//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The King (Updated/Edited) // Story: Rainbow is Magic S2: Shadow over the Crystal Empire // by aceotaku //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash was the first to wake, groaning as she rubbed her aching head. She slowly got up to her hooves as she looked around, attempting to get her bearings. As her mind cleared she realized the train car was now upside down, with the furniture above her as she stood on the ceiling, the other ponies and changingling groaning as they lay on the ‘floor’, while Spike was largely unharmed, though he looked rattled as Rainbow walked over to help him up onto her back first. “What the hay happened...?” Rainbow wondered aloud. “Dunno.” Spike answered. “I...it felt like something threw us.” “Well, we ARE in uncharted territory so it could be anything, like a random monster or maybe even something to do with that magic surge...” the pegasus theorized as she trotted to Princess Cadance’s side to check on her first. “Right now, we need to assess our damage and see if we can continue on this mission.” Rarity groaned as she got up. “Why does everything feel like ow....?” Rainbow blinked and turned to her friend. “Hey now, be careful now, we just took a pretty bad fall, I think, so getting up now might not be a good idea.” Pinkamena shot up like a jack in the box, quickly getting to her hooves. “Meh. Had worse.” She said blithely. “Fine, ignore me, see how you deal with it when you break your neck because you didn’t make sure you had whiplash or something....” Rainbow grumbled as she gently helped Cadance to her hooves before moving to check on her friends, while Cadance hurriedly rushed over to her wife. “Chryssie!” Cadance said desperately, looking worried. “Tell me you’re okay!” Chrysalis immediately hopped to her feet, smiling brightly. “That was a surprise! I thought we were going to die for a moment there!” “Well,” Applejack said as she got to her hooves and dusted herself off, “none of us seem to be seriously hurt so we can thank our lucky stars but...ummm...Ah don’t wish to, well, distract us but does anyone hear a noise?” Indeed, as the mares quietened down and listened, there was an incessant knocking against the train’s wall, like one would knock on a door. “Well, we’re not going to get far just standing here anyway so...” Rainbow began as her wings glowed, and before anyone could stop her she released two waves of magic from her wings, her spell disintegrating the side of the train car like melted butter, earning an annoyed glance from Twilight. “Hey, ponies worked really hard on...that...” The purple unicorn trailed off as her eyes were drawn by the sight that awaited them from the newly formed hole, she and the rest of the group following behind Rainbow, Cadance and Chrysalis outside...where they were surrounded by a large town with buildings and a street made of gleaming crystal, as well as several curious looking ponies. No, on closer inspection, the ponies weren’t curious...they were frightened. “No...No this can’t be right...” Cadance muttered as she looked around. “Celestia was here, she would’ve told us if there were ponies living here...and we couldn’t have been thrown that far....” “Is it just me, or is it unusually dark around here...” Applejack asked, getting everypony to look above...and see a dark, pitch black sky above, with neither the sun of the day, nor the stars and moon of the night...only black as far as the eye could see. “Yeah that’s pretty peculiar...” Rainbow said before turning to the populace around them. “Hey, can anypony tell us where we are? We are envoys of Celestia, sent to investigate strange goings on around North. We ARE still in the northern territories right? Cause this place seems...warmer than it should be for a place filled with cold winds and snow....?” Instead of getting an answer, all that happened was that the ponies quickly withdrew, glancing up at a massive crystalline castle that towered over the city, drawing Rainbow’s attention toward it. “I...guess that’s where the local government is?” Rainbow said, unsure glancing around at the ponies around them again. “What’s with these folks...? They seem scared of us...” PInkamena turned to Rainbow. "Okay if something's scaring them, whether it be us or something else, don't you think it might be wise to check on the Elements, you know? Just in case?" Rainbow blinked, gasping. "Right! Darn, I totally blanked on that sorry..." she trotted back into the ruined car, searching through the rubble, she and Spike both gasping audibly for some reason