The bellowing winds of the Frozen North roared as the sun rose over the horizon. Untamed clouds sent a flurry of snow spiraling through the air, carried on violent gales that that raced through the tundra that surrounded an ancient bastion of magic. The Crystal Empire, what little of it remained, stood strong against the fierce storm with a magical barrier that protected all of the ponies inside from the raging tempest.
Not a single soul in the Empire noticed the barrier begin to wilt against the storm.
The fierce storm outside of the barrier was almost completely forgotten by the ponies of the Empire as they focused on their daily lives.
Finding comfort in a familiar routine was a luxury that had vanished in the recent years of the Crystal Empire. Only the time allowed for sleeping and eating could have been considered relaxing under Sombra’s tyranny. The rest of their days were filled with various tasks, moving about on a whim as their bodies carried them throughout the Empire. They were prisoners trapped in their own flesh, forced to follow the orders of their tyrant as they pleaded for a moment of freedom.
Many ponies abandoned their prayers for mercy, falling to the will of Sombra and seeking refuge in their own fantasies. When faith and hope were gone, dashed away by the sudden disappearance of the Princesses they worshipped, their forgotten prayers were answered in the unexpected arrival of a strange creature, one whose first official order was to free them of the chains that were placed on their minds. They were free to live their lives, free to shed tears of sadness and joy, free to move on and remember those they had lost.
Taking a moment of stillness to forget about the pains of their past was a blessing for the crystal ponies. Some spent precious minutes watching the sun and moon rise and fall, usually choosing to ignore the nagging questions about their strange ascension and descent. Others chose to spend the early hours of the day by gathering at the base of the Crystal Castle to watch the Heart slowly rotate on its pedestal.
The steady movement of the Crystal Heart sang a lullaby for all of the senses, wrapping the crystal ponies in a blanket of comfort that would occasionally beckon them to return to the realm of dreams. Among the ponies who usually struggled not to answer the call of their heavy eye lids was an elderly mare with lavender fur and a pair of thick brim glasses, named Copper Plate. She sat on her haunches, careful to not aggravate the muscles in her hind legs as she did so, and waited in patience for her friend to arrive.
She sat a good distance away from the crowd, allowing herself and Emerald Secret to have their own area to speak. While there weren’t any rules stating that you had to be silent while watching the Heart, it was a non-spoken agreement that the serene stillness of the air should only be swayed by the faintly rhythmic pulsing of the Heart.
Copper Plate basked in the quiet serenity with her friend, forgetting the problems that plagued her in the past and threatened to emerge in the future. She lost herself in a calming trance as the seconds melted away and was only brought back to her lucid thoughts when she heard the clop of hooves growing closer.
Emerald Secret exchanged a wordless pleasantry with a slight nod of her head as she sat down next to Copper Plate, joining her in a silent moment of leisure that they often shared.
When emerald finally spoke, it was a low voice that wouldn’t disturb anypony else who was basking in the aura of the Crystal Heart.
“How did you sleep last night, Copper?”
“Fine. I managed to sleep on my bed and not my desk,” Copper Plate light joked as she looked away from the Heart to speak with her friend. “I’m guessing you didn’t though?”
“What would make you think that?” Emerald asked.
“Because not many ponies ask that question unless they want to talk about their own night, or they’re desperate for a conversation starter.”
“Well, it could be that I just wanted to know how you slept with everything going on.”
“That’s true. So, how’d you sleep last night?” Copper Plate asked. Emerald’s answer wasn’t immediate but it was still what Copper Plate expected to hear.
“Terrible,” Emerald grumbled, “I haven’t lost that much sleep in weeks, not since the Crystal Fair at least.”
“Was it nightmares?”
“No, I was just restless,” she answered. “Everything was just so… quick! Granted, it was a tad slower than our last change in power, but it was still too quick. The thought of Skeletor abdicating the throne never passed my mind before, and… It caught me off guard. I can already imagine what court will be like today, and I’m definitely not looking forward to it,” she bemoaned as her shoulders fell lower to carry the weight on her mind. “Just how are you staying so calm with all of this going on?”
“Because I’m too old to care,” Copper Plate replied easily. “I think I stopped worrying around the same time a creature with a skull for a head asked me for a basic history lesson.”
