As Shining Armor lead his sister and her friends through the streets of the Crystal Empire, the road also made out of some type of crystal just like the buildings, everyone stared in awe as they got a closer look. Rarity was struggling not to squeal in excitement at all of the crystalline landscape, where pretty much everything seems to be made out of crystal. There were some earth ponies they spotted wandering around, though if they were the crystal ponies, they sure didn't seem all that happy. All of them looked miserable and half conscious, unaware of the dangerous threat that's lurking outside of the magical shield protecting their home. It was apparent by their dulled coats and hair, their mane and tail drooped and lifeless.
"Wow. These ponies look depressed," Sora said. "Are they the crystal ponies?"
"Yeah, though none of them have been much help," Shining said sadly. "Since Cadence and I arrived here to help keep the Crystal Empire from being taken over by Sombra, they don't have any idea what happened to them after they were banished along with that thing out there for a thousand years."
"Then Sombra must have done something else to them if they're this gloomy," Twilight figured.
They made their way inside of the crystal palace, Shining leading them through the shimmering corridors to the throne room. Inside, sitting in the throne of crystals was Cadence, her horn constantly unleashing a blue aura, the one responsible for keeping the barrier up to prevent Sombra from getting in. She looked exhausted and was about to pass out, but as she noticed her husband with their guests, her spirits were lifted as she walked over to them.
"Twilight! You're all here!" she said, relieved to have some help from her sister-in-law and her friends.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Cadence and Twilight giggled and hugged each other after their little chant and dance.
Riku groaned as he had just witnessed one of the most childish and girliest of chants, having to turn his head during the shaking part. "How old is Twilight supposed to be again? Five?"
"Hey! Don't you judge me!" Twilight scolded. "That's how Cadence and I greeted each other when I was a filly!"
"...Can't you just hug each other instead?" Riku asked, only to receive a smack upside the head by Twilight's aura, the unicorn leering at the teen questioning her motives.
"Then it wouldn't be fun," Cadence answered, only to nearly collapse as her legs gave out on her.
Shining quickly ran over to the pink alicorn and helped her back up. "We can really use some help, everypony. Cadence's love and light is keeping the barrier held up and keeping Sombra out of the empire, but the magic she has to hold is draining her. I try to help with my own magic, but it doesn't seem to be doing much help since my power is easily shattered by that darkness of his."
"We can tell," Kairi said. "Sombra's darkness is stronger than any normal Heartless any of us have encountered. I don't think my own light, or our combined light, is strong enough to stop him either."
"But you said you were a pure-hearted princess, or something like that, right?" Rainbow asked. "Isn't light supposed to get rid of dark stuff and shadows?"
"That may be true, but the same can be said in reverse," Riku answered. "Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin: one can't exist without the other, both sides are always in an eternal conflict, and the side that does win is the one that's more powerful." The stallion looked out at the balcony, the other mares following his gaze as they saw Sombra's dark aura outside the barrier, along with the new Heartless trying to burst through the barrier of light. They barely made a dent as they were shocked by the powerful protection spell, though the Pony Shadows seemed like they were weakening Cadence, the alicorn struggling to pour more magic into the barrier. "And since Sombra's darkness is superior to anyone else's we've faced, we need some kind of powerful light to match him in combat."
"There has to be something," Shining said, gently rubbing Cadence's cheek to keep her awake. "The Crystal Empire has survived out here in this dangerous landscape without freezing to death by some kind of power. But because Cadence has to keep the barrier up and me keeping watch near the perimeter, we've barely been able to find out how."
"We'll find out!" Twilight exclaimed. "This must be part of my test: gather information from sources, either the crystal ponies or their library, and give that information to you! I love research papers! So much fun!"
While the unicorn stallion stared at his little sister in confusion, the others either stared blankly at the overly excited Twilight or face hooved at studying at a time like this.
The group split up to different sections of the empire to see if any of the crystal ponies could give them some information on how their kingdom came to be. Unfortunately, all of them had told the same tale; they don't know anything that had happened before Sombra took over, and they don't want to remember his rule. Just mentioning the evil unicorn's name terrified them, dwindling their hope and forced to continue wallowing in despair. He must have known their inner light came from their happiness, and from what Sora, Kairi, and Riku had seen from their reactions, Sombra had cast a spell on them to make them stay miserable.
After getting what little info they could, everyone met up at the Crystal Empire's library. Twilight, Spike, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were the first to arrive, seeing their intelligence gathering had been useless.
"I guess none of us had any luck, huh?" Twilight asked.
Sora reached a hoof over his head, a zipper sound opening up as the pegasus turned into Pinkie Pie, wearing a Sora disguise. "My cover was blown! I've been compromised!"
"Pinkie!?" Kairi shouted while Riku stammered, unable to express words as to what had just happened. "Where's Sora!?"
"What's going on?" Flapping down next to his flabbergasted girlfriend was the real Sora. Before he was able to confirm what details he was able to gather from the inhabitants living in the empire, he noticed the odd costume of him by Pinkie's hooves. "...Uhhh...Did I miss something?"