before returning to stand with friends, the small bag holding the gems wide open as Rainbow gazed at it uncertainly. "Guys...uhh...what do you make of this?" Spike, sitting upon her back, for his part looked puzzled and slight unnerved himself The other ponies, and changeling, moved in closer for a better view and saw the elements were completely grey instead of golden, their gemstones jet black. "W...what the...?" Pinkamena tilted her head, dumbfounded. Applejack looked ready to faint. "What happened to them!? they were so beautiful...but now they're so....dull and...lifeless!" Cadance frowned worriedly. "Lifeless is right...I can't sense any magic from them. Something's left them inert..." She looked towards Rainbow. "Do you feel anything...?" The pegasus frowned and shook her head. "No....not at all...do you think this has something to do with the Dark Magic the Princesses sent us to investigate...?" "I'm not sure...but I suppose we can't rely on them either way if they're in this state..." Cadance added, dismally. "Great..." Pinkamena bemoaned dourly. "Just great. The most powerful objects in Equestria, the things that are the whole REASON we're here in the first place, are now useless paperweights for reasons we do not even KNOW. GREAT." "What else could go wrong...?" Twilight wondered aloud worriedly as Rainbow closed the bag and hooked it to her side. Spike's eye twitched as he glared at Twilight. "Why. Why did you do that? Is this gonna be a THING with you know, tempting fate so something worse can show up at an inconvenient time?" As he said this loud noises greeted their ears, the dragon throwing his arms in exasperaton. "CASE IN POINT!" The group steeled themselves as the noise grew louder, soon being revealed to be the marching of nine ponies wearing black metal helmets that covered their faces entirely as well as matching black armour covering their hooves and baksides, trotting down the road towards them before standing at attention in front of the group. “Follow us, the King wishes to speak with you.” They spoke harshly, robotically and without any emotion. “Oh, a king rules here?” Cadance asked, half to herself. “I’ve heard of kings myself but never really met one before, what is this king like?” Rather than answer, the helmeted ponies turned and started trotting off, Rainbow looking at her friends who each shrugged in puzzlement, confusion and, in Pinkamena's case, indifference, Rainbow sighing as she looked ahead. "I guess this King of theirs might be able to help us figure out what's going on around here..." Rainbow said hopefully, glancing at the bag at her side nervously for a brief moment before focusing on the ponies ahead of her. "Come along everyone. We might as well just follow along." Rainbow's friends, teacher and casual awkward acquaintance trotted along beside her in a row as they followed the armoured ponies in front of them at a steady pace. “Sooooo...” Rarity began, trying to strike up conversation as she stepped closer to one of the helmeted ponies while they walked. “You must be the local royal guard, huh? Sooo, one thing, why’s everypony acting so....WEIRD?” “Rarity we mustn’t judge other cultures like that!” Twilight scolded. “But look at them!” Rarity said defensively. “They’re so...well...they’re acting like we’re like bad guys or something!” “We DID just fall into the middle of their city inside an upturned train car, who knows how that makes us look to them.” Cadance replied. “I’m sure once we speak to the king we can clear all this up and get started on returning to our mission, and we’ll see what these ponies are like.” Rarity nodded. “So yeah, why’s everypony so WEIRRRD?” She insisted, pressing close to one of the guards. None of them responded. “Umm, hello, I asked a question here?” Rarity waved a hoof in front of a guard’s face, earning no response. “Ummm...anyone else creeped out?” “Rarity, they’re probably just ignoring you so they can focus on their job.” Rainbow said with a sigh, flashing a smile at the guards. “Sorry about that, she isn’t usually like this.” The guards remained silent as they lead the group into the large double doors that were the entrances into the massive castle. Once inside everypony found themselves in a dark hallway, the only light sources being crystals that emit a dim light. “Wow, it sure is dark in here!” Fluttershy commented with a grin. “It’s soooo spooky!” “This is quite peculiar...” Applejack said. “Is there a reason it’s so dark in here?” The guards continued walking, not saying a word. Applejack huffed, pouting in annoyance. “Ah get it, you’re focused