“… I’m not sure if I envy your ability to not care or if I’m worried by it.”
“Meh, you’ll know what it’s like when you get to my age. Believe it or not, being too old to worry is an actual symptom of aging. But, I know what you mean, a lot of things are changing and it’s all a little worrying. All we can do is wait and hope for the best, it’s what I did for Skeletor and it’s what I’ll do for the new princess.”
“I suppose there really isn’t much else we can do,” Emerald relented with a tired sigh. “At the very least, though, we can try to guide the princess’ decisions a bit. I’m planning on putting a vote forward regarding her sudden ban on Placebos, and I’m fairly certain I can connive Crumb Catcher to join us. So, we should have a majority in the meeting, and we may be able to sway the princess’ opinion in regards to Skeletor’s ‘fake’ medicine. I trust that you’ll vote with use?” Emerald asked in a playful tone.
While Emerald’s question wasn’t exactly a literal one, since the Royal Advisor had already assumed that Copper Plate would vote alongside her, it did open the door to a problem that had been bothering Copper Plate since Skeletor’s abdication.
With a warm smile and a heavy heart, Copper Plate prepared herself to tell Emerald about her own plans. “Of course, so long as the vote is soon. But… You should probably know that I’m not going to be on the council much longer. I’ll be resigning from my position as Head of the Royal Archives, soon,” she revealed.
The sharp stab of silence that separated them wasn’t as enjoyable as the relaxing ambiance that they had shared moments before. The still air had turned uncomfortable quiet and was only shattered by a single question that barely passed through Emerald’s lips.
“… What?”
“I’m resigning. If I don’t, then I’d be the first pony in history to serve on three councils for three different leaders… I just told you I’m too old to worry. Well, I’m also too old to keep going. It’s time for somepony new to move into the position,” Copper Plate admitted solemnly.
She briefly remembered all of the little humorous jabs that Process Mi Amore would make about Copper’s age, how she was too young to work on the council when she first joined them. Those playful jokes turned to prods about her having wrinkles when she didn’t, and the princess swearing that she could see grey hairs in her fur when there weren’t any. Then, one day, the jokes about her age stopped. Copper Plate hadn’t noticed at the time, but she was getting older, her fur was losing its luster and her mane had begun to turn an ugly shade of grey. Copper Plate had always dismissed her age before, but the truth was that she was getting older, older than any council member in recorded history in fact.
How could she have not noticed it before? Her youth had slipped away from her, turning into the dripping wet wax on a candle that had burned for too long.
Her body suddenly felt heavier as she admitted, both to herself and to Emerald, that she was too old to continue serving as a council member. “I’m not planning on leaving tomorrow, mind you, I still have some work to do before I can retire. First thing I’ll need to do is find a replacement and mentor them properly.”
“But… But what will you do then?”
“I think I’ll find a decent home to share with a few ponies. I heard that Duke Diamond’s estate is nice. It’s a bit far for my tastes, but it’s still standing, which is more than I ca say for the other fiefs and estates. Oh, and I also heard that Duke Diamond was an avid reader of poetry, so I could probably find his collection if I’m lucky,” Copper Plate added on.
“… I don’t suppose that there’s anything I can say to convince you otherwise, is there?” Emerald asked with a hint of dying hope hanging on her words.
“I’m sorry, Emerald, but I’m not sure there is. It’ll be fine though, I trust you and the other council members can take care of everything. Hopefully, Cannon will have his head on straight when he comes back too.”
Silence one again fell over the pair, like a wave that soon retreat back to the Crystal Heart when one of them spoke again. When Emerald finally found the words she wanted to say, she pushed back the still air that had descended upon them.
“… I’ll miss you…”
“I know, Emerald. I’ll miss you too,” Copper replied. “I also wanted to just say, ‘thanks.’ You helped me out a lot, Emerald.”
“I did? How?”
“You kept me from losing my mind. With how often Avid and Crumb get at each other’s scruffs, I was worried that I’d go deaf or lose my voice from shouting,” she joked. “Spending time with you, forgetting about work, it all helps. So, thanks for keeping this old mare company, and for being my friend. I think we both really needed a friend after what happened,” she admitted.