"...You know what? I think I'll take my chances being outside and fighting Sombra than witness anymore random shenanigans made by Pinkie," Riku said, grabbing his head as all sense of logic in his brain cells slowly began to die away.
The rest of the mares arrived, all of them getting no results as well. Applejack was the only one who seemed have tried while Rarity kept getting lost in a fantasy about being a crystal pony, Rainbow Dash badgered the crystal ponies in a threatening way, and Fluttershy was too timid and quiet to be noticed or heard. Even if the ponies were unable to help, the library was still intact, and with all the books that were inside, there was bound to be a few that Sombra overlooked, being his downfall for his second attempt to take over the empire again. The ponies and dragon walked inside, Twilight gasping and squealing at the massive shelves filled with books from a thousand years still kept in pristine condition.
"Oh my," Twilight uttered. "There are no words...I don't even..."
"You kinda said a few words already, Twilight," Sora joked, Pinkie giggling along with him as they poked fun at the oblivious unicorn's awe.
One of the crystal ponies, possibly being the librarian of the building, approached them, though looking just as grim as the others. "Excuse me, miss? We're looking for a book."
"We have plenty of those," the older mare said.
"You do," Twilight said dreamily as she began to twirl around, staring at all of the books she so desperately wants to read. "You really do."
Sora and Kairi snickered as they watched Twilight, though her love for knowledge made Riku roll his eyes. "Look, miss, we're looking for something involving the Crystal Empire's history. Something about how your kingdom has been kept safe a thousand years ago?"
"Oh, yes. History...let's see..." The librarian went quiet as she seemed to have lost her train of thought.
"...Well?" Riku asked, twirling his hoof, telling her to get to the point.
"...I can't remember. I don't even know if I work here." Everyone groaned in annoyance as Sora, Kairi, and Riku hung their heads, except for Pinkie.
"I like her!" the pink earth pony exclaimed.
"Alright...Guess we're going to have to split up again and find anything related to the empire's history." The mares, stallions, and baby dragon all split up and went through the many aisles of the library to find what they need.
While the others looked into how the Crystal Empire used to be way back before Sombra and its disappearance a thousand years ago, Sora began searching around for something else. As important it was to figure out what kind of magical force the empire used to shield the kingdom from the harsh winter tundra of the northern part of the world, he needed to figure out what caused the dark unicorn stallion to be what he is now. If there were any historical events written about Sombra and any of his feats before turning to darkness, or even something involving his romance with Luna, he hoped there would be something to give him and the princesses their answers.
After what seemed like hours of searching through his chosen aisles, Sora growled in frustration, having skimmed through so many books, with only a few of them being related to history. "This is going to be impossible. What could have possibly made Sombra go mad with trying to use darkness and take over the empire? Most of the ponies in Equestria aren't exactly the type to make bad choices, give or take a few of them who are mostly arrogant and stuck up." The teen flipped through the pages of the last book on the shelf, but it held nothing informational to what they were all looking for. Sighing, he placed the book down with the other piles, scratching his head in confusion. "How am I supposed to save someone that powerful? We should have brought the Elements of Harmony just in case...Or..." Sora placed a hoof to his chest, still feeling his Harmony Form still able to be accessed whenever he desired, even without the necklaces and crown near him. "...Maybe the Keyblades of Harmony might be powerful enough..."
"Yes!" Twilight cheered, everyone poking their heads out of the aisles of bookshelves they were in. The unicorn held a single book in her aura, and whatever it was, it must have the answers they need. "'History of the Crystal Empire'. This must have what we need to know to stop Sombra!"
As they all headed back to the castle, Twilight went on ahead to tell her brother and sister-in-law the good news. It turned out that the Crystal Empire celebrated an annual event titled the Crystal Faire, a tradition set by the first queen which, as quoted in the book, "Renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm." Twilight met back with the others in a conference room, the ponies all standing before a round table, music beginning to play as the lavender unicorn entered.
[Twilight]
Princess Cadence needs our help
Her magic will not last forever
I think we can do it
But we need to work together
We have to get this right
Yes, we have to make them see
We can save the crystal ponies with their history
Everyone soon got to work on creating the Crystal Faire, making sure everything was just like they were described in the history book.
[Rainbow Dash]
It says that they like jousting
[Rarity]
They flew a flag of many hues
[Applejack]
Made sweets of crystal berries
[Fluttershy]
They had a petting zoo with tiny ewes
[All except Riku]
Oh, we have to get this right
Yes, we have to make them see
We can save the crystal ponies with their history
"What is it with these songs?" Riku asked as Pinkie held out a strangely designed double horned trumpet, which seemed to be made out of crystal, the earth pony blowing terrible notes through it right in the white pegasus stallion's ear.
[Pinkie Pie]
There was a crystal flugelhorn
That everypony liked to play
[Twilight]
And the crystal kingdom anthem
Can you learn it in a day?
