//------------------------------//
// A Matter Of Life Or Death 
// Story: Dark Arts and Kind Hearts 
// by Boomstick Mick 
//------------------------------//

Starlight glimmer stared glumly out the window as the endless snowy terrain of the northern empire sped by. The unexpected letter that she had received had brought her holiday to an abrupt and screeching halt. She would never make it to the ocean side magic show where her friend was scheduled to perform. Trixie had managed to land a gig that, not only paid out the butt, but included an all-expenses-paid stay for two at one of the most exclusive resorts in all of Equestria. However It was not simply the massages and seaside appletinis that were not to be that had put her in such a somber mood. The contents of the letter itself was as vague and succinct as it was ominous. She looked down and reread it for what must have been the hundredth time now.

Starlight Glimmer 
Something horrible has happened! I don't have time to fill you in on the details. You must come to the Crystal Empire ASAP! Please, I need you more than I ever have before. I assure you that I am not exaggerating when I say this is a matter of life or death. I have arranged for a carriage to pick you up from the train station. I await you at the castle. 
-Twilight Sparkle-

After reading the letter several more times, Starlight finally decided to fold it and stow it away in her book bag. It didn't matter how much she obsessed over it; it would always say the same thing, no matter how many times she read it. But what did it all mean? A matter of life or death? Twilight Sparkle had the tendency to turn ant hills into mountains. Hell, she freaks out at book stores when the literature is alphabetically categorized by title instead of the author. Still though, Twilight wouldn't pull her away from her much needed vacation unless it was for something that was urgent, she knew.

Five minutes until arrival. We ask that you please remain seated until the train has come to a complete stop, the conductor's voice crackled from a small speaker mounted overhead. 

Starlight gathered her bag and made sure all her things were accounted for. The Crystal Empire, from where she was, looked like a bed of iridescent stalagmites protruding from the snow. Its beauty was indisputable, but its history was dark. Thinking of it that way, Starlight Glimmer couldn't help but smile at the irony. The Crystal Empire reminded her so much of herself.