Copper Plate never liked to talk about her enslavement under Sombra’s command, it was an torment that she would take to her grave, and she knew that Emerald had her own personal demons that she didn’t like to talk about either. They were both forced to do and witness things that could never be said aloud, carrying the burden of their memories for the rest of their lives. But, that didn’t mean they had to be alone while they carried that weight. Copper Plate saw the pain in Emerald’s smile drain a little each day, and her own unspoken pain fell away little by little as they days passed by.
“You’ve helped me a lot too, Copper. Thank you, for everything.”
“You’re welcome… You mean a lot to me, Emerald. I’m happy I got to be your friend,” Copper Plate finished as she slowly stood up to her legs. Needle pricks danced inside her muscles as she moved off of her haunches, causing her to wince slightly at the uncomfortable feeling.
“… I’ll meet up with you to keep looking at the Heart bright and early if you’re free,” she promised before she trotted away from Emerald.
The calm silence in the plaza suddenly felt louder to her as she left.
The world was a miserable and confusing place that offered no joy, at least none that Colonel Kernel could find.
He suppressed a yawn as he fought a losing battle with his heavy eye-lids. Sleep was an evasive mistress that promised him relaxation but only delivered nightmares. He cursed every decision that led him to becoming a colonel in the Empire’s military, from his father’s pride to his own cowardice, each one was painted with a slew of colorful curses that danced around the memory of Crumb Catcher’s threat. Kernel was drowning in a sea of deception, betrayal, and confusion that threatened to never give him a moment of peace.
While Crumb Catcher hadn’t directly approached Kernel after their previous “discussion”, Kernel could still feel the Spy Master’s eyes watch him from the shadows. He didn’t know when Crumb Catcher would enact his own plans to betray Lord Skeletor, but Kernel understood that, once Crumb Catcher decided to toss their previous lord away, he would be forced to either stand by Lord Skeletor’s side or abandon him. He would either live as a coward or die as an idiot.
As his tired body continued to move through the halls of the Crystal Castle, the familiar sound of hairless skin stepping on crystal rang in his ears. The colonel’s muscles suddenly tensed as the last whispers of his tired mind were chased away by an instinctual need to appear professional in front of Lord Skeletor.
As usual, Lord Skeletor stood as an imposing pillar of strength, gliding through the air like a force of nature rather than a mortal being. Even without his throne or crown, he was a powerful being whose very presence demanded the upmost respect, as if the world itself should naturally bow down at his sheer power. It was hard for Kernel to believe the rumors that Lord Skeletor had actually cried when Princess Mi Amore Cadenza used her magic to forcefully make him bow to her, but it had to be the truth.
After returning from his personal “duties”, Emerald Secret ordered him to find Copper Plate for the meeting, but when he and the Head of the Archives finally arrived, the meeting had ended and Lord Skeletor had been dethroned. He heard dozens of stories ranging from a benign lord giving Princess Amore’s long-lost daughter her title, to rumors of an imposter whose magic rivaled his and threatened to destroy all of the Empire if she was displeased. In the end, Crumb Catcher chose to believe in his fear and cling to his optimism, hoping beyond hope that his fears were simply misguided.
While his emotions shaped between dread and hope, he greeted Lord Skeletor with a tight expression that hid his anxiety and worry.
“Good morning, your highness.”
“Ah, good morning, Colonel Kernel… Are you alright?”
“I’m fine sir,” he lied.
Lord Skeletor’s impassive gaze swept across Kernel’s face for a moment before he lightly nodded. “Well, alright. I was just about to go on a walk outside the castle, so if everything’s alright I’ll be going now,” he finished as he began to step around Kernel, only for the colonel’s body to suddenly block his path in a moment of worry.
“Wait. Don’t you need a guard?” He asked. Colonel Kernel wasn’t certain when Crumb Catcher would choose to strike, but leaving the castle without a single guard in tow sounded like far too good of a time for the Royal Spy Master to make his move.
Lord Skeletor seemed to deliberate Kernel’s words for only a moment before he answered Kernel’s question with his own. “… Would I really need one?”
Colonel Kernel eyes visibly widened as he felt any thought of an argument die in his mind as he looked at the towering form of Lord Skeletor. What would an alleged deity like Lord Skeletor need a mortal guard for? For Lord Skeletor, a guard would have just been a decoration at his side as he walked through the streets of the Crystal Empire.
