Shade of A Crystal Empire

by igotastewgoing

To The Heart of The Matter

CHAPTER FOUR
To The Heart of The Matter

Celestia wasn't sure how to best go about the conversation she was about to have with her favorite pupil. Honesty was probably the most logical course, but on the other hoof it was a bit tricky when one considered how panicky Twilight could get, particularly when her magic was involved. And in this case it was quite likely that there would be some potentially explosive panic once she found out what Luna had ascertained.

Truthfully, Celestia wouldn't hold that against her. She would be rattled as well.

Perhaps it would be best to hold certain things back.

No. That wouldn't do. Twilight was grown enough to be told the truth. Celestia owed her that much after all she'd done for not only Ponyville, but Equestria as a whole. She and her friends had done more for the realm and its inhabitants than nearly anypony else Celestia had seen in hundreds of years, and they were made of sterner stuff than their outward appearances suggested. They'd been able to handle anything thrown at them, including a being of pure chaos, a Changeling army and their queen, and even Luna herself when she had returned as Nightmare Moon after her long banishment.

And of course, there had also been King Sombra.

Sombra. Even the name brought sorrow to Celestia's heart. All these centuries later, her kingdom was still suffering the fallout of his brief but terrible reign, and she couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened. And while his recent return had been stopped by Twilight and her friends, even with Sombra in his weakened state, it had not been an easy task. One of the most difficult things Celestia had ever done was to throw her favorite student head-first into that particular fray, but it was crucial for her to display what she was capable of. After all, Celestia had great plans for Twilight, and her protégé had continuously proven herself time and time again.

Still, it was probably best to have a calming spell ready to go before they were brought in.

The day was a pleasant one, and the throne room was especially bright this morning. When Celestia had raised the sun earlier it had been a beautiful dawn, heralded by the Wonderbolts zipping around the peaks on their obstacle course. As was their little custom whenever they were visiting Canterlot, they had performed a flyby, buzzing Celestia in formation just as she completed her daily ritual from the highest spire in the castle, the Tower of The Dawn. Spitfire and her Wonderbolts did enjoy any excuse to fly very fast and very low over somepony's head, as the whirling celebratory barrel rolls they always fired off afterwards displayed.

As the sunbeams warmed the chamber, Celestia took the opportunity to sit back and collect her thoughts one last time before she summoned Twilight and the rest in. She had ordered the windows to be opened so that the spring breeze could drift through, bringing with it the sounds of the birds singing in the courtyards. She closed her eyes, listened to the melodies, and smiled. It appeared that they had learned a few new melodies. Fluttershy must have been teaching them yesterday afternoon while everypony else was exploring the castle. She made a mental note to thank her later. Canterlot birds were notorious for only knowing a handful of songs and endlessly repeating them. It was lovely to listen to, but begged for a bit of variety.

After listening for a minute and centering herself, with a deep breath Celestia was ready. Channeling a small bit of magic and mentally intoning the enchantment, she prepared her spell of calming, and shoved it to the side of her mind. Just in case.

"Sister?" she asked. "Shall we bring them in?"

Princess Luna nodded. Standing next to the radiance of Celestia, Luna was a black hole of light, a stark, almost alarming contrast between the two siblings. The physical differences were not the only things that made them stand apart from one another. Whereas Celestia was as warm and affectionate as the sun's embrace, Luna was as cool and somewhat aloof as the moon she presided over. That wasn't to say Luna was incapable of compassion or kindness. Not at all. She just had a different way of going about it, and you had to get past a shell to truly understand her—a byproduct of the realm she was the ruler of. Nothing was easily seen in the dark. One had to search for it, for the shadows did not easily give up their secrets.

Celestia turned to the guard to her left and said "We are ready." The golden armored pegasus puffed out his chest and, in a booming voice, gave the order.

"Send for the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle!"

The herald at the other end of the throne room bowed, opened one of the massive double doors and stepped through the entrance and out of sight. Celestia heard him addressing the ponies that had been waiting outside in a little speech which was merely a series of barely audible mumbles from where she was sitting. Shortly afterwards he appeared again at the entrance, where he stepped to the side to reveal Twilight and her friends standing behind him.

