The Crystal Empire
Princess Celestia let out a weary sigh. It had been several days since her sister and niece left for the Chamber of Crystals, and it wasn't easy raising Flurry Heart by herself, especially since she had to raise the sun and the moon in her sister's absence. Then again, she did the same thing for the past thousand years since Luna had become Nightmare Moon. She looked upon her niece once more and smiled warmly, cuddling her.
"I wonder how your partents and the others are doing now?" she asked herself.
Upon reaching the kingdom of Fabul, our heroes had witnessed no signs of an attack from Baron; therefore Fabul was safe... for the moment.
"Before I introduce you to the king," said Yang, "there is someone I must see."
The group, although confused, did as he said. They followed him and came across a woman the same age as him.
"Sheila!"
"Yang, honey! I'm glad you're safe," the woman said.
From the conversation, the rest gathered they were married.
"Where have you been, off loafing again?" she said in a teasing manner, causing the girls to giggle.
"Ah, yes, this is my wife," said Yang, rubbing the back of his head.
"We got that the first time," said Twilight.
"My goodness! That little creature just spoke just now!" Sheila gasped.
"Yes. It surprised me, too. Anyway, these ponies along with Cecil and his companions came to my aid on Mt. Hobs."
Sheila stood still but quickly regained her senses. "Oh. Well, that was mighty kind of you. Hey, hon, don't you have some please you gotta be? I heard the King's waitin' for you."
Yang bowed and kissed his wife's hand. As he and the others turned to leave, Applejack stayed behind.
"Ah didn't expect one of our new folks to be married," she said.
"I didn't expect talking ponies. You're not from around here, are ya?"
The orange earth pony chuckled. "Was it that obvious?"
Sheila chuckled as well.
"Yo, Applejack! Hurry up!" said Rainbow Dash from afar.
"Comin', Rainbow!" She turned to Sheila. "Well, I'm off. Take care!"
She immediately ran off and found the others as they entered the throne room and knelt before the king.
"Ah, Yang! You have returned!"
"Yes, my liege. However..."
"Would you do me the favor of introducing me to your guests?"
"We have come to safeguard the Crystal. This castle's defenses must be tightened, immediately," said Cecil.
"Yang, can this dark knight and his companions be trusted?" the king asked, eyeing our heroes, especially on the ponies.
"Yes, sire. They risked their lives to help me," the monk replied.
"Sire, Baron's fleet decimated Damcyan and claimed our Crystal not long ago. Many died, including my parents and my beloved. Damcyan's tragedy must not be repeated!"
The king closed his eyes and nodded.
"Forgive my suspicions. Yang, mobilize the men for battle. Prince Edward, dark knight, will you help us defend Fabul?"
"They have already offered their help, sire," said Yang. "We will join the forward guards at the main gate."
"Very well. Will the ladies assist our medic?"
"Yes, sire," Rosa replied.
"What about us ponies?" Shining asked. "I can join the front."
"Ah reckon me and Rainbow will join up front, too," said Applejack.
"I'll stay with Rosa just in case," said Twilight.
"As will I," Rarity added.
"Maybe I can join you Rosa," said Cadence.
"What exactly can you ponies think you can do?"
"You really wanna know?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Ah reckon we oughta prove it to ya. Follow me," said Applejack.
*music fades out*
The whole group did as the orange earth pony said. Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked together and saw three goblin-like creatures approach her alongside what appeared to be sword rats, except these were called Gatlinghogs. Rainbow Dash nodded and flew up to the sky, looked around for a storm cloud and bucked it, triggering a lightning strike. Applejack then delivered a powerful kick to the domovoi in the middle, sending into a distant tree. The others quickly ran away.
Needless to say, the humans were astounded by the earth pony's strength and the pegasus' ability to manipulate a storm cloud.
"Not bad, huh?" Rainbow said confidently.
The king was at a loss for words.
"Incredible," said a shocked Yang.
"Well..."
Everyone held their breath.
"You may join us."
"ALRIGHT!!"
Later...
