The Crystal Museum of History was large and decidedly beautiful. Twilight Sparkle was awed as she was guided along by Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor past the glimmering crystal walls covered in displays. “This is amazing,” she confessed. “Where did you find all this stuff?”
Her brother tossed a mischievous grin her way. “Would you believe storage?”
“What? Seriously?”
“It’s true,” Cadance acknowledged. “The best we can figure is that when King Sombra took hold he just put all this stuff away, for whatever reason. We’ve had experts studying them ever since the Crystal Empire returned.”
Twilight cast her eyes upon a veritable treasure trove of history; suits of armor, ancient tapestries, books and scrolls and so much more! She imagined that she could live in a place like this for a year and never learn everything she’d like. “It was a great idea to make a museum out of it,” she acknowledged. “With a thousand years lost, many ponies are sure to be fascinated by such relics! It really lets non-crystal ponies understand the Crystal Empire’s culture.”
“That’s exactly what we’re hoping for,” Cadance said. “Seeing how Equestria has evolved so much, many of the crystal ponies here are having trouble adjusting, and only a very few dare leave the Empire to see the world at large.”
“With this museum,” Shining Armor added, “ponies from the rest of Equestria can learn about the Crystal Empire. But that’s not all; a large part of the museum also showcases the last thousand years of Equestria, letting the crystal ponies learn about all they’ve missed.”
“It’s a big step,” Twilight admitted. “I think it’s wonderful!”
“Figured you would,” Spike noted, trailing behind with a dull look on his face.
They all gave him questioning looks. “Spike,” Twilight said, “aren’t you the least bit excited about this?”
“Don’t get me wrong,” he answered, “the museum’s lovely, and the history’s interesting. It’s a good thing. It’s just that the last time I was in a fancy museum like this one I ended the day falling to my doom on a yacht over Canterlot.”
Twilight laughed. “I don’t think you’ll find any egg thieves this time, Spike. Hey,” she gestured towards a section of the museum that was different. “What’s that room?”
“Oh,” Shining Armor noted a little uncomfortably, “that area’s devoted to King Sombra’s rule.”
Twilight gaped. “What? You actually devoted a piece of the museum to him? Why would you do something like that?”
Princess Cadance was already in the room, and the others followed warily. Unlike the rest of the museum, the entire room was made from dark red crystals. “King Sombra was a black stain on the Empire’s history, but it’s important that everypony remembers that time,” she declared. “If we don’t remember the events of our past, we may be doomed to repeat them.”
Twilight wandered the hall, feeling a touch nervous. Everything seemed so…malevolent. They certainly had the atmosphere right. Her eyes caught a display case by the wall, and she found herself drawn to it. The case held only one item; a small, black crystal. She stepped back to observe the plaque.
“Oh, my… You actually have a piece of Sombra’s horn? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Not if King Sombra’s not around to use it,” Cadance noted.
“The old tyrant might be dead,” Shining Armor said, his tone dour, “but that doesn’t make his horn any more welcome.”
Cadance sighed. “As you can see, your brother’s not exactly fond of this part of the museum.”
“I’m completely against it,” he corrected. “But if it will serve the greater public good…”
Twilight nodded. “I guess. I mean, it’s not like he can use it anymore.”
“Twilight!”
At Spike’s warning she turned back to the display. She had only a second to feel alarm as a dark glow rose up from the broken horn and connected to hers…and then her body froze.
The perfection. The sheer, marvelous, beautiful perfection!
And that was just how she looked in the mirror-like surface of the castle. Rarity hadn’t even started on the castle itself. So much shine, so much glisten, so much glamour! She adored the Crystal Empire, so much so that it was beginning to rival Canterlot for her affection.
“Rarity, look, look! Look at my silly face!”
She cast a posh glance at Pinkie, who was standing on her front hooves and making silly expressions at a spot on the castle wall that blurred her image in goofy ways.
“Err, yes, very nice.”
“You try! Come on!” Before Rarity could object she found herself dragged to the corner and gazing at a strange, stretchy version of herself. Pinkie was beside herself with glee and giggles. “Look, you’re all stretchy! Stretchity Rarity!” She fell on her back, laughing raucously.
Rarity eyed her friend, then her reflection. She set a hoof to her mouth, tried to hold back…but couldn’t stop the laugh. “I do look silly, don’t I?”
“Come on, try this wall,” Pinkie insisted, darting across the room. “Fatso Pinkie! And here, wayayayaaaavy Rarity!”
