Steam rises from the powerful engine as it plows its way through the frozen waste of the north. The train rolled along the tracks with a steady clickity clank. Combined that with the soft cloud resting beds of the royal carriage car and Luna was in a deep sleep for the journey. At least she was...
“I’m BORED!” the voice of Nightshade brought the lunar princess awake but she didn’t move to alert the other two in the car. Her ears did shift to overhear her fellow royal passengers. She narrowly opened her eyes to watch.
Celestia was sitting on one of the car’s lounge couches reading a novel. With a sigh, she lowered the book and look at the one-year-old filly. “I thought you were having fun playing with your Power Pony dolls.”
“Power ponies dumb. Masked Matter-Horn just a unicorn. Mistress Mare-velous, earth pony with an enchanted lasso. Radiance is just another unicorn with conjuration magic, Fili-second hello we know Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both are way faster! Zapp again any pegasus has weather magic. Only Saddle Ranger something different and that just a pegasus with earth pony magic, but then again Fluttershy very good with animals. I’m also bored playing I couldn’t think of another way for Mane-iac to defeat them.” Nightshade knocks over the Fili-second doll.
“Aren’t the Power Ponies are the good guys?” Celestia saw it the moment the little filly mind switched from a normal foal‘s to that of a cunning being with the awareness of a thousand years.
“They are, heroes are boring, they are reactionary characters. Villains are better they do creative stuff they are proactive.” Nightshade nods as she starts putting the toys away.
“Oh... well that because the bad guys are out to hurt others.” Celestia puts down her book and watches the one-year-old reincarnation of Nightmare moon.
“Heroes are lazy, bad things happen all the time and they wait for it to break before doing something. Ponies can’t pay rent will become homeless and rob a bank or something, oh hero comes and stops them. A Villain would just beat up the landlord, maybe destroy the bank with mortgage records. No one can prove the ponies in the house didn’t own it beforehand. It’s not evil it’s optimization. Others call it evil because it breaks the status quo, even if the status quo is bad.” The filly then jumps up on a bench and looks out the window to the snow. “Are we there yet?”
Celestia starts wondering if there was a strong liquor in the train car’s storage. “Oh, but wouldn't that cause harm to the common ponies? They would have their own money in those banks as well.”
“Short term disruption for long term benefits. Banks have security clauses for a reason.” then an angry look to Celestia “You didn’t answer me... I asked if we are there yet.”
Luna lifts her head “Not yet, you know when we are at the Crystal Empire when we pass through the protective shield.”
“Mommy!” Nightshade leaps down and bounces onto Luna’s bed. Just like that, the filly personality went back to the normal 15-month-old.
Celestia shakes her head wondering if the dark aspect of nightmare moon would ever really leave her niece’s mind. Was it just a matter of time before Nightshade follows in her Mother’s hoof steps and become corrupt? Shaking her head to clear herself of the dark thoughts she looks out the window. “Nightshade, you might want to look out the window.”
Nightshade looks up “Why? It all snowy out there.”
“Just trust me.”
Nightshade tilts her head trying to decide to trust her aunt then figures it wasn’t a reason not to for this one time and she moves to a window seat and looks out. Just as the world rippled as the train car passed through the magical barrier and into the spring-like air of the Crystal Empire. “OHHH it all sparkling!”
“That is the emerald fields where the Crystal Ponies grow the emerald hay. Over there in the hills are where the Crystal berry vineyards are.” Luna says as she comes up from behind her daughter.
With a turn of her head, she looks at Celestia “It was a good idea to have the Princess Sumit here. It would help renew the economy as well as encourage trade.”
Celestia nods as she puts her book away “Cadence thought so as well.”
Nightshade looks to Celestia then “is Twilight coming?”
“Yes, she will. She should be arriving later today.”
With a pout, Nightshade sat down and crossed her hooves. “Don’t want Twilight, she took my place.”
Both royal sisters blinked and looked to the pouting filly. “What do you mean Nightshade?”
“Duh, I meant to rule after you two being Luna’s daughter. Now dorky Twilight is Celestia heir Bluey said so.”
“Blueblood didn’t say anything like that,” Celestia recalled the meeting she had with the Prince.
“He said his Dad wanted him to marry Twilight. Because of Twilight in line for the crown now.” Nightshade nods all matter of fact.
“Indeed he told me that... so you were spying on my office hmm?”
“Um... No... um...”
Luna chuckled “I do believe you are caught my little nightmare.”
“I’m not little, I’m a big pony. Went potty and everything.” The filly pouted and it was quiet from then on till they arrived at the station.