"Princess Celestia," he called, his voice echoing in the chamber, "May I present Twilight Sparkle, and her companions?"

The six ponies entered the throne room, their little dragon Spike in tow. Twilight was at the head of the group, still looking tired but also decidedly less frazzled than earlier. Her smile told Celestia that her mood had improved. That was a good start.

Her friends walked side by side behind her. Rarity was as always resplendent, looking so natural in Canterlot that she could pass for royalty herself. Next to her Fluttershy had her head hung bashfully low causing her long flowing locks of pink hair to gently brush the ground. Pinkie Pie was the exact opposite, practically bouncing towards the throne with a huge beaming smile on her face and eyes wide with excitement. Applejack was clearly doing her best to be proper, and was walking with an unnatural, exaggerated gait to her usual country swagger. It wasn't working very well. Rainbow Dash actually looked a bit sweaty, and judging by her mussed up mane it was clear that she had been out for a morning flight, most certainly to get as close to the Wonderbolts as she could.

Bringing up the rear was Spike. His little legs were having a bit of trouble keeping up with the ponies without going halfway to running, so he stayed behind them until they reached the foot of Celestia's throne, at which point he took his place next to Twilight. There he stood like a little purple sentry, puffing out his chest in pride at being part of royal proceedings.

"Good morning, Princess Celestia," Twilight said with a bow.

"Good morning, Twilight," Celestia replied. "I trust you all had a restful night?"

"Er, somewhat," Twilight said. "Not really, to be perfectly honest. The bed was just fine but…"

Celestia nodded.

"I understand," she said. "Luna has informed me of what she saw in your dream last night."

"It was more of a nightmare," said Twilight. "But what does it all mean?"

She still got upset just thinking about that horrific vision. And she still felt oddly uncomfortable afterwards, as if she knew something was going to happen, but what it would be wasn't clear. It was like she knew she was about to have déjà vu, but she didn't know when or about what. She just had a bad feeling about things.

"I dreamt of giraffes made of donuts! They were delicious!" Pinkie Pie whispered to Applejack, who shushed her immediately.

Celestia grinned at Pinkie Pie, then turned to her sister.

"Luna? I believe this is your department."

Stepping forward, the princess of the night began, her commanding, regal voice slightly clashing against Celestia's more gentle tenor.

"First, Twilight Sparkle, I must offer you my sincerest apologies."

Twilight was confused.

"Apologies?" she asked. "For what?"

"There were elements at work last night, magical elements, that you were not made aware of. They contributed to the strength and usefulness of the dream, but at the same time made it far more vicious."

Twilight looked at Celestia and saw the troubled expression on her face.

"What magic?" she inquired.

"To be more accurate, it was actually a lack of magic," Luna explained. "Last night as you slept, Celestia cast a barrier around you which functioned as a sort of negative zone for any manner of magical spells, enchantments, or curses."

That last word held a great deal of gravity as Luna said it, as if it stuck in her mouth. Twilight's eyes went wider.

"Inside that zone, as you dreamed," she continued, "Your magic was not allowed to work. That is why the Alicorn Amulet was not teleported to you last night."

Twilight had been so preoccupied with the dream that she had totally neglected that fact.

"That's right!" she exclaimed, not being able to help herself. "It wasn't! Did we find out what's causing it to happen? You mentioned curses earlier! Am I cursed?!"

Luna exchanged uneasy glances with Celestia. Taking a deep breath, she went on.

"No," she said, "What afflicts you is not specifically a curse. But you have been touched by something which is just as bad. It resides inside of you. And within the walls of the barrier last night, unable to act as it desired, it instead lashed out at your mind in anger. That is why your dream was so unpleasant—It was fighting Celestia's spell."

Twilight remembered the claws she had felt in her throat during the nightmare. They had been tearing and scratching, trying to get out. When they finally had, it had been a pure black torrent of hate.

Her mouth had gone dry.

"So what is it?" she asked.

Luna shook her head.