[All except Riku]
Oh, we have to get this right
Yes, we have to make them see
We can save the crystal ponies
With their history
The Crystal Faire was fully set up with all the necessary attractions to help raise the crystal ponies' spirits. The food was prepared, the petting zoo of colorful ewes and the jousting arena built, and the decorations were just like how they were back in the day. The one thing that was missing was the main setting for the Faire: the Crystal Heart. Sora and Riku finished crafting the heart and pillar from a large chunk of crystal, set underneath the castle for the ponies to admire. The white pegasus grumbled, finally getting his hearing back after Pinkie's "beautiful" flugelhorn skills.
"Ok. I think that should do it," Sora said as they finished placing the heart directly in the center beneath the arching palace. "You know, you could have joined us when we sang, Riku."
"I don't sing," Riku grumbled. "How the heck does the music just randomly come up and everyone just bursts into song like it was a planned musical number?"
"...Magic?" Sora guessed, shrugging his shoulders.
"...Well...that might make sense. More than Pinkie Pie." The two teens soon heard Pinkie playing the flugelhorn up on the balcony where Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence stepped forward, Riku clutching his ears to his head to avoid his eardrums getting blown up by the horrible musical instrument. "I am going to take that stupid thing from her...but knowing her, she'll have a second stashed away in a tree trunk, or her hair."
"Hear ye, hear ye!" Twilight announced, the crystal ponies having heard their kingdom's instrument, though if it was supposed to sound like that would greatly irritate Riku to no end. They all looked up at the balcony, wondering what was going on. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor cordially invite you all to attend the Crystal Faire!"
At the mention of their empire's annual event, they began chattering with each other as they regained the fond memories of the momentous occasion. For a brief moment, their bodies began to glow and turn crystal for a couple seconds, their moods lifted as the spell on them began to slowly break. Excited, they all wandered about the Faire, approaching the kiosks set up for the food and many events set up for them.
"Cool! It's working!" Sora exclaimed. "There's a lot of light these ponies have. Maybe it'll be enough to stop Sombra."
"You know, there's one thing I don't get," Riku said, the tan pegasus turning to look at his friend in confusion. "Sombra's incredibly powerful, but he's keeping his sights on the Crystal Empire. And if he's returned with this much darkness flowing through him, why is he going for a place he can't get through instead of every other part of Equestria?"
Sora began thinking for a moment, realizing Riku was right about his theory. "Yeah...He managed to conquer the Crystal Empire before, and he could have easily taken over the rest of the world if Celestia and Luna didn't intervene...He should have given up trying to break through Cadence's barrier after countless hours trying. He could have had enough time to go after Canterlot...Unless..."
"Unless...there's something here he hid in the empire that would end him," Riku finished. Sora looked out beyond the barrier in terror, watching Sombra floating around as he continued holding his gaze on the palace. His Heartless minions continued trying to break down the barrier, making Cadence weaker and weaker with each destructive impact. "Sombra's practically a Heartless after a thousand years banished in darkness. So, whatever's in the kingdom-"
"Is a source of light that he doesn't want anyone to find." Sora looked up at the palace, which was what Sombra has been glaring at for the past couple hours. "If it gets destroyed, then Sombra would take over the empire, all of Equestria, and destroy the world." Riku nodded, just as worried as his best friend, though he was better at hiding it. "Was there anything else in the book Twilight forgot to mention involving the Crystal Faire?"
"No idea," Riku said as he shook his head. "She's been holding onto that thing throughout the whole process." Sora began fidgeting in place, which began to concern the silver-haired teen. "What else is there you want to know, Sora? Is there something you're not telling the rest of us?"
"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "Why would I hide anything!?" Sora gave a wide grin, failing to hide his trepidation. Riku crossed his forelegs together, leering at his friend with a suspicious gaze. The spiky-haired teen tried averting his eyes elsewhere, but he eventually gave in, knowing he was going to be pestered with his strange behavior. "...Alright, I'll tell you, but you can't tell the others."
"Alright. Spill it." Sora approached Riku and whispered the information he withheld to everyone on the train ride over. Riku's eyes shrunk to pinpricks as soon as he mentioned Luna and Sombra were once in a relationship, backing away from his friend as he stared at him in shock. "...Sora...That's suicide."
"I know trying to save him is impossible." Sora looked out in the distance, watching Sombra's form hover around the empire. "I don't think there's even a small grain of light in him...The Sombra Luna knew is long gone. The least I can do for her and Celestia is find out what made him turn to darkness." He looked up at the underside of the castle, something of grave interest to the dark stallion kept in his gaze. "Maybe there's something inside the castle he kept hidden away that might have explained why he did all this."
"Good luck with that." Riku watched his friend fly off and enter the castle, hoping there was an answer Sombra may have left behind. It was clear to see that there was no hope of saving Sombra, no matter how badly Luna wants him to return to normal. Deciding to keep the ponies entertained while the Faire was going on, Rainbow Dash suddenly flew up to the crystal heart statue he and Sora made, covering it up with one of the flags. "Rainbow Dash, what are you doing!?"
"We got a really big problem!" she said. "Where's Twilight at!?"