Luna had on her foal saddle on where Nightshade rode on her back. A lovely invention the saddle letting a foal ride on the parent’s back in comfort for both the foal and the mother’s back.
The Empire was reduced to just a single city, but that city was the crowning jewel to the once spanning empire. As the three Princesses walked for the tower in the heart of the city they could see construction going on all around. Not just rebuilding the damage from Sombra but fully upgrading the infrastructure for modern times.
“The cost of rebuilding a whole city must be massive. How are we paying for it sister?” Luna asks as they passed a statue of Cadence posed in flight with a crystal heart in her hooves. Capturing the moment of her rushing to restore the heart to the pedestal.
“It is a strain on the economy, but not as much as one would suspect. The crystals the city was built from are very valuable, even more, pure than the crystal mines in Equestria. Then you also have the tourist trade picking up. No other place you could go play in the snow one moment then the next to go swimming in a warm pool in spring-like weather.” Celestia spoke as they both come to a stop under the Crystal Tower. The area was decorated and set up to formally welcome the Royal family.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Nightshade I welcome you to the Crystal Empire.” Princess Cadence spoke up as she headed to the two elder mares. “Oh forget this formality business.” She broke the formality by hugging both mares and then nuzzles Nightshade.
The cheering grew and Cadence looked around. Softly to the other Princesses “I wish the hero worship was not quite so intense.” Louder to the gathering ponies. “My Little Ponies! I thank you all for your hard work rebuilding our home and welcoming our guests! Give a good cheer for the Princesses of Equestria, who are providing valuable resources to our fair city!” She smiles as the ponies cheering grew even more. Then led the other princesses inside.
Nightshade looks at all the ponies. She smiles and waves and practice her cute look, encouraging a few awws from the crowds. “Love me!”
Cadence chuckles “She’s a little attention hog isn’t she.”
Once inside they head to the castle lounge rooms. When the four princesses were alone Celestia turns and looks at Cadence.
“Cadence did it arrive safely?” She asks as she settles down on some relaxing pillows.
Cadence sat down as well with a sigh “It did, are you sure this is a good idea? Sunset Shimmer might not even try to come back.”
Celestia ear’s lower as the thought crosses her mind. “I can only hope Cadence.”
“Okay, you two what going on,” Luna asks after placing Nightshade down, who tackled a pillow and started playing.
Celestia sighs and looks to Luna “I told you about Sunset Shimmer, well the magic mirror due to open a portal to the world I suspect she went too soon. I’m hoping she will return.” Celestia horn flairs and from her bags she drew a folder, one that looked old having been set aside for a long time. She opened it reveling an adoption form, one missing just a signature.
“I was going to adopt her, but she had an ego larger then the one Blueblood pretends to have. A gifted unicorn that even outdoes Twilight Sparkle in creative means of using magic. Twilight has a lot of book smarts, Sunset, she was creative always testing the limits of what a spell could do.”
Luna blinked “what happened to her?”
This time a sigh came from Cadence “It was me. As Celestia said, Sunset had an ego thinking she was the best. Then I came, a simple peguses who ascendent to an Alicorn, knew nothing about spells but still I did what no one else done for as long as ponies could recall.”
Celestia spoke next “I had to protect Cadence, the nobility would pounce on her in a heartbeat. So I adopted Cadence as my niece it drove Sunset mad with jealousy. I became desperate and came up with a plan to snap her out of her hate of Cadence.” tears started falling “it failed, I showed her the magic mirror and cast a simple illusion showing her an image of herself as an alicorn. She has the magic to ascend. If she just lost that ego of hers and made some friends. No pony can safely ascend without friends to stabilize the harmony magic. Of course, if I told her that she would refuse and try to ascend another way. I couldn’t handle her becoming a dark alicorn it would break my spirit.”
Luna nodded “As I did me so many years ago.” Luna moved to her sister and hugged the grieving mare. “So what this new plan you cooked up.”
“I’m hoping Twilight will show her the way. Like I said both are brilliant in their ways. Both are my students, both at first refused friendship. Where Sunset failed, Twilight succeeded. Seeing Twilight as an alicorn I know Sunset would investigate seeking answers. Seeing that ascendancy is linked to friendship, hopefully, she will come back. Then I will formally adopt her as my daughter.”
The three older princesses didn’t notice the piercing eyes of the filly. Eyes filled with jealousy, first Twilight, now this Sunset? No... No one will take her place. She will rule Equestria once Mommy and Aunt Celestia is gone. The once and future Queen of Darkness demands it.