They bounced from wall to wall, laughing wildly at both their reflections and Pinkie’s silly descriptions. “Macho me! Macho you! Rariteenie! Jumbo Pinkinator! Whoa,” she struggled with one that was merging their reflections into a single pink and white blob. “Umm… Pinkarare! Aaaarrrgh!”
Rarity giggled at Pinkie’s reared-back attempt to emulate a monster. “Really Pinkie, you’re so silly. Tempting me into being so unladylike, you should be ashamed!”
“Oh, come on, loosen up,” Pinkie insisted before cartwheeling into the next room. “There’s nopony around to care. Oh, the Crystal Heart! Shiny!”
Rarity sighed lightheartedly, glancing at her warped reflection once more. On impulse she stuck her tongue out at it, giggling at the image the act produced. She trotted her way into the Crystal Heart chamber, which was what she’d come here to see anyway. But Pinkie was right, who’d know? With that in mind she kept making faces at the wall, giggling all along—
—and then sucked in a sharp, horrified breath of air at the sight of a Canterlot pony standing by the Crystal Heart. And Pinkie was trying to talk to him!
“Hey, I remember you, you were at the big fancy party in Canterlot during Twilight’s birthday! I remember ‘cause you wanted to buy two of Rarity's dresses and—”
Rarity snatched Pinkie by the tail and dragged her away, blushing all the while. “I thought you said there was nopony here,” she hissed.
“Yeah, I did,” her friend answered with a grin, not bothering to keep her voice down. “And at the time I thought it was true!” She cartwheeled away with a clueless “Weeeee!”
Rarity made a sound that was somewhere between disgust and acceptance before putting on her best game face and approaching the pony. “Why, Jet Set! What a surprise to see you here.”
He acknowledged her with a high class game face of his own. “Ah, Rarity. It’s been a while.” From his tone he probably didn’t think it had been long enough. “Come to bask in the glory that is the Crystal Heart, have we?”
“Well, officially I’m here with friends to visit with Princess Cadance,” she answered, pausing to give him some time to chew on that news. “But I just couldn’t come to the Crystal Empire without seeing the enchanting beauty of the Crystal Heart!”
He turned his judging eyes on Pinkie, who was still laughing at her reflection in the walls. “I see. One of your friends, I presume?”
Rarity smiled but refrained from giggling at the pony’s antics. “Yes, I was happy to bring her along. She keeps things from growing stale.” She glanced around curiously. “Upper Crust isn’t here with you?”
“She’s here on business,” he replied importantly. “She’s at an auction on the outskirts of the city, trying to buy some antique paintings for the museum back in Canterlot. I came along to keep her company, but as she’s working, I thought I’d tour the castle.”
“Wow, Rarity, look! This one doesn’t look like me at all, it’s not even pink.” Pinkie was waving frantically at her with eyes glued to the wall. “It’s all orange and green and snakey and catty and…whoa!”
Rarity glanced at her friend, thinking she was just being her usual self, but then did a double-take; something was coming out of the wall! Pinkie was walking backwards, eyes wide, as a weird creature…thing began to emerge. Its orange, cat-like upper body and dragon-like wings were going through, and within the reflective surface Rarity saw a long tail like a snake’s. What in Equestria?
The creature was watching Pinkie with serious eyes, almost threatening, and the pony appeared appropriately worried.
Then the creature stopped with a jerk.
The thing glanced at its waist where the cat and snake parts merged with a surprised look. It pushed with both paws against the polished crystal surface. It grunted, struggled and face-faulted with an exasperated expression.
It spoke in a dull tone, “Well, this isn’t quite going as planned.” It had a husky female voice.
“What in Celestia’s name are you?” Jet asked.
“Oh, I know!” Pinkie started. “A chimera! No, wait, umm, a manticore? No…a draconequus! Er, nah, that’s not right either… Wait! I know! A Snake-a-cat!”
“You made that last one up, didn’t you?” Rarity asked.
Pinkie reared back to shrug her shoulders. “Yeah, you’re right, this one clearly isn’t in my Pinktionary.”
“Name later, wall now,” the creature declared, struggling once again. It tried pushing itself out with a strained expression, then came free with a popping sound. She crashed right into the party pony, the two forming a heap on the floor.
Pinkie was all giggles. “That was a great trick,” she declared. “Do another one!”