"That," she said, "I cannot say for certain. However, it is my belief that it is the remnant of a dark power which you must have had some contact with. And it has attached itself to you."

Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself, and came to her friend's defense.

"Whoa there now," she said. "Twilight doesn't go paling around with the forces of evil and all that mess. Since when would she have come across something like that?"

"To be sure," Luna continued, "It is not something Twilight would have actively sought out. But nevertheless, it has taken up residence inside her. And it wants to go home."

"How do you know that?" asked Applejack.

"During the dream I saw into its mind," Luna replied. "Inside there was anger and malice. It is trapped inside you, and it wants to escape. It's working as hard as it can to free itself by using your own magic to draw powerful objects to it. This is especially true of things that have a streak of wickedness embedded in them to begin with. That is why the Alicorn Amulet was such an irresistible target. It was drawing it closer, trying to get you to wear it. Then it could feed on its power and grow strong enough to break your will. It would have taken you over, and used you to bring it back home. Then, Twilight, it could do whatever it wanted."

"You know what it is, don't you?" asked Twilight with a note of fear in her voice. "What is it? Where did it come from?"

At that point Luna paused. The moments passed by, and it was clear there was a fierce debate going on in her head. Finally she answered.

"It came from the Crystal Empire."

The pieces of the horrible puzzle began to fit together in Twilight's head.

"A dark force from the Crystal Empire?" she said. "But…that would mean…"

Stumbling over her tongue, she fought to get the words out of her mouth.

"It…it…couldn't be," she half-whispered. "He's gone…we saw him destroyed…"

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Indeed, you did defeat him," she said. "But the evil of King Sombra is not so easily broken."

There was a gasp from the rest of the group. Rarity's hoof went up to her mouth in shock.

"That ugly fiend?" she balked. "Inside Twilight?! It's unthinkable!"

Spike recoiled at the thought.

"Huh-wha?!" he stammered. "Is he going to come out of you? Are you possessed?!"

"How does he even fit in there? He was way bigger than you." Pinkie wondered aloud.

"No!" Twilight turned to them and snapped. "I am not possessed!"

With a look of uncertainty she looked back at Luna.

"Am I?"

"I would not call what afflicts you possession," Luna said. "But a piece of Sombra's spirit does reside inside of you."

"Well how in tarnation did that happen?" Applejack asked.

"I believe I may have an idea on how that came to be," Celestia said. "When you all defeated Sombra using the power of the Crystal Heart, there surely would have been an immense outpouring of magical energy. He was, after all, a highly powerful sorcerer in addition to being a formidable warrior. It's possible that within this burst, a remnant of his spirit remained behind, either because of a spell he cast on himself or out of sheer power. It has been known to happen to powerful magical users in the past. And this spirit would have naturally gravitated towards the strongest source of magic at the time. And that, Twilight Sparkle, would have been yourself."

"What about Cadence?" Twilight asked. "She's a more powerful magic user than I am."

"Under normal circumstances, perhaps," Celestia replied. "But remember, Cadence was weakened greatly by the strain of keeping the barrier up for so long. Her power would have been dwarfed next to your own at that moment. It would have seen you, and your strength, and would have latched on to you like a parasite to keep itself alive."

"Eeewww," Rainbow Dash said with a cringe. "That's gross!"

"So how do we get rid of him?" Applejack asked.

"OH! OH! OH!" Pinkie Pie yelled. "Would a piñata help in any way?"

"A piñata?" Rarity asked. "What in Equestria would we want with that?"

"Well," Pinkie continued, "Maybe it's like candy! We could knock him out of there!"

"I don't think Twilight wants to get beaten with sticks," said Spike.

"Huh," Pinkie replied, crinkling her brow. "I hadn't thought of that. Well, um…maybe the Party Cannon could be useful somehow…"

"I don't suppose asking him nicely to leave would be of any help?" asked Fluttershy.

"Where did I put that Party Cannon, anyway?"

Twilight shot all of them the dirtiest look she could muster.

"Ex-CUSE me, everypony?" she said with a glare. "Can we please stay on topic here?"