Inside the large crystal palace, Sora rummaged through the many empty rooms to find something Sombra had kept hidden during his rule over the empire. "Come on," he growled. "There has to be something. A journal? A diary? An event log!?" After the umpteenth room in the hall he had checked, he turned a corner to find more rooms. "Why is it that castles have to be so huge with so many rooms!? And I thought King Mickey's castle was bigger than normal..."
Giving up looking around the massive castle, he headed back down to the throne room. He spotted Shining Armor and Cadence as he walked in, though the alicorn was close to passing out. It was bad enough to hold a spell for so long to protect it from dangerous forces, but having the magical spell being constantly poured into the barrier to keep it held up for a continuous amount of time while something outside keeps draining its power. Sora could help strengthen the barrier, or maybe Kairi could since her affinity is more around light than his and Riku's combined.
Wandering around the room, thinking of some way to try to find an answer to a hopeless cause, he spotted something off about the back of the throne. He turned his gaze to the odd wall behind the crystal seat, finding one spot not gleaming in the sunlight like the throne or wall. Curiosity taking over him, Sora approached the wall and felt around it. When he touched the odd, non-crystal spot, it moved slightly and felt like metal and wood, not crystal. He dragged the object out from its hiding place, which happened to be a large treasure chest, something otherworldly though designed to match the location it was in.
Summoning his Keyblade, Sora tossed it up in the air, the blade spinning rapidly as it came down. He grabbed it, giving it an extra twirl as he smacked the top of the chest hard, opening it up to reveal what secrets it had in store. He expected some kind of spell, but instead, there was a red and black journal resting inside. Sora dismissed his weapon and held the book up, showing no title on the front cover or the spine. It also seemed to be a little tattered, having been used for a few years, though not by a thousand if it had faded along with the Crystal Empire when Sombra was banished. He opened the first few pages and read what was inside.
Hello. My name is Sombra. This is my first ever journal entry for my class, and my teacher says I can write whatever I want to express myself and speak my mind...though, I think I have a lot to say, being the only non crystal pony in the Crystal Empire.
I'm the only unicorn here in the empire, and I'm an orphan. I don't know what happened to my mom or dad, but I'm grateful to have a roof over my head and staying out of the cold weather outside of the city. I...don't have many friends in school. Everypony here doesn't like me all that much. I wish I had a friend, but at least they aren't picking on me, so I don't have to worry too much.
Well, enough about sad stuff. I want this journal to be filled with good thoughts. Let's see...I want to be part of the Crystal Guard, maybe be the captain...It may be cheating if I use my magic, but I won't use it. Promise with all my heart...Everypony's staring at me weirdly again. Maybe it's because I'm using what's called "telekinesis", holding my quill in my red aura instead of my mouth. I don't know if they're jealous or scared, but maybe I can learn how to use my magic to help ponies. Maybe they'll see I'm not as bad as I look, since my coat is pretty dark, and my hair's all black and messy. It's not exactly bright or colorful, and I can't turn to crystal like the others can. I wonder what it feels like to have your body turn all crystaly?
The rest of the entry continued talking about other things about Sombra. "This is Sombra's journal...He actually kept this thing when he was a kid?" Sora was surprised. From the sloppy hoofwriting that was common for young children, it seemed like the dark unicorn outside wasn't that much of a bad pony after all, just looked down upon by others. He didn't even care and wanted to prove he was part of the empire, even if he didn't hold the same magic as the crystal ponies had. "Let's see how long you've been writing in here."
Sora flipped over a few entries skipping past the ones that were his foalhood entry assignments and into his young adult entries.
I haven't written in here for quite a long while, but I think I should keep writing when I have the chance. I got some good news I wanted to share; I made it into the Crystal Guard. Yes. After many months going through basic training, I made it out on top of my squad with flying colors. And I didn't even use my magic to cheat, just like I promised myself all those years ago.
Unfortunately, I'm still not quite as liked as I hoped. I'll give them some time and prove to everypony that I won't let anything happen to the Crystal Empire. Maybe in a few years, I'll be promoted to captain. But, for now, my duties have to start at the bottom of the crystal barrel before I reach the top, and that's guard duty for the Crystal Heart.
Yesterday was the first time I've ever seen this powerful relic up close, feeling the warmth of light radiating from it that came from the joy and hope of the crystal ponies in the kingdom. I still haven't been able to figure out how I could help transfer my own happiness to aid everypony else during the Crystal Faire, mostly because there was no literature in the library about how it works. Maybe it's just an instinct the ponies here have that only they can utilize. But it's an amazing sight to see: ponies enjoying the festivities, the food, the entertainment of the jousting tournaments the guards enter, sharing their light and love to power the protective barrier keeping the empire safe from the harsh tundra outside.
Maybe tomorrow for this year's Crystal Faire, I'll enter the joust. I might have some fans if I win. Maybe even receive a kiss from the lovely mares that feel impressed by my strength?...Or maybe not...Oh, how I long for a beautiful mare to see me as me, not as the unicorn outcast that shouldn't belong. Or anypony for that matter.