Along the front lines were Cecil, Yang, Edward, Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Each stood still like a statue, not moving a muscle.
A front man from the top of castle approached and proclaimed, "They're here!"
As if on cue, soldiers from Baron--accompanied by a swarm of monsters--approached the front gate.
"I got this!" she said.
Before she could reach her target, she was suddenly pushed back by an unseen force.
"Rainbow Dash!"
Finding themselves cornered, our heroes retreated further into the castle, just one floor away from the Crystal.
"The king has already retreated into a safe place along with the women and children. It is our duty to lure the enemy away... and crush them!"
Shining Armor turned around and saw one of the guards fumbling with the lock to the throne room.
"Look!"
Sure enough, the guard in question was messing with the lock; a click came out, unlocking the throne room!
"You fool! What are you doing?!" Yang yelled.
"He's one of them!" Edward realized.
"A spy?!" Cecil questioned.
The guard turned to face our heroes and revealed his true form: a gargoyle!
"Why you...!"
Rainbow leapt and grabbed the creature, intending to slam it down to the ground. However, the gargoyle grabbed the cyan pegasus and threw her down instead.
"Rainbow!"
Applejack quickly ran to Rainbow's side and gave her a potion. Seeing this, Rarity glared at the floating creature and fired a crystalized beam toward it. Unfortunately, the gargoyle was blasted right toward the gate, allowing more enemies to pass through. Just then, a light purple aura enveloped them. The three alicorns teleported in between her friends and the invading army.
"I've got this! GO!" Twilight commanded.
"As have I," said Luna.
"Count me in," Cadence added.
Doing as they said, the party quickly escaped to the next floor.
"Twily, Princess Luna, Cadence..."
"We will protect the Crystal."
At that point, the three princesses were shoved through the gate.
"Princesses!"
"Something... or someone... pushed us through with some kind of magic," said Luna.
"No way! You think that's what happened to me?" asked Rainbow.
Suddenly, the Baron army stormed through with more soldiers and monsters.
"We can't keep this up!" Shining pointed out.
"This is hopeless!" Rarity cried. "My magic's just about out!"
"As is mine," Luna added.
"And mine," an exhausted Twilight stated.
"We are outnumbered," Yang observed. "Withdraw to the Crystal's altar!"
Our heroes quickly retreated to the altar and stood between the Crystal and their enemies. Shining Armor looked upon his allies and saw that they were truly exhausted from the battles so far. Just then their ears picked a new set of footsteps approaching the chamber. When Cecil and Shining saw who it was, they dropped their stances.
"Kain! You're alive!" said a relieved Cecil.
"Thank Celestia you're here!" said Shining Armor.
Twilight and Cadence couldn't believe their eyes. The dragoon they had heard about the previous day appeared before their very eyes.
So... this is Kain Highwind, Cadence thought to herself.
"You got a dragoon for a friend? AWESOME!!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly.
"You must fight with us!"
"Gladly, Cecil..." said the dragoon, unsheathing his lance... and pointing it at Cecil's direction.
"I'll fight only with you!"
Twilight and Shining gasped.
"What?!" said Cecil. "No...! It can't be... You must be under Golbez's control!"
"Silence!"
The dragoon charged at the the dark knight; Cecil blocked the lance with his blade, struggling to gain a foothold.
"Kain! Stop this!"
The Equestrians stood by themselves in shock seeing their friend refuse to fight his attacker. After all, this man was supposed to have been his childhood friend.
By that point, a tired Cecil lowered his sword, allowing Kain to strike with a horizontal swipe of his lance, scarring the dark knight's armor and bringing him down to one knee. Applejack and Rainbow Dash ran over to Cecil's side.
"You stay back! This is between me and him," Kain warned.
"No way!" said Rainbow as Yang approached his comrade.
"Please stop!"
Upon uttering those words, Rosa arrived at the chamber pleading for Kain to cease his assault. At that moment, Kain hesitated. His hand shook, as if he realized what he was about to do, especially in front of Rosa.
