Chapter 17
“There it is. The Crystal Empire.”
Rainbow Dash listened to Shining Armor with only half an ear. She was too busy looking at the fabled cursed city herself. From what Twilight’s books had shown her, the Crystal Empire formed a symmetrical, intricate pattern. Like a snowflake. But instead, black, irregular spires of dark crystals jutted forth at random locations. And the Crystal Palace was completely transformed by them into a dark and terrible fortress. Surrounding the city was, according to Shining, an immense magic barrier that kept out anypony and anything Sombra didn’t want to get in.
“How do we get inside?” Applejack looked around. “Ah don’t suppose they’ll just let us in ifn we waltz up and knock politely.”
“The only knocking we’re going to be doing is gonna be on Sombra’s face.” Rainbow Dash snarled as she flapped her wings angrily.
Shining Armor reached out and gently laid a hoof on her back, slowly lowering her back to the ground. “Take it easy, hot-shot. It’s not that easy to get inside.” His face took on a hooded expression. “Cadance?”
Rainbow looked confused. “Uh, how is Cadance gonna get us in? Don’t get me wrong,” she hastily added. “She’s pretty awesome, and I know she’s a princess, but…”
Cadance let out a rueful chuckle. “Dash, have you ever wondered just what I was a princess of?” She asked rhetorically. “I don’t move the sun, the moon or anything else. So why am I princess?”
“…beeecause you’re pink?” Rainbow hazarded, giving a wide grin as if she hoped that would compensate for her lousy answer.
Still, it was good enough to get a snort out of Cadance. “I’m not a princess of Equestria, at least, not like Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are. Remember when the Princess told you about the spell Sombra put on the Crystal Empire? Only he or one of his bloodline can control who can enter or leave the Empire.”
In truth, Rainbow had forgotten that. Between everything that had happened before the Princess had arrived and everything since, it had completely slipped her mind. But now that she had time to think about it—“You mean you…”
Cadance nodded solemnly. “I’m descended from Sombra, the last pony of his bloodline. My ancestor was the ruler of the crystal ponies, until she married Sombra.” Her eyes narrowed. “And then when he saw the chance to rule Equestria by trying to woo Princess Celestia he arranged an ‘accident’ for her, and abandoned their child.” Shining placed a comforting hoof around her shoulders. Cadance appreciatively leaned against him. “As much as I hate the idea of being related, however many generations removed, to that monster, if there’s anything I can do to help stop him, I’ll do it.”
Twilight leaned up against her comfortingly, her face wrinkled in thought. “Then, that means…you’re the rightful ruler of the crystal ponies.”
“And Sombra has them enslaved,” Cadance lifted her head, staring defiantly at Sombra’s fortress. “Even if I couldn’t help you get into the city, it’d still be my responsibility to help you free my ponies from his rule.”
Striding forward with determination, Cadance’s focused her magic through her horn, bathing the entire area with a soft pink glow. When her magic reached the barrier around the city, it stalled. With an unprincess-like grunt, Cadance pressed harder. Her horn lit up even brighter as she began to push back.
“What’s she doing?” Rainbow asked Twilight in a whisper, unable to take her eyes off Cadance. It might have been a trick of the pink light of her magic, but her face was growing red—as if she was holding up an enormous burden.
Twilight explained that pretty much was the case. “She’s trying to modify the barrier to let us pass through.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “But she’s a thousand years and who knows how many generations removed from Sombra. It isn’t going to be easy.”
Sweat beaded Cadance’s brow as she dug her hooves into the snow, bracing herself as she pushed against the magic wall. Every muscle was strained taut, and she looked like she was about to pull something.
Rainbow Dash took a half-step forwards before finding her path blocked by a white foreleg attached to Shining Armor. He shook his head at her. “We can’t break her concentration.”
“We have to do something!” Rainbow looked back at Cadance. “She’s gonna hurt herself at this rate!”
Dinky tugged at Dash’s wing gently. “Um, Rainbow Dash? The princess can borrow my magic, if she wants.”
Rainbow draped her wing around Dinky, giving her a brief smile before looking back to Cadance with concern.
The princess’ horn was now a solid beacon of light, blinding in its intensity. The maelstrom of magic she summoned forth beat relentlessly against Sombra’s barrier. “You can do it Cadance!” Shining Armor and Twilight called out together, raising their voices to be heard above the din.
Dinky hopped up and down and shouted. “Yeah! You can do it! Princesses can do anything! Prin-cess! Prin-cess!”