"Well, it WOULD be on topic if you were a piñata," Pinkie retorted. "You don't have a spell that turns you into a piñata, do you?"

"NO PINKIE PIE I DON'T HAVE A SPELL THAT WOULD TURN ME INTO A PIÑATA!"

"Awww, that's no fun."

Celestia cleared her throat.

"Everypony?" she asked. "Focus, please?"

Calming down, the group's eyes were once again on Celestia, with the exception of Pinkie, who was searching some pockets she mysteriously had for some unknowable reason for signs of the missing Party Cannon.

"So what do we do?" Twilight asked her mentor.

Celestia managed to smile for the first time in the conversation.

"Fortunately, Twilight," she said, "I don't believe the situation to be as dire as it sounds."

"Really?"

"Really," Celestia replied. "I believe that the thing which defeated him the first time will be able to drive his spirit from you now. I believe that the power of the Crystal Heart will be the thing that cures you."

"Of course!" Twilight cried. It all seemed so simple to her now. "The Crystal Heart! Sombra couldn't stand up to it once it was fully powered. There's no way a small fragment of his soul could! It's so obvious. There's no way it couldn't work!"

Celestia chuckled.

"I'm glad you are feeling optimistic. That's important," she said. "The power of the Crystal Heart will only be stronger the more positive feelings surround it. But I must remind you that there is still much that we do not know. The process might be dangerous. You must be prepared for that."

Twilight held her head up high.

"I am," she replied.

Once again Celestia smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down," she said as she beamed. "Then I shall recommend that you leave for the Crystal Empire as soon as you are able. I'm sure you don't want that thing inside you for longer than you have to."

"All right!" Spike cried out. "We get to see Cadence and Shining Armor again! AND we get to kick Sombra's flank a second time! This is going to be awesome!"

Twilight was feeling tremendously relived, but she still had questions.

"But how will I know what to do?" she asked. "Has the Crystal Heart ever been used like this before?"

"Not to my knowledge," Celestia answered. "However, the idea is not unheard of at all. And I believe there is a scroll or two in the library here which mentions how to perform a cleansing ritual with objects much like the Crystal Heart. It may not be exactly tailored to it, but it should be similar enough to work with a few minor adjustments. I shall gladly assist you in doing so."

"That would be wonderful!"

Celestia got up from her throne.

"I am so glad you are handling this as well as I had hoped," she said with pride. "I didn't even have to use my calming spell."

As she said that, a faint light from her horn gave a tiny flash and then flickered out.

"Calming spell?" Twilight asked.

"Ahem. Yes," the monarch replied with a slightly embarrassed look before composing herself back to her usual regal demeanor. "I shall send word to Princess Cadence of your coming. I'm sure she and your brother will be quite happy to hear of it. And there is a train for the Crystal Empire leaving tomorrow afternoon. That should give us plenty of time to look over those scrolls, yes?"

"That sounds wonderful," Twilight said.

"But first!" Celestia announced as if making a royal decree, "We shall eat lunch!"

"HOORAY!" cried Spike.

"To the pudding vats!" bellowed Pinkie Pie.

"Er…pudding vats?" Rarity warily said.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Spike's eyes had gone wide and glazed over in wonderment.

"They have it in vats now?"

The drool from his mouth practically dripped onto the floor.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. She was finally feeling good. Surrounded by her friends, she felt that nothing could stand in her way. She would overcome Sombra and the stupid bit of his soul that had attached itself to her. They had beaten him before, and they'd do it again. He didn't stand a chance. With friends like these, there was nothing to worry about as long as they were all together.

Everything would be just fine.

* * *

Sharpsight hadn't had a proper night's rest in a week.

This was nothing new for him, to be sure. He had been running himself ragged previous to the expedition that had led him to the discovery of Sombra's horn, a secret he had kept fanatically under wraps, but that was when his sleepless nights had been spent pouring through book after book. This time it was different. There was something nagging at his mind that would not allow him to sleep. He couldn't focus on the books that before had consumed his every waking hour. The words on the page blended into each other until they lost their meaning. He would spend hours with a book only to look back and realize that he had no memory of anything he just read.

