A few hours later, the train arrived in the Crystal Empire. Twilight and her friends got off and walked toward the Crystal castle. Twilight looked around and wondered why all of the ponies looked so glum.
“Hey, does anybody else notice that it doesn’t seem to be much love here?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah.” Dash answered as they continued walking.
“Maybe something happened.” Fluttershy added.
“Princess Twilight, you need to help us, the Empire is in grave danger, Princess Cadence requests your presence at once.” A guard galloped up to Twilight.
“What happened?” Twilight asked, as she galloped next to the guard.
“We don’t know, this morning the Crystal Heart was found broken.” The guard spoke as he kept running with Twilight.
“But why now?” Fluttershy yelled over the howling wind that was raging, as she and the others tried to keep up with Twilight and the guard.
“Yeah, I thought we defeated King Sombra three years ago.” Rainbow added.
As they kept running toward the crystal castle, Twilight could see that all of the lights in the castle were out, the castle was dark when they arrived. The guard who had accompanied them, bowed to Twilight as he called back over his shoulder as he ran back to his post. “You are our only hope now.”
“Well, let’s go find Cadence.” Rainbow said flying into the castle, and down the hall, followed by her friends.
As Twilight ran ahead she could see that a door was left ajar at the far end of the hallway.
Arriving at Cadence’s bed chambers, Twilight could hear soft crying coming from inside, she used her magic to push open the door and walked inside followed by her friends.
Cadence was laying on the bed sobbing uncontrollably, Twilight went over to her sister in law and put a hoof on her back.
“Cadence, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked softly.
“The Crystal Heart is gone, I..I only wanted to protect him, but I..I couldn’t even manage that.” Cadence cried into her pillow.
“Where is Shining Armor?” Fluttershy asked, coming closer.
“He..he.. went to fight the darkness and never came back.” Cadence sobbed as she sat up.
“I’m sorry, I hadn’t been there for you over the last three years.” Twilight apologized, attempting to hug her sister in law.
Three years ago king Sombra had broken out of his prison in the frozen North, and vowed to destroy the Crystal Empire, Shining Armour had defeated him with the love from the Crystal Heart, but in the process he got killed.
“I haven’t had the heart to tell Flurry that her daddy is not coming back, she still thinks that he will return one day.” Cadence cried.
“Can I see her? I know I wasn’t there for you or her at the coronation, and I’m sorry for that, but maybe see me again will give her hope that everything will be fine.” Twilight asked as she sat on the bed.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Flurry hasn’t been the same since the Crystal Heart disappeared.” Cadence said, slowly, getting up and out of bed.
Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh. “Ok, Twilight what’s really going on here, I thought we were gonna go on a relaxing vacation.”
“Sorry girls, I was hoping that as well.” Twilight sighed her ears drooping.
“So now that the Crystal Heart is gone.” Fluttershy squeaked. “What are we gonna do?”
“Honestly girls, I’m not sure, we need to find a way to keep the love in the Empire.” Twilight announced getting off the bed and walking to a nearby window.
“And how are we supposed to do that?” Rainbow questioned, crossing her for legs.
Out in the Empire, the Crystal guards were trying to fight off the darkness with their spells. “It’s not working, try harder.” The sergeant shouted, he was a green stallion with a green army jacket on, and a green helmet.
All of the Crystal guards shot magical beams into the sky to create a wall so that the cold, arctic wind could not penetrate it, and get into the Empire.
“It’s working, it’s working.” One of the lower ranking officers yelled to the Sergeant.
“Keep it up, for the Empire.” The sergeant shouted over the loud wind that was threatening to overtake the Empire, even with the wall of magic the cold arctic wind still tried to get into the Empire.
As the magic wall broke, the sergeant saw a dark figure rise from the arctic snow. “Celestia help us all.” he thought, as he ran back to the Empire with his army not far behind.
“Your Majesty, your majesty, we tried everything we could, but he has returned.” The sergeant bust through the doors of Cadence’s room.
When he saw that cadence has been crying, he lowered his head. “I’m sorry, your majesty, but the Empire is under siege, we tried everything to keep him out, but it did not work, I am truly sorry.” The sergeant apologized profusely before walking out with his head still lowered.
“You see, Twilight, this is why we need your help, even though my husband sacrificed himself to save the Empire three years ago, it did not work since the Crystal Heart has been destroyed King Sombra can go and come as he pleases.” Cadence turned to her sister in law with fear in her eyes.
“How can we help?” Dash asked.
“Do you have the elements of harmony with you?” Cadence asked,
Twilight shook her head in disappointment. “No, we don’t have the elements.”
“Oh dear.” Fluttershy fretted. “I hope to go out and fight, I don’t want that.” Ringing her hooves.
“Good idea Fluttershy, let’s go out and fight him.” Dash pumped her hoof in the air.
“But first, we need to go find my niece.” Twilight spoke as she ran out of the room and down the other end of the hallway.
Her friends followed her, when they reached the end of the hallway, Twilight found that her nieces door was locked so she knocked furiously.
“Flurry Heart, are you in there?” Twilight asked, banging on the door.
When there came no answer, Twilight teleported into the room, only to find it empty, the room Twilight and her friends found themselves in was very dark and they didn’t seem to be any color to the room other than the six ponies standing in its entrance, every inch of the room was covered in dark crystals.
“Where could she be?” Twilight thought out loud.
“Looking for this.” King Sombra’s voice echoed throughout the room as he stepped forward holding up Flurry by the neck.
“Let her go” Twilight screamed charging up her horn and hitting Sombra with a blast of energy that sent him flying across the room.
Sombra back up with Flurry Heart still in his magical grip. “You really think you can defeat me, have you learned nothing.”
Rainbow flew up and kicked Sombra in the head, the punch from the Pegasus sent Flurry Heart flying as Sombra released her from his magic.
Twilight spread her wings and caught her niece in her magic, she’s very gently lowered her self and the unconscious Flurry back to the ground.
“This isn’t over, I will be back, AND THIS EMPIRE WALL BE MINE.” Sombra yelled, as he vanished in a cloud of black smoke.
When he had vanished, Flurry slowly opened her eyes, she was bruised and beaten from an apparent fight with Sombra.
“What happened?” She asked weekly.
“He just vanished, but he said he come back.” Dash explained.
Out in the Empire the storm kept on raging, deep within the ice of the Frozen North King Sombra appeared, beaten and bruised from his encounter with the six carriers of the elements of harmony.
“I will destroy you, Princess Cadence, just as I did your husband, all those moons ago.” The King snarled as he sat on his throne made of dark Crystal, the entire room he was in was entirely made of dark Crystal.