"Wow. He must have been desperate to find a friend," Sora said to himself, flipping over to the next few pages. "He mentioned something about the 'Crystal Heart' used in the Faire...and...it's a real relic?" The teen let out an audible gulp in shock, his eyes roaming across the words in a slight panic. "We're in trouble if they find out about the crappy fake Riku and I made...Does he know where the real one's hidden?"
I have had...quite an interesting few weeks since my last entry, and I could never be happier! I don't even know where to begin!
You see, a couple months ago, Equestria was under attack by some strange being that caused a lot of havoc in the kingdom. He was called Discord, and he was somehow able to turn clouds into cotton candy that rained chocolate milk, snatch away horns or wings, turn roads into soap, anything that didn't make sense. I'm glad the Crystal Empire was safe under the protective barrier at that time. Nothing of evil or destruction is allowed past, otherwise they might receive a little shock.
Anyway, the best part was that the queen was going to visit the newly built castle in the honor of meeting the heroes and the true rulers of all of Equestria. And she had chosen me to come along and escort her! I was recognized by her highness, and she trusts me to defend her with my life! I calmly agreed to come along, and boy, was I lucky to go.
After a long trek across the land, we found the castle and were welcomed in by the guards. We met the rulers AND heroes of the kingdom, and my jaw dropped as I saw them. They were both known as alicorns, bearing the strength of all three of the pony races made equal from the Hearth's Warming holiday stories I've heard as a colt. They were named Celestia and Luna, and when I looked at the younger sibling, I think my heart had beat faster than my endless training days in basic.
Her coat was a dark blue, her mane and tail shimmering like that of a clear night sky, flowing in a wind that only she was gently brushed with, her cutie mark a crescent moon, resting on the splotch of black fur on her flanks, I admit to catching a glimpse of when I shouldn't in front of royalty. I couldn't stop staring at her, the princesses and my queen I serve noticing my slackjawed silence and ogling the dark blue mare. I felt so embarrassed, but Princess Luna was not offended, admitting she was flattered she made somepony so flustered and speechless under her royal figure.
During our stay, she had sought me out when my queen was busy discussing matters with Celestia, though Luna had always dragged me when night came around. She spoke casually with me, even though I'm not worthy to be in her presence, and soon, we began talking as if we were normal ponies. I was shocked to hear that Luna was able to raise and lower the moon, even create the stars and constellations in the night sky. I don't think I mentioned this in my previous journal entries, but I love the evening. It's always so calming when the sun sets, the weather cooler as the nocturnal creatures crawl out from their dens. I told her how I felt about her ability to make such wonderful nights, and I was shocked to hear I was the first pony she ever met who ever complimented her night.
We both had so much in common with each other from our time together, though having to sneak out in the evening. I haven't felt the thrill of being rebellious since I was a colt, and being with Luna for our private dates was always exhilarating. The night before I had to take my leave back to the Crystal Empire, I could no longer hide my affections and admitted my love for her. Even if we weren't meant to be, being a commoner while she was a princess, she didn't care and returned my feelings...with a kiss.
I will never, ever forget that night. Our love was a secret, but I don't care. The two of us were considered unimportant to our own homes, never given any acceptance by the ponies we wish to gain from them to prove our worth. In the end, the both of us had met, as if fate brought us together, finding us as friends with common backgrounds, ending up as secret lovers, knowing we would find comfort in each other whenever we feel depressed or frustrated from our daily lives.
It was hard to part from her, but we can always write letters to each other. Even if nopony here in the Crystal Empire can see what good I can do for the kingdom I call my home, I'll know there's somepony out there who would want me to keep defending it.
I miss her already...Maybe I should send a letter to her first? Or should she send it first?...We didn't plan on that part, did we?
"And this is when he and Luna became a couple." Sora turned over through the pages, finding no details of where the Crystal Heart was kept away in the castle. As soon as he reached the last few pages, his eyes widened when he saw the crumpled state of the paper and the sloppy writing Sombra made. "Oh no..."
I...made a horrible mistake...I don't have long before this...cursed power eats away at me, and turn me into something else.
Luna came crying to me some time ago...It's hard to remember when while this...monster, inside me, finally takes control. She tried to express her sorrow to her sister, but Princess Celestia didn't pay her any mind. No one still appreciates the beauty of her night, always sleeping before the stars and moon appear in the dark sky...I wished there was more that I could have done to help, ease her pain, comfort her in her time of need, but with no one bothering to care for what she brings every evening, it's taken an emotional torment to her heart.
I did the best I could to calm her, promising her I will try to help spread the beauty of her nights to the empire, so she won't have to feel miserable. If only I knew how to help...That's when some mysterious stranger appeared a couple days later while I was assigned to perimeter watch.
I could not see his face, hidden under the veil of a strange cloak. It was...foreign, something that doesn't seem to have come from this world. He sensed my distress and knew what I wished to do to help my beloved alicorn feel accepted, claiming to have powers over the night just like Luna. If I had this power, then maybe I could help her show the world the late evening was a beautiful time. I was desperate and agreed to his terms, the mysterious pony calling a strange key shaped sword out of thin air. He pressed the blade to my chest and cast some kind of spell, which was painful and made me pass out...