That gave Rainbow Dash her own idea for encouragement. “C’mon Cadance! Ca-dance!” After a moment everypony else joined in the chant. “Ca-dance! Ca-dance! Ca-dance! Ca-dance!”
As if drawing strength from her supporters, Cadance seemed to stand a little taller and her eyes grew even more determined. With one last burst of effort, an archway of light emerged, appearing out of nothing. “Hurry!” The beleaguered princess half-stumbled forward. “This is the only way through! Go now!”
“You heard her!” Shining Armor scooped up Alula and plopped her on his back. “Move it!”
Rainbow Dash carried Dinky, and Pip ended up on Applejack’s back as the others ran to the archway, which wavered and seemed to slowly be shrinking. “Git along ponies!” Applejack called as she and Rainbow passed through first in a dead heat. Zecora sprinted through next, followed closely by Twilight and Shining Armor.
Rarity huffed and puffed inelegantly through as Pinkie joyfully bounced and cartwheeled her way in—accidentally knocking Rarity into the snow. “Whoops! Sorry Rarity!”
Shining cast a frantic look back at his fiancée. “Cadance come on!” He waved his hoof. “You can’t keep that up forever!”
Had she not been so focused on the tremendous effort of keeping the spell going while carefully walking forward to the barrier—taking great care not to trip or do anything to disrupt her magic—she would be shooting him a glare that would reduce him to ashes for the pointlessness of that reminder.
It was painfully slow going for Cadance as she walked forward, her eyes almost screwed shut from the intensity of her own horn. She made it about halfway through the archway when her horn began to flicker. Without any hesitation, Twilight and Shining Armor quickly grabbed Cadance with their own magic and hauled her through, just a scant second before the archway collapsed and vanished.
“That…” Shining panted as he held Cadance tightly, “was too close.”
“Thank you…” Cadance breathed as Shining nuzzled her. “…Captain Obvious.”
Zecora drew their attention with a soft murmur. “Behold the crystal city. Fallen on such evil times, it is truly a pity.”
Everypony turned to look. The streets were cold with tattered remnants of warmth and joy clinging to the walls. What once spoke of pride and joy to the ponies remained as twisted scars and tokens of the horrors they faced day after day.
Pinkie’s mane seemed to deflate under the weight of all this misery. “This must be the saddest place in the world ... outside of Detrot, anyway.” Her face hardened in a rare serious moment. “As Dash as my witness, they will celebrate once again!”
Shining Armor looked around. “I don’t see any guards around here. No snow leopards, or windigos or those bushwoolies you were talking about.”
Cadance shook her head. “As far as Sombra is concerned, nothing can get through the barrier without his permission, so why bother with guards?”
“But now that we are through, won’t Sombra know that we’re here?” Twilight asked.
“He knows,” Zecora intoned solemnly. “The entire empire is infused with his essence. As soon as we were through, he was aware of our presence.”
Rarity raised an elegant eyebrow. “If that is the case, then should we be expecting less than polite company?”
Zecora shrugged. “We may. Or perhaps he trusts the gates of his palace will keep us at bay.” She pointed a striped leg forward, pointing to the forbidding, dark palace made of black crystal in the center of the city.
“We’ll see about that.” Rainbow Dash snorted as they started for the castle. As they walked down the streets of the Crystal Empire, they managed to spy their first glimpse of its inhabitants.
“Those ‘re the zombie ponies!” Dinky pointed, clinging tightly to Rainbow’s neck.
Dash turned to look, getting her first glimpse of the crystal ponies. For being crystal-like, they seemed lackluster. Their heads hanged low and their expressions universally dull and downcast. At even the glance from the heroes’ party, they whinnied in fear and shied away.
“It’s okay!” Shining Armor called out, succeeding in only driving them back further. “I’m Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guard. We’re here to free you from Sombra!”
This declaration failed to bolster any confidence or hope in the crystal ponies. It didn’t even seem to warrant a response of any sort.
An incredulous Rainbow Dash snorted and stepped forward. “What’s the matter with you ponies?!” She demanded as the crystal ponies shrank back. “We’re here to rescue you!”
“Um, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy approached her. “Oh, sorry, but maybe I should try? If that’s okay with you, I mean...”
With a disgusted grumble, Rainbow turned around and stalked away. “Fine! Be my guest! Good luck, Flutters.”