The thing was lying on its back on top of Pinkie. The cat face grinned at the ceiling. “One trick, coming right up!” Her paws rose and clapped twice.
“Waa…?!” Rarity’s world was engulfed in white cloud. When her vision cleared she found herself wearing Jet’s clothes…and vice versa.
Pinkie practically exploded in laughter.
“Wha-what do you think you’re doing?!” Rarity snapped at the creature.
“Oh my goodness,” Jet cried in genuine terror, “get me out of this dress before somepony sees me!”
Rarity approached the creature as it began to float up from the crystalline floor. “You undo this right now,” she demanded with a stomp of her hoof. “The nerve of some ponies!”
“Wow, that’s hilarious,” Pinkie cried, laughing too hard to get up. “Do something else, do something else!”
“Relax, Miss Priss,” the creature said to Rarity with a toothy grin. “Look at it this way, you’re about to be immortalized!” She clapped her paws again, and when they separated she was carrying two small black gems. “I’ve got a really good trick coming up.”
“Hey,” Pinkie said as she finally rose from the floor, “you should meet Discord! I bet you two would have tons of fun together.”
The cat-faced monstrosity floated over the Crystal Heart, her face deathly serious. “No, Pinkie Pie. We wouldn’t.”
She spread her arms wide and dropped the two gems.
Rarity knew something was wrong in an instant, the magic of those gems resonating almost violently with her horn. She was going to lash out, to try and stop their descent, but before she could they touched the Crystal Heart.
An instant later she was gazing through dark crystal, every muscle frozen solid. Amidst her panic she could hear a strange, clicking kit-a-kit-a-kit-a-kit-a sound. She realized it was laughter.
Rainbow Dash was beside herself. “This is going to be soooo awesome!”
“So we’ve heard,” Jimmy Stone ventured with a weak smile at Applejack and his brother Nye. They both waved in a manner that said ‘just go with it.’
Rainbow was in his face in an instant. “You don’t understand!” Then she was flying circles around them. “We’re gonna see the premier Wonderbolts in the longest race ever devised by ponykind! Why aren’t you excited? I’m excited, I am so excited!”
Jimmy scratched his head in confusion. “But aren’t you a Wonderbolt, now? I mean, you went to the academy and all.”
“I’m still considered a rookie,” she noted without disdain. “These are the big names! Epic pegasi like Soarin and Spitfire and Fleetfoot! Oh, oh, I’m gonna go get our seats right now!” And she was gone, a streak of colors in her wake.
Jimmy landed next to his brother. “Is she always this excited?”
“Only when it comes ta the Wonderbolts,” Applejack answered with a grin.
They entered the glistening new stadium, all crystalline and shining. As they wandered around in search of their seat for the coming race, Jimmy found himself gazing at the architecture with a trained eye. His mind wanted to run mathematics, but he had no idea what the structural stats of these crystals were. For that matter, where did they get them? How were they formed? It was baffling, and he hoped to get answers while in the Empire.
Of course he’d enjoy the race too. He’d always been too busy to see the Wonderbolts whenever they came to Manehattan, so when Rainbow Dash and Nye had invited him along – the tickets being a graduation gift from her friends – he had been delighted to agree. But while he was here, he figured he could satisfy his professional curiosity too. He might even get to meet a princess; wouldn’t that be something worth remembering!
“Y’know,” Applejack said as they spotted Rainbow floating excitedly over their front row seats, “Ah get they wanna celebrate the openin’ o'the museum an' all, but a hundred-lap race? Sounds kinda long ta me.”
“Not when you’re dealing with Wonderbolts,” Nye corrected. “This’ll be over a lot faster than you’d think. Besides, it’s a tribute to the hundred-lap race the Crystal Ponies used to hold every three years, back before Sombra took over.”
“Yeah, Ah know, but that was a relay hoof race. These ponies'r flyin’, an' they’re gonna do it all in one shot.”
“Flying doesn’t require so much energy,” Jimmy noted helpfully. “I always found I could fly longer than I could gallop.”
“Come on, guys!” Rainbow urged as they approached, finally landing in her seat. “The race is gonna start while you’re all lagging!”
They were great seats, right next to the track and only a dozen or so feet in front of the starting line. Jimmy leaned against the wall and watched expectantly as a group of blue-clad ponies began to take their places for the start. He thought Rainbow might hyperventilate at any moment; it was actually rather amusing.
“You’d swear she was racing herself,” he whispered to Nye.
His twin laughed. “She wishes! I think it’s cute.”