on your job, you don’t need to be rude about it, it was just a simple question...” “This king must have something important to say to us if they have no time for idle chatter...” Cadance said hopefully. “To be fair, we don’t have the time for idle curiosity either.” “Yeah...” Rainbow nodded as she looked around. “Still this place is very...unwelcoming. And the king probably has eye problems from being in the dark so much...” Soon the group were lead into a very large room, much darker than the hall they just walked through, two 3 foot long crystal spires flanking their end of the room to illuminate them, but the other half of the room was covered in thick shadow, the only thing visible a pair of large red eyes. “Is...is that somepony back there...?” Cadance asked, narrowing her eyes to make sure she was seeing right, unable to see anything else in the darkness before her. “Welcome, ponies, to the Crystal Empire.” A deep voice spoke out from the darkness, reverberating through the room. “I am King Sombra, and as the ruler of these ponies I welcome you as visitors and will answer your questions. But first, a question of my own...what brings you to these lands?” Cadance stepped forward, bowing in the general direction of where the King was presumably sitting. “I am Princess Cadance, and these ponies are my entourage. We are on an official mission under directions of Princess Celestia herself to investigate a surge of dark magic within these. Would you...happen to know anything about it, your majesty?” The King chuckled. “I may know a thing or two, yes, but something strikes me as curious...do you not recognise the name ‘Crystal Empire’, ‘Princess’?” Cadance blinked, raising a brow. “Should I?” “Can’t say I ever heard of it before.” Rainbow admitted. “Same here.” Spike spoke out from her back. “I don’t think ANYONE has heard of this place before.” King Sombra’s eyes darted to Spike briefly, momentarily widening in surprise and curiosity, before glancing back to Cadance with a cold gaze. “Hmmm I imagine a lot of time has passed out there, and you seem not to remember anything...am I wrong, Cadenza?” Cadance blinked. “I-I think you misheard me. I said my name was Cadence, not Cadenza...” Sombra chuckled coldly, the sound echoing around the room. “Oh dear, sweet, foolish Cadenza...have you forgotten so much? Have you forgotten your Empire? Have you forgotten...ME!?” At that loud thuds greeted everypony’s ears as something large moved through the darkness, the shadows somehow swirling around to reveal a massive dark grey dragon standing before them where the King should be sitting, an iron ‘crown’ adorning its face and framing the large red horn growing out of its forehead, a long thick black mane sprouting from its head, its massive body blocking the crystalline throne behind it. The ponies jumped back in surprise and shouted out in alarm, Cadance’s face paling as she stared up at the creature, the figure stirring a hazy recollection in her mind, mind swirling with terrifying images from what she thought were mere nightmares. “W-what...what the...!?” The dragon grinned coldly, moving his head closer to Cadance. “Welcome home, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Or...should it be Empress Mi Amore Cadenza?” The dragon chuckled. “Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am King Sombra, the ruler of the remnants of the Crystal Empire your family once ruled over.” “W-what!?” Cadance’s eyes widened as she stared at the massive dragon in confusion and mounting dread. "W-what do you...?" “And I’ve been waiting SUCH a long time to share what I’ve done with the place in your absence.” He grinned wider, his eyes moving towards the other ponies as he directed his soldiers with a lazy wave of his clawed hand in their direction. “Capture the rest, have them work in the mines...but send the dragon to my private chambers. I have a feeling we’ll have MUCH to discuss.” “H-huh!?” Spike exclaimed in confusion. “W-why single me out?” “Don’t you DARE hurt him OR my friends!” Rainbow cried out as she fired a blast of magic at Sombra, only for her magic to harmlessly dissipate upon contact. “Do you know NOTHING of dragons?” The King admonished as his soldiers surrounded the ponies with wicked looking spears drawn, raising a brow while smirking cruelly, waggling a finger disapprovingly. "Honestly, what DO they teach you ponies? You cannot fight against me. Just give up." Chrysalis looked around nervously, turning to her wife as she pressed close to her while she shivered in fear. “C-Cadey? Shouldn’t we do something?” Cadance tried to calm