...I was a fool...When I woke up, I found myself in the castle, a sword made out of darkness held in my telekinetic aura. I felt...power...from inside me...and I'm scared of it. I realized I was in the queen's chambers, and her highness was under the sheets...not moving. All around me were the pieces of armor worn by the Crystal Guard, but their bodies were nowhere to be found. That's when I looked at the mirror in the queen's room: terrified, mortified, and horrified at who I was looking at. My eyes were once green, now completely red, purple mist spilling out of my sockets, a sense of darkness radiating from my aura and body.
This was not the power I thought the pony had given me. It was dark magic, and what I had done, against my will, would give me a death sentence. Even then, I felt that darkness slowly begin to eat away at me, hiding inside the castle while trying to force the servants out and dispose of the queen's body without any suspicion. The days had passed, and I slowly began to lose more of my will as this dark monstrosity that had committed such a heinous crime is winning.
Right now, it's a struggle for me to write this. I had asked a letter to be sent out to Luna a few days ago, after so many attempts to write one without me losing control and tearing it slightly, or dripping any tears on the parchment out of fright and the thought of losing my soul to this power. I wrote to her...saying I can never see her again...Not because I don't love her. I still do with all of my heart...a heart that will soon be devoured by this inner demon festering inside me. I just don't wish to hurt her...or anypony else...
If anyone were to find this...Please...Kill me...For I will only do more harm and destroy Equestria. I just wanted ponies to notice me...and now they will...in the worst way possible...I don't even know what happened to the Crystal Heart...My other self must have hidden it where I don't even know where it lies. The barrier still stands, though it's weak and useless, but it keeps the blizzards out still...My only regret...was that I loved Luna too much to see her cry, and I was willing to do anything to help her...
Luna...Please, don't find me...I don't want to hurt you...I'm so sorry...I love you...so...much..........
Sora just stared at the final words that Sombra had written before the cause of his darkness awakening to turn him into what he is now finally swallowing his heart completely. From some of his studies from Yen Sid's study in the Mysterious Tower, he, Riku, and Kairi had read the tale of a Keyblade War that had came to be many years ago. Keyblade wielders that sided with the light or darkness clashed with each other, leading to possibly thousands of fighters slain. And a thousand years ago, one of those Keyblade wielders sought to destroy the world by turning one of their hearts to darkness, making them a dangerous threat to a peaceful world like Equestria was. The fortunate news was that it couldn't have been Xehanort, even though the description of the mysterious figure was vague, knowing Young Xehanort didn't go back that far in time, only gathering several versions of the old villain to recreate Organization XIII.
"...Sombra..." Sora closed the journal, staring at the blank cover as he felt pity for the stallion. "...You don't deserve this..." He grit his teeth, clutching the book tightly in his hooves. "Even back then, someone who used darkness to fight had to stoop so low as to destroy lives by spreading it across the worlds...Was it just to take over Kingdom Hearts? Or did that person only care about spreading destruction wherever he or she went?"
"Cadence!" He quickly looked out to the balcony, Twilight standing with her brother and sister-in-law with the history book in her aura, opened to the last part of the book that had torn out pages inside.
Cadence had fallen over, the exhaustion taking its toll on her as her aura began to fizzle out. The barrier protecting the empire fell, giving Sombra the chance to try to float in with his Heartless charging ahead of him. Thinking quickly, Sora stashed Sombra's journal away in his pouch and pulled out a golden potion bottle, running up to the family and throwing it at the nearly passed out alicorn. The Elixir disappeared as golden light showered the alicorn, shocking Twilight and Shining Armor from the sudden healing light around Cadence.
Fully rejuvenated in both health and mana, Cadence stood back up and quickly recast her barrier. Sora watched as some of the Pony Shadows were destroyed by the blue barrier blocking them from getting any closer, the dark stallion outside staring in shock as he tried to rush in. He didn't get through as he roared in agony, the light of the magical shield cutting off part of his red horn and landed in the barrier. None of them noticed that piece of Sombra sunk into the ground, tainting the small patch of grass it was on into darkness.
"Phew. That was close." Shining Armor turned to Cadence now that her barrier has come back up, wondering what that that light was that appeared around his wife and gave back her strength. "What the hay was that?"
"An Elixir," Sora said. "Fully revitalizes health and magic, though making those requires very rare ingredients."
"Sora, we have a problem," Twilight said, holding up the history book to the torn out pages. "I can't believe I didn't notice these pages were missing sooner. I had no idea the crystal ponies were supposed to power the actual Crystal Heart. We need to find it before Cadence passes out again."
"I'll be ok, Twilight," Cadence assured. "That Elixir's like an energy booster." That burst of energy the alicorn had quickly faded as she leaned to her side, Shining catching her before she fell again. "Or not..."
"Well, wherever it is, it has to be in this castle, somewhere. Every moment I see Sombra floating around, he's always eyeing the castle." The four ponies looked up, barely able to see the tall spire of the castle. "...And seeing how big this place is, it's going to take us all day to flip this castle upside down to find the Crystal Heart."
