It's the kids 5th birthday, and their parents thought a visit to see the ponies would be a good gift, but then an old enemy comes back...
It's been five years since Emma, Sophie, and Billy were born. Since then they, along with their parents, have been visiting Equestria whenever they can.
Coming up to their fifth birthday they get gifts from someone who says they just want to give them something for their big day. But one of the gifts is holding a dark secret thanks to the man who gave them the gifts.
Five years... It took five years for him to get out of the frozen wasteland he was tricked into going to.
Oh... when he finds that Human brat that made that happen he will not hesitate to kill him. the man thought as he walked down the street a dark leather jacket on his back, thick wave locks of black hair falling around his face.
He was just passing by a shop window when the 'television' began to show something that made him stop and watch, his teeth grinding all the way.
'And here it is folks,' the news reporter said holding up what looked like a children's book 'The Elements of Harmony'* 'A marvelous set of stories based in a world, where four humans find themselves in a magical land where friendship can over come anything. Written by Suzy Ling and illustrated by Jackson Jones.' the news reporter said as the camera moved off of her and onto the guests making the man gasp realizing it was them and making his anger rise even more. 'Please Suzy, Jack, what made you come up with the idea of this place? And where did you come up with so many great ideas and pictures?' the reporter asked again as the screen began to show some of Jackson's pictures.
'Well some of the stories are actually set, or based around events that actually happened between us and our friends. Suzy said smiling gently. 'One of them is actually based on how I met Jack here.'
'And Jack, please tell us wherever did you come up with so many wonderful pictures?' the reporter asked.
'I've always been told I have a big imagination, Jack said shrugging a smirk on his face 'When I was younger, I had always been into myths and legends as well. So I just combined those together, along with the requests Suzy asked for, and I let my pencil do the rest.'
'To both of you,' the reporter said getting both their attentions 'If you had to choose between all the stories in here... Which would be your favorite and why?'
Well mine would be when the village boy meets the girl on the other side of the war and brings their families together. Because that's the one set on when Jack and I met.' Suzy said smirking eyes turning away from the reporter and the camera and going to Jack who was smiling at the words a bit.
'Mine would be the one after that, when they have have to free their kids, from the Ice Wizard's clutches and his misunderstood dragon, because the Wizard was set on someone I once knew and did... not... like all that well which is why I set him as the villain, and got the hero's to banish him to 'Tartarus' ' Jack said smiling answering the question.
'Did he just say kids?' the man said getting an idea that could truly ruin their lives in his head.
'And Jack one last question,' the reporter said kindly 'Rumor is you began these drawing five years ago when you were just having your beloved children,' she said a family photo coming up showing Jack, Suzy, and three children all looking the same age, but one having brown hair and the other two having platinum blonde hair. 'What made you finally give in, to putting your pictures and Suzy's words together and coming up with one of the most beloved children's story books of all time?'
'It was either all the nagging of 'You're a great artist Jack you have to do it!' I got from my cousin and her family, thanks Sarah,' Jack said leaning to one way 'Or as a way to, as I heard my aunt say 'To help fend for the children',' he said leaning the other way.
'And it turns out they're turning five in a few weeks,' the reporter said changing the subject 'Any plans on what to do for their birthday?'
'Oh we have some plans,' Jack said smiling 'But it's a surprise so I'm afraid we can't say anything.'
'Well thank you for coming in and I hope whatever you have planned it will be great,' the reporter said smile before turning to the camera again 'And now for the weather...'
At last the man outside the window backed away, not interested in the weather, a thoughtful and cunning look on his face and a plan going through his mind.
Running as fast as he dared, he made it to a news agents and picked up a paper and went searching finding the pests story and looking for wherever Jack and Suzy may live finding it.
"I will have my revenge Jackson Jones," the man said quietly "No one fools King Sombra and get away with it." he said looking at the family picture again "Hmm... And I think, I'll start with that little odd one out of your brats..." he said chuckling to himself slightly.
Over at the TV Studio, Jack and Suzy were just coming off the set and reuniting with their kids and best friends/family Sarah and Eric.
"I have this feeling one of you three asked that women to ask us what our plans were didn't you?" Jack asked eyeing his children as if there were in a police line up.
"She/He/She did it Papa" the three of then said together pointing to each other in a triangle.
"Hope ours don't end up like them when they come right Sarah..." Eric whispered into his fiance's ear. He had proposed to her a few months ago - well he proposed twice, once in Equestria and once here at the top of a carnivals ferries wheel.
"Going by the 'Runs-In-The-Family' trait my side has I seriously doubt it," Sarah said back holding the hand of the shyest of he second-cousins Emma, who was sucking her thumb again after accusing her sister.
"While I admit it was very clever, cunning and sneaky to get someone else to do your job for you," Suzy said coming down to her children's eye level "One it's bad to do that, and two it wouldn't of worked anyway."
"Sworry Mammy," the three said looking to their toes.
"In fact," Suzy said getting up a smirk on her face and looking to Jack "I don't think they should get what we were planning on giving them anymore because of this. Do you Jack?"
"As a matter of fact, no I do not, Love Bug," Jack said playing along trying not to laugh at his children's shocked faces.
"But... But then we wont get anything until Christmas and that's AGES away Papa," Emma said speaking up, her eyes growing wide and lip trembling, as Billy and Sophie began to fight each other saying 'It was their fault'.
"How about you just take away their dessert for tonight, Jack," Sarah said lifting Emma to her hip to cheer her up. "Besides with the idea I have on what their gift will be, I doubt there are people who would want you to do this other then your kids."
"Hmm... No dessert, or No birthday surprise..." Jack said getting into his thinking pose and tapping his foot, Sophie and Billy coming to a halt and quick as a whip coming off each other and dusting themselves down and looking up at their dad with big pleading eyes. "What do you think Eric?"
"Hey I don't want any part in this," Eric said halfway through a mug of coffee. "You can't decide flip a coin."
"Fine..." Jack said digging into his pocket to pull out his flipping coin. "Heads dessert, Tails birthday seem fair?" he asked looking around to everyone though Sarah just rolled her eyes recognizing the coin as his double-headed one, but stayed quiet."
With a flick of his thumb, Jack caught the coin again slammed it onto his hand then peeked underneath. "Well it seems kids..." he said sounding dreary making the children worried "That it's... Heads! You'll get your surprise after all."
"YEAH!" Billy and Sophie cried out while Emma just went "Yay..." she was always the quiet one out of the three of them.
That night at the hotel they were all staying at together, the grownups were having a meeting after they put the kids to sleep.
"So let me guess..." Sarah said going back to the conversation they had that morning "The surprise will be having their birthday in Equestria right?"
"Not just any part of Equestria my dear cousin," Jack said in his 'Old English' voice "But the Crystal Empire. We thought that now Sombra's gone, and we always go to either Ponyville or Canterlot, it will be a nice change," he explained.
"And my guess is Pinkie's planning something big for their big day..." Eric said leaning back against his chair and arms crossed a smirk on his face.
"Well it was either her or Cheese Sandwich," Suzy said answering straight away "But although Cheese said he wanted to work with Pinkie again, he was getting a calling from somewhere else for a three way Cuteceanera."
"And you gave a Pinkie Promise to be there which is why you used you special coin right?" Sarah asked.
"No," Jack said trying to look innocent "I was using that coin because I didn't want my kids to wait ages for presents."
"You spoil them Jack Jones," Sarah and Eric say together.
Just then there was a knock on the door.
All looking confused at each other, sure they put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign they watched as Jack got up and went to answer the door.
