they won't have to worry about it much longer!"

Vaati suddenly whipped around as he heard a warning klaxon sound.

XXXXXX

King Sombra sharply lifted his head and widened his eyes. "They found it," he growled, activating a spell he never thought he would have to.

XXXXXX

Just as Twilight touched the Heart, a wall of solid black crystals enveloped her, trapping her inside a crystal cage. The Crystal Heart skidded along the floor over to where Vaati stood as more black crystals began to sprout out of the floor and walls. "Twilight!" Vaati cried. "TWILIGHT!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha…Foolish sorcerer."

Vaati bristled at the sound of King Sombra's disembodied voice. "I'm okay!" Twilight responded from inside her prison.

"Can you teleport out?" Vaati asked.

Twilight reappeared on the other side, only to be forced back into her makeshift cell. "I guess not," Vaati mused.

"Vaati, don't worry about me!" Twilight cried. "You have to get the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance! It's the only way to stop King Sombra!"

Vaati picked up the Heart. "Are you sure, Twilight?"

"Just go! Hurry! Cadance's barrier will collapse any minute now!"

Vaati and Twilight looked into each other's eyes and found solace in their shared determination. Nodding to his friend, Vaati tucked the Crystal Heart under his arm and floated out the window towards the balcony, where the rest of the Mane Six, along with Cadance, Shining Armor, Nigellas, and Maulgrim, were attempting to quell the mounting terror of the crowd of Crystal Ponies below.

"Now don't y'all worry yer pretty little crystal heads!" Applejack nervously declared, waving to the crowd. "The real Crystal Heart'll be along any minute!"

"I don't know if they believe you," Rarity whispered, also waving.

"Don't know if Ah believe me," Applejack whispered back.

Suddenly they heard Cadance gasp as the last of her magic finally gave out, and the exhausted princess fell unconscious in her weakened husband's half-crystallized arms, the strain causing him to hiss in pain. And just like that, the barrier collapsed once more, clear-blue skies giving way to a burnt-yellow horizon and a wall of black mist.

"He's back!" one Crystal Pony panicked, turning to run. "I can't take it!"

She ran screaming towards a place she could hide, or throw herself to her own death, anywhere where she wouldn't be found by the king.

She then crashed into a wall of black crystal, and saw the very incarnation of her people's night terrors looming over her, a grin of pure malice stretched across his face.

"Oh! K-King Sombra…" she stammered, shaking with pure terror.

Her fright made Sombra's grin widen even further as he addressed his petrified subjects, who had all turned to face him. "Your king has returned! Now…"

Sombra stomped his hoof with the force of a minor earthquake.

"KNEEL!" he boomed.

As one, the Crystal Ponies dropped to their bellies and covered their faces with their hooves, too terrified to make a sound. The terrified civilians spread out, opening a clear path for the king to his old palace. Sneering at the ease of his final triumph, Sombra saw the Hounds of Majora fall into step beside him out of the corner of his eye as he strode towards the Palace.

Watching the evil king approach, Rainbow began to panic. "What do we do now?! What do we bucking do now?!"

"We stand and fight!"

Everyone saw Vaati descend onto the balcony, and gasped at the Crystal Heart clenched tightly in his hold. "This is it! This is do or die!" Vaati declared. "No cowering, no turning back! You fight with every fiber of your being! Don't give up! The Crystal Heart has returned! COME AND GET IT, TYRANT KING!"

The mention of the fabled relic caused several Crystal Ponies to overcome their fear and look up towards the Wind Mage in wonder. They ducked their heads once more when Sombra stomped his hoof and growled. "That belongs to me, Wind Sorcerer! Return it at once, and I may yet deliver you to my associate in one piece!"

Vaati teleported into the town square, standing before the tyrant king defiantly. Sombra eyed the Crystal Heart hungrily. "You want it, fool?" Vaati sneered. "You'll have to do the impossible to get it. You'll have to kill me first."

Sombra's grin lowered into a snarling grimace. "If you insist."

Vaati laughed in his enemy's face as his body began to change, humanoid body giving way to a spherical shape. "You make it sound so easy," Vaati mocked, his voicing becoming deeper and more demonic with each second. "But I have faced many enemies, King Sombra. I have won and lost many battles spanning countless centuries…"

Sombra looked on with minor shock and bafflement at the winged eye towering over him, imperious and all-powerful, as it finished its speech. "…and I NEVER DIED!"

The wind whipped around the two foes as they gathered their magic. "Then let this be your first, and LAST time, Vaati!" Sombra roared before addressing his waiting minions. "The Wind Mage is mine! Kill the others!"

The Hounds took to the air, making a beeline straight for the palace balcony. Knowing he could not help his friends, he turned and rumbled, "Nigellas! Maulgrim! Guard my friends with your lives!"