Before he could attempt to apologize to Lord Skeletor for his earlier remark, Lord Skeletor stepped back slightly and looked down at Colonel Kernel with an unreadable expression.
“… If I need a guard or escort, then do you think you could recommend someone? If you’re not busy, that is,” Lord Skeletor asked.
Despite Kernel’s position in the guard, he didn’t actually know any ponies who he was certain weren’t under Crumb Catcher’s hoof. The only pony Kernel really trusted was… himself.
“I can do it,” the colonel said almost instantly. He wasn’t sure why he decided to blurt out something like that, but the idea of leaving Lord Skeletor in the hooves of the other guards didn’t sit well with Kernel. On one hoof, he didn’t want to betray Lord Skeletor and allow him to fall into a possible trap, but he also didn’t want to gain Crumb Catcher’s ire either. He and the Empire owed Lord Skeletor their lives, but at the same time, he didn’t want to actually lose his life to defend Lord Skeletor.
It was easy for him to take an oath to defend Princess Amore when he joined the guard because the idea of somepony actively rising against her was a fantasy that even Eris couldn’t create. But it happened all the same, and Kernel didn’t doubt that the same thing could happen to Lord Skeletor. Was he really willing to die for another creature, to risk his own life for another?
It wasn’t that he didn’t feel capable of defending Lord Skeletor with his life, it was just that he was too scared to actually lose it. He knew that he was a coward, and a large part of him didn’t really care if he was, so long as his cowardice kept him alive.
Lord Skeletor, remaining completely unaware of the conflicting thoughts that haunted thee colonel, stared at the grey coated stallion for a moment before he nodded in agreement.
“Alright, well thank you for offering to help me, Colonel Kernel.”
“Of course, sir. Please, lead the way and I’ll follow,” Colonel Kernel said as he stepped aside to let Lord Skeletor pass.
As the colonel trotted alongside Lord Skeletor, he felt his rising concerns threaten to boil over as he matched Lord Skeletor’s pace. He wasn’t sure how Crumb Catcher would react to knowing that Kernel had volunteered to guard Lord Skeletor, but he did know one thing.
Whether he liked it or not, he would eventually be forced to choose between his loyalty to Lord Skeletor or to the ruling crown of the Empire, to live or possibly die.
Skeletor was a bit worried about having Colonel Kernel escort him.
The hardened veteran of the guard looked a tad constipated when they talked, and he seemed rather irritable too. Though, the latter was probably because Skeletor had decided to leave the Castle without a guard. Skeletor could understand that leaving without a guard might have been an issue, especially considering that Skeletor could have gotten lost without a proper escort. Or, maybe it was customary for guests to be escorted by guards when leaving the castle. Either way, Skeletor didn’t really mind the company, he just needed to get out of the castle and escape the mind-numbing boredom of being stuck inside all day with nothing to do.
The second day of Skeletor’s life away from the throne began without any fanfare. It was by no means normal, so much had changed in the span of three days, but at the same time nothing really felt “new” to him.
He didn’t wake up with soul crushing regret, and he didn’t feel uncomfortable in his new room either. In an odd way, it felt abnormally normal, as if he couldn’t be bothered with anything like regret. It was almost like a dream, like he was just walking into a place prepared by his imagination. Then, as the morning began to ware on, he realized that he had nothing to do.
Without a schedule to follow, he was technically free to do whatever he wanted. Before he learned about Crystal, he might have decided to spend his free day experimenting with magic and seeing if he could open a portal back home. But, according to the princess, smarter ponies in Canterlot were already on the case, and would have definitely made more progress than a bumbling idiot whose magical knowledge capped at the first Harry Potter book. Besides, testing experimental spells was a really good way to either hurt himself or break something on accident, so he wasn’t too enthused on trying a new spell that could kill him or force him out of the castle.
Reading had become more of a chore than a leisure, especially considering that each and every book was an irreplaceable item, so he didn’t think about going to the Royal Archives and convincing Copper Plate to move the heavy chains off of a book or two just because he was bored. He had already explored the Crystal Castle the day prior with Avid, the only interesting thing he remembered from their impromptu tour was when he saw the entrance to the Crystal Castle. It was strange for Skeletor to remember that the castle actually had a front door. He hadn’t stepped foot outside of the castle much after the Crystal Fair, and whenever he had it was usually to visit the farms underneath the Empire or to lift something heavy that the crystal ponies couldn’t. It was a pretty strange and concerning day when he lifted a boulder like it was an overweight bag of trash.