As he opened it there was a man, maybe in his early thirties, with long black hair he had in a pony-tail to keep it out of his face and bright green eyes, wearing a black leather jacket, a red shirt, and black trousers and trainers, around his neck he wore a crystal on a chain.
"May I help you?" Jack asked waving at the others to one of them check on the kids and the others to stay put, not liking the look of this guy.
"Hello, my name is Alex," the man said introducing himself "I saw you on the news this morning, and may I say I look forward to reading the stories to my children when I get my copy."
"Look Sir," Jack said stopping 'Alex' there "If all you want is a free copy intending on getting it with praise... My wife and I are not like that and our children are in bed so if you'd be so kind..."
"Oh you misunderstand me Jackson Jones," Alex said keeping the door open "No What I've come here for is to belay a few gifts I got the tykes for their birthday that was mentioned on the show as well," he said holding up his bag that he had in his hand, a kind but looking forced smile on his face.
Not sure what to do Jack looked over his shoulder at Sarah and Eric - Suzy went to check the kids, and gave a questioning look.
"It would be rude... not to accept them I suppose," Sarah said in an unsure voice.
"As long as we check them first, I don't really see anything wrong," Eric said having learnt from is uncle who had up to five months in hospital, when something like this happened to him, not to accept gifts from strangers.
"Fine we'll take the gifts. And we will give them to them tomorrow," Jack said holding his hand out.
"I understand," Alex said nodding and handing the bag over. "Just so you know I know their names from the paper, in case you're worried I've been spying on you," he said nodding to the presents. "Well see you around and hope they have a great birthday," he said waving as he left the doorway and went down the corridor.
Coming back into the room Jack went over to the table and spilt out the gift-bag onto it.
Inside was a diary, a doll, and a sketch pad and set of pencils.
At first glance nothing seemed off, but all three of them had a feeling in their bellies that there was something... off about that guy they just didn't know what it was.
o0o
Outside Sombra was looking up to the window that was to the room of the Jones' and smirked. "And let the fun... Begin." he said his face turning more evil than it had ever been in this world as he let off his dark chuckle and walked off into the shadows of the night.
The next morning just before the kids woke up Jack, Suzy, Eric and Sarah were having one last check and talk about the gifts this 'Alex' person brought for them.
"I know I've never met him before," Jack said finishing his sketch on what Alex looked like and showing it to Suzy since she didn't see him. "But it just felt like I did from somewhere. And even without that feeling, I have a bad feeling about these gifts... I just don't know why."
"Well he must of known you at least to want to do such a thing," Suzy said looking into her memory to try and remember or recognize who this person is.
"Jack we've been over the gifts as much inside and out as we can for eight hours," Sarah said yawning slightly a cup of coffee in her hand. "If there was something off about them I'd of think we'd of found them by now wouldn't you?"
"I suppose," Jack said picking up the doll again that looked just like Emma with black four-holed button eyes - this gift giving off the most feeling of 'Don't-Trust-Me'. "Ok They can have them. I'm not all that happy about it... But there you go."
"So when will they get them?" Eric said his ears picking up on a door opening and trying to be quiet cries of excitement.
"On their birthday in a few weeks," Jack said smirking having heard the cries too.
"NO!!!" Sophie and Billy's loud cries came out as they came rushing up to their parents and Sarah and Eric, Emma slowly coming out after them sucking her thumb "PLEASE CAN WE HAVE THEM NOW?! PLEASE!" the two blondes cried out.
"Well they did say 'Please'," Sarah said looking to Jack and Sarah.
"Yeah, so I heard," Jack said rubbing his ear checking they still worked.
"Ok you can get them now," Suzy said looking to her children "However if you find anything wrong with them. Anything at all... I want you to give them back to either me or Daddy and tell us. Got it?" she asked looking at the three of them who all nodded and said together...
"Cross my heart, Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Ok Billy get the sketch book," Suzy said checking the names "Sophie gets the diary. And Emma get the doll."
"THANKS MAMMY!" the blonde cried and rushed back to their room to put them somewhere safe.
"Thank you Mammy," Emma said taking the doll and looking at it seeing it looked just like her right down to her favorite outfit.
"Right then who's up for breakfast?" Eric asked going to the kitchen part of the room and checking what cereal the hotel gave them.
After breakfast the family packed up their things and went to the hotel car-park getting ready to leave - they were only to stay for one night.
On the ride home, Sophie and Billy were squibbling away in their presents and playing games with their parents while Eric drove, and Sarah navigated and Emma just hugged her doll and napped.
She never liked playing games as much as Sophie and Billy did. Nor did she like being as loud as them.
What she liked was being like her Auntie Fluttershy, kind, quiet, peaceful, loving and beloved by all the animals.
Fluttershy was her role model in Equestria, but here her role model was her Mummy and Auntie Sarah. *o* At the moment she was having a nice dream of all of her family and the ponies and Uncle Discord (he told them to call him Uncle because Grandpa made him sound old) in a town in Equestria she had never seen before, and everything was was like... like crystals.
The family went into the palace passing a spinning heart, and into the throne room where suddenly everything went black and Emma found herself on her own.
'Mammy? Papa?' she asked looking around hugging her new present tighter.
Then a light got switched on and it revealed a descending spiral staircase.
Not sure what to do but seeing it was the only way out of the room, Emma moved forward and began to take the stairs. After a bit she came to the bottom and found a door. Slowly she walked up to the door, her doll still close to her, and reached out...
"Emma..." someone called and the door was fading away as she woke up. *o* "Emma... We're home sweetie, time to wake up," Sarah said gently shaking the little girl again, this time waking her up.
Slowly, Emma opened her eyes and yawned as Sarah undid her safety-seat's seat belt and brought her out of the car.
"Auntie Sarah..." Emma said quietly so no one heard her except Sarah. "What would you say if I said I had a weird dream just now..." she asked hand tight on the doll and wanting to keep it but remembering her Pinkie Promise to her parents.
"It depends what made it weird sweetie," Sarah said taking her into the house Jack and Suzy now live in - they were able to afford it with all the money they were making on their book.
"Well... We were in Equestria," she began once she was set down and they were out of the way of the door so the others could come in. "I know we were because the ponies and Uncle Discord were there too... But it was somewhere I didn't know. Anyway, we went into some kind of palace, then everything went dark and no one was there with me... After going down some stairs I found, I saw a door, but you woke me up before I could see what was on the other side."
"Have you had this dream before, sweetie?" Sarah asked, trying to get all the facts.
"No," Emma said shaking her head.
"Did you eat anything different last night before you went to bed?"
"Nuh uh."
Sarah was thinking then saw Jack coming in. Waving to him to come over but be quiet and listen Sarah asked. "When you said it was somewhere you didn't know... What did it look like?"
"It... It was like everything, the walls of the buildings, the roads, the ponies themselves..." Emma began not noticing her daddy was there listening in getting nervous with each word "Were all made of crystals. And as we went into the palace there was a spinning heart to the... left." she said after working out which side it was.
Looking up, a small questioning look in her eyes, Sarah saw Jack, nod and a motion to wrap this up.
"Ok... Well, I'm not sure what to say sweetie, except to tell me or someone else if you have it again," Sarah said looking into the girls eyes gently stroking her arm. "Ok?"
"Ok..." Emma said and speed off to her room to introduce her new doll to all her other dolls, not noticing her daddy as she left.
"I'm guessing what she saw was the Crystal Empire then?" Sarah said getting up and dusting off her trousers.
"Yep..." Jack said a disappointed look on his face. "Wonder how she got that dream though. I'm sure Suzy and me asked Luna not to spoil it for her, and she hasn't been there before so she wouldn't know anything about it." he said as they made for the kitchen where Eric and Suzy were having some tea.