Fluttershy took a slow, measured half-step to the nearest crystal pony. It was a strange experience, Fluttershy being the more assertive of the two ponies. “Hello, m-my name is Fluttershy. What’s yours?”
The pony, a mare with a pale bluish-gray coat with a soft purple mane, hesitantly pranced in place. She was clearly afraid of being addressed by Fluttershy, but couldn’t break away from her gentle stare. “A-azure Prism.”
“Hello Azure Prism. That’s a very lovely name.” Fluttershy lowered her head to be as nonthreatening as possible. And when Fluttershy put her mind to it, she could be very unthreatening. “My name is Fluttershy and we’re here to help you.”
“You can’t help us. Nopony can.” Azure Prism seemed to collapse in on herself. “The King owns us…forever. He—” her face crumpled as she let out a pained whimper.
Fluttershy immediately had her forelegs wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. “Oh, you poor dear!” Her long luxurious pink mane seemed to drape itself around distraught crystal pony, surrounding her with brightness and warmth. “Oooh, I am going to have a serious talk with that mean old king and—and spank him!” she proclaimed, as mad as she had ever been.
The shivering crystal pony looked up at her. “But…he’s too powerful.”
“You let me worry about that.” Rainbow Dash stepped forward, looking at Azure Prism confidently. “Now, we need to know—where has he taken the foals?”
“T-the castle…” Azure answered weakly, as if the strain of merely replying sapped what little strength she had.
“Is there anyway to get into the castle?” Rainbow pressed. Azure Prism shook her head. “Listen, are any of Sombra’s goons around? Bushwoolies, monsters or whatever else he has?”
Azure shook her head again. “H-his troops are in the castle.”
Rainbow nodded once. “Good.” Everypony looked at her in askance. “That means the kids will be safe with you.”
“What?!” The trio of little ponies objected. Azure also blinked in dull surprise.
“B-but Rainbow Daaash!” Dinky protested. “We just found you! Why d’ya havta leave again?!”
Cadance crouched down next to her and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. “Because where we’re going is going to be very dangerous and no place for little ponies.”
Shining Armor spoke up. “And it’ll be easier for us to go in and rescue the other foals if we know that you’re someplace safe, and we don’t have to worry, okay?”
“Oh.” Pip nodded in understanding. “So you wanna keep us safe and locked in so you can go free the other kids from being…locked…up…” he blinked. “Wait, what?”
“C'mon, it's gonna be way too dangerous for y’all to come with us.” Applejack spoke up in defense of Rainbow’s proposal.
Alula stomped her hoof. “We did fine without you already--even Dummy.” She stared up at the adults defiantly. “We'll be even better with you.”
“I dunwant you to leave again, Rainbow Dash!” Dinky pleaded, wrapping her hooves around Dash’s leg.
Rainbow bit her lip. “I know ... I know you don't ... but it has to be this way.” She lowered her voice. “I can't stand the idea of you kids getting hurt.” Her eyes flickered toward Alula’s bandaged leg.
“I'm fine, and I can take care of Dummy and Dinky again!” Alula continued to argue.
“An' we're safer when we're not alone.” Dinky agreed. “Mommy says we’re not ‘sposed to be alone with strange ponies we don’t know—‘specially when they all zombiefied and stuff.”
“You won't be alone. Cadance can stay with you.” Dash’s attempt at reassurance fell flat when Cadance blinked and looked at her in askance.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Well...somepony's got to stay with the kids.” Rainbow reasoned. “And, well, you kinda exhausted yourself breaking the barrier. So I thought...”
Cadance drew herself up. “I'm not going to hide while somepony else fights my battle for me, Rainbow. As cliche as it sounds, this is my empire, and I'll help fight for it, thanks.”
Sighing, Rainbow looked to Zecora. “Would you mind staying behind with the kids?”
Zecora raised an elegant brow in her direction. “You would leave behind your medic and guide, to venture into the fighting inside?”
A frustrated groaned whinny escaped Rainbow’s lips as she threw her hooves up in the air. “Oh come on! We can't bring them with us, can we? And we can't really leave them alone with the crystal ponies either! We need the six of us to use the Elements and that just leaves you, Cadance, or Shining Armor.”
Shining returned the expectant looks he was getting from the others dubiously. “I want to keep them safe as much as anypony else, but if we're going into combat, we’re going to need my shield spell and my experience.”
“But Miss Twilight can do it too! 'Cuz she's rilly good at any kinda magic!” Dinky pointed out, causing Twilight to flush.