“You think all mares are cute,” Jimmy countered in amusement.
“Hush,” Applejack snapped, “the race is startin’.”
“Oooooh, this is going to be so awesome!” Rainbow had elbows to the wall, hooves to cheeks, back legs hanging as her wings flapped in excitement.
The countdown began. The Wonderbolts took up racing poses.
The sky went dark.
Jimmy, and every other pony in the stands with him, leaned back to stare at the great, dark red, semi-transparent dome that was suddenly growing out of the castle in the distance. It was almost like an erupting bomb, flying at the stadium with shocking speed! Ponies shouted out, started to run.
Jimmy was moving faster than he knew he could, hooves snatching up his brother as he rocketed into the air. He looked down just in time to see the Wonderbolts, too startled to respond, get caught up in the wave. They were encased in red crystal almost instantly. The ponies in the stands that couldn’t fly away quick enough didn’t fare any better.
“Sweet Luna!” Nye cried from below.
“W-wha’s goin’ on!?” Applejack added, her voice distant. Jimmy glanced towards the sound to see her being carried off by Rainbow Dash, her vastly superior speed already rocketing them into the distance.
“Up, up, up!”
Jimmy registered his brother’s warning and ascended, not having to look to know the dome was spreading rapidly below. He beat his wings as hard as he could, already straining from his brother’s heft. “Darn it, Nye, ya gotta lose some of that weight,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
“It’s slowing down,” Nye said. “I... I think it’s stopping.”
Jimmy paused his ascent and turned to look down at the massive dome that shined ominously below. The entire city had been encased in it, like a giant blackish-red snow globe. What in Celestia’s name could have caused that?
“Umm, bro?”
“Yeah?”
“Too high.”
“Right.”
Jimmy descended steadily, too afraid of losing his hold on his brother to dare a dive. He chose to go over the dome, just so they could get a better look. What he saw mortified him; ponies on the streets all over the city had been encased in the same dark red crystals as had taken the ponies at the stadium.
“Jimmy,” Nye called out as they glided over the castle, “look there, on that balcony!”
He did, and was surprised to see a pony who hadn’t been crystallized. It was a unicorn with a dark gray coat and black mane, his horn shining red but missing a small chunk near the top. He was conversing with some creature Jimmy didn’t recognize; it appeared to be a cross between a cat, a snake and a dragon.
“Who is that guy?” Nye wondered out loud.
“I dunno,” Jimmy admitted as they left the castle behind, “but something tells me he’s not friendly.”
“There’s Rainbow and AJ,” Nye noted, gesturing towards a group of trees just outside the massive shield. Jimmy saw them and began his approach.
Another train ride, another job. Octavia was looking forward to this one more than most, though; she was to perform at tomorrow’s grand opening of the Crystal Museum of History! This wasn’t a small band job, this was a position in an orchestra to play traditional music of the Empire. They could have easily chosen any Crystal Pony musician, but they’d called on her. The last time she’d felt so honored was when she’d been asked to perform at the Grand Galloping Gala two years ago!
She was in a private booth, cello case lying on the seat opposite her. She’d never been to the Crystal Empire before, having never earned a job there and not having enough bits to go on her own. She thought the scenery quite pleasant, though oddly…tame. Equestria’s landscape seemed a lot more vivid and wild and random compared to this.
The train slowed, so she began to put on her caseholder saddle. It used to be difficult on a moving train, but now it went on quick and smooth, years of practice coming to her aid. Hoisting the cello case on her back easily, she made for the door as the train at last came to a lurching stop.
There was just one problem; they weren’t at the train station.
Octavia walked to the door and tried to look outside, but there was nothing save green grass and trees, and snow in the distance where the magic of the Empire came to an abrupt end. What was going on?
She started for the next car, hoping somepony might be able to explain the delay, when she heard the shouting. Curious, she walked to the other side of the train, which she’d not checked.
In the near distance she saw it, a great semi-transparent dome the color of rosewood encasing the whole of the Crystal City. Octavia was awed, but also frightened; clearly something had gone terribly wrong.
An anxious-looking attendant came trotting through the car, and began speaking before she had a chance to. “Please miss, return to your booth. We need to make a lot of room.”
“But what happened to the city?” she asked.
“We don’t know,” the attendant admitted, “and the conductor’s decided that we aren’t waiting to find out! We’re going to pick up as many refugees as we can and head straight back to Equestria.”