herself down as she breathed heavily, but was failing miserably as terror overwhelmed her. “I...I think we should run...” “Run WHERE, exactly?” Applejack asked only for Cadance to immediately turn tail and run towards the exit. “Or...just ignore me. That’s fine too.” Cadance ran as fast as her hooves could carry her...before suddenly remembering she wasn’t the only pony here, turning to look at Chrysalis simply standing where she left her. “Chryssie! G-get over here!” “B-but what about the...the other dragon behind you...?” Chrysalis asked. “Other dragon...?” Cadance asked. “What are you talking about....?” She turned her head as a massive black claw slammed down, pressing over her with its sharp claws pressing close to the sides of her neck. Sombra grinned, having not moved from his spot once since revealing himself, a massive black dragon seemingly made of pure darkness standing in front of the only visible exit from the throne room. “There IS no escape. Not from here, not from ME.” Sombra gestured towards the shadowy draconic figure before him that held Cadance in place. "As you can see, my shadow is inescapable in this domain. LITERALLY SO, in fact." Rainbow growled, wings glowing as she faced towards the shadow, ready to fight. “Get off of her!” Sombra chuckled darkly. “My, my, did you just forget what you’re facing here? Or is that merely desperation? No matter.” He grinned widely as his shadow’s claws pressed closer to Cadance’s neck, making her wince in pain as a shallow graze was cut into the skin, leaving a nasty red scratch. “Stand down, or I lop her head off. Unless you think you’re fast and strong enough to somehow save her?” Rainbow looked up at the cruel dragon, then to Cadance, then to her friends and the cowering Chrysalis, then sighed deeply as she lowered her head, the glow of magic vanishing from her wings as they fell to her sides in defeat. “I thought as such.” Sombra chuckled. “Take these ponies to the mines, that should dissuade them from attempting anything, however send Cadenza to her room, and the dragon to the dining room.” Spike looked at Rainbow in alarm as one of the helmeted soldiers grabbed him, the dragon struggling and squirming as he pulled away and dragged over towards Sombra's side. “Rainbow!” The pegasus offered her assistant a smile. “Hey, relax Spike, it’s risky right now but I’ll find you later. Trust me, okay? Whatever this monster does to you or tries to do to you, I’ll pay him back a thousand fold, I swear it.” She grunted as a steel collar was placed around her neck, a chain hanging from it that was pulled on by one of the guards, forcing Rainbow to trot along after him. “Just stay strong, Spike!” She called out desperately before she was lead out of sight down a hallway. One by one, Rainbow’s friends and Chrysalis were similarly collared and led away in the same direction Rainbow had been as Sombra grinned widely. Cadance stared at the sight of her wife, her student and her student’s friends being taken away out of sight before turning her head up to gaze at Sombra in disbelief and outrage, ignoring the pain from the scratches the dragon’s shadow had left on her neck. “Why...why are you doing this!? We didn’t do anything to you... What do you know of me!?” Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke, her teeth gritted together. Sombra’s cold smile fell into a harsh sneer as he glared down at the pink pony. “Far more than you seem to. I am doing this for one reason only: to make you pay. You shall learn of the humiliation you’ve made me suffer through, and the lengths I have gone for my revenge...but not now, I have something far more important to see to, afterwards...I get to gaze upon your defeated face and see the despair I thought would be denied from me.” Sombra’s cruel laugh echoed through the castle after he had finished speaking, darkness enveloping around him as he made ready his preparations for his unlucky captives, the last thing Cadance saw before the darkness fell over her being the dragon's cruel, hate-filled eyes. ------------------------- Within the snow-covered wastes far north from Canterlot, there stood a large spire of darkness, with only one pony conscious to gaze upon it. If one looked closer, they’d be able to see something else within that darkness. A pair of massive dragon wings, held aloft around a crystalline city, ensuring no light could come inside and no sight of the outside world beyond those dark walls. This was the remnants of the Crystal Empire, and noone had any hope of escaping. Such was the will of King Sombra, master of fear and despair.