Nigellas and Maulgrim crisply saluted and took charge of the situation. "Little Shy, Pink One, get the Princess and Captain inside the palace where it's safe!" Maulgrim commanded. "Those of you who can hold your own, get ready to fight for your life!"

The six Hounds zeroed in on the balcony's occupants, claws outstretched and eyes ablaze with savage hunger. Maulgrim, Nigellas, Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity all braced for battle as Pinkie and Fluttershy ushered Shining and Cadance inside. Suddenly Rainbow flew into the air and performed a Sonic Rainboom right in the Hounds' path, disorienting them and knocking them out of the sky. As the Hounds crashed to the ground, the Crystal Empire's protectors teleported into the town square, courtesy of Nigellas. Crystal Ponies scattered, fleeing to the relative safety of their homes as a great battle began.

As Rainbow engaged one Hound in an aerial dogfight of sorts, the others used magic, steel, and their own brawling skills to keep the other raging hellhounds at bay. In the midst of the chaotic brawl, King Sombra and Vaati fought with the ferocity of tigers, magic colliding again and again in showering displays of dark magic and wind spells. Their horns were ablaze with their respective auras as blue electricity and smoldering violet energy beams collided with one another, the feedback causing untold damage to everything within fifty feet of the combatants.

The whole time, the Crystal Heart was firmly clutched in Vaati's talons, and the dark king relentlessly targeted the arm holding it, trying to get him to release it. But Vaati would have none of that. As Sombra unleashed a tidal wave of dark energy, Vaati disappeared in a cloud of similar energy, avoiding the attack. Sombra's head whipped around, seeking his opponent. He almost didn't see his shadow grow darker, but when he did, he immediately turned into an intangible cloud of dark mist right before Vaati's claw erupted from the pool of darkness below. Realizing he had missed, Vaati retracted his arm and reappeared behind Sombra as the unicorn rematerialized, his eye glowing red.

A wall of black crystal rose up behind Sombra and absorbed the blast, and as the dust settled, Sombra countered with a powerful beam of his own, scoring a direct hit on the transfigured mage and knocking him to the ground. Vaati couldn't believe it. Even in his ultimate form, Sombra was proving to be his worthiest opponent yet. He was immediately jolted out of his reverie as he felt a magic presence start to envelop the Heart. "Oh, no you don't!" Vaati roared, vanishing once more.

Sombra growled as his connection to the Heart was severed by Vaati's teleport. His growl became a bellow as he was suddenly blindsided by a dozen electric-blue energy balls hitting him from all directions. The next thing he knew, Vaati had reappeared and swatted him into the air with one mighty claw. Vaati fired another beam to finish off his foe, but Sombra recovered and became intangible once more, growing larger as he assumed his larger, incorporeal mist form.

Vaati cursed to himself as Sombra's mist form surrounded him from all sides, leaving him with nothing to hit. "You pathetic creature," Sombra's voice spoke from the darkness. "You think yourself a master of the dark arts? That you are my EQUAL? Boy, you know NOTHING of darkness!"

Suddenly smoky black tendrils whipped forth from the dark haze, coiling around Vaati's appendages and restricting his movement. The demon eye struggled fiercely against his bonds, but they merely tightened further. As a result, Vaati tightened his own grip on the Crystal Heart. Sombra's head appeared from the mist and met the sorcerer at eye level. "But it is not too late for you to learn," Sombra continued, the purple haze from his eyes trailing into Vaati's own.

Suddenly, Vaati saw a vision of Hyrule Castle. "Think of what awaits you, Wind Sorcerer!" the voice of Sombra intoned in his head. "Under my guidance and that of my new allies, this whole world could be yours, just as you've always desired!"

He could see himself on the throne of Hyrule, dictating his draconian laws to the slovenly populace. "Join us, Vaati!" Sombra declared. "Rejoin the forces of darkness, and we will remake ALL worlds to suit our vision!"

Vaati's resolve was crumbling. The thought of the throne of Hyrule, all his, was too alluring. And with Hyrule under his thrall, that meant…

Vaati looked to his left to drink in the glorious beauty of his wife, the crown jewel of the kingdom, Hyrule's very own Princess Zelda.

Only it was not Zelda who stared back at him. This woman held herself with utmost authority, unlike the soft, meek demeanor characteristic of what he knew of the Princess. Her midnight-blue hair flowed like the evening sky, and her soft eyes pierced his own, rooting him to the spot. "Do not be fooled by what you see," Princess Luna spoke softly. "This is but another of Sombra's illusions. Resist, as I know you can. Resist, for the bonds you have made with those whom you hold dear to your heart are stronger than King Sombra's foul magic."