"What's wrong?" Eric asked curious.
"Somehow... Emma now knows of the Crystal Empire," Jack said going though the post and finding some bills, and some birthday cards for the triplets from Sarah's parents.
"Does she know that's where we're going for their birthday?" Suzy asked taking a sip of her tea with honey.
"Not that I got out of her," Sarah said replaying what the girl said.
Just them there was a 'THUD' and two cries of 'MAMMY! PAPA!' and Billy and Sophie were soon in the kitchen Billy holding his arm and Sophie looking upset.
"EMMA PUSHED ME/SOPHIE OVER AND THE BIT BILLY/ME ON THE ARM BECAUSE HE WAS REACHING FOR HER NEW DOLL!" they both screamed out together tears in their eyes. *o* Being around kids more than the others Jack understood what they were screaming right away and got up and rushed upstairs to the children's shared room where Emma was on the window seat speaking to the new doll and apologizing to it for Billy trying to take it away.
Knocking on the door Jack made himself known to his daughter and came into the room.
Looking up, Emma gasped and pulled her blanket over her and the doll's head - something she did when ever she was afraid.
"I'm not here to hurt you baby," Jack said slowly coming over and sitting next to her pulling the blanket off. "I'm just wondering what made you do that to your brother and sister," he said explaining why he was there.
"So... Sophie wouldn't leave me alone when I said I didn't want to play with her..." Emma said quietly crawling onto her daddy's lap "And Billy tried to take Little Emma away from me and use her as the prize at the end of the game they wanted to play."
"So instead of saying 'I don't want to play, thank you,' you shoved Sophie over and bit Billy on the arm?" Jack asked an accusing tone to his voice.
"I did say that, but they didn't listen..." Emma said hugging her daddy her face to his chest hand clamped to her doll's arm "They never listen to me... Nobody does..."
"Hey... hey... hey..." Jack said rubbing her back and pulling away to look at her "I listen to you, Sarah listens to you, Mummy listens to you... Just because someone doesn't listen to you doesn't mean you can be mean to them. Maybe their ears are just turned off because they're too excited to pick up anything," he said speaking of Sophie and Billy.
"Sworry Papa..." Emma said calming down and sniffing a bit, rubbing her eyes. "I promise not to do it again."
"Good," Jack said smiling putting Emma onto the floor and then standing up himself. "Now lets go repeat that to your brother and sister shall we?" he said holding out a hand a kind smile on his face.
After putting Little Emma down, Emma slowly reached out for her daddy's hand and together they left the room.
From his home that was just an abandoned/rundown school house, Sombra was smiling joyfully as the camera's he put in the doll watched the girl and Jack leave the room, not believing that his plan actually worked. Or that it was working so fast.
He had got the doll made especially made by a toy maker to make it look like the brown haired girl, to make her love it even more.
Then using almost all the magic he had left in his crystal placed a bit of dark magic inside it along with a camera spell so he could see what was going on.
And judging by how she reacted just now just by her brother trying to take it, she will become super attached to it when the time comes for the next part of his plan to work out - Getting back into Equestria.
For the next few days, Emma was playing with the doll more and more.
They did everything together... They went to bed together, they read books together, they watched tv together, Little Emma even helped Emma in coloring in her pictures books.
And every night after having dinner with the family, Little Emma was the toy Emma always took to bed.
"Mammy, can I take Little Emma with us on our birthday?" Emma asked yawning slightly.
It was three days before their birthday and she wanted her friend to be there for it.
"I think it will be safer for her to stay here butterfly," Suzy said seeing Sophie and Billy roll their eyes at Emma's question having gotten fed-up with her always being around the doll. "You wouldn't want her to get lost would you?"
"I guess not..." Emma said quietly sinking into bed "But what if I promise not to lose her? Can I take her then?"
"We'll see..." Suzy said kissing the eldest on the fore head before going to Sophie and then Billy.
*o* Downstairs Jack was going through all his ponyverse sketches looking for inspiration for a new set of drawings for a new story Suzy had written.
"Hey Honeybee..." Suzy said coming over and making him stop his searching "Would it be alright if Emma brought her doll to Equestria you think?" she asked replaying the girls question.
"I don't know," Jack said avoiding Suzy's eyes. "I was meaning to go on my own and get either Discord or Luna at least to look at it. I know it's been a while and Em's not come back with it or had that dream again... But I still feel like something's off about it. But she's so protective over it, I can't get it away from her."
"Have you tried getting it away from her when she's asleep?" Suzy asked coming around and rubbing the boy's shoulders.
"She has the grip of a Pinkie Pie who has gone three days with out her best friend..." Jack said explaining "Every time I move it, or slip it out from under her, she strengthens her hold on it."
"So is it a Yes of No dear?" Suzy asked going back to the first question.
"Well how else are we going to get it there?" Jack asked gently shaking her off and going back to the pictures finding one in particular "But then we'll have the problem of getting it away from her while we're there and she has her magic to fed us off as well..."
"We'll work it out when we get there," Suzy said making a note to tell Emma the news in the morning. "You coming to bed or are you going to stay here for a bit?"
"I'll be along in a minute," Jack said calmly "Just got to tidy all this up first," nodding Suzy left.
Once she was gone Jack went searching into his bag and pulled out his sketch book and flipped to the picture of 'Alex' and was stunned.
Picking up the phone, he hit the first speed dial number and his 'call'.
After a few rings an upset at being woken up in the middle of the night Sarah answered.
'You better have a good reason for this Jackson Jones...' her voice said a yawn coming off from her.
"Is the like-able safety of my kids good enough?" Jack asked in a hushed but stern voice.
'What?' Sarah asked sounding more awake.
"I'm not sure if I'm right, or really how," Jack said looking at the pictures again "But I think I know who 'Alex' is."
'And that is...' Sarah asked dragging on the word.
"Sombra," Jack said staring at the picture of the former king of the Crystal Empire and the picture of 'Alex'.
Jack didn't get very much sleep that night.
After getting of the phone with Sarah, her giving him a promise that she and Eric will be there the next day so they can all go to Equestria and tell the ponies about this... He went to the children's room to once again try and get the doll away from Emma... And once again failed.
He had thought of telling Suzy, but she was asleep by the he got there and he didn't think this should be a thing to disturb her night with.
Telling himself he wouldn't get to sleep at all, Jack got back up, wrote a note and after putting on his coat went for a walk around the block and a think.
"Well... As Sarah said it has been five years," Jack said to himself after a bit. "But then... How did he find us, and how come Chrysalis isn't here too?"
After ten more minutes of walking in silence, Jack was coming back up to his house again and was about to get out his keys when the door opened itself to ravel a not too happy/worried Suzy, telling Jack she had found out.
Coming in and shutting the door Jack prepared for what was to come, ready to get a full on blast on How this could happen? and How could he not of seen it to start with?
But all he got was a small... "What are we going to do?"
"Tomorrow, Sarah and Eric are coming over," Jack said firmly relaying the call he made earlier "And we're going to go to Equestria to get this sorted out. But now, we need to keep Emma and the others as far away from that doll and their gifts as possible. I doubt he did anything to the diary and the sketch book... But I've come across paper objects that are soaking in dark magic."
"But she never lets go of it remember?" Suzy said worried as she began to pace "And she'll want an explanation as to why we're taking it away..." Suzy continued speaking out the problems "She didn't know Sombra, Jack. She'll just think that we're being mean and horrible parents."
She will not think that..." Jack said catching her and pulling her into a hug. "I'm not sure what she will think, but I doubt she'll think that... Now come on, lets get back to bed. We can worry about this more in the morning when Sarah and Eric get here."