His mind would always go back to the horn. Whenever he tried to sleep it was all he saw when he closed his eyes. No matter what else he tried to occupy himself with, it seemed unimportant. Anything not having to do with the horn seemed useless.

But what exactly to do with it was a question that constantly burned in his brain. That it needed study was clear. But who could he take it to? Who could he tell? Should he tell anypony about it at all? That there was powerful magic in it was indisputable. Naturally, cautions would have to be taken because of that. But Sharpsight was a pony, not a unicorn. His knowledge extended to academics and archeology, not the realms of magic. Was there a magic user he could trust with this? It seemed like a risk he'd have to take.

But then there was always a little voice that reminded him that this was his find. This was his claim to redemption. As the discoverer of King Sombra's horn and its secrets and power, he would once again be respected as a scientist and an explorer to be reckoned with, if only he could manage to do it himself. Having another around to take some of the credit would only diminish his own accomplishments. And he couldn't have that. Even if he had to deal with magic, he knew he could manage. It would only make what he did it all the more impressive.

That's what he would do. Once he knew what he had to do in order to unlock its secrets, he would present the horn in all its glory to all of Equestria. They would all know him then. They would welcome him back.

And the more the voice in his head whispered those thoughts, the more he knew it was a certainty. This would work. He could do this. He was smart enough to figure out the key to whatever secrets the horn could provide. The longer he pondered the issue, the less the need for a magic user seemed necessary. Somehow in his gut he knew that there was only one way to unlock the power of the horn: The Crystal Heart.

It had to be the answer. The Crystal Heart would undoubtedly be the key. He instinctively knew that, and didn't need any magic caster to tell him what his intuition already provided. They may have horns to cast spells, but that alone couldn't compete with the quick, learned mind of an academic like Sharpsight. It would take more than a growth on somepony's forehead and some hocus pocus to best him, even if he were a thousand years out of date. Knowledge may be outpaced, but intelligence could never be dulled by any amount of time.

He just didn't know how it was going to work. But that wasn't important. All he had to do was to get his hooves on it and he knew he would figure it out. It didn't matter much how he got it, although that was a question that needed a good answer before he tried. Night and day he racked his brain to figure out a way. For a brief time he considered breaking into the palace and stealing it, but quickly disposed of that idea once he realized he was laughably unequipped to do any kind of burglary. He couldn't even sneak out of his own office without Ms. Oldenburg spotting him and nagging him once again about needing to get out more. The thought of him getting past trained guards was absurd.

After days of fretful pondering, the solution presented itself, as it always did when one thought enough about it. He would take it in plain sight. After all, somepony in his position had the capacity to do just that.

The walk over to the castle had been strangely harsh on his nerves. He didn't feel particularly anxious, but the closer he got to both the castle and the Crystal Heart, the more a distinct feeling of unease came over him. It was a feeling not unlike wanting to jump out of one's own hide. His pace was quick and his movements were jerky. His eyes twitched back and forth, and he had broken out in a cold sweat. The reason for this he could not explain, but the feeling became more pronounced the closer he got.

As he rounded the last corner and entered the massive square in the center of town which held the towering castle in the middle, its massive pearly spike atop the four arching legs shining in the midday sun, Sharpsight had the sudden and overwhelming urge to turn around and go back to the museum.

But then that voice came back and wordlessly pushed him onwards, solidifying in his mind the fact that he had no choice. This was what he was meant to do.

With legs shaking he continued on. Past the guards he walked, nodding to them as they nodded back. His face was known to them. He would have no trouble getting inside. The more difficult task lay ahead of him.

Walking underneath the archways which formed the dome-shaped base of the castle, Sharpsight saw the Crystal Heart floating between the two spikes which held it in place, one from the ground and one jutting down from the ceiling. A wave of excitement came over him, and he had to avert his eyes so as not to become nauseous from the sudden burst of adrenaline and his fluttering heart. That feeling of wanting to jump of his hide was back. Steadying himself the best he could, he continued to the nearest arch and ascended the steps inside.