And then Luna leaned forward in her throne and gently placed her lips on Vaati's own.

And just like that, Vaati regained his senses and found himself once more staring into the eyes of King Sombra. Before the dark king could realize what had happened, Vaati's eye glowed as an intense beam of energy slammed into the king full-force, blasting him back with an enraged yell and returning him to his true form. Sombra hit the ground hard on his back and growled in agony. "Rrrgh…how?" he snarled, astonished that Vaati had broken free from his spell.

Vaati, now free of his restraints, drew himself up to his full height and fixed a menacing glare on his downed foe. "With a little help from a dear friend of mine who knows you inside and out," Vaati replied.

Sombra looked surprised for a moment before his expression darkened in anger. "Of course," he snarled as he got to his hooves. "Of course that meddling little moon-witch would interfere. I should have known she and her odious toad of a sister still have not learned to stay out of matters that do not concern them."

Sombra's horn glowed once more, the skies darkening in response as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. "I'll hold back no more! Wind Mage, you die now! You die painfully! And an even more agonizing fate awaits your accursed friends!"

Vaati did not notice the glow of the Crystal Heart slowly envelop him as power grew behind his words. "You will not lay a hoof ON MY FRIENDS!"

When Sombra realized what has happening, his grimace dropped into an expression of shock, confusion, and finally dread. "The Heart…" he whispered.

"BURN!"

Sombra raised a thick wall of black crystals in front of him as Vaati unleashed the full extent of his wrath, unknowingly bolstered by the power of the Crystal Heart feeding off of his desire to protect his friends.

Sombra's protective wall shattered like glass on impact, consuming the king in light and dark energy working as one. "GAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHH!" Sombra bellowed in agony, flying into the air and crashing unmercifully into the hard ground, his body flailing about as he tumbled down the main street until he finally skidded to a halt, lying still on the ground.

At the sound of Sombra's pained scream, Crystal Ponies poured out of their houses and hiding places, gazing in awe and wonder at what they witnessed. Sombra, that loathsome tyrant, lay prone upon the ground, smoke rising from his body. Looming over him was a mighty horned eye, with the wings of a dragon keeping it aloft, and the Crystal Heart clutched in its talons. The Heart's aura radiated all over the demon beast's body, and in that moment they saw their savior. A feeling that had not been present in their hearts leapt into their chests, filling them with long-forgotten warmth; hope. Seeing the gathering crowd, Vaati boomed, "Your king is powerless! The Crystal Heart has returned!"

Vaati threw the Heart over towards the palace, where it settled into its former position beneath the palace foundations. "Your fate rests in your own hooves once again! Now, use the light and love within you to finish off this tyrant once and for all!"

As one, the Crystal Ponies' coats regained their shiny luster as they bowed their heads towards the ground, filtering their happiness and love into the Crystal Heart. Sombra shakily stood upright and gawked at what was happening. "What?!" he roared. "No! Stop! I command you! STOP!"

The Crystal Heart began spinning faster and faster. The Hounds, feeling the growing positive energy building up, halted their attack and looked towards the powerful relic. Sombra gritted his teeth and reared back, glaring at his former slaves, who ignored him. "I AM YOUR KING! OBEY ME! STOP!"

He gathered magic into his horn, ready to smite the traitors where they stood, only for said magic to peter out without warning. "Huh?" Sombra gaped, looking up at his horn.

White crystals were growing out of his red horn, cutting off his magic. "No…no, this cannot be!" he gawked.

The Hounds abandoned their fights and made a beeline straight for the arctic tundra as the Heart reached its full power. Suddenly, with a resounding boom, a wave of positive energy exploded from the Heart, enveloping the entire city. The Hounds disintegrated instantly upon contact, unable to outrun the field. Sombra watched it barrel towards him, and in his last few moments, the dark tyrant knew fear. Upon being hit by the magic wave, Sombra felt his body begin to harden into crystal and crack, light spewing forth from within the cracks. Sombra looked down at himself and unleashed one last bellow of rage that reverberated across the land long after his body had shattered to pieces, the remnants flying off into the distance.

The wave destroyed every last trace of King Sombra's influence, restoring Shining Armor to normal, reinvigorating Princess Cadance, dispelling the dark mist, and freeing Twilight from her prison. With his battle over, Vaati finally returned to his human form and regarded his newfound crystalline appearance with mild concern. "This had better not be permanent…"

Shining and Cadance stepped onto the balcony to address the cheering crowd of ponies below. As Nigellas dressed a wound on Maulgrim's arm, the Wizzrobe remarked, "See? I knew everything would turn out alright!"

Maulgrim frowned. "Nigellas?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Ah…yes, good idea."

