//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Captured in the Crystal Empire Part 1 // Story: Luster Dawn Friendship Successor // by SamSwordsman123 //------------------------------// Starcutter looked at the guards of the Crystal Empire that had been placed under his control, or rather Grogar’s control. Their helmets radiated red energy like that which shined in his eyes occasionally. They were all being controlled like he was now. Grogar had made him touch every helmet in the Empire with the Ruby of Reign. That was another way it could be used to control somepony besides having them look at it when the wielder channeled magic into it. The ruby was now in Starcutter’s possession, kept in his pocket, but since Grogar’s magic ran through it he had no power to break its control over him. Grogar commanded and Starcutter obeyed. Use the ruby to control all the guards, but do not throw it away or try to destroy it. Keep it close to you at all times. Starcutter spoke to the guards who now like him, were the pawns of the Father of Monsters. He told them what Grogar wanted him to. To act as though he himself were leading this coup. “You belong to me now!” he said. “You will remove Princess Flurry Heart from her throne tonight and make me the new Crystal King!” “As you command Captain Starcutter!” they said in unison. “Or KING!” The guards marched up the stairs of the Palace. It was nighttime, the moon shined through the windows. Most of the residents were asleep, including Princess Flurry Heart. There were servants in the palace as well, but they were no threat. They stopped a floor below, and Starcutter selected three to accompany him. One unicorn carried a magic suppressing ring with his magic while two others held rope. They walked up to Princess Flurry Heart’s chamber door and opened it to see the Princess sleeping soundly in her bed, totally unsuspecting. If she had awoken, she might have been able to put up one hell of a fight, being a powerful alicorn. “Do it!” Starcutter ordered, loud enough that it woke Flurry. He actually hoped that he would give her a chance to defeat them. But there was no such luck. She was not quick enough to wake up fully as the unicorn guard placed the ring on her horn. “Wha-“ she tried to scream but a gag was shoved into her mouth, reducing her speech to mumbles as both her wings and hooves were tied up as well. She looked around at her captors, recognizing them as her own guards. Starcutter approached. “Sorry Princess… but you’re removed from the throne.” He did mean it when he said sorry. Flurry Heart tried to squirm, but with her magic disabled and her limbs bound by the ropes she was helpless as they carried her down to the dungeons. In the morning Starcutter addressed the citizens of the Empire. “I am now your new ruler!” he declared. “Princess Flurry Heart is imprisoned in the palace!” “No!” Somepony screamed. “Traitor!” “You were her captain! You served as Overseer until she came of age!” “Silence!” Starcutter said. “You all are my subjects now!” The guards under his command raised their weapons, causing the other ponies to fall silent. “As of now, I declare marital law!” Starcutter continued. “Nopony leaves this empire. Detain any visitors that come from the train station and lock it down!” * Luster spent most of the train ride trying to read her book. River Song talked so much it was difficult to concentrate. The Kirin never stopped asking questions. “Are the buildings in the Crystal Empire as shiny as they say? Are the Crystals valuable? Do you know if Kirin can be crystalized in the same way as Ponies?” “I don’t know, how shiny do they say they are?” Luster asked. “Very!” “Well, I’d say so. As for value, not sure. But I imagine it’s not worth destroying somepony’s house over. And I didn’t know if a Kirin has ever been to a Crystalling before.” Soon the train came to a stop and Luster got off her seat. As she and her friends walked (or flew in Georgia’s case) out the doors of the train they saw an unexpected sight. A large battalion of guards were there at the train station. All around them, other ponies and creatures that were getting off the train wore surprised looks as well. “Whoa!” River exclaimed. “You think that they’re sending an army somewhere?” Before any of them could ask what was going on, the guards were after them. Earth ponies grabbed the passengers with their hooves, unicorns levitated hoof cuffs onto their legs, and Pegasi swooped down and carried them off. “Hey what’s going on?” Gallop yelled before a pair of Earth Ponies came at him. They pinned him down before he could run or otherwise react. “Get off him!” Yelena ordered. A unicorn sent a pair of hoof cuffs at her, but her