As he entered the castle, his hearing was overcome by a distinct high-pitched hum. It started low and climbed higher and higher until his head ached and he couldn't see straight anymore. His vision started to fill with a deep red haze creeping in from the corners of his eyes. Soon the world was a crimson fog, and it was all he could do to stumble through it. Before long he could hear whispering, although he did not know what the whispers said. He proceeded through the castle as if in a daze. Vaguely he was aware of speaking to the herald at the door to the throne room. Soon he realized he must have been inside as he faintly heard his voice being said through the murkiness that was his mind. Suddenly, as his voice was said again, the hum and the whispers fell silent and his vision snapped back into clarity.

"Professor Sharpsight?" a gentle voice asked. "Are you alright?"

Shaking his head to clear it, Sharpsight regained his composure in front of his leader.

"Ah, yes, Princess Cadence," he said with only the smallest amount of jitteriness. "I'm quite fine, but I've been burning the candle a bit too much at both ends, if you take my meaning. My apologies."

Celestia smiled. "Not at all," she said. "It's good to see you again. I understand you've been hard at work catching the academy up with all the knowledge of the past thousand years. That must be quite the undertaking."

Sharpsight politely nodded his head, but he was gritting his teeth in resentment. That little silent voice in his head saw right through her words at their true meaning. He knew a condescending remark when he heard it. This little fool of a princess with all her magic that made her life so easy was loving the fact that the intellectual who actually had to work for his knowledge and skill was now at a drastic disadvantage in this new world. Quite the undertaking, indeed!

"It most certainly is, your Highness," Sharpsight said with forced sincerity.

"Well, Professor," Cadence asked, "What can I do for you today?"

He steadied himself and began the well rehearsed lie.

"Princess Cadence," he said, "I believe that I may have found information in the books that we received from Canterlot which may provide us with a greater understanding of the Crystal Heart."

Cadence raised her eyebrows. "Is that right? What kind of information?"

"It appears to be an account of the expedition which lead to the discovery of the crystal that was used to create it" he answered.

"How fascinating," Cadence replied. "If I remember correctly, that's a mystery that's never been solved. The records as to where the crystal was found or what gives it its unique powers has been lost to history. All they know is that it was from somewhere to the far north. Isn't that correct, Professor?"

Sharpsight was surprised. "Ah yes," he said after a pause. "I wasn't aware you knew that much about it."

"Exploration and ancient artifacts have always held a passing interest for me" she responded with a shy grin. "I remembered that from when I was just filly. It's not much, but it's about as much as anypony else knows, if I'm not mistaken. What does the account say?"

Sharpsight had not anticipated this question, but he continued on without missing a beat.

"According to what I've read, the expedition seems to have found the crystal in the mountains of the Frozen North. The descriptions of the area and the cave it was inside suggests to me that it was part of an ancient dragon burial ground, most likely used for ceremonial purposes as a kind of centerpiece."

"I didn't know that dragons behaved in that way," Cadence said. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Well, perhaps not now they don't," Sharpsight casually dismissed. "But these are ancient dragons we're talking about. Much different society, you know."

"I see," said Cadence. "I must find the time to attend one of your lectures. Do you give talks on ancient dragons?"

"Er, well, sometimes." Sharpsight was getting antsy. He needed to move this along while he had her on a string. "Princess Cadence," he said before she could ask him when his next talk was, "I have also come to ask a favor of you."

"Please do."

Now it came down to it.

"In order for me to confirm these reports, I shall need to closely study the Crystal Heart."

"Well, by all means, Professor," Cadence said with a smile. "As the head of the museum, you are naturally entitled to study it whenever you need. It's not required that you clear it through me."

Of course I know what I'm entitled to, you dolt! The thought ripped through Sharpsight's head in another sudden outburst of wounded pride. He kept his smiling demeanor, though. He couldn't afford to drop the act when he was so close.

"I'm afraid that it becomes a little more involved than simply looking at it here," he said with as much charm as he could muster. "For these particular studies, I shall need to take the Crystal Heart back to the museum. There are tools there that I cannot bring with me."