With that they went back to bed after checking up on the children first, and failing once again to take the doll away from the eldest.
The next morning, while Suzy and the children were having breakfast, Jack went into their room and found the sketchpad and the diary, knowing the doll will be in Emma's grasp at the table.
After taking them back to his room and into a bag he'd be wearing when they went to Equestria later which also contained the pictures, he went to answer the door.
"Hey cuz," Jack said opening it to reveal Sarah and Eric, inviting them in. "Didn't expect you to be this early, we haven't even finished breakfast yet.
"Yeah well, anything to do with what you told us last night," Sarah said quietly eyes shooting over to the kids "Is worth getting up early for."
"If you say so dear," Eric said yawning and stretching a bit.
"AUNTIE SARAH!" Billy and Sophie cried as they, and Emma came to welcome her and Eric into the house, their eyes big and expecting.
"No... no presents yet kids," Sarah said figuring out what they wanted "We've just come to join you and your parents on a trip to Equestria, you daddy and I planned last night."
"Why?" Emma asked looking scared, knowing that the whole family doesn't go to Equestria on short notice unless something bad was happening.
"We need to ask the Princesses and Uncle Discord something," Jack said putting the bag on his back and brought out the pencil nodding to Eric who held up his paint brush.
"What do you need to ask them?" Emma asked again clutching her doll tighter scared they'd take it away. "You're not going to take Little Emma away are you?" she asked.
"We just want to ask them on if they've heard of any news from someone who fought against us before you were born butterfly," Suzy said kneeling before her daughter silently asking to be trusted.
"Ok... But I can still take her right?" she asked quietly smiling when she got nods from everyone.
Once the breakfast things were cleared and everyone was ready, they all used the silver item in question and zapped out of there on their way to Equestria.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Sombra was at war with himself. He was mad that the boy and how the other brats knew of his plan. But... He was pleased that they are being dumb enough to take the doll with them to Equestria, where the Dark Magic will be enhanced and take over the girl quicker and bring him back sooner too.
"I guess," he told himself "It really depends on where they turn up when they get there..."
With that he returned to the screen a dark smile on his face.
The family opened their eyes when they felt the magic wear off to find themselves on the hills next to Ponyville.
Sarah, wearing her rainbow dress and knee high boots, and her white wings catching the light of the afternoon sun her hair in it's usual ponytail, and charm bracelet glowing.
Suzy, in her midnight blue dress with slip-on flats, black and purple fingerless gloves, and hair flying free.
Emma and Sophie both in plain white but beautiful looking ankle length dresses with white slip-on-flats, and their hair in high (upbraided) pigtails.*
Eric in his rainbow knight's form of Sarah's Harmony outfit, the chest plate showed a shield with a rainbow pattern and six gems on it and red cape.
Jack in his Student of Discord outfit looking just like his master minus the wings with his odd socks and shoes - one bright green the other brown, his right handed fingerless glove and short sleeve, while his left sleeve was a three quarter one and his hand was glove free and finally a full length brown coat and a crown with different animal horns.
And Billy wore a pair of brown trousers, a blue hoodie, and white trainers.
"Do these things have a return to sender thing or something then?" Eric asked looking over his sword checking "Because every time we come here we end up here."
"Only because this is the place you visit the most," Jack answered putting his pencil away and checking that the things in the bag survived the journey.
"So we don't always have to pop up here?" Sarah asked going back to Eric's first question. "So how do we go to different places?"
"Well one you'd of had to of been there before," Jack said standing back up and making sure all of his children were there "And two you need to think hard on where you want to go. Now come on. Off to Canterlot..." he said snapping his fingers poofing them all to the capital of the place.
*o* Up in Canterlot Twilight and her friends were visiting, enjoying a shopping trip for gifts for the Triplets' birthday in a few days.
"Oh I do hope they like the presents we've brought for them," Twilight said as they came out of the shop and began to walk up the street.
"I'm sure they'll love them Twilight," Applejack said getting nods from the others.
Just then Pinkie looked up and around and gasped. Grabbing all the gift bags she stuffed them into her mane and then leaned against a conveniently well placed lamp post and began to whistle.
Before anyone could ask what was wrong the Jones Family popped up out of nowhere and they were assaulted by the kids.
"Hi guys," Jack said waving to them. "Fancy running into you ah?"
"Hey you lot," Twilight hugging Sophie at the moment "What are you doing here? I thought their birthday wasn't until Saturday. We didn't get the dates wrong did we?"
"Twi, Twi calm down," Sarah said bringing the purple princess back. "This visit has nothing to do with their birthday we promise."
"Well what is it for then?" Rainbow Dash asked allowing Billy onto her back as she floated above the others.
"Well first we'd like to be in a bit less populated area..." Suzy said, Emma next to her her doll in her hand, looking around and seeing all the looks the snobby rich ponies of Canterlot were giving them. "And next we'd like at least Celestia and Luna to be in on this too."
"Right," Twilight said nodding beginning to lead them to the castle.
Up at the castle the guards quickly escorted the groups into the throne room, where they met Celestia on the throne doing paperwork and Luna off by the windows playing with her pet possum.
"AUNTIE TIA!" Billy and Sophie screamed running up to her, startling her into miss-signing her name right.
"Oh hello dears," she said laughing passing the work back to her secretary who packed up and left. "And hello to you as well everyone.
While her brother and sister were saying their greetings to Celestia, Emma went over to Luna. Luna was always the Princess she liked more out of he Royal Sisters.
"Hi Auntie Luna..." she said quietly, Little Emma behind her back.
"Hello Emma," Luna said smiling a bit more now there was something fun to be had "And whatever might that be you're hiding behind your back?"
"A birthday present from someone a few weeks ago," Emma said bringing the doll out into the light.
After looking at it for a second, Tiberius went to hide behind Luna's back legs not trusting the doll the girl was holding.
"Huh, that's odd," Luna said stepping aside and turning to her pet. "Tiberius what's wrong?"
After a few squeaks and points and shakes of the head, Luna looked to the doll Emma was holding again and then to her parents.
"Jack, Suzy you mind if I speak to you privately for a bit?" she said getting everyone's attention and then walking out of the room Jack and Suzy following her.
o0o
Once they had left and were in a room down the hall a bit, Luna turned to them.
"You must get that doll away from you daughter and destroy it as soon as possible," she said straight away.
"We know," Jack said having one of those rare moments when he's serious meaning something's up. "But she doesn't want to get rid of it. We haven't told her yet that it's dangerous. We only just found out ourselves. We just told her and the others - they got gifts too they're in here," he said taking his bag off "To give them back and tell us if something's funny with them and she hasn't said anything yet."
"I shall get these looked at," Luna said taking the diary and sketch pad. "But who's the person who could of given your children these objects?"
"We think..." Suzy said biting her lip looking to Jack who began pulling out the pictures "It was Sombra."
o0o
Back in the throne room Emma was showing the ponies her doll, watching like a hawk as they passed it around and complemented whoever made it.
"Why it looks just like you dear," Rarity said nodding and holding it up so the doll and Emma were side by side.
"I wonder why Sophie and Billy didn't get some if they're so good at it to make one for Emma..." Twilight asked out loud.
"Doll's are boring/for girls" Sophie and Billy said together.
"No they're not!" Emma cried snatching Little Emma back and hugging her "You're just too dumb and fussy to realize what you're missing."
And with that she ran out of the room to go play with Little Emma on her own, everyone stunned at how she just reacted.
"There's something up with that doll isn't there?" Applejack asked looking to Sarah and Eric getting nods, as Jack, Suzy and Luna came back in.