Aside from that, Skeletor had spent his days inside the castle, walking between his room, the throne room, the Alchemy Tower, the Medical Wing of the castle, and his private bath. After all of the paperwork, speeches, and politics, it was about time for Skeletor to actually enjoy his time and explore whatever the magical Empire had to offer.
He was sure that he didn’t need permission or anything to do something as simple as going for a walk, but Colonel Kernel had clearly known better. Judging from the reaction on the colonel’s face when Skeletor asked if he needed a guard, Colonel Kernel was clearly upset at the thought of Skeletor going outside without a guard.
Skeletor would have assumed that Colonel Kernel had something better to do than be a tour guide/bodyguard for Skeletor, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth and turn away one of the few ponies he actually knew personally. Their walk through the halls and the entrance of the castle was mostly quiet, and turned dreadfully silent once they both stepped over the threshold of the Crystal Castle’s entrance.
Skeletor froze as he felt the eye of dozens of crystal ponies turn to him. The radiance of the Crystal Heart went ignored as the many gathered ponies gawked and smothered him with their stares.
… Why are there so many ponies here? He wondered, as his gaze flicked over the crowd of ponies. It didn’t take long for him to remember that Emerald had told him about her daily routine of watching the Crystal Heart rotate on its pedestal. Skeletor had always pictured it as a handful of ponies who gathered around the Heart like a crumb-circle, but he was clearly wrong in that assumption.
After allowing their eerie silence to drag on for far too long, Skeletor cleared his non-existent throat and waved to the small crowd. “Good morning, carry on with… what you were doing,” he said as he and Colonel Kernel made their way through closest arch and attempted to slip away from the quiet crowd.
As Skeletor tried to hurriedly put a good amount of distance between himself and the crowd, a mare’s voice rang out behind him. “Please wait!”
Skeletor, through some twisted force of nature, stopped at the mare’s call and resisted the urge to curse under his breath. He wore a professional smile to hide his inclining anxiety and turned to the sound of galloping hooves, as the unsure hoof beats of many other ponies followed after her.
Skeletor was immediately shocked to see the cream coated mare. He didn’t expect to see a familiar face outside of the Crystal Castle, let alone that mare in particular. She had been nothing more than a small thought that drifted in his memories, and seeing her again ignited a slew of emotions inside of him.
“Dilly Dally?” Skeletor asked under his breath as the cream coated farmer slowed her gallop to a trot.
“Y-you remember me, Lord Skeletor?” She asked.
It would be hard to forget the face of a person, or pony, that thought they would die. Dilly Dally and Strike Iron were two mares who thought that they would die for their feelings, and they both cried when they believed that Skeletor was going to personally hand down their un-just punishment. He never thought that he’d see either of the mares after he freed them and lied to the Empire, but she was right in front of him, alive and well.
Of course, he didn’t want the crystal ponies nearby to know that, and Strike Iron had begged to not let their secret out to the Empire for fear of the repercussions, so he gave a fairly reasonable and quickly improvised lie.
“Yes, I’m well aware of your and the other farmers’ struggles in the caverns. I would be remised if I didn’t remember the names of the ponies who keep this wonderful Empire prosperous. You should be proud of your efforts, miss Dally,” Skeletor praised. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Oh, um… Lord Skeletor—”
“Just Skeletor, now,” he corrected. He didn’t want to give anyone the impression that he was encouraging others to use his old title, lest someone take it as an attack against the crown’s position.
“T-then… Skeletor, we… I… What’s going on, now? We all heard your announcement, but a lot of us are still confused. Who is that alicorn that came, why did she have thesterals with her, a-and why are you no longer the lord, is everything alright, will—” She asked, as her questions began to become more rapid.
“Hey, hey, calm down. Breath, Dilly Dally, everything is alright, take a moment to relax,” Skeletor consoled as he lowered himself to one knee and made a calming gesture with his hands. “Just take a few breaths and calm down, everything is fine, trust me.”