There was a moment of silence while Cadence leaned back on her throne. She began to speak, then stopped as she was clearly processing the request and weighing the consequences of it. The Crystal Heart was what protected the Empire, and as Sharpsight had anticipated, Cadence was reluctant to see it be taken away for any period of time.

Seizing the opportunity to calm her fears, Sharpsight continued. "It will not be for long, I promise you. A day or two at the absolute most. Granted, that's the worst case scenario. It will likely be back tomorrow."

Cadence nonetheless wore a look of concern.

"It would still leave us without our greatest defense as long as it was away," she carefully spoke, as if she were accusing him. Sharpsight could swear that her eyes were looking through him, trying to see the deception. He had to play this smartly and quickly.

"If you have concerns, I would happily agree to have some of your guards accompany it while it is at the museum."

After a moment Cadence finally shook her head and gave a halfway sincere grin.

"No, that won't be necessary, Professor," she said. "You may of course bring the Crystal Heart back with you to the museum, and I look forward to hearing about your findings. Please keep in touch, and I only ask that you make it so that it could be returned at once should the need arise."

Sharpsight smirked on the inside. Of course she would agree after that. She wouldn't want to appear like a paranoid tyrant and send guards to watch over an old professor. The fact that he had volunteered for the subjugation only made it more impossible for her to do it. The easily manipulated fool!

He bowed in thanks.

"Thank you, princess," he said. "You can count on me. The Crystal Heart shall return before you notice it's gone."

A single guard had come with him, carrying the Crystal Heart on his back in a special case made from fine dark wood, trimmed with gold and lined on the inside with deep, plush velvet. Entering through the side entrance of the museum so as not to attract more attention than he needed to, Sharpsight led the guard through the vaulted ceilings and wooden archways of the wing holding his office. Once inside, he opened the doors for the guard, smiled, said "Sir" often and offered him a beverage which was declined. The guard was polite but all business, clearly not liking the thought of the Crystal Heart leaving the castle grounds, and eyed Sharpsight with a hint of suspicion.

Luckily Ms. Oldenburg had already left for the evening by the time they arrived, so there was nopony to question what a royal guard was doing in Sharpsight's study as they passed through the room outside of it. The professor opened the door and gestured over to the table in the middle of the room. With a final uneasy glance, the guard walked over and set the Crystal Heart's case down on it.

Afterwards, he made no attempt to move. He simply stood there and looked at the Crystal Empire's lifeline, out of its proper place and sitting in the study of some egghead.

Sharpsight saw that the guard was uncomfortable leaving, and realized that he had to do his best to make him change his mind.

"Thank you, sir" he said. Then, bringing out his very best droning lecture voice, he began his assault. "It's really quite fascinating, you know. The dragons that lived in the mountains that the accounts talk about were typically of the Draconus Secondus genus. Those were, naturally, the more common variety, however there arises something of a sticking point when you also consider that Draconus Supernus was also a species common in that region, albeit to far lesser extent. Now, where that gets interesting is when you consider the different appendages of those genus's. While Draoncus Secondus had longer arms and claws, Draconus Supernus was possessing of a pronounced dewclaw which gave them superior dexterity when it came to handling objects. Naturally this meant that it was far more likely that Supernus was the likely constructor of the shrine which housed the crystal, although it's not inconceivable that Secondus would have been able to as well. Determining which species is responsible for the construction becomes a bit more difficult when we consider the mysterious properties of those caves. For reasons as of yet unknown to us, the crystals appear to have a unique ability to hold creatures within them in some sort of magical status for quite some time, seemingly without any ill effects that we can ascertain. How long those subjects can be held safely or how it's accomplished is still a bit of mystery, but I don't claim to know the answers when magic is involved. Not my particular forte, although several of my assistants have been oddly insistent on investigating that property of the crystals further. What I can tell you about for certain is the fossil records, which if you ask me are far more interesting. Now, they indicate that Supernus came down from the northern lands in the latter half of the Damsirian period, and that Secondus had been native to the area since the Gallowaian, which would naturally make Secondus the far more likely candidate again until we also look at Volatilis Turris, which wasn't a dragon at all, of course but what we call a drake, although there are marked similarities and it's often mislabeled as such. Now Volatilis Turris had an interesting habit of—"

At that point the guard, who had been inching towards the exit ever so slightly the entire time, cleared his throat and opened the door.