"Mammy?" Sophie asked quietly meaning she was worried "Is Emma going to be ok?"
"The only way for her to be ok ladybird," she said petting her daughters hair and looking at everyone "Is if we can get that cursed doll away from her and destroy it, before Sombra uses it to destroy her."
"Who?" the children asked looking around confused while the ponies gasped, and their eyes going wide.
"Sombra was a... not very nice pony who along with Mummy's old Queen, destroyed and took over nearly all of Equestria," Jack said lifting Billy up as he told the story comforting him. "Along the way he..." he said looking to Sarah who just avoided his eyes and gripped her arm and bit her lip meaning she didn't want any part in this. "Well he did some very mean things. In the end we, well I, tricked him and Chrysalis to go through one of those old magic mirrors and sent them to the South Pole on Earth where we thought they'd not bother anyone ever again... Turns out I was wrong."
"To be fair, like Sarah said to you last night Jack," Eric said trying to cheer him up "It has been just over five years."
"That's not the point," Jack said looking to Eric "I... knew there was something wrong with that doll, and him when he came to our door... And yet I accepted the gifts and gave them to the kids."
"Papa?" Billy asked getting Jack's attention back "What happened to Chris... Chris-a-liss?"
"My guess dragonfly..." Suzy said strangely not caring if this were true or not "They're either all frozen, or all dead."
"So why's Sombra not like that?" Sophie asked confused.
"Because he's probably more used to it," Twilight said speaking up getting the kids to look to her. "Sombra was the king of the Crystal Empire one thousand years ago," she said taking the crystal beside the throne which Celestia used to teach her about it a few years ago and struck it with light magic.
A circle of light hit the floor and a miniature Crystal Empire appeared complete with ponies.
"Wow..." the rest of the five, Sarah, Eric, Sophie and Billy said amazed.
"But instead of earning that title... He took over it," Twilight continued and as she did the colors and the beauty disappeared to be replaced with grey and brown floors and buildings and black spiky crystals finishing up with the palace being covered in them and Sombra's head at the top most spire. "He was over thrown by Celestia and Luna, turned to shadow, and banished to the ice of the arctic North. But not before he was able to put a curse upon the empire. A curse that caused it to vanish into thin air," she continued as the crystal lit up again and the map went away "Sombra spent one thousand years under the cold of the ice. No one knows how he did it. But somehow he did."
"My guess," Sarah said speaking up after staying quiet all this time "Was it had something to do with the 'turned to shadow' part. Either that or is dark magic. We only met him once, but I could tell it was frozen already so he probably didn't feel it."
"You mean like Papa, Auntie Sarah?" Sophie asked smiling again.
"No. Sombra's nothing like you dad," she said sighing again "I think I'll go look for Emma."
All the time the ponies and her family were talking about whatever old people and ponies talk about, Emma was trying to find somewhere where she could play with Little Emma in piece finally finding refuge in the library.
Quickly, after asking the librarian if it was ok, she built a book fortress using her magic she got from her mum and dad to move the books, building it so it was nice and simple - Emma always found snow and chaos magic harder to do than Sophie and Billy.
Once it was done, she found a children's story and settled down with Little Emma to begin reading.
o0o
After her third book, Emma was getting a bit bored.
"I wish you were real Little Me," Emma said picking up the doll and making it look to her "That way we can have loads more fun, and we can show Sophie and Billy that dolls are not boring or for girls."
'But I am real...' a voice said inside her head.
"Huh?" Emma asked looking around to see if there was anyone there, spotting the librarian but she was too far away from the fort.
Then looking to the doll again asked "Did... Did you just say something?"
'I did,' the same voice said 'I said 'I am real'. I'm just shy, that's why I haven't said anything yet. Or spoken around your family.'
"Emma?" a new voice said her name as the door to the library opened up.
'You can't tell anyone I'm real Emma. They'll never understand. No one ever understands you. Only I do...' the doll said.
"There you are Emma," Sarah said looking down onto her second cousin smiling slightly less when she saw the doll. "You know, you should know better to run off like that." she said coming down to sit on the ground.
"I just wanted to be alone," Emma said avoiding her Auntie Sarah's eyes "And I know this place. I wasn't going to get lost."
"I understand that dear," Sarah said trying not to upset her. "But what if we were somewhere you've never been before, around ponies who you don't know who could take you away from us because you were all on your own?"
"But I wanted to be on my own..." Emma repeated "No one understands me when I'm with the others. The only one who understand me is me."
"Now that is just a big fat lie," Sarah said firmly but gently "Who in the world told you that?"
Emma just stayed quiet and gripped her doll tighter.
"Emma just because you're shyer, more quiet, like to play quiet sit still games and to be alone..." Sarah began moving some of the books so she could sit next to Emma "Doesn't make you different or need to make you think you need to be alone," she said hugging the little girl a bit.
"Most of the worlds greatest people were once just like you... Always on their own trying to find their place in the world," she continued, checking to see if Emma was listening. "And you know what happened? They used the things that made them different and used them to become rich, and famous, letting them live in fancy houses in big cities, while all those who teased them when they were kids were just as mean as they were then."
"I still want to be on my own..." Emma said sounding like she hadn't heard anything, yawning a bit. "But could you stay, and be alone with me? Please..."
"Of course Emma," Sarah said as she got a bit more comfy and let the little girl rest her head on her and fall asleep.
When Sarah was sure Emma was asleep she looked towards the doll and spoke to it.
"I don't know what you're planning Sombra. But I swear by the power of King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia... You. Will. Not. Harm. This. Family."
o0o0o0o0o00o0o
"... But I swear by the power of King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia... You. Will. Not. Harm. This. Family." Sarah's voice said through the camera.
"Humph... We'll see about that Sarah Jones," Sombra said smiling that she was so worried she was giving him a threat, even after telling Emma everything was alright "Won't we?"
Back in the throne room, everyone was thinking up ways of getting the doll away from Emma.
"We could get it really dirty and say it needs cleaning," Pinkie Pie suggested.
"No," Jack said shaking his head while he paced on the ceiling "We need to do it so it's as if it were an ordinary day type thing. Suddenly making the thing dirty out of no reason will probably raise her guard meaning it will be harder to take it."
"Well when does she leave it on it's own?" Eric asked trying to teach Billy to use a bow and arrow - under Suzy's supervision of course.
"When she goes to the bathroom," Billy and Sophie said together.
"And even then she takes it with her to the the door," Suzy said sighing.
"So the teachers let her take the thing to school?" Twilight asked cocking her head "Doesn't it distract the other kids?"
"What's school?" Billy and Sophie asked together.
"They don't go to school yet Twi," Jack said still pacing "They're only four. Five is when they start school on Earth."
"Yeah and besides if they were in school it's the Summer Holidays at the moment which means they're off it until September." Eric placed in motioning to Billy to 'Shoot'.
Billy released the arrow and hit the bulls eye.
"I DID IT!" Billy screamed knocking everyone out of their thoughts and look up.
"Hey well done champ," Rainbow Dash said smiling and nodding to the boy.
"Only because those are Papa's special arrows that hit the target every time no matter what," Sophie said putting a halt to the celebration.
"What?" Billy asked looking up to his dad to see if it were true.
"No they're not," Jack said a small smirk on his face, knowing where this will go.
"Yes they are Papa," Sophie said turning to her brother a hand out "Give me a try and I'll,show you."
Everyone watched as Sophie struggled to notch up the arrow and then pull the string back far enough that the bow will work, but not too far that it will catch the arrow.
After about five minutes she lined up to the target and released the arrow, missing the target completely and go out the window.
"OW!" came a cry from an unfortunate pony.
