//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Unpleasant Surprises // by RDDash //------------------------------// The year is 7 of Lunar Reign. Crystal Empire, 12:00 am. It was a pretty long trip but overall it was worth it. Based on the Spike's recommendation Dragon Lord Ember wished to visit Crystal Empire. So far she could see why, there was crystal everywhere, delicious crunchy looking crystal. Ember licked her lips. Even the ponies are made of crystal. She thought she started to feel euphoria. "Hello, you must be Ember," Princess Cadence greeted Ember. "Oh, um hello," said Ember. "You must be Princess Cadence. I have to say Princess Twilight said quite a lot of, should I say, colorful words about you." "Well, she was a bit unhappy about my marriage to her brother." "So it's a family affair then? " "Yeah, you could say that. Should we move on then." "Sure, sounds good." "I understand that Spike recommended to visit us?" asked Princess Cadence. They just passed a crystal statue of Spike. "Remember Me!" Green flames burst from the eyes. "Remember Me!" Green flames burst again. "Remember Me!" And again. "Yep, that's correct! You see recently I visited Spike in a Ponyvile, and well, there is also Steve." "Steve?" "Yeah Steve, you know Thorax." "Oh him, he, he,"Princess Cadence laughed nervously. "So anyway I had to leave for a few minutes, please feel free to stay here if you like." "Okay bye," Princess Cadence left. A minute passed then another. Ember looked around and she noticed crystal walls. "I didn't realize the dinner was already served." Well, she was a little hungry. "I guess I could take a bite," She then took a bite from the wall, and then another. "This is so delicious." She paused for a second and then started to eat on the wall. "I think I could get used to it." She continued to eating and eating until the whole wall was eating. "This is so delicious, that maybe?" Her hungry eyes took a look at the second wall "Oh what's the heck?" she took a bite from it "mm, that's good stuff." "Dragon Lord Ember? I thought I should let you know.." Prince Shining Armor came into the room. "Guh! What the hay are you doing?" He shouted in shock. "Eating, you know, you ponies know how to treat your guests. "We do?" "Yeah the chef here is amazing," Ember declared happily. "Would you be so kind and send him my regards." .... "Prince Shining Armor are you alright? Prince Shining Armor?" Ember tried to call him, she vaguely remembered the same exact expression on a Princess Twilight face. "Must be a family thing," she muttered."Oh well, I tried. I guess I should just try to look for Princess Cadence." She said, and then left the room. Prince Shining Armor was just standing there, his gaze was long and hard. After a few minutes, crystal guard came in "Your Highness?" he started saying. "Pills!!!" Prince Shining Armor wheezed out. Knowing perfectly well what Prince Shining Armor wanted he then took a small bottle of pills from the pocket of his armor and took a few pills to assist the Prince. "Crystal Heart" was the heart medicine that was quite popular in Crystal Empire. Recently due to all the stress with the young princess, His Highness really need it, and now this whatever it was. Prince Shining Armor breathed long deep breaths. "I am... I will be alright. I..." He breathed again "I just need some time to collect myself. Thank you very much, you don't know how much I appreciate it right now." "We are happy to serve your highness. We, your people, really need you and your dear wife right now." "Thank you! " Prince Shining Armor sighed. "Can I ask you something?" "Of course, your highness, anything." "How do you," Prince Shining Armor winced. "How do you got used to all of this?" "Most of this is just training, your highness, some of it just from life experience. We, most of us are from before. We still remember how King Sombra used to be." "How he used to be?" "Yes in a way he was a lot like you are right now. Young, brave, it a bit hard to believe but he was kind. You know it was kind of strange in a way." "Strange how?" "You see when the Princess Twilight Sparkle first came here, you remember right? She was a protege of High Princess Celestia." Shining Armor nodded, he was feeling a lot better now. "With her, there were a group of seven mares with the dragon Spike. Some of us were confused because we thought that Lady Dash of Loyalty looked very similar to us. We thought that she looked so very much like the Lady Dash of the Northern Lights. High Commander of an elite squadron of Space Marines called Shadowbolts, and a Captain of the vessel Crusader's Furry." "Lady of the Northern Lights? "I can show you if you'd like?" asked the guard, Shining Armor nodded. "She was a very good friend of our previous King," they passed corridor after the corridor. Then they stopped in the room. There it was, a painting of three ponies. Right in the center, there was a pegasus pony in the military uniform, she was smiling. Her wings were resting on the shoulders of the two unicorns. One was in dark red cloak, dark gray mane, regal posture and a strong confident look. The second one was a unicorn in the blue cloak, pointy wizard hat, and the goatee beard. Something happened that Shining Armor didn't expect. Mare in the picture made an eye contact with him and then quickly dashed towards King Sombra and kissed him on the lips, King Sombra tried to protest but give up and kissed her back. Wizard just snickered a little, then sighed. "I didn't know we had magically animated paintings?" Prince Shining Armor was genuinely surprised. "This room reopened just recently, and we are thinking to leave it for tourism." Later that evening. "How was your day dear," asked Cadence. . "It was been quite interesting," replied Shining Armor and he kissed Cadence. "Just interesting?" ."Yeah, it was." they both lay on the bed in their bedroom. Princess Cadence went to sleep almost instantly, but Shining Armor stayed awake, he sighted. Why do you hate me so much, my dear sister?