"Yes," he interrupted, "Well, I hate to be rude, but I am expected back at the palace."

Sharpsight feigned disappointment. "Oh, that's too bad. Well, don't let me hold you up, good sir. Duty and all that, yes?"

The guard gave the chest one last look before turning around and heading out the door. Pausing one last time, he turned and added "Princess Cadence instructed me to return daily for progress updates. I trust there will be no problem with that?"

"Of course not," Sharpsight answered. Her caution and likely suspicion was no matter.

The guard nodded once again and left, closing the door behind him.

Sharpsight waited a few moments until he heard the outside doors shut as well. Then he threw himself at the box. Wildly flinging up the latch, he nearly ripped off the lid and gazed at the beauty laying on the velvet cushions.

It was so clear. The answer was right there. His intuition screamed and the voice in his head was kicking him for not seeing this clearly from the very beginning: The Crystal Heart was most certainly the key to unlocking the power of Sombra's horn. There was no question.

Unlock the power. Cleanse it of the evil inside. Harness it for good.

Become respected again.

A hero of Equestria.

The pony who took the evil of Sombra and turned it into a new age of enlightenment. All that power used to advance the Equestrian race.

He would get a knighthood for this.

All his hopes. All his dreams. All he ever wanted to be and all he wanted in life.

It hinged on such a simple thing. Such a little thing. Such a little act.

The voice in his head told him exactly what to do. There was no hesitation.

He walked over to his desk and opened the bottom drawer on the left side. Slid open the false bottom. Slowly and reverently lifted the horn from its hiding place. It burned hot with anticipation.

He approached the Crystal Heart. A pulse ran through the hard bit of magic in his hooves. Lifting it above his head, he paused for only a moment. The Crystal Heart seemed to ripple in surprise.

Sharpsight jabbed down with all his might. The horn struck the Heart with a dull throbbing boom and stayed motionless as it lay jutting out from it like a thorn.

Then it began to shake. The tip began to dissipate inside, spreading out its crimson to color the crystal. Slowly it began to sink further in. The Crystal Heart swallowed it up, its hardness melting away to accept the horn. Once it was inside, the Heart was fully red, and pulsed with a newfound energy, the horn floating inside the new source.

Then suddenly, the horn completely disintegrated. The Heart's crimson hue faded back to the bluish tint it possessed before. Apart from the slight hum it gave off from the new vibrations, it seemed as if nothing had changed.

Sharpsight was confused, but the voice inside his head was pleased.

He could tell because he heard it laughing.

Comments

[ancientdragonduelist]

Interesting... The Crystal Heart would be able to absorb the power of emotions, as love is it's fuel, for lack of a better word. A solid horn, maybe not, but possible. I can clearly see what is about to happen, and the great deception of Sombra. If spirit and power can be reunited in a new body, one that the princesses would not DARE to hurt... He would be invulnerable. Only the magic of friendship could be used to cleanse the bearer of Sombra, and if the bearer is the one to wield the cleansing power, how could it possibly work? :)

You have done a masterful job writing so far. Have you applied to get this as a featured story? Or perhaps on Equestria Daily?

[igotastewgoing]

3148121 Thank you so much for all the kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. And the storyweaver in me is cackling like a madman at people trying to spot where it's going next! You're very astute, I must admit. You've got a good handle on the plot. (Or DO you? )

I think once I've gotten the next couple chapters up, I'm going to submit it to ED or try to get it featured. There's a huge plot element coming up really soon that I am hoping will serve as the "steel trap" of the story so to speak. Like, after this thing happens I'm hoping I'll have my claws set in you, and you'll need to know what's next. I don't want to present it until I've got my big guns out, you dig?