“Refugees?”
He gestured to the window before moving on to check the other cars, and Octavia tried to get a better look. She could see nothing beyond her own car, though. Acting on a whim, she opened the door and jumped down to the grass, her cello case rocking heavily on her back. When she turned to the front of the train she was alarmed to see a large mass of crystal ponies fighting to get on board.
Her first thought was to get back on the train, but curiosity and concern got the best of her. She wanted to know what had happened. Somehow, it felt important that she know.
But getting anything from the panicking ponies was almost impossible. They all seemed to know just one thing; they wanted out of the Empire, fast. It was clear to her that there were too many ponies here for the train to carry, though. At last she managed to catch the attention of a lone stallion in the back, his crystal coat glimmering in the bright sun.
“It’s King Sombra,” the stallion had claimed in horror, “he’s back!”
That was about as much as she could get out of him.
She couldn’t believe it. King Sombra, the Devil of the Empire, back? Impossible. Princess Cadance had killed him with the Crystal Heart, everypony knew that. This had to be the work of some sort of imposter. A powerful imposter, judging by the size of that dome.
Octavia walked beyond the desperate crowds to get a better look at the massive thing. It was enormous! She wondered if the princess or the Element-Bearers would have to deal with it. Of course, this also meant the end of a spectacular job opportunity, but there were far more important things than money involved here. Still, she had to lament the copious number of bits she’d lost buying her ticket to get here.
She heard the engine’s whistle, and spun about in alarm; the train was leaving! She took a few steps, but realized quickly that she’d never get back in time. Even if she were able to get to the train before it picked up speed, she could see dozens of crystal ponies racing to keep up. She would have to fight them off just to get near the thing.
She muttered a very uncultured curse, the kind would have made her sister Benjamina proud and her mother twist on her ears. Now what was she supposed to do?
She sat on her haunches between the railroad tracks and thought for a while. As she did, she watched the crystal ponies before her. Some were following the tracks. Others simply hung around in a depressed state, or weeping with fear. They were all a miserable sight. She realized quickly that she wanted to help, but what could she do? She was no unicorn, and even if she had been she doubted she’d have had enough power to breach the massive barrier behind her.
She was feeling helpless, and she hated that feeling, so she got up and followed the tracks towards the dome.
She couldn’t go home, that would require a long trek through the snowlands between Equestria and the Empire, and it was a trek she was not at all prepared for. So instead she would walk around the dome, study it a bit. At the very least she might be able to find something out that would help whoever came to the rescue. Hopefully they’d come soon; she didn’t relish the idea of trying to live off the land out here with all the rest of the survivors.
As she reached the dome she saw a rainbow streaking overhead. She watched it for a moment and realized with some surprise that it was actually a pegasus – an incredibly fast pegasus – trying to get into the dome. And failing, it seemed.
The cellist turned her attention to the barrier, which was so incredibly tall that it seemed like a wall from up close. It looked solid like glass, and she could see through to the city within easily.
It was the first time she’d really paid attention to the inside of the thing, and now she was horrified; hundreds of ponies, frantic-faced, frozen mid-step in huge red crystals. There was one right in front of her, mouth opened wide in a terrible-looking expression of fright. Octavia moved close to look the pony in the eyes…then let out a horrified shout when those eyes turned on her.
By Celestia, they were still alive. And worse, aware!
For a tender moment she could only stare at those hopeless eyes. She wanted to help. She needed to help! She pressed a hoof against the barrier experimentally; it sank back almost like a pillow, but held. She tried setting both front hooves against it and pushing, but of course it wouldn’t give. So she tried bucking it, but all she earned for her trouble were some sore legs. She hadn’t really expected the shield to fall that easily, but she’d had to try.
She looked back along the tracks at the crystal ponies in the distance. There was no help in that direction. Feeling not just a little afraid, she leaned against the shield to look the pony before her in the eyes. “Don’t worry,” she said, not knowing if the mare could even hear her. “Something will be done about this.” Well, it felt good to say it.
Knowing she couldn’t help, she guiltily left the trapped ponies and began circling the massive dome. It didn’t take her long to realize that this was going to be a massive undertaking. Worse, she didn’t even know if it would help anypony to do it. But she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing, so she walked. And walked. And walked some more. Every now and again she’d look up and spot that rainbow-trailing pegasus, still determined to get inside.
At least Octavia wasn’t the only one trying to help.