Rubbing her hooves together bashfully, Twilight cleared her throat. “Aheh, thank you Dinky ... but the truth is that Shining Armor’s skill isn’t something I can learn in a day. I don’t think I could keep that up and deal with whatever else I’ll have to use my magic for.”
“Can you teach me your shield?” Dinky asked Shining Armor.” Then I can cast it over me an' Pip an' 'Lula!”
As Shining Armor tried to break it to her about how impossible that would be, a soft cough interrupted them. “Wait...” to everypony’s surprise, the gentle interruption had come from the all-but forgotten Azure Prism. “I--I’ll keep them safe.”
“You sure?” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “Because if anything happens to them...”
Azure flinched, causing Cadance to gently nudge Rainbow in the side. “Rainbow? Breathe.” The princess put a hoof to her chest, then leveled it out in front of her as she exhaled, finishing with a small smile.
Dash sighed. “Right...” She extended her foreleg out and mimicked Cadance’s gesture, adding in an extension of her wings seeing as she was a pegasi. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Sorry.”
Cadance rubbed her back. “I know what it's like to worry about a little pony you've come to care for, but I also know when to let go and trust somepony else to do it for me.” She fixed a caring but firm stare on Rainbow Dash. “And I never had to threaten the other pony to do it.”
Rainbow colored and look down. “...’M sorry.” She repeated, to Cadance and the crystal pony. “I’m sure the kids will be safe with you.”
Dinky latched onto Dash in a dunwanna-leave hug. “I don't want you to go! I've been away from you an' everypony else already!”
Rainbow winced, feeling awful for having to leave the little filly on her own again, but she didn’t have a choice. “I know...but I have to. I can't take you into a fight. Just think how mad your mom would be with me!” She smiled feebly. “It'll only be for a little bit and then I’ll be right back.”
“No!” Dinky wailed. “Mommy'd want me to stay with you! If Mister Shiny can teach me his shield spell then I can stay with you an' keep you safe.”
“No ... she wouldn't.” Dash shook her head. “She'd want you to be safe. Just like I want you to be safe. No spell can do that for you.” She gave Dinky a squeeze.
Dinky squeezed back, latching onto Rainbow’s torso pointedly. “I wanna stay with you.” She said simply.
Rainbow shut her eyes. Why did this have to be so hard? “I know, I know ... but I'm your godmom, and you have to do what I say, okay? So stay here.”
Dinky started panicking, knowing it was serious when the grownups were pulling rank. “Rainbow Dash, you're leavin' me alone again. Dunleave me alone again, 'kay?” She pleaded, her eyes wide and starting to tear up.
But Rainbow’s own eyes were tearing up as well. She hung her head. “...'M sorry.” She looked over to Azure Prism. “Keep her safe. We'll be back.” She risked a glance back to Dinky. “I promise.”
“Hey! That's not fair!” Dinky stomped her hoof, not letting go. “Rainbow Dash, I dunwanna leave you again! RAINBOW DAASH!”
Cadance slipped in behind Dinky and gently lowered her horn to a spot behind Dinky’s ear. There was a soft flash of magic and then the little filly’s eyes started drooping. Within seconds she was snoring softly, her grip on Rainbow loosening.
A second later, Dinky was being magically lifted onto Azure Prism’s back. “Sweet dreams.” Cadance whispered softly as she gently lowered Dinky down. She looked to Alula and Pipsqueak. “Please ... look out for each other and stay safe. Understand?”
The two other foals looked at Dinky and lowered their heads, their expression subdued. “I'll take care of Dinky ‘til you get back.” Alula promised.
“We’ll both take care of Dinky.” Pip corrected.
Rainbow recovered enough of her voice to murmur a scratch ‘okay.’ Azure dipped her head and started off, the two foals in tow. “Wait.” Dash called, walking over slowly to them. She stopped to gently nuzzle her sleeping god daughter. “...Love you, Dinky.” She leaned down and kissed Dinky on the forehead. She made her way back over to her friends in silence.
“It’s okay, Rainbow Dash...” Twilight whispered gently, putting her hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “You did the right thing.”
“...Yeah.” Rainbow mumbled, not agreeing or disagreeing as she watched Azure Prism take the kids away. “Let’s go find this Sombra guy and end this.”
