The crystal ponies were at the Crystal Heart centerpiece in throes now. The nervous chatter had turned into a buzz like an oncoming swarm of bees.
“Now, don’t ya’ll worry yer pretty little Crystal heads,” Applejack said nervously, “The real Crystal Heart will be here any second.”
Rarity jumped to her side. “I don’t know if they believe you,” she whispered as the drone got louder.
“I don’t know if I believe me,” Applejack admitted softly.
Then, as lightning crackled across the sky, Cadence finally fell, limp, and the last vestiges of magic drained from her horn. The shield faded away.
“He’s back!” one of the ponies shrieked, “I can’t take it anymore!” She raced away screaming, only to run into a block of obsidian. She looked up as the smoke condensed and reformed into a familiar unicorn with black fur, silver and black armor and a red and white cape.
“My crystal slaves,” King Sombra purred, “Bow before your king. Your last hope has been extinguished.”
“Hey!” a voice called, “Up here!”
Everyone looked up. Rarity’s eyes narrowed.
“Spike?” she asked.
But what was more important was the glowing blue heart clutched in the little dragon's claws.
“I got it!” Spike exclaimed, “I got the crystal heart!”
“What?!”
Realization slowly dawned on Sombra’s face, and he let out a bellow of wordless rage. He fired a beam of black magic that hit the ground below Spike’s feet. The little dragon was hurled off the tower, the heart slipping from his grip.
“Spikey-wikey!” Rarity shrieked as he tumbled through the air. Her call was nearly drowned out as the other ponies wailed in fear.
But as Spike and the Heart fell to their apparent doom, Cadence’s eyes opened again. She and Shining shared a mutual look, and Shining picked her up as her wings unfurled. As Sombra closed in on the Heart, his teeth bared in anticipation, Shining hurled Cadence like a spear.
Mere seconds before the heart fell into Sombra’s grip, a flash of pink and blue shot by Sombra’s vision. And instead of the Heart and Spike falling towards him, he found himself staring at a very angry wolf plummeting towards him like a missile, his jaws open as he bellowed in rage. As the unicorn collided with the wolf, Logan’s teeth sunk into Sombra’s snout, nearly tearing half his face into smoke and mist. The dark unicorn and the wolf tumbled right off the obsidian tower, Logan slashing and biting in a furious frenzy.
Cadence, meanwhile, banked in the air and flew back towards the centerpiece. As she neared the centerpiece, the crystal ponies began to rejoice.
“Behold!” one of them exclaimed, “The Crystal Princess.”
She landed among them, right on top of the shards of the fake heart.
“The Crystal Heart has returned,” Cadence declared firmly, “Use the light and love within you to ensure that King Sombra does not.”
#
Logan yelped as he was hurled into a wall of obsidian. The King blasted an additional spear of the dark rock at him. Logan screamed as the dark rock pierced his shoulder, pinning him to the wall.
“How DARE you disappoint me,” Sombra growled, “I give you opportunity. The chance to have everything you ever wanted. And you throw it away?!”
Sombra prepared to blast Logan again. But the wolf ripped his arm free, obsidian and all, and cracked it across Sombra’s head. With Logan leaping back onto the King, Cadence was able to toss the Heart into the center piece. The snowflake pattern in the center of the castle glowed a bright blue, and two vertical crystal spires came together, holding the heart in place.
The crystal ponies changed, their coats glistening like jewels as they bowed to Cadence. Blue light spread through the street of the empire.
Sombra noticed as he held Logan’s teeth back from his throat, yelling as the blue light spread under his hooves.
“No!” He declared. He kicked Logan away and tried to run for the centerpiece, only for Logan to drag him back down. “NO! STOP!”
But Logan valiantly held him back, and as the Crystal Heart spun in its place, the light retracted and concentrated, generating a sphere of light that exploded outward, engulfing the empire. As Cadence, Spike, Shining Armor, and the Mane Six all gained the crystalized colors of the ponies, Logan and Sombra were blasted back.
Sombra gave one final wail of agony before he exploded, his horn flying into the snow as the rest of him scattered like glass from a shattered mirror. As for Logan, the obsidian in his arm curled away into ash, and he hit the ground on his back, his fur crystalized as the others. The light continued out past them, driving back the obsidian, Sombra’s black clouds, and causing the crystals to shine like diamonds. White light shot up from the castle’s base to the top crystal, and it fired a ribbon of energy into the sky.
With one final, ground-shaking blast of blue light above the empire, the dark clouds and skies vanished, with the ribbon of energy becoming an aura borealis visible all the way from Canterlot.
As Celestia took in the sight, she crossed her horn with Luna’s.
“She did it,” Celestia whispered.
“I suppose… he helped as well,” Luna asked.
Celestia’s smile faded. “Perhaps,” she said. “But, I know one way to find out.”
#
“I do so wish it was permanent,” Rarity exclaimed as the now normally colored ponies walked the streets of the Empire. “Did you see how my mane just absolutely sparkled?”
“Well,” Applejack said, “Good things are better when they’re a… rarity,” she said with a wink.
Rarity giggled.
“I’m just glad everything turned out okay,” Shining Armor said, glancing at Twilight with a grin, “You really have to stop saving my rump like this. It’s starting to get embarrassing.”
Twilight grinned softly. “It wasn’t me who saved you in the end.” She glanced over at Spike. “It was Spike.”
Spike grinned at the compliment, but then glanced further down the road. “It wasn’t just me, either,” he noted.
The others looked up, and their ears flattened. Logan was standing near the now secured Crystal Heart. Aside from a tear in his jacket, he looked uninjured. His ears were flat, though, and his tail was tucked.