She had been walking for perhaps an hour when she came upon the yellow unicorn. The mare was sitting beside the dome, staring inside with a miserable expression and eyes red from crying. She was no crystal pony. Octavia approached slowly, so as not to startle the poor thing. She was glad to see that somepony else had managed to escape.
“Pardon me,” she ventured, “but are you alright?”
The mare sniffed and slowly turned to gaze at Octavia through her soft purple and white mane. She said nothing at first, only turned to gaze back forlornly at the city. For a moment Octavia wondered if the pony was even going to answer.
“I ran,” the unicorn finally muttered.
Octavia didn’t understand. “You escaped, right?” Wasn’t that a good thing?
But the unicorn bowed her head and began to cry fresh tears. “I just ran, and left him in there.”
“Him?”
“My husband,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what else to do, didn’t even know where he was. I just saw it coming and I… I ran.”
Oh. That made things a bit harder. Octavia cast a fretful glance at the barrier. She knew what she was about to say was unlikely. “Perhaps he escaped at another place.”
But the unicorn couldn’t be consoled; she fell to her belly and covered her eyes. “I’m such a coward. What kind of pony am I, to just run away without even trying?”
It was heartbreaking. Octavia had no idea how to comfort the mare, and was beginning to get that horrible feeling of helplessness again. She sighed and looked up in the sky, just in time to see the rainbow pegasus streaking through the sky. She watched the head of the rainbow, the pegasus little more than a dot at the tip. She flew a few circles, picking up speed, then went right smack into the barrier, with no effect and probably a lot of pain. But the rainbow pegasus didn’t fall, or stop trying: a moment’s pause to recuperate and she was at it again, flying around the dome in a manner that suggested frustration.
Whoever it was up there, she wasn’t giving up. Octavia took solace in that determination.
She knelt down next to the crying unicorn. “What’s your name?”
The smaller mare didn’t look up a she answered. “Upper Crust.”
“Upper Crust,” she whispered in the most comforting voice she could muster, “your husband may have escaped. After all, you did. And even if he didn’t, help will come soon. Somepony will come and knock this barrier down, and everything will be righted. Maybe it will be the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Perhaps Princess Celestia herself will come to our rescue!”
Upper Crust rubbed her eyes and peered up at her through her frilled mane. “Do you really think so?”
Octavia nodded, realizing that it was the truth. “They’d never let something like this stand. You just wait and see, this will all be resolved in no time!” She stood and offered the pony a helping hoof. “Why don’t you come with me? Maybe we’ll find your husband while circling the dome.”
Upper Crust stared at her hoof as if not knowing what it was, but then accepted it and stood. “Yes… Yes. I have to at least try, right?”
“That’s the spirit,” Octavia said with a smile.
The light of day was beginning to fade, and Rainbow was bone tired. Sweating, sore and angry, she was finally coming to accept that she wouldn’t be getting into the barrier by sheer force. She hovered a few feet from the great dome, hooves crossed and glaring. She’d seen what had happened to the ponies within the barrier, and there’d been no sign of Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight or even Spike! They had to still be inside, and probably turned to crystal like all the others.
So now what?
She’d been thinking and pounding away at the barrier all day. It wasn’t going to budge, and her endurance was more or less at its limit. She let out a bitter groan and started circling the dome, downcast eyes scanning for the only other Element Bearer left to talk to. She found Applejack on a hill a half-mile from the dome, sitting with Nye and Jimmy Stone.
“I’m guessing you didn’t have any luck either?” Nye asked, lying on his back in the grass as she landed among them.
Rainbow kicked the ground with both back hooves in frustration. “I couldn’t so much as dent the thing! If Twilight were here she could probably use magic in some way.”
Applejack looked no less worn out, having been trying her own physical methods of attack. “Ah dunno what we’re gonna do, guys. We can’t even contact Princess Celestia without Spike!”
Rainbow sat on the ground and rubbed her head, which was starting to hurt from both too much thinking and too many crashes against the barrier. “There has to be something! If only we knew what had caused this in the first place.”
There was a long moment of silence as they all considered the situation.
“I wonder,” Nye started from his lounging position. He hesitated, but then went on. “Maybe that unicorn me and Jimmy spotted in the castle has something to do with it.”
Jimmy nodded solemnly. “He may. Looked like a sinister guy to me.”
“Wait,” Rainbow asked, “what unicorn?”
Nye waved at the castle. “Yeah, right when this whole thing started. We spotted him while we were flying away, talking to some weird cat-snake thing up on the castle’s highest balcony.”