"Told you they weren't my special ones snowflake," Jack said coming down and seeing if she was alright that she was wrong about something, feeling a tug on his coat.
"So... I really did do that?" Billy asked pointing to the target.
"Try again and see for yourself," Jack said handing back the bow and the container of arrows smiling.
Quickly Billy notched up an arrow and lined up to the target.
Slowly keeping both eyes open, he released the arrow and to hit it's mark, splitting the one that was still in there in half after it hit it's tail.
"Maybe we should hire the boy for the Royal Guard, Sister," Luna said jokingly as Billy went running and screaming around the hall about how great he was at archery, while Sophie moped on the floor, everyone trying to cheer her up about it.
"We'll see," Celestia said smirking "When he's older."
Just then the doors flew open and there stood Discord with one of those prank 'arrow-through-the-head' headbands on making Billy stop cheering and Sophie to stop moping.
"UNCLE DISCORD!" they cried and ran up to him jumping up to him.
"Did you see that? Were you watching? Did you see what I did?" Billy asked all excited while Sophie was asking about birthday presents.
"Yes I was watching Billy," Discord answered ruffling the lads hair "No I don't have and presents Sophie. And Emma..." he said looking around "Is nowhere to be found. And neither is Sarah. Mind telling me what's wrong?"
"Mammy and Papa say it's somepony called Sombra," Billy said answering when the grownups didn't.
"Sombra?" Discord asked looking up to check "How?"
"We don't know," Jack said shrugging "What we do know is he gave Emma something dangerous and we need to get it away from her, but she almost never let's it leave her sight."
"Well what is it?" Discord asked not wanting the kids to be in danger "Just tell me what it is, I'll poof up another one, and while she's got the other one out of her sight we swap it for that one."
"It's a doll that looks just like her, with two big black four-hole button eyes," Applejack said stating what it looked like.
"Okie-dokie," Discord said snapping his talons poofing up said doll. "Now all we have to do is..."
"Hi Uncle Discord," Emma's voice reached everyone's ears as the turned to the door and saw Sarah and Emma there, the latter hugging the doll of conversation, while holding Sarah's hand.
"Hey there squirtette," Discord said throwing away the new doll trying to hide it. "How you been lately?"
"I'm ok..." Emma said quietly looking to everyone. "Um... Why's everyone looking at me?"
"Oh no reason," Discord said waving it off "Say... That's a nice looking doll you have there. May I take a look at it?"
"Um..." Emma said looking to the doll as if to ask for an opinion.
'Don't do it Emma,' the doll said inside her head 'He's properly planning on stealing me or something.'
"N...No," Emma said hugging the doll a bit more and hiding behind Sarah a bit more too.
"Emma," Sarah said stepping to one side and squatting down "Discord's not going to do anything to her he just wants to look right?"
"Absolutely," Discord said nodding crossing his heart.
"It's... It's still no," Emma said firmly.
Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere Discord backed off.
"Ok, I understand," he said smiling "So what's the plan for your birthday you three?" he asked.
While Discord and the children were going over this, Sarah went to the grown ups.
"Found her then?" Jack said smiling.
"Oh yeah I found her ages ago, but she wanted a nap before we came back here. Oh... By the way..." she said looking to Luna and Celestia a nervous grin on her face "You might need a new 'Children's Section' to the library..."
"Why..." the sisters asked not sure they want the answer.
"Oh... By the way..." she said looking to Luna and Celestia a nervous grin on her face "You might need a new 'Children's Section' to the library..."
"Why..." the sisters asked not sure they want the answer.
"Well..."
It had been ten or fifteen minutes since Emma had fallen asleep, and just under that amount of time of Sarah trying to get the doll away from her. But as always every time Emma felt the doll slip out of her grasp the tighter she gripped onto it.
Finally deciding on giving up Sarah looked around looking for something to do while the girl napped.
Gently lifting her up and then placing her back down Sarah went to look around the shelves staying close to the soon-to-be five year old just in case something happened.
For the first few minutes, all was fine but then Sarah began to hear whimpers and mumbling coming from Emma.
Spinning around Sarah saw Emma was having a nightmare, so she rushed over to her to try and wake her up.
"Emma, Emma," she said shaking her shoulder "Come on baby wake up it's just a dream..."
But that didn't work. Trying not to panic Sarah thought about going to get help when out of the shadows came a smoky/shadowy figure seeming to get stronger the more Emma cried in her sleep, and suffered because of the nightmare she was having.
"Oh no you don't," Sarah said gritting her teeth and shooting a blast of fire at the shadow making it disappear but also destroying the bookshelves that were behind it and turning all the pages in said books to yellow and melting the covers a bit.
Quickly Sarah rushed to pick up Emma and away from that area.
"Once we were far enough away, I tried to wake Emma up again and she opened her eyes but said she couldn't remember the dream," Sarah said Emma by her side not looking at anyone in mind.
"That does it..." Jack said in a strong voice as he gripped his fists after hearing the story "Emma give me that doll. Now."
"Wh... Why?" Emma asked backing away a bit never seeing her daddy like this before.
"Because it's dangerous," Jack said his hand still out "And it needs to be destroyed so you can keep being safe."
Looking down at the doll, Emma looked back up at her dad and narrowed her eyes that flashed green in anger "No. If you want her Papa... Come and get her," she said stomping her foot before running off again and a flash of green and a 'CRACK' of the sound a Changeling makes when she change form.
Running towards the door Jack opened it wide and saw that Emma and the doll were gone.
Up on the roof there was a small brown Pegasus filly a doll on her back.
Sticking to the shadows she tried not to be seen when the Royal Guards were sent out to look for her so far they hadn't seen her, but they will eventually.
Trying to think of where to go, something told her to go to the Canterlot Gardens.
Looking around Emma checked to see if it was all clear, and went straight to it.
"Where now?" she asked looking around only seeing statues and the maze.
'Over there,' her doll's voice said in her head again, making her look to the entrance to the Canterlot Caves.
"But I'm not allowed down there by myself Little Me," Emma said quietly, staying put.
'Well it's either down there by yourself, or up here with all these guards trying to find you so they can take me away...' the doll said trying to sound reasonable but firm at the same time.
Realizing the doll had a point, Emma looked around to see if it was all clear and entered the dark cave.
o0o
After a bit she stopped hearing the sound of Canterlot and began to hear the sound of howling winds and feel the cold air of snow.
Quickening her pace Emma rushed towards the light that began to appear and found herself in the snowy wasteland of the Frozen North.
Feeling a bit scared, Emma turned back to normal and snapped up a winter's outfit.
After that she looked around and saw all the walls were like crystals.
"How did I get here?" Emma asked turning around and slowly retraced her steps only to come to a dead end.
'With a little help from me of course...' the voice in her head said to be her doll said. Except this time it didn't sound so... friendly.
"Who... Whoa are you?" Emma said looking around not believing it was her doll "What do you want?"
'Who I am does not matter at the moment,' the voice said as the shadows began to play 'What I want, it to come back home after I was banished by a big meanie called Jackson Jones...'
"MY DADDY'S NOT A BIG MEANIE!" Emma screamed eyes flashing green again and fangs coming out - Where Sophie and Billy got the more snow powers from their dad, Emma got the more Changeling powers from their mum, and that showed the most when she was mad about something.
'Perhaps not to you or your siblings,' the voice continued unaffected by the girls scream 'But he was to me and a few other people and ponies or shall I say Changelings before you were born...'
"Liar!" Emma cried covering her ears trying to block out the lies this pony was saying. "Papa is not like that. He's not!"
"Hello" a new voice called out breaking the conversation "Is someone there?"