The walk to the castle was done in silence, the streets empty and quiet as they approached the palace. It was a dark, forbidding structure with no discernable entrance. “So, how do we get into the castle?” Applejack asked.
“I know!” Pinkie Pie waved a hoof in the air.
Ignoring her, Twilight scrutinized the building. “If it’s made from that same black crystal, then we can’t use magic to get us inside.”
“I don’t see any windows…how tacky.” Rarity examined the palace critically.
Pinkie bounced up and down. “I know how!”
Shining Armor frowned in thought. “Perhaps if we made enough of a ruckus, we might convince Sombra to open up to let his forces out. Then we can punch through them and get inside before he closes the doors again.”
“Maybe.” Cadance countered. “That’s a big risk, and there’s no way to be sure all of us will be able to get inside in time.”
“Ask me! Ask meeeeeeeeeeee!” Pinkie’s whining set a vein in Rainbow’s forehead pounding.
“FINE!!!” She whirled on Pinkie, her frustration having reached the boiling point. “Go ahead and tells us what youre idea is?! Lemme guess, we throw a party and invite Sombra as the guest of honor? No wait, we tie a bunch of balloons to the castle and have it float off the ground! Or do we build a giant wooden rabbit and hide inside it? Is that it? Go on and tell us what your great idea is Pinkie, go ahead!”
Pinkie Pie blinked. “Uh…I was gonna say that we can use those pretty, red, fire-y gems that we used to make the train go that Rarity has in her bag.”
“Ah ha ha, Pinkie dear, you do go on…” Rarity chuckled sheepishly under her compatriots combined scrutiny.
Twilight blinked. “Wait, why would Rarity bring those with her?” She paused before adding. “And how do you know?”
“Who cares?” Rainbow whooped as she flew over and locked Pinkie in a friendly headlock-turned-noogie. “Pinkie Pie, you’re a genius!”
Shining Armor nodded as he caught on. “If we pile the crystals by the door and ignite them, it’ll blow them open!” He frowned. “But that depends on how many gems Rarity has with her.”
“Pardon me, Rarity.” Applejack said blithely as she marched over and neatly unslung Rarity’s saddle bags and began shaking them out. Among a number of clothes, needles, balls of thread, and a very lacey ensemble that set poor Rarity’s face ablaze when everypony looked at her questioningly, was a pile of the red stones used to power the train engine.
“They looked so pretty…” Rarity pouted in defense when everypony just looked at her oddly for basically stealing train fuel and keeping it in her bags.
“Then let’s get to it!” Rainbow scooped up the fire stones with her wings and flung them at the door. “Light ‘em up, Twilight!”
Twilight’s horn started to glow. “Hold on a minute, Rainbow.” She used her magic to group the scattered rocks together in a pile and then formed a partial shield around them. “This way, the explosive force will be directed outward, towards the doors and away from us.”
“Uh, should we be moving outta the way?” Applejack asked, backing up slightly. “Not that I don’t trust you sugarcube, it’s just…”
“Yeaaaaah.” Twilight winced. “That might be a good idea.”
Shining Armor nodded. “I got this.” A trace of pride seeped into his voice as his own magic went into effect, creating a pink shield-bubble around him, Cadance, Zecora and the six Elements of Harmony.
“Oooooh!” Pinkie squealed. “I like it! It’s so … pink!” Several ponies let out a snort.
The Captain of the Royal Guard narrowed his eyes slightly. “It’s a magical barrier. It’s one of the strongest and most durable conjured.”
“I’m sure it is.” Fluttershy complemented, coming off slightly patronizing. “It’s a very…nice color.”
Shining Armor groaned as his fiancé, little sister, ex-crush and her friends starting giggling madly. Even Zecora suddenly covered her mouth in order to let out a strangled cough. “Just set the stones off already.” He grumbled.
“Okay, BBBFF. I just need an opening in your very lovely barrier so my magic doesn’t rebound on us.” She shot him a teasing grin. “I don’t think setting us on fire would help.”
“Or would it?” Pinkie questioned, narrowing her eyes and stroking her chin in thought. “Oh wait, no, I guess not. Not unless we were made of dough and wanted to be turned into pastries, buuut I already said that turning ponies into baked goods was dumb anyway, so nevermind!”
Twilight’s face scrunched up in a textbook definition of confusion. “Ookaaay. Anyway...” she poked her horn through an opening Shining Armor made in his shield. She sent a spark of magic out to the fire rocks before quickly pulling herself back in. “That should do it!”