Skeletor felt flashes of his memory replay was Dilly Dally’s breathing slowed to a crawl. It reminded him far too much of when he first met the horrified mare, it made him feel sick to have someone look at him with such terrified eyes, as if he were a real monster. Thankfully, he had some experience when it came to reassuring scared animals back home thanks to Evelyn and her friend Raqquill. He was by no means the animal whisperer that Raqquill was, but he still knew a few tricks.
He couldn’t loom over her, so he kneeled down to her level, gave her a good berth between themselves so she would feel more at ease, and he made sure that his voice didn’t come off as too aggressive. Of course, there were a few liberties added since Dilly Dally wasn’t a scared dog, she was a sentient talking pony in a frozen crystal wonderland, so in a way, it was a bit worse than approaching a fearful dog.
“In, and out, deep breaths, just like I taught you,” Skeletor guided, mimicking thee mare’s own breathing as she steadied herself. After he had finished instructing her, Skeletor turned his attention to the crowd of engrossed ponies. He felt their eyes touch every part of his body as they stared at him inn silence, causing his own anxiety and worries creep around his mind. “Dilly, how are you alright now?” He asked.
“Yes, my lord, I’m… I’m better now.”
“Good. Now, let me tell you and everyone here that there is nothing to worry about,” Skeletor reassured before he rose to address Dilly Dally and the gathering of ponies who followed closely behind her.
“Princess Cadence is Princess Amore’s long-lost niece. She was sent here by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to liberate the Empire, only to find that it was already liberated. As Princess Amore’s heir, she and her husband have a rightful claim to the throne. I abdicated it knowing that they would be able to help you all and form a stronger connection with the other kingdoms south of the Empire. I’m sorry if I was being a bit too vague during my final announcement, and I hope that I was able to quell any lingering concerns. From what I know, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor will be making an announcement of their own during court later today, and if you have any questions then you can attend court and bring them up then.
“Now, as much as I would love to stay and speak with you all, I… Have official business to attend to,” he lied. He wasn’t about to tell them that he was just going on a walk and that he didn’t want to talk to anyone else. “Official business” gave him an unofficial reason to enjoy himself without worrying about maintaining whatever slightly positive image he held.
“Official business?” Colonel Kernel asked.
Damnit, I forgot he was there, Skeletor internally cursed. The colonel probably wasn’t happy with Skeletor pretending that he still held any power over the Empire without his title, or that he was either lying to the colonel or the many gathered ponies. Either way, he was caught between two lies and didn’t want to piss off either a large crowd or a colonel by telling one or the other the truth.
“Yes! I… It’s part of abdicating the throne. Of course, this has never happened before and there are a few things that are different between our cultures. When I told you that I was going for a walk, it was because it’s part of my culture,” he lied. Not the best lie, in his opinion, but enough to quell any questions. “It’s a way of saying goodbye to the throne and hello to a new life. Even if I’m no longer a lord, I am still a citizen of the Empire,” I hope. I Really don’t want to get deported into the snow storm outside, “And as such, it is only right that I become more familiar with the Empire as a citizen and not as who I used to be.”
“So, you willfully abdicated the throne?” Dilly Dally asked.
“Yes,” Skeletor replied easily. “I believed, and still believe, that it is in the Empire’s best interests. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor already have a strong bond with the other kingdoms, and I know that we can all look forward to a prosperous era of peace under their reign,” he stated firmly. “Now, if you have anymore questions, then I’d recommend holding onto them so that you can ask Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor later during court. Thank you all, and have a wonderful day.”
With that, he quickly turned away from the crowd and began walking through the streets of the Crystal Empire. Colonel Kernel’s hoofs struck the ground loudly as he galloped to Skeletor’s side after his sudden departure.
“Please tell me that they’re not following us,” Skeletor whispered quietly to the colonel, who raised his eyebrow before glancing behind himself.
“Um… They’re not following us,” Colonel Kernel informed him. Unfortunately, the sound of hesitant hoofbeats behind them told Skeletor a different story.
“I’m guessing you’ve never heard of a figure of speech, have you?”
“Beg pardon?” Colonel Kernel asked.
“Never-mind,” Skeletor said as he silently hoped that he wouldn’t have a growing crowd of ponies follow him all day.
In hindsight, leaving with only a single guard was probably a really dumb decision.