'If you're so sure... Ask him.' the first voice said leaving Emma confused and ready to start crying.
"Oh my," the second voice said getting Emma to jump and spin around to see a white Unicorn stallion with a blue main and tail in what looked like purple armor.
"Who are you?" Emma asked backing away and avoiding his eyes.
"I'm Shining Armour," the stallion said gently staying where he was seeing how afraid the girl was. "My wife and I rule the Crystal Empire together. It's only a short track from here if you want to come back with me and be somewhere warm."
Looking around Emma was reminded she was in a cold dark cave and the tunnel back to Canterlot was now blocked she she looked up and nodded, clutching her doll to her chest.
"And may I be right into thinking your Emma Jones?" Shining Armour asked after they had been walking a bit.
"Hmm-hmm," Emma said nodding not caring how he knew, like the Ponyville ponies she met around one of the first times she came here with her family. There aren't a lot of Human children that come here and everyone seems to know who her parents and Auntie and Uncle are.
"So if you're here where are you parents?" Shining Armour asked stopping trying to get some information out of her to know what happened.
"Back... Back in Canterlot with everyone else," Emma said looking down at her booted toes as she kicked at the snow. "We... We were fighting... And I ran away... And... And something told me to go into the caves... And that's how I got there..." Emma explained not looking up at Shining Armour.
"Well then let's get back to the Empire so we can send a note telling them you're alright, shall we?" he asked a kind smile on his face.
"Ok..." Emma said smiling looking up a flash of red in her eyes now, but Shining Armour didn't notice as they set off again.
"Oh where in Tartars can she be?" Suzy asked after the sixth team came back saying they had found nothing.
"Well it might not help that she's part Changeling, meaning she can blend into the crowd," Eric said helping Sarah watch the kids because Jack was out looking for Emma himself.
"Emma's a Changeling with shape-shifting powers, but the doll isn't," she explained snapping up a two-way radio and spoke into it.
"Jack? Jack come in..." she said beginning to pace. "Jack can you hear me?"
'Yeah I hear you Suzy,' Jack said sounding frustrated 'Any good news on your end because I've got nothing. Nopony's seemed to of seen her. It's like she's not even here.'
"Only in the form of an idea," Suzy replied excited and hoping this will work. "Don't look for Emma... Look for the doll..."
'Because the doll can't change form... Jack said slowly piecing the puzzle together 'Ok I'll try it. But I doubt it will help. Emma's the best at Hide and Seek remember... Over and out.'
"Er... What does Hide and Seek got to do with any of this?" Rainbow asked the other ponies nodding confusion saying they want an answer.
"He means... If Emma doesn't want to be found," Sarah said playing snap with Sophie "She hardly ever is."
Just then a guard came running into the room a scroll with the sign of the Crystal Empire in his magical grasp.
"News from the Crystal Empire, Your Highness," he said bowing and taking off his helmet.
Taking the the scroll into her grasp, Celestia read the note.
"Get Jack back on the device, Suzy," she said smiling "It seems we've found her. Or rather Shining Armour has."
"WHAT IS SHE DOING IN THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!" Jack yelled a ring of ice and snow exploding from him, making everyone duck.
"How did she even get there?" he asked after calming down a bit and a few swears.
"Shining says she told him something told her to go into the Canterlot Caves and she ended up in the wasteland of the Frozen North," Twilight said checking they had everything they needed to go there.
"But what does He want that's in the Crystal Empire enough to make Emma go there?" Sarah asked taking her hands off of Sophie's ears, speaking of Sombra.
"A way to come back to Equestria no doubt," Eric said taking his hands off of Billy's ears. "Not sure how he's going to do it from there though."
"Probably with something what's behind the door she saw in her dream when she got the thing," Sarah said after thinking for a bit.
"What door?" the ponies asked together Twilight looking the most worried.
"When she first got the thing, Emma had a dream about being in the Crystal Empire," Sarah began "She said something about a staircase and a door, but I woke her up before she could see what was behind it."
"Were the stairs going up or down?" Twilight asked after a bit.
"Down. Why?"
"We need to get there even faster then," Twilight said as she began to pace and mutter to herself. "Behind that door is Sombra's private study which holds enough power and dark magic to bring him back."
"But can't the first door, the one before the stairs only be opened with dark magic?" Rainbow Dash asked making sure she understood.
"Yes," Jack said answering for Twilight "But although Emma can't do that sort of magic, it appears that Sombra's found a way to use her like a puppet meaning he can do it instead. Now come on..." he said pulling out one of his portal snowglobes "Are we going to save Emma or not?"
With that and a cry of 'The Crystal Empire' the main six, Discord, Eric, Sarah, Jack, Suzy, Sophie and Billy were in and gone.
Crystal Empire
In the Crystal Empire, Emma was in the middle of playing with Skyla, Cadence and Shining Armour's two year old filly who was just learning to fly.
"That's it Skyla... Now keep your balance like this..." Emma said in her Pegasus form, but using her chaos magic to stay afloat while she showed Skyla how to use her wings. "That's it! Now flap and..."
And she was off around the throne room flying all over the place.
Smiling Emma stopped using her chaos magic and started chasing Skyla and a game of tag was begun.
They were ten minutes into the game (it was 4 - 3) when Cadence came in.
"Oh girls time for lunch," she said smiling sweetly.
"Ok..." the girls said coming down, Emma changing back to being human and running over to her doll. Once she had it they followed Cadence to the dining hall where lunch was being served.
"So we have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crisps, cookies, corn on the cob..." Cadence began listing the food as they entered to Emma giving suggestions.
"Honey sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies please," Emma said quietly but smiling.
"Ok there you are," Cadence said giving the girl a plate with what she requested on it to her. "Now what drink would you like?"
"Orange please."
"Coming right up. How about you go sit yourself down and start and we'll come over when we're ready," Cadence said kindly showing Emma where to go.
Nodding Emma took the plate and with her doll under her arm went over to the table sitting closer to the shadows for some reason, but Cadence didn't question her.
Just as Cadence was about to get something for her and Skyla, a guard came in and over to her.
"You highness, they have arrived and are waiting in the plaza to see you, and they say they have some news about Miss Emma they need to tell you with out her being there," he said bowing.
"Really?" Cadence said looking over to Emma wondering what it could be "Ok Diamond thank you..."
With that she looked to Emma once more to check she was alright before leaving, Skyla close to he mummy's heels.
o0o Emma was just finishing her sandwich and about to start her cookie when she began to hear whispers and feel tired. With out knowing what she was doing, Emma got down from the table, grabbed her doll and began to head off to the throne room, a sleepy look on her face.
Cadence, and Skyla came down into the plaza where they saw Shining Armour and everyone else, Jack and Suzy coming over to her and started to explain what they believed was happening.
"We believe Emma's in danger," was what came out first.
"Danger? From what?" Shining asked.
"Oh not a What, but a Who, young Prince," Discord said correcting him "And we think that Who might be King Sombra."
Inside, Emma had made it back to the throne room and stood in the middle of the room where the voice told her to stand.
One of the guards was just passing the door when he noticed her. He was about to call out to her and check if she was alright since she looked a little funny, when the doors slammed shut and, although he was a Pegasus, he began to feel dark magic begin to work.
After trying and failing to open the doors, Flash Sentry ran towards the plaza to tell Cadence, Shining Armour and the girl's family.
***
Inside a dark aura started to form and glow around Emma and was shot towards the main crystal on top of the throne, the magic making a dark shadow form and a door to open up with a spiral staircase going down into darkness.
'Go down these stairs...'the voice whispered into her ear.
The girl was just about to when the door to the room flew open and Jack and Suzy was in the lead to stop her, but a shadow barrier came up blocking them.