Everypony (and zebra) watched as the spark landed on the pile. They then turned away and quickly closed their eyes and covered their ears in anticipation of the large explosion that was sure to follow. Right now. Any second now.
...
After several long seconds, they all turned and stole a peek at the pile of red gems. Not a single thing seemed to have happened. Rainbow Dash started tapping her hoof impatiently. “Come on already, what’s taking so long?
“There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!” Pinkie pouted.
“Maybe they’re duds.” Applejack suggested, her shoulders sagging.
Fluttershy looked around at her friends before screwing up the courage to suggest. “Um, maybe if we asked the stones real nicely?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Sure Flutters, why don’t we go over there and say, ‘Oh Mr. Rock, won’t you please explode for us if you’re not too busy? Thanks.’ I’m sure that’ll--”
There was flash of white light a deafening explosion that drowned out everything else. Everypony belatedly covered their eyes and crouched down low. Shining’s shield spell was battered, but held firm against the onslaught. Finally, when the last pieces of broken crystal had pinged off the shield and everypony’s eyes swam back into focus, they lowered the shield and looked around.
The gems had certainly done their job. The massive doors to the crystal palace had not just been blown open, but had been blasted--along with a good chunk of the adjoining walls--into rubble.
“Oh ... my ...” Fluttershy whispered gently as they all hesitantly started walking towards the gaping maw that used to be a door. What lay beyond it was obscured by dust and smoke.
“Anypony got anythin’ inspiration-like t’say?” Applejack asked as she looked at the ruined doors and the smoking debries.
“There is a seapony battle cry of which I am aware.” Zecora said. “Cry halibut and let slip the cods of war!” Everypony looked at her. “…I said it was a battle cry. I never said it was good, by the by.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Moment’s gone, let’s go!” With that, she rushed forth into the breach, her friends and allies at her side.
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For some reason, when I saw the first line, my immediate thought was:
*goes to read the rest*
Into the belly of the beast they go.
Nice!
So when the group left the train behind, all of those remaining fuel gems were stolen by Rarity, bearer of the Element of Generosity... Well I guess that's fairly consistent with the tactic Discord used to corrupt her in Return of Harmony... Screw it, I'll just walk over there now. *tries to whistle inconspicuously*
Also convenient that Pinkie overlooked them when she was trying to blast that crystal in chapter 15.
2469059 it would have killed them with the blast in a limited space or collapsed more of the cave
Marvin the Martian called. He would like you to pay a royalty fee for using his copyrighted catch phrase.
*dodges brick* Just kidding!
So the gang arrives at the Crystal Empire, meet the crystal ponies, are forced to leave Dinky, Alula, and Pipsqueak with Azure Prism, go to the doors of
Sombrero'sSombra's castle, and use the fire gems that Rarity managed to sneak off of the train to knock on the doors.One typo.
The bold word needs an apostrophe.
Here, have some badges! *teleports badges directly to Trinary* There you go! Now you can display the badges without anyone else trying to steal them! *uses The Stare on Web of Hope*
fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/282/7/5/rainbow_dash_approved_by_ambris-d4bdn33.png
fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/282/e/5/twilight_sparkle_approved_by_ambris-d4c255h.png
fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/282/4/e/rarity_approved_by_ambris-d4cdq6y.png
fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/277/e/a/pinkie_pie_approved_by_ambris-d4brtm4.png
fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/345/0/9/fluttershy_approved_by_ambris-d4ivleb.png
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/345/9/d/applejack_approved_by_ambris-d4ivlan.png
Until next chapter, this is Friend of Bronies, signing off!
Well, there you go. Asking nicely can distort the laws of physics.
HAVOK AND WERRE!!!
2469102
oooh no, you're not starting that again!
2469165 No, because I'm preventing you from being able to start it!
...I read it as 'a solid bacon of light'....
Hey! I live real close to there and completely agree!
“There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!” Pinkie pouted.
Marvin the Martian joke! Oh, so much damn fun! ....I miss the old Looney Toons...
I hate it when this happens... Sometimes, in the transition from Goolge Docs (or Drive, as it's known now), entire paragraphs get deleted. This looks like one of those instances. Might wanna correct this.
Also, 'squeezes' should be 'squeezed'. It's not good to change tenses within the narrative.
2469196
oooohh yeah
heh boom
2469196
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Let's hope the idiot actually gets to say something this time. That'll make waxing his flank more worth reading.