Rainbow and Applejack gave one another uncertain looks. “And he wasn’t turned to crystal?” Rainbow asked.
The brothers shook their heads.
“Wah didn' ya’ll mention this before?” Applejack asked critically.
Jimmy answered. “Well, when we landed you two were already hard at work trying to break in. We were so busy trying to help, and the opportunity never came up.”
“Yeah,” Nye acknowledged. “If either of you had slowed down we might have mentioned it.”
“Wait,” Applejack said with hoof raised, “What did this feller in the castle look like?”
“Big unicorn,” Jimmy answered.
“Black mane, dark gray coat,” Nye added.
“Chipped horn.”
“Chipped red horn.”
“Mean-looking.”
“Hold it!” Rainbow practically shouted. “Was he wearing this ugly armor and a red cape?”
“Did he have a crown?” Applejack added worriedly.
The brothers gave one another questioning looks, as if trying to ask one another for confirmation, then nodded to them in unison.
“But… That sounds like King Sombra,” Applejack noted.
“No way,” Rainbow replied in a tone of nervous doubt. “We saw him get his when Spike brought the Crystal Heart to Cadance. We were there!”
“Hey, that’s what he looked like,” Nye countered with a helpless shrug.
“King Sombra…” Jimmy whispered. “I’d heard of him. Who hasn’t? But how could he be back?”
“Now we really have ta get in there,” Applejack noted. “If he’s back it means real trouble!”
Rainbow paced, wishing somepony with a better brain for thinking was around. “Well… I dunno. We could go back and get Fluttershy. At least then we’d have all six of us around.”
“But with half o'us crystallized inside, we can’t use the Elements o'Harmony,” Applejack pointed out. “Ah don’ think we’ll be able ta use ‘em ta solve this, Rainbow.”
Rainbow let out a frustrated sound and sat on her haunches once more. “This is so annoying! If only we had Twilight, or even Rarity! We can’t break through that barrier without magic!”
“Well,” Nye said, standing up and looking at the steadily-darkening sky, “we might as well find a place to rest, preferably someplace away from this dome. Gives me the creeps.”
“Rest?” Rainbow cried, “How can you talk about rest?!”
But Jimmy had a quick answer. “When I was flying around the dome earlier I noticed a lot of ponies fleeing to the north. Why don’t we head that way and see if we can’t find them? Maybe one of the crystal ponies knows something that can help.”
“Hey, yeah!” Applejack was on her feet. “An' ah bet there’ll be some unicorns with ‘em. Come on Rainbow, it’s worth a shot.”
“Yeah… Yeah!” Rainbow rose in the air, already feeling pumped up. “Let’s do this! We’ll figure this out even without the eggheads!”
Upper Crust lay on her stomach by the fire, Octavia sitting nearby. She was in a horrible state, and not because she had been trekking around the Imperial countryside for an entire day. There hadn’t been any sign of Jet Set, so she could only assume the worst. After traversing the perimeter of the city they’d finally agreed to follow the crystal ponies north. And here they were, taking refuge in a frigid cave just outside the protective, warming magic of the Empire. She was cold, she was hungry, and she was afraid.
But more than anything she was ashamed. Her husband was in there somewhere, and when she’d seen the barrier coming the only thing she’d thought to do was flee. Not even a pause to consider him. What kind of pony was she? What kind of wife? And she had the nerve to think she deserved to be called an Important Pony of Canterlot. What a joke.
But that hadn’t been the worst part of her day. Just a few hours ago Applejack and Rainbow Dash – two of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony – had arrived at the cave. For a beautiful moment everypony thought the Empire was saved. But now they all knew; three of the Element-bearers had been caught in the disaster. That meant the Elements of Harmony wouldn’t be able to help.
To most, including Upper Crust, this was like the trumpeting call of doom at their backs.
She cast a sad glance at Octavia through her disastrous mane. The Earth pony had been very optimistic all day. Perhaps it had been a ruse, perhaps not. When they’d reached the cave and found all these desperate crystal ponies, the musician had decided to try using her instrument to keep spirits up. It had helped…some. But now the cello was back in its case, and the attractive mare was just sitting there, staring at the flames.
Had she lost hope, like Upper Crust? Had she possessed any hope to begin with? There was no way to know, but she appeared very serious, her face shifting mysteriously in the fire’s light.
