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// The Crystal Prince: 
// Story: A Shadowed Past 
// by King Sombra Returns 
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I stood on my balcony my armor clinging to my form. Today was the Crystal fair and I was determined to make sure nothing went wrong. The two sisters from the Castle of two sisters were coming as well as the Princess of Ponyville. I had memorized every formal greeting and farewell that there was to make this perfect. I had my head in my books to often my mother would tell me. I didn't have any friends really except my books. I was never really the social one, unlike my brother who was too involved with others and his mare friends ( all 17 of them) to even think about perfecting his royal duties much less reading a book in his spare time. I sighed and took off my helmet, my pitch black mane flowing in the natural cool breeze.

I smiled as I tilted my head back thinking about how wonderful this event was going to be. It was going to be the spectacular, by the time the Princess's left they were going to talk about the empire for weeks. " This will be the greatest festival they've ever-" A loud throat clearing stopped his sentence. " Excuse my your highness, your mother is waiting for you. The Royal sisters arrived a few moments ago." My eyes widened and I didn't even take time to thank the guard before running off the balcony and into the castle. I was going to get killed by my mother, I was supposed to be there when we got there. I gulped in fear, oh how dead I was to be. 

When I got to the main doors I quickly did a double take on how my mane looked, I needed to look my best so I could present myself to the two Royal sisters. I opened the door and took a deep breath walking in with a proper stance, my brother and mother were already chatting up the two sisters, when I got into the room everyone stopped and stared and when my eyes glanced over to the two sisters I'm pretty sure my mouth dropped. The white mare which I'm pretty sure was the elder sister Celestia, was so majestic her long legs made it so she towered everyone in the room minus my mother. Her long flowing mane was stunning with colors like the dawn breaking over the snowy mountains of the empire. I looked over to the other princess and I'm pretty sure that my jaw unhinged.

Her dark blue coat, with a mane that looked like the stars in the northern sky stunned me, as well as her piercing teal eyes. This had to be Princess Luna the guardian of the night. And I had just interrupted them. Well horse feathers! I cleared my throat softly and remembered how to speak correctly to royalty. "Excuse mine interruption thy highness, twas duly in correct on mine behalf. If 't be true may thee forgive mine lateness? " I was pretty sure I was sweating as I looked into the royal sisters eyes to try to find comfort, Luna simply smiled and replied, "Of course lief Prince, thee art forgiven twas not that much trouble." Relief must have clouded over my face for my mother simply smiled and tried to hold back a laugh, for being late to such a spectacular occasion I was doing wonderful.

It was hours later after talking to the royal sisters about the treaty's and such that I found myself in my chambers coughing my lungs out it seemed, as it happened every year around this time I would get very ill. I was trying to read my books but the pains in my chest and the never ending coughing prevented me from doing so. Suddenly I heard a quiet knock at my door, I got up and suppressed a cough. When I opened the door it was none other than the Princess of the night herself. She looked at me with a weakened smile and eyes that showed sadness. "if 't be true thee could pr for a moment I wast wondering if 't be true thee would like to cometh for a walketh under the stars " She said quietly but strongly enough that I knew this wasn't the first time she had said this to someone this night. I laughed softly and replied,
"Of course Princess, but if you don't mind could we drop the formality's?" She smiled widely and nodded. Her eyes shone with excitement that I had not seen before, even at the treaty signing. " Just one second Princess I-" I had started to tell her before another coughing fit hit me, this one worse than the last. I tried to keep my head up but I fell to the ground, due to the unbelievable pains in my chest. It hurt like Tartaris. I looked down at my hoof that was covering my mouth, I wish I hadn't when I looked down I saw blood covering my hoof