“Well, I’ve never been on an actual tour group before. Do you know any fun places to look at?” Skeletor asked jokingly as he plastered a smile to his skull and prayed for a simple day.
As the old Lord of the Crystal Empire mingled in the streets of the Crystal Empire, the future princess prepared for the first evening of court to arrive.
Cadence was no stranger to court proceedings, she had sat on many of them with Princess Celestia and she had offered her own input on a situation on more than one occasion. She easily assumed that she was perfectly prepared to deliver her judgment on their concerns and pleas after spending a good deal of time catching up on the biggest issues that the Empire was facing.
She spent a great deal of time going over every document Skeletor signed, rechecking every decree that was recorded, and reviewing every single record that Copper Plate had on Skeletor, from his schedule to his speeches, she failed to find anything that could justify most of her negative assumptions. For a moment, she thought that her assumptions had been proven when Copper Plate mentioned that she had disagreed with Skeletor’s stance on trial by combat.
The princess felt reassured in her assumptions about Skeletor, only for the Head of the Archives to reveal that Skeletor was against the concept and had passed a rule stating that all trials by combat would be non-lethal and that killing a pony in a duel would be considered a crime.
At most, the only debatably bad thing she could find about the demonic looking creature was his decision to implement placebos in the medical ward. So, Cadence was left to stew in her own thoughts as she prepared to have her first evening of court in the Crystal Empire.
The sun had just begun its slow descent at lunch when Cadence re-read a few of Copper Plate’s written records on Skeletor. Among the elder mare’s written reports were notes regarding his battle with King Sombra. Only four ponies had witnessed the confrontation, and since one of them was turned into a pinata, that left the recorded testimony of only Emerald Secret, General Cannon Fodder, and a civilian named Track Record.
Each report confirmed that Sombra was beaten to death, removed from the castle, and then burned to ashes. For some reason, the report specifically mentioned that his ashes, “wouldn’t touch the farms,” which Cadence didn’t quite understand. Needless to say, everypony in the Empire was sure that Sombra was dead, everypony except Skeletor of course. If Sombra was truly still alive then Cadence had a very large issue on her hooves.
Of course, there was the still the possibility that Skeletor had lied to her. It was more comforting for her to believe that Sombra was actually dead and that Skeletor only wanted to sow seeds of fear into her mind as she chased the shadows of clouds.
She sighed as she wilted into her chair. She felt the weight of her thoughts press against the base of her skull as she continued her preparations for court, which was only an hour away. There was an unshakable sense of fear that she couldn’t pry from her mind as she waited for court. Cadence knew above everything else that she still had an hour before court would begin, but she still felt uncertain about when it would start. In Canterlot, Princess Celestia would always hold court meetings early in the day before lunch, whereas the Empire appeared to prefer hosting court after lunch.
It was like waking up to the first day of summer break and worrying that she was late for school. It was a nagging feeling that flew in her mind like a blind nat, bumping against her thoughts every-so-often to remind her that it was there.
A light knock at her bedroom door was thankfully enough to swat away at those pesky worries.
“Yes?” Cadence called out.
“Princess, it’s General Camisole. May I have permission to enter?”
“Yes, Cami,” Cadence answered.
The general of Luna’s Night Guard entered without delay and quickly closed the door behind her. “I swear, the layout of this place is worse than Canterlot,” she grumbled before stifling a yawn. “And I still can’t find any coffee. I hate this place.”
“I’ll be sure to ask for Princess Celestia to ship over some coffee at her earliest convenience then. I’d rather not have my guards fall asleep on duty. Speaking of which, what’s the status of the other guards?”
“Star Burst should be tailing Skeletor right now, and Crux Heart is in the Alchemy Tower with the alchemists to see what’s inside Skeletor’s placebo thingies. The other guards are either carrying out your orders to collect the placebos, or gathering intelligence,” Camisole rattled off as she took a seat on the floor. “I just came back after reviewing a report from Glass Wing, and I’ve got some… Bad news and worse news, honestly. Oh, and I have what you wanted, so I guess that’s good news,” she ended enthusiastically as she pulled a large stack of papers out of her satchel.
Cadence accepted the papers and grabbed them with her magic, pulling the many documents to her side as she skimmed through them.
“Well, this is good, at least. What about the bad news?”