"Emma!" Jack called out to his daughter "Emma snap out of this don't listen to him."
Emma did stop, and blinked a little, but still looked funny and the barrier was still up.
"Papa..." she said turning to him and cocking her head, her eyes red with purple smoke coming out of them "Did you really send Sombra and mummy's people, to Earth and away from their homes here?" she asked.
"How does she know about that?" Sarah asked holding Sophie's hand back at the door.
"I did," Jack said, trying to freeze the barrier "But it was only to keep the people here safe..."
"You really are a meanie..." Emma whispered hugging her doll and turning to the stairs, sprouting wings and zooming down into it.
As soon as she was gone the door closed and the barrier went down.
Quickly, Twilight raced over and cast the Dark Magic spell onto the crystal, but nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working?" Eric asked drawing his sword in case it was needed.
"It's a locking spell," Discord said after studying it "Meaning that unless we find another way in there, we can't get there until Emma's out of there..."
"Gah..." Jack said annoyed snapping up a giant sledge hammer and was about to slam it into the ground when Suzy stopped him.
"Jack! You might hurt Emma!" she said taking the hammer off him.
"Suz, if we don't do this than she'll get hurt anyway..." Jack said trying to keep his emotions under control.
"Can't we just poof down there?" Sarah asked looking mainly to Discord.
While her family were arguing about this back up in the throne room, Emma had made it to the door and reached out a hand to the handle.
The Chrystal above the door sensed it's master's dark power and opened itself up to the Kings old study.
Slowly Emma walked inside, her doll in her arms, making it face forwards so her friend could see what there was.
'Over there...' Sombra said in her head, making the young girl see a case with a dark looking crown and a thick black spell book with three red crystals on the cover.
Carefully setting her little friend down, Emma went over to the case, put the crown on and pulled out the book.
'Looking good my dear, but for this to work... for me to come back home...' Sombra said building tension 'You need to do one more thing for me... Destroy the Crystal Heart...'
Nodding sleepily, Emma took the book, picked up her doll and left through the door which now lead to a different staircase spiraling up around the tower.
Step by step, Emma went higher and higher up the staircase her legs starting to hurt, but something telling her to keep going.
After a while, she came to the very very top of the palace and was told to go stand in the center of the room where the shadows were moving.
Stepping onto the circle a light came out and hit her sensing the dark magic and the crown.
As this happened, in the throne room, the doorway down started to open again.
"Hey guys look!" somepony called out snapping the others out of their arguing.
"Quickly," Jack said breaking the barrier "We have to get down there and save Emma."
"Wait!" Sarah said "I thought the lock only came undone when whoever was down there wasn't down there anymore."
"You're right," Twilight said using her magic to search for Emma but couldn't find her. "So where is she?"
Just then a guard came in telling everypony something was happening on top of the roof of the palace.
"The Crystal Heart's chamber..." Twilight said eyes wide "That where she is and why the door opened."
"Where?" everyone asked as they all rushed outside.
"The first time we were here, Spike and I had to find the Crystal Heart and it lead us to the top of the palace where Sombra had hidden it" Twilight explained running to the courtyard and turning to look up to the top of the palace where the crystals had turned black and were growing a bright light shining and a silhouette of something was in the middle of it.
"EMMA!" Jack and Suzy cried out eyes wide.
At a rather fast pace the shadows raced down the walls of the palace and snatched the Crystal Heart from it's place and took it back up.
"Discord poof us up there now!" Sarah said turning to the Draconequus who, without arguing surprising, did just that.
In the Crystal Heart's Chamber, as Twilight had put it, the Six, Discord, Spike, Shining Armour, Cadence, Skyla, Sophie, Billy Sarah, Eric, Suzy and Jack popped up and saw their fellow friend and family member and the dark shadowy outline of King Sombra before them, all surprised by Emma's new look.
Instead of her plain white but beautiful looking ankle length dresses with white slip-on-flats, and their hair in high (upbraided) pigtails, like her sister, and looking like a five year old should be...
Emma now looked like a young lady in a long black silky split-at-the-left-thigh dress, a red tie around her waist, Sombra crown on her head, bright red high-heels on her feet, a pink see-through scarf placed over her shoulders, a choker around her neck, and black crystal earrings, and her hair had grown to three times it's length it was before.
"EMMA!" Jack and Suzy cried out running over to their daughter but was knocked back and hit by dark magic tying them up.
"Jack, Suzy!" Eric and Sarah called out running over to them to try and help get them free while the six, Discord and Shining Armour made a defensive like ready to attack if need be, Cadence was looking after the kids.
"Hahahahahahahaha! Not so strong and brave now are you boy?" Sombra's voice rang out around the room aiming this question to Jack.
"Sombra! You have ten seconds to return my daughter back to normal or else..."
"Or else what?" Sombra said coming out of the shadows but still didn't seem fully there. "You'll freeze me with your ice magic? Well hate to break it to you boy but One that won't work since I'm not really here and Two you're not in a position to do that anyway..."
"Grrr... Why are you doing this?" Eric said getting up and drawing out his sword getting ready to fight if need be.
"I want to get back home of course," the Tyrant King said rolling his eyes mumbling about how naive they all were.
"And what exactly would you do once you get here?" Shining Armour asked strongly.
"Let me come back and you'll find out little Prince..." Sombra stated.
Everyone looked to one another silently asking each other what to do, when they heard Emma scream in pain.
"The longer I wait to come home the longer little Emma here will have to go through this..." Sombra said grinning showing his teeth an evil look in his eye "But you can choose not to answer anyway, because as soon as the Crystal Heart has turned completely black I will be able to use the shadows and come through myself. But that will take a few hours at least. So... What's it going to be?"
This news made everyone look towards the Crystal Heart which even though it had only been a few minutes had already lost some shine.
At one of the edges of the Crystal Empire, a couple of Crystal filly's and colt's were playing when they noticed some of the crystals begin to lose their glow and a feeling of glumness and slight fear came to them.
Quickly they raced off to find their parents and raise the alarm that something was wrong.
At the Palace, everypony was still shooting metaphorical weapons at Sombra's shadow.
"How do we know you will let Emma go if we let you come back?" Jack asked getting up and over to him.
"I give you my word as a pony that I will give her back to you," Sombra said bowing slightly so they couldn't see his smirk.
"When?" Sarah asked remembering the last 'Deal' he made with them when he was still here.
"Huh?" everyone asked confused, Sombra looking a little mad.
"When Sombra will you give Emma back to us, if we let you come back?" she asked confirming the question.
"You're smarter than I remember Sarah Jones," Sombra said standing up straight.
"Well what's the answer then?" Eric said coming to stand next to his girlfriend.
"Ten minutes after I come back, so I can get away from you lot," Sombra said snarling a little.
Everyone looked to each other silently asking if they could let this happen.
"Suzy, Jack, what do you think?" Shining asked carefully, in a hushed voice.
"If it's the only way to get Emma back... Fine..." Suzy said nodding her eyes flashing green slightly.
"Don't make us regret this Sombra," Jack said ordering Discord and Cadence to look after the kids before he snapped his fingers, making a mirror portal appear.
"Now why would I do that?" Sombra asked coming through the portal and getting used to walking on four legs again.
"Perhaps because we defeated you last time and sent you to Earth," Eric said making his shield into a sword.
Ignoring him, Sombra began to leave.
Jack was about to go after him, when Suzy stopped him.
"Jack we said we'd give him time to leave," she said in his ear.
Snarling a little, Jack stayed put and looked over to Emma who was still in a trance of some kind, then the heart seeing it had gone darker.