"What is the matter, Kain?" said an unfamiliar deep voice.
Everyone turned to the stairs behind Kain, hearing heavy clanking footsteps... and they saw him emerging from the stairs: an imposing eight-foot tall man clad in dark blue and black armor with gold trimmings and a helmet with tall horns, concealing his face. The lining of his cape was colored red and blue. While most of the humans towered over the ponies, this man towered over everyone in the altar, making the Ponyville ponies look like insects.
"Golbez!" cried Edward with a mixture of anger and dread.
"So... you're Golbez!" said Cecil.
"And you are Cecil, I presume?" Golbez mused. "Never hesitate to kill, Kain. Now see how it is done!"
"Oh, no ya don't!" Applejack warned; she and Rainbow along with the two men stand in defiance.
"You want this crystal? You're gonna have to go through us!" said Rainbow Dash.
"I did not come to deal with worms," he said, blasting Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Shining Armor, Edward and Yang away, effortlessly defeating them.
"Shining Armor!!" Twilight and Cadence cried.
"Kain, grab the Crystal."
"Yes, master," said Kain. The dragoon walked up to the Wind Crystal and grabbed it.
"Kain, please!" a teary-eyed Rosa said. "You can't do this!"
"No, Rosa!" said Cecil.
Shining Armor stood firm. As did Luna, Cadence and Twilight.
"Be still, sorcerer!"
"So you're Princess Luna," Golbez observed, shocking everyone present.
"How can this be?" Luna said almost softly. "How have you come to known--"
Before the princess could finish, the armored villain pushed her aside and into a nearby wall.
"Aunt Luna!" Cadence cried. She tried to run towards her aunt but was caught by Golbez.
"All too easy," he said. Golbez then turned to Rosa. "You cherish this woman, do you not?" He then eyed Cadence. "And... this mare. I believe we have met, haven't we... Princess Cadence?"
The ponies gasped once more.
"Don't you DARE!" Shining Armor said, weakly.
"Then I shall take them with me to raise the stakes."
As the sorcerer moved toward Rosa, Shining Armor charged toward him only to be knocked aside.
"Shining!" Cadence cried.
With our heroes incapacitated, Golbez grabbed Rosa by the arm and used his magic to place Cadence in a magical orb.
"I have four prisoners now. Until next time."
The sorcerer then left the chamber taking the white mage and the Princess of Love with him.
"ROSA!!"
"CADENCE!!"
Before leaving with the Crystal, the mind-controlled dragoon sneered at his old friend.
"You were lucky, Cecil... But the next time we meet, your luck will run out."
Shining Armor collapsed as did Cecil. Their loved ones were taken away along with the Crystal of Wind, and they were powerless to stop the one responsible. A storm of emotions raged within the two knights: guilt, anger, and sorrow...
Cadence... I'm so sorry...
Rydia then went over to Twilight and healed her with a hi-potion.
"Thank you, Rydia," said Twilight. "But..."
"Rosa was taken away," Edward added.
"So was Princess Cadence," a guilty Rainbow said.
"And the Crystal..." said Yang.
"Rosa..."
"Cadence... If anything happens to them, I'll... I'll...!"
"We have to save them," said Shining Armor.
"But... that Golbez..." Twilight said fearfully. "You saw what happened right? He's the most dangerous enemy I think we've ever faced."
"That was my fault," said Rainbow Dash. "I shouldn't have challenged him like that."
"That was mah fault, too, Rainbow," Applejack added. "Didn't think he'd take us down so quickly. Guess we gotta keep up on our toes from now on."
"I agree," Luna answered grimly.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"We'll help you, Cecil," said Shining.
"We'll save Rosa and Cadence, and then we'll stop Golbez before he does any more harm," said Twilight. "But..."
"Four prisoners? Rosa... Cadence... Who could the other two be...?"
"I have no idea, but it can't be good," said Luna.
Golbez... If or when we meet again, I will uncover your schemes and stop you, Luna thought to herself. No... Not only I, but my fellow Equestrians... and my new human companions... Still... Who are you really...?