“It’s about what Sombra did. When we arrived in the Empire, I noticed that there weren’t any thestrals or rumbas—”
“Ruvas,” Cadence corrected.
“—In the streets. I thought that it was weird, so I made a bet with Crux that we wouldn’t see any for the whole day. Turns out, we’re never going to see them, period. During Sombra’s reign, he reportedly drove his own race to extinction, and any of the thestrals that escaped died close to three thousand years ago.”
“I see… I wish I could say I was surprised. I already knew because Emerald told me, but part of me was hoping that there would be at least a few survivors. I’m sorry that I didn’t think to bring it up with the guards,” she apologized as she thought about the idea of an entire race of ponies going extinct.
“Then do you know about the foals too?” Camisole asked.
“Foals? No, I haven’t heard anything about foals.”
“Well, that’s because there aren’t any. No fillies, colts, or anypony young enough to have a fresh Cutie mark.”
“… That’s impossible,” Cadence decided firmly. She knew that Sombra was evil, but even evil had limitations.
“It’s true. Nopony I asked would go into great detail about it, but from what I was able to gather… They were hunted down and killed. They mentioned something about a pit, but I wasn’t able to pry anything else.”
“Sweet Celestia… I… I…” Cadence stuttered as she felt the bile in her stomach threaten to climb out of her.
A colorful flash of light traveled down her horn as she prepared several self-medicating spells to fight against the sick feeling inside of her. She took a deep breath as she calmed her stomach and mind, counting the seconds that passed between each inhale and exhale. Cadence pushed past the illusive horrors that her mind conjured, ignoring the tapestry of death that was laid over her thoughts, and hardened her resolve to help the ponies of her Empire.
She had already sent a request to her aunts for a good number of unicorn neurologists to come to the Empire, but it would still take time for them to arrive. Cadence briefly considered using her own magic to ease the minds of her subjects, but she tossed that idea aside. Using mental healing spells without properly understanding the mind was a dangerous gamble, and she refused to hurt her ponies or give them promises that she couldn’t immediately deliver. She and the Empire would just have to wait for her aunts to send aid to the Empire.
“Alright. Thank you, Cami. Could you go find Shining and make sure that he’s ready for court? I just need to write a letter quickly and then I’ll be heading to the Throne room.”
“Yes, your highness,” She obliged with a quick salute before she trotted out of the room.
With her temporary general gone, Cadence turned her attention to the stack of papers that she had set aside, and added it to the many other papers that she already had on hoof.
A complete collection of Skeletor’s life in the Empire sat in her hooves, holding secrets and theories that could change everything she knew about the demonic creature. As she leafed through the collection of pages, her eyes caught the foreign word that convinced Skeletor to abdicate the throne; “human”.
A part of her wanted to believe that Skeletor had been honest with her, that he was a simple creature who was only looking for a way home. However, those thoughts held dark implications that Cadence didn’t want to entertain. If was telling the truth, then it was likely that Sombra’s spirit still roamed the castle, that there was a world where the secrets of necromancy we’re laid bare for all to know, and that she had lied to an innocent creature and given him a false sense of hope.
There was still the possibility that Skeletor had simply lied to her and was planning to manipulate her with a lullaby of fictional monsters that she would chase to the edge of the world. Her aunt Celestia had taught her that demons were tricky creatures, but she would also sing praises about Scorpan whenever Cadence would ask about Celestia’s old friend. Skeletor would either become Cadence’s strongest ally, or he would become her greatest enemy, and she refused to be manipulated by any creature.
With an exhausted groan, Cadence summoned a fresh piece of paper and a quill, along with an emerald matchstick to send the papers off to her aunts.
“Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, as you requested, I’ve compiled a list of everything we currently know about Skeletor. Below this letter is every law passed by him personally, a transcription of his recorded speeches, and several contradicting stories and theories revolving around him, including a more detailed description of the conversation Shinning and I had with him yesterday. I would like to also speak to you with matters regarding the mental state of the Empire’s citizens… I have just learned something that I think will require more specialized neurologists to be sent to the Empire,” she explained as she began taking the first steps to help the Empire heal.
While help wouldn’t arrive immediately, it would eventually come, and the Empire would change for the better. The horrors of their history would eventually be forgotten and buried as the ponies of the Empire looked towards a brighter future.