“Sombra spoke to us,” Twilight said. “He told Logan that he could only use the Crystal Heart’s power before it saved the Empire.” As she watched Logan glumly turn away from the Heart, she added, “It looks like he was right.”
“Oh, poor Logan,” Rarity bemoaned.
“I would ‘a though he’d have used the Heart to beam himself home.”
“He almost did,” Spike said, “It would’ve taken the Crystal Heart, or destroyed it if he succeeded.” Spike looked down. “I… was scared for a second that he was going to just leave us.”
“But he didn’t,” Twilight said, smiling at Spike, “You got through to him, and he made a choice that saved all of us. And that’s what matters.”
As Logan turned away, he noticed the group. Twilight walked over to him.
“Logan…” she smiled softly, “Thank you. You really helped us…”
Her voice faded as Logan walked past her. “Fat lot of good your gratitude does me,” he said bitterly.
Twilight glanced at the others, and then back at Logan as he limped away.
“Wait,” Rarity yelled, “Wherever are you going?”
“North,” Logan said, “There’s another nation north of here; Yakyakistan. I got someone down there; owes me a favor.” He grinned sadly back at them. “They probably won’t have anything like that heart, but… it pays to check.”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “So,” she asked, “Do you… regret helping us?”
Logan didn't even hesitate.
“No. No, I don’t regret it.” He chuckled. “Not much to regret about finally getting praised for biting a monarch.”
Applejack and Rainbow Dash shared faint grins as the memory of Logan smashing Sombra returned to them, but Twilight didn’t share in their merriment.
“Please,” she said, “We’re all really grateful for the sacrifice you made.”
“I’m sure you are,” he replied, “But my pack’s still waiting for me.” As he turned away, he added, “Hopefully.”
Twilight flinched, remembering what they experienced in Sombra’s chambers.
“I’m gonna get back to them,” he said, “One way or another.” With that, he limped away.
As Twilight tried to go after him, her ear twitched. She turned, noticing a speck of light on the horizon, which grew brighter as it arrived. With a gasp, Twilight recognized Princess Celestia herself.
“Oh, no…” Twilight whimpered. “The test… I…”
“Twily,” Shining said comfortingly, “It’s just a test. She’ll let you retake it.”
As Celestia landed and trotted over to her, Twilight shook her head, as the memory of the Celestia in Sombra’s nightmare came back to her. “I don’t…” she started to say, before Celestia landed before them, looking about the Empire with awe.
“You know,” Celestia noted, “My experience with the Crystal Empire truly is limited.” She smiled at the sparkling buildings. “I forgot just how beautiful this place really is.”
Twilight bowed her head. “I wish it had been me who made it so.” She gave Celestia a cautious as she added, “But it wasn’t.”
Celestia gave Twilight a long look, her eyes briefly darting up to the others. Shining and Spike clutched each other’s limbs, while Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie paced fitfully in the background. Celestia closed her eyes with a smile.
“Twilight,” Celestia began. “As I understand, Spike got the Crystal Heart from Logan because you weren’t sure Logan would listen to you. You didn’t force the wolf to conform to your needs, and you weren’t willing to risk the future of the citizens of the Crystal Empire in an effort to guarantee your own future.” As Twilight looked up, her ears lifted and her eyes widened. “Far better that I have a student who understands the meaning of cooperation and self-sacrifice… than one who only looks out for her own best interests.”
Twilight held back a gasp. “Does this mean…?”
“Of course, you passed,” Celestia said happily. Though, her smile faded as she noticed Twilight’s expression didn’t brighten.
“W-Well,” she said, stammering as if she wasn’t sure whether to say it or not, “I-I mean… well… I’m happy that I passed but…” She bit her lip. “P-Princess, if I may… did… well, did you… um… how did you know about Spike and Logan?”
Celestia paused, hesitating.
"H-How did you..." Twilight stammered. "Did you... Were you willing to sacrifice everyone in the empire... just to test me?"
Twilight flinched before she could finish, as if she expected to get hit. Slowly, realization dawned, and Celestia’s ears flattened in sadness.
“I take it the Lone Wolf had much more to say about me, didn’t he?” she asked.
Twilight just whimpered, her head down in frustration and conflict. Applejack went to her side, resting a hoof on her shoulder.
"He made a buncha claims," Applejack said, careful to keep her voice neutral. "Shed a bit more light on what princesses and the like are... well, like, back where he comes from."
Celestia just sighed.
“Is he still here?”
The mares and stallion glanced at each other.
“He said that he was going to Yakyakistan,” Rainbow Dash said.
“He was heading out, but he might still be on the borders, if we hurry,” Fluttershy offered.
Celestia nodded. “Please,” she asked, nodding to Fluttershy. “Take me to him.”
Fluttershy’s wings flared, her eyes wide in shock, but with Twilight still mumbling and fidgeting, combined with an approving look from Applejack, Fluttershy swallowed her fear and nodded, heading towards where Logan had walked off.
Celestia followed behind her, dread building on her face. Part of her almost hoped that he was gone. But another part was hopeful. Curious as to whether his actions with the empire and his travels had possibly softened his heart towards her.
She got her answer soon enough, as Fluttershy led her towards the borders of the empire, they saw him, making his way for the snow.
“Logan!” Fluttershy called. The wolf looked back, his ears flaring at the sight of the princess. Celestia tapped her hoof awkwardly on the grass, before shuffling forward.
“Logan Wolfe,” she said, her tone partially hopeful.
He turned away, and trekked into the snow. Celestia’s ears flattened, and she sighed sadly. She had him to thank for saving the Empire, but it seemed time - and being a hero - had done nothing to ease his bitterness towards her after all.