Vaati looked up at the tower to see Twilight leaning over the railing, smiling down at him. "Good job, Vaati," she softly congratulated.

Everyone was in a festive mood, and as a familiar tune started up, Nigellas suddenly sang,

"It seems the day has been won,

The Crystal Empire's here to stay!"

Pinkie grinned as she sang the next part.

"Everypony really had fun!"

"And that's why we're all glad to say," Rarity sang as they all gathered around an embarrassed Vaati.

Everyone sang together as they hoisted Vaati over their heads in celebration, causing him to chuckle with bemusement.

"Yes we finally got this right,

Thanks to you, we made them see,

We have saved the Crystal Ponies

With their history!

Yes it all turned out alright,

Thanks to you, the kingdom's free,

We have saaaved the Cryyystal Poniiies

With their hiiiiistooooryyyyyyyyyyy!"

And as Vaati watched the crowd cheer for him and chant his name, Vaati felt a genuine smile crease his face, and a tear of happiness fell from his eye. It felt good to be the hero. And at long last, when Vaati admitted it to himself, it didn't seem so wrong anymore.

XXXXXX

Deep within the frozen wasteland…

Far from the boundaries of the Crystal Empire, a blood-red horn lay in the pristine blanket of white snow, devoid of an owner. Soon, however, a shadow fell over the last remaining fragment of King Sombra as a dark claw scooped it out of the ground and glared at it with a single, venom-green eye. "You failed us, Sombra," it growled angrily. "Your task was simple. So very simple. And you FAILED."

"Calm yourself, Dethl," another, even more evil-sounding voice spoke from behind. "There is little that can be done for now."

Dethl slowly turned to see a heart-shaped mask float up to its side and observe Sombra's horn with burning yellow eyes. Two spikes jutted out from its forehead, with four more running down each side. "He underestimated his enemies," the animated headpiece spoke. "It seems we all did."

"Forgive us for being foolish enough to put our faith in this useless cur, Lord Majora," Dethl apologized.

Majora's Mask emitted a low hum to voice its displeasure. "Cease with your groveling, Dethl. It is unbecoming of you as the High King of Demons."

Dethl wisely said nothing. "Besides," Majora continued. "This is only a minor setback, one that will be easily corrected in due time. Sombra still has potential I wish to see in action. I chose well the one who would be put in charge of the future branch of my church in Equestria, and I stand by that decision."

A dark-red tentacle snaked out from behind the mask and retrieved King Sombra's remains from the Demon King. "I will take this with me back to the Dark World and have Lord Ghirahim work on restoring him."

Dethl inclined its pitch-black, spherical head. "As you wish, Divine One."

"As for you, you are to remain here in Equestria for the time being."

Dethl blinked in confusion. "What? Why?"

The mask trembled with mild irritation as its owner explained, "A matter of the utmost urgency has arisen, which must be dealt with at your immediate discretion."

The mask spun around to face King Dethl for emphasis. "Ganon is about to return."

Dethl's eye widened in shock. "What?!"

Majora wheeled around and stared off towards the distant Crystal Empire, where his sharp eyes witnessed the Sorcerer of Winds having the time of his life being a hero. "His seal keeping him imprisoned in the Sacred Realm is weakening, just as the one keeping me bound within the Pyramid is. But his will break some time before mine. It will not be long before he returns to Hyrule."

Dethl's eye narrowed. "What do you ask of us, o holy one?"

The mask turned around and floated up to its servant. "Ganon cannot be allowed to interfere with our affairs in Hyrule, not when we are so close to being ready. Our ultimate plans will not fully encompass Equestria for some time. Find a way to make sure Ganon appears in Equestria instead of Hyrule. Vaati and his friends had little trouble with Sombra. Surely they can handle another King of Darkness. And in the meantime, I want you to tail them. Learn all you can about the Elements of Harmony and their bearers, but do not reveal your identity to them. The Elements are no threat to me personally, but they may still hinder our efforts in the future."

"What of the Dark World's affairs?" Dethl inquired.

"I leave them in Chancellor Cole's capable hands," Majora explained. "Rest assured, your kingdom will not crumble during your brief absence. Now away with you; time grows short, and I want everything ready for when the final hour is at hand."

Dethl bowed. "As you will it, Your Lordship."

As the King of Nightmares vanished into the howling winds, Majora turned once more towards the Crystal Empire, and the defector from his cause who how thought himself a hero. "Enjoy yourself to the fullest, Wind Mage," the God of Evil ominously intoned. "For when the hour of my ascension is at hand, so too will be the hour of your reckoning!"

Majora's laughter was drowned out by the howling winds of the north, heedless of the apocalyptic plans of the Heart of Darkness and those who followed it.

END OF SEASON 1