Yak legs were too wide for standard pony cuffs. Luster brought up some of her gold magic to her horn, ready to fire a spell to defend herself. But before she could, a pair of Pegasi grabbed her and lifted her into the air. “Let me go!” she squealed. “Luster!” River Song screamed, her voice full of fear. Luster looked down at her only to see an Earth Pony tackle her. “Hang on!” Georgia flapped her wings and took off, dodging the hoofcuffs intended for her. The Griffon flew after the Pegasi carrying Luster over the Crystal Empire. She rammed into one of them causing him to lose his grip on Luster’s hind legs. The other one struggled to keep hold of Luster as she continued squirming. He too lost hold of her and she was released. But that victory was short lived as the pink unicorn fell the ground with a scream. “Hang on Luster!” Georgia yelled as she dived. The Griffon reached her just in time, catching Luster a split second before she would have hit the ground. As she was set down on the ground the unicorn took several breaths. “T-thanks Georgia!” she said. “No problem!” the Griffon said. “But why are they arresting any creature that got off that train? Is it illegal to travel here now? Did they think some creatures coming to steal their crystals?” “I don’t know,” Luster said before looking up. “Look out!” The two Pegasi were flying down at them. “Now, really! I’m sure we can talk about this!” Georgia tried to reason with them. The pair didn’t stop, Luster instinctively lit up her horn and the unicorn and Griffon both vanished from the area just outside the train station. They reappeared in front of the Crystal Hotel where Luster had stayed last time. Though Georgia’s feathers were singed, the griffon groaned. “Oh! Sorry!” Luster said. “I did it so quickly! I didn’t mean to burn you!” Georgia took a breath, “It’s alright.” They looked around and saw several other guards on the streets. But these ones made no effort to arrest them. It seemed they were only doing that to creatures that came from the station. “Come on, we have to get out of here,” Luster whispered. “But what about the others?” Georgia asked. Luster hesitated. “I don’t know. They’ve probably been captured by now. There were so many guards!” “We can’t just leave them to suffer through… whatever is to happen to them!” After a moment’s consideration, Luster decided it would be good to at least find out what was happening here. She approached the nearest guard. “What are you doing?” Georgia asked. “Trying to find out what’s happened here,” Luster said before turning to the guard, praying she wasn’t making a mistake. “Excuse me, can you tell me what’s going on here?” “We have a new ruler of the Crystal Empire, Captain Starcutter has taken the throne, made himself King, and imprisoned Princess Flurry Heart. We must obey him now!” “So… he just says he’s in charge and you follow him?” Georgia asked. “We have… no choice,” the guard said. His helmet emitting a slight red glow. “You should have been briefed this morning. Are you both from around here?” “Y-yes!” Luster lied. “My father lives here!” That had been true once. “Carry on then, and don’t do anything to make us arrest you.” Luster and Georgia walked a distance away. “It looks like they’re under mind control,” the unicorn said once they were out of earshot. “Can you undo the spell?” Georgia asked. Luster looked at the guard. “Maybe, but if I fail we’d end up getting caught. Best to play it safe.” They made their way back in the direction of the station. As they got closer, they saw their friends being led in chains along with all the other passengers that had been on the train. Their hooves were all cuffed together, and a pair of guards held spears at River Song. Luster noticed that all the unicorns who had been taken prisoner were forced to wear magic suppressing rings put on their horns, but Kirin horns were shaped differently so there wasn’t a pony ring that would fit on River’s. The trio spotted their other two friends. “Luster! Georgia!” River Song called, only to be pushed with the butt of a spear. “Keep moving, Kirin!” River Song gave a pleading look at her free friends. Luster turned her gaze to Gallop, who shook his head, silently seeming to ask her to save herself. Luster watched as three of her best friends were lead in the direction of the castle. In her head, she knew what the smart thing was to do. Get out of here and warn Princess Twilight of Starcutter’s takeover. But her heart told her something else. That she could not abandon those three. They were all she had left in Ponyville now since her family had sent her away. She had to save them, and anypony else she could manage to. “Don’t worry guys. I’m gonna free you!”