"When Rainbow told me the bad news, I told her to warn the others and keep the crystal ponies distracted," Twilight said. "If we can find it in time and they pour their light and love into the Crystal Heart, we just might be able to save the Crystal Empire."
"I'm gonna help too!" Spike ran up to them, panting heavily as he must have ran a long distance to the castle.
"Spike, finding the Crystal Heart must be part of my test. Sora and I should be the only ones searching for it." Sora facehooved, unable to believe Twilight's still worrying about her test.
"Twilight, did you not hear what I said about 'how big the castle is'?" the teen asked. "I think an extra claw might do us some good."
"...You're right. You can come along, Spike." The baby dragon grinned, thanking Sora for helping assist them. "But you're only looking. Not a claw."
"Right! Not a claw! Got it!" Spike crossed his arms and held them against his sides.
The trio ran out to begin searching for the Crystal Heart, though Sora hoped it would be somewhere closeby.
"...This armor makes me look ridiculous," Riku muttered as he stood in the jousting arena, wearing a suit of armor native to the Crystal Empire's Crystal Guard design.
When Rainbow Dash told him that the Crystal Heart they needed was supposed to be an actual relic needed to power the protective barrier it makes, the empire was in more peril than ever. Applejack and Kairi decided to take watch over the fake he and Sora crafted as the others kept the crystal ponies happy and steer their attention away from the looming stallion ready to charge in. Riku stood on one side of the arena while Rainbow Dash stood on the other, wearing similar armor like he was, both of them carrying a lance attached to their sides.
While the ponies were cheering for their favorite jouster, Rainbow soaked up the attention, feeling overly confident in beating someone who could easily trounce her in a normal fight. Fluttershy hovered over the arena, holding up a sign to signal the first match. She was thankful Riku took the opponent spot against Rainbow Dash, not one to enjoy a physical sport like this if she was forced to compete for the sake of the other ponies watching.
"Don't try to go easy on me, Riku!" Rainbow yelled out. "I'm not as prissy as Rarity!"
"Whatever," the stallion mumbled. "Don't say I was too hard on you."
From the sides, Pinkie blew into the flugelhorn to start the first match, both pegasi running toward each other at top speed, their lances pointed at their foe. As they got closer, they made contact, though Rainbow was the loser of this round, sent flying back over to her side and landed in a pile of hay. The crystal ponies cheered for the victor. Rainbow poked her head up from the hay she landed in, deliriously stumbling out, her helmet tilted slightly as she tried to steady her legs.
"Ok. You got lucky," she said. "Next round, I'm getting back at you."
While the jousting match continued, out near the barrier, the small bit of darkness began to grow from where Sombra lost a part of his horn, growing a black crystal from the center of the small portal. Sombra grinned and tried to channel his dark magic from the other side, adding more power into sapping away the caster's mana to take the barrier down once again.
Inside the castle, Sora, Twilight, and Spike searched every single part of the castle for the Crystal Heart, but they found no trace of it. They met up in the throne room again, having searched all the empty rooms.
"This is impossible," Sora said. "There's nowhere else left in the castle to search."
"We need to find the Crystal Heart fast before it's too late..." As Twilight examined the throne room, her eyes stopped when she stared at the throne. It somehow seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. Then, the words Princess Celestia had told her about how the Crystal Empire is affected by the magical emotions: light and hope bringing peace and prosperity, and fear and hatred creating a dangerous land of darkness. "...Wait...I think I know a place we haven't looked at."
"Which is what?" Sora asked. He and Spike watched as Twilight stared at the throne and began charging her magic. Her aura went from purple to black as she strained to cast her spell, the darkness coming from it worrying Sora as he quickly stopped her. "What are you doing!? Are you seriously tapping into the power of darkness, Twilight!?"
"But it's the only way to get to where we haven't looked!" Twilight argued, panting as the strain of using that forbidden magic she watched her mentor cast to demonstrate earlier taking its toll on her. "If Sombra had ruled over this place, then he must have hidden it with darkness. Doesn't that make sense?"
"Yeah, if you want to turn into a Heartless." The pegasus tapped her horn, warning her not to try something like that again. "When did you learn to do that!? Or even be crazy enough to try that!?"
"...Princess Celestia showed me what happened if darkness took hold of the empire with that crystal that held what the kingdom looked like." Sora groaned, needing to have a stern talk with Celestia about what other magic she might know.
"Well, you're not trying that again," he said. "I'm not going to let you risk your heart being shrouded in darkness again." Twilight wilted, but understood why she shouldn't have done that. Being so focused on saving the Crystal Empire while trying not to fail this test made her lose her sense of logic. Sora looked back at the throne, knowing he won't tap into any darkness just to open up a possible passageway. He remembered Sombra's journal, pulling it out from his pouch. "...Maybe...this might help us..."
"What's that?" Twilight asked, looking at the blank black and red cover.