2469758 He didn't appear in this chapter. I only give out badges belonging to characters who appeared in a chapter.
2474585
I changed it to keep with the rainbow theme.
But if Sombra Hired ninjas...
cdn.onelargeprawn.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/Ninja_cant_catch_01.jpg
2476849
I don't think so...she's been established as a unicorn throughout. I'll go back and check. If you can recall where I call her an alicorn, please let me know.
I think the March of Cambreadth would be the perfect song for this moment. So many of the lyrics fit:
Axes flash, broadsword swing,
Shining armour's piercing ring
Horses run with polished shield,
Fight Those Bastards till They Yield
Midnight mare and blood red roan,
Fight to Keep this Land Your Own
Sound the horn and call the cry,
How Many of Them Can We Make Die!
Follow orders as you're told,
Make Their Yellow Blood Run Cold
Fight until you die or drop,
A Force Like Ours is Hard to Stop
Close your mind to stress and pain,
Fight till You're No Longer Sane
Let not one damn cur pass by,
How Many of Them Can We Make Die!
Guard your women and children well,
Send These Bastards Back to Hell
We'll teach them the ways of war,
They Won't Come Here Any More
Use your shield and use your head,
Fight till Every One is Dead
Raise the flag up to the sky,
How Many of Them Can We Make Die!
Dawn has broke, the time has come,
Move Your Feet to a Marching Drum
We'll win the war and pay the toll,
We'll Fight as One in Heart and Soul
Midnight mare and blood red roan,
Fight to Keep this Land Your Own
Sound the horn and call the cry,
How Many of Them Can We Make Die!
2469196 Good job! You finally learned your lesson! By lesson, I mean not starting ANOTER mini ( but fun) flame war in the comments.
by the way, 
right back at you.
2476875 Uh trinary... Cadance should be an alicorn. Why? Because celestia marryed sometime along the line and... Go see mr cake about it. And don't ask me were the baby's come from!
2476875
I don't care what the other ponies say, it's your story AND YOU'RE GONNA WRITE HOW YOU LIKE!
2476875
Well even if you never actually called her an alicorn you weren't really clear about what she was/is. The first time you mention her you described a pink unicon sticking her head out of of doorway, but you did it from the perspective of Rainbow Dash, who, i think, didn't know Cadence at the time. And if you can't see an alicorn's wings they just look like tall unicorns. You really need to make it clearer when she is first trotted out in full view that she is a unicorn in you 'verse because otherwise readers will just assume she is the same from the show.
All that aside i am absolutely loving this 'verse. I actually have no problem with Cadence being a unicorn, hell it make a lot more sense that the canon. just be clearer about it ok?
But ya... In order for blueblood to be related to celestia that meets she married awhile ago and Alicorn was in the genes when it finally came to cadence. If that's different in the dash verse I'm fine with it. In fact it's better. But, like I said before, ya. I feel so awkward for posting this....
234754 I know this off topic but I just got to ask... Is camping abandoned?
2502640
No, it is not. I'll admit my writing mojo for the story has been kinda empty for a while, but I have no intention of leaving it unfinished.
2469300
I lost a tooth in Detroit.
I was only there for an hour
Something I was wondering about at the end of the chapter was how Shining's shield protected them from the crystal. It's not supposed to be effected by magic, so how did the magical shield stop the chunks?
----------
Comma.
Comma.
"he" and no comma.
Comma.
Comma.
Either "With Dash as" or "As Dash is" I'd go with the first one.
"as"
No comma.
Comma.
Comma.
Capitalize.
Comma.
Comma.
Comma.
Comma.
"scratchy"
Comma.
Comma.
"your" Also, this should not have an interrobang. At most, it should have two exclamation marks.
One word.
need i say more
So Rarity who were you going to be wearing that little number for?
OMG, Sombra! Do you want to be royalty so much you'd.... I just don't know you are more!
2468924 I hate you for how I'm laughing right now...
Anyway, I so wanna hug Dinky and the foals and just... GYAH! KILL SOMBRA! Flay his soul!
Also, the backtalk to Pinkie? I needed that. :p
o3o so a lot of your ideas are VERY similar to ideas I had for my own future plans for an alternate universe take on the crystal empire. Not exactly the same midn you but pieces here and there do spring to mind.
And I didn't read this story before coming up with the idea o3o
Monty Python joke found!
You must ask the stones very nicely if they could blow up, or else they won't...
I am DECEASED.