The upper-class pony listened quietly to the two Element Bearers, who were not far off. With a certain dull interest she stood and walked a little closer.
“…really is no other option?” Applejack was whispering, so as not to awaken the sleeping ponies.
“It’s the only one we haven’t thrown out,” Rainbow Dash replied in an unhappy tone.
“But do ya really think ya can make it through the snowlands at night?” her orange-coated friend asked. “Ya might end up a rainbow-flavored popsickle.”
“I’ve got to try,” she replied, though there was clear worry in her voice. “There’s no telling what Sombra’s doing in there. We need Princess Celestia’s help sooner, not later.”
A white pegasus, which Upper Crust hadn’t noticed before, appeared near the entrance of the cave. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? We could look out for one another.”
But Rainbow Dash shook her head as she tugged on a saddle. “Sorry Jimmy, but I’m gonna be moving at top speed to get through the snowlands, it’s my only chance. You just won’t be able to keep up. I appreciate it, though.”
“Ah still don’ like it,” Applejack muttered, “but if it’s the only way. Jus' wish there was somethin ah could do in the meantime.”
“I should wake Nye,” Jimmy suggested, “he’s going to want to—”
“Nah, let him sleep,” Rainbow interrupted. “I don’t want him to worry. Besides, I’ll be back before ya know it.”
“Well, if you insist,” Jimmy replied, doubt in his voice.
“Be careful, Rainbow,” Applejack called.
“No worries, this is me you’re talking to!” Rainbow turned from the entrance to strike a gallant pose. “I can handle it.”
Everypony gasped, Upper Crust included; black clouds were suddenly forming from behind Rainbow. “Look out!” Upper Crust was surprised to realize she’d been the one to issue the warning.
Rainbow spun about, let out a cry and jumped back. Everypony took on an aggressive pose – except Upper Crust, who took a few fearful steps backwards. Who would it be? Some menace from the city? King Sombra himself?
But then the smoke cleared and there was a stallion, a very familiar unicorn with a mottled-brown coat and black mane.
Upper Crust ran forward, anger filling her. “You!” The other ponies gave her shocked looks, clearing having not noticed her before. “The egg thief!”
Fine Crime gave her a curious look. “Egg thief? As I recall the egg’s still sitting in its case in the museum, isn’t it? Nice that you remember me, though.”
She paused, realizing he was right. “Well… Yes. But…but you still brought down the yacht. And… and…I just don’t like you!”
“Uhhh,” Applejack stepped between them, “excuse us, but who the heck are either o’you?”
“Yeah!” Rainbow was hovering just over the ground and glaring at Fine Crime suspiciously, “And where the heck did you come from!?”
“Me?” he asked with a mild grin, “I run a blind-date service for dragons.”
Everypony stared, dumbstruck.
“My name is Fine Crime,” he went on as if everything were perfectly normal, “and I am here to help solve our Sombra crisis.”
“Good luck with that,” Rainbow Dash snapped.
“Yeah,” Applejack added in a less offensive tone. “We’ve been lookin fer somethin ta get us through the barrier all day long!”
“What makes you think you can do it?” Rainbow concluded.
“Well I used to be an alicorn, back before I realized how dull flying is,” he answered. That made Rainbow sputter in disbelief.
Fine’s horn glowed, and a book appeared from his saddle. “But I also brought this, a little antique that has lots of information regarding the Empire and the Crystal Heart.”
“Whoa,” Jimmy cried, “where’d you get something like that?”
“Stole it from the Crystal Empire’s history department not long after the place came back,” Fine replied. “Thought it might come in handy in situations like this.”
Upper Crust took a daring step forward. “So you are a thief!”
He waved a hoof at her. “No, no, no, I run a blind-date service for dragons, remember?”
They all face-faulted.
“Is this guy fer real?” Applejack asked.
“Who cares?” Rainbow countered, “He’s got something that might help us!”
“Oh, I intend to do a lot more than that,” he said, suddenly very serious. “I was given a very specific job: to help the Element Bearers defeat King Sombra with all the resources I’ve collected. And I didn’t just bring a book.”
“Really?” Applejack asked, looking him up and down uncertainly. “What else did ya bring?”
He grinned smartly and turned to look at the sky just beyond the cave. “An extra set of wings.”
The pegasus zoomed down from the sky, lightning streaking in her wake, and landed on four hooves with a prominent crack. She stood tall and proud, with a light green coat and amber mane.
And she looked like she was ready for business.