"Sombra's journal...I found it in a chest that was hidden...behind the throne..." Thinking there must be more to the back wall behind the crystal throne, Sora approached it, walking past the empty chest where he found the journal.
Twilight and Spike followed Sora and watched him. The pegasus held the journal out to the wall, the book flashing a small light as it shot a beam of light into the wall. A keyhole appeared against the wall, Sora summoning his Keyblade and unlocking the magical lock with a shot of light from the end of his blade. The wall disappeared and revealed a door hidden behind it. He approached the mysterious door, light shimmering around the cracks as an enchantment on it brought them to a different section of the castle, somewhere they haven't searched before.
"Wow," Spike said as they walked through. They looked up, finding a large spiral staircase leading from the bottom to the top, almost as tall as the castle itself. "Oh great. Now we gotta climb up thousands of steps."
"That won't be necessary," Twilight said. "I tweaked the Gravity spell Donald taught us with my own magic to help us get there faster, and it won't be as draining on my magic like teleporting."
"Twilight, those spells were meant for you to use in self-defense against the Heartless," Sora scolded. "You weren't supposed to experiment with them without our supervision."
"It's not going to squish us into the ground under heavy pressure." He raised a brow at the overly excited unicorn, unsure if she should trust her magical skill after trying to use dark magic to open some kind of passageway Sombra had set up, which could have lead them into a trap. "It'll be fun."
"...Fine," Sora said, giving in to the eager expression on her face. "But if I feel my insides turning to mush, I'm going to fly up."
"Great! Just stay right by me. Spike, on my back." The baby dragon obeyed and got up on Twilight's back, still holding his hands under his armpits. "I thought this would be on the test, but I'm excited to do this, regardless!"
Her horn glowed, thankfully only a lavender aura, as she cast her modified Gravity spell. The non-elemental sphere of pressure appeared began to float up around them instead of down, flipping them upside down as it inverted their gravitational ground, landing on the ceiling of the staircase and slid "down" to reach the top. Spike broke the rule of using his claws to hold on to Twilight for dear life as the unicorn cheered in excitement as they quickly made their way up to the top. While Twilight had balanced herself on all four of her legs, Sora, by his normal instincts, stood on his hind legs as if he was on a skateboard, or like in Deep Jungle while he slid on the branches of the trees.
"Ok, I should probably scold you for doing something as crazy as this, Twilight, but I have to admit! This is the coolest spell you've created using Gravity!" The ponies and baby dragon soon reached the top, the spell wearing out as they landed right-side up at the top of the staircase before flying off into the atmosphere. As soon as they got their bearings from the inverted gravity, they looked out from the top of the castle, standing on the tall spire that seemed to pierce the skies. "Whoa...Nice view..." The barrier suddenly began to flicker, Cadence's magic being drained far faster than it had earlier. "Except for Sombra still being here and Cadence's hold on the spell about to give out."
Twilight turned around and gasped, spotting what appeared to be the powerful relic they were all seeking. Floating in the center of the roof of the castle was a large blue heart made out of crystal. It was gleaming brightly, radiating a powerful light that felt safe and comforting.
"Sora! Spike! I think this is the Crystal Heart!" Twilight exclaimed, approaching the magical relic of pure light. "We saved the Crystal Empire!"
Sora quickly turned around, gasping in shock as the floor beneath where the Crystal Heart hovered began to turn dark. "Twilight! Wait! It's a trap!"
Down below, Sombra's roar echoed from outside the barrier, the powerful wave of darkness he unleashed from inside and out shattering it, knocking Cadence unconscious down on the balcony near the throne room. Sora was too slow to react as dark crystals shot up from the ground, trapping Twilight inside as the Crystal Heart was knocked out of the dark mineral barrier, clattering to the ground, thankfully indestructible. Twilight tried to escape by teleporting out, but the dark crystals forced her to stay inside her new cell until Sombra says otherwise. Sora summoned his Keyblade and tried to break through the crystals while he and Spike avoided smaller ones that jutted out from beneath their hooves. Not even his own weapon was strong enough to even create a small crack in the pure dark wall of crystal.
"I can't get out!" Twilight said.
Unable to break through, Sora looked back out to where Sombra was near the broken barrier. The gaseous stallion hovered down to a spot of darkness that was inside as Pony Shadows charged forward, spreading more darkness around them as they approached the Crystal Faire. The ponies all spotted Sombra and his new army, the crystal ponies and the mares all fleeing to the castle while Riku stripped out of the armor he wore, summoning his Keyblade and protected the ponies from the new Heartless. The evil unicorn absorbed the dark crystal where his broken horn laid, regenerating it back to its original red and curved state as his body slowly began to turn physical.
"Not good..." Sora watched as Sombra observed his old body, his eyes seeping out purple mist as a black aura radiated from his body.
He was wearing the same outfit he wore before his banishment into the shadows, the stallion chuckling as he looked up at the spire, staring directly at him. "I have returned to reclaim my throne," Sombra said, his horn glowing black as he summoned a dark blade, holding it in his aura. "This time, the Crystal Empire shall cease to exist."