//------------------------------//
// Last Call For the Night 
// Story: O King On High; Cold Night In the Crystal Empire, part 3 
// by Freewing Alchemist P 
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           O King On High; Cold Night in The Crystal Empire, part 3
                                    MLPFiM

            The wind continued to howl, I looked out the window as I watched the snow continuing to bare down on us. It was still dark out but my internal clock told me it was the next day. Princess Cadence and Shining were sleeping, leaning against each other and a new set of Crystal ponies were being roused from their slumber to continue the force field.
            “Man, some vacation, work horse and then trapped in a Library by a freak snow storm. Not books to read...”
            “Oh, I am sorry your vacation was ruined.” An elderly voice reassure me.
            I turned around to see the old Librarian getting up from her bed. “This old bones are not meant to sleep on a floor.” She grunted in pain.
            “That’s OK, it happens. I hope your OK.”
            “I’m old and it hurts, but I’m OK,” Ms. Lore smiled at me. “By the way thank you for that story in the began of the evening it was entertain.”
            “Your welcome,” I turned my gaze back to the window.  “I was wondering could any of you tell me about The Crystal Empire?”
            “We can’t and don’t want to remember much.” One of the Crystal Ponies told me.
            “Can’t and don’t?” I asked.
            “Yes, both,” Ms. Lore clarified. “You see The one we remembered before Princess Cadence was named King Sombra, he was an evil unicorn. He was also a powerful sorcerer and he used his power’s and wicked mind to enslave us. It was a living NIGHTMARE that many can’t and or don’t want to remember. You see when he lost, to make sure that we couldn’t rebuild our nation back to what it should have been. He erased our memories of the past and crippled us both physically and emotionally. We can’t remember anything except the time he ruled.”
            “Sort of like that he is the Alpha and Omega of the Crystal Empire.” I conclude.
            “That’s not even the worst of it, when the Princess of Equestria tried to stop him by imprisoning him in the Ancient Ice, he cast a spell that Pulled us out of time until he freed himself from his prison.”
            “In the end he was beaten by the actions of a Wild Card that he didn’t plan for.” A new voice broke in.
            I turned slightly. “Morning Twilight.”
            “Yes, I was trapped but Spike delivered the Crystal Heart to Cadence.” Twilight pulled her sleeping daughter closer to her, as if she was trying to keep her safe from a phantom. “I don’t want to think what would happen.”
            “I can tell you Twilight earth has it’s own Tyrants, I guess the more things that are different the more they are the same.”
            “But you told us and the Princesses that your world doesn't have magic.”  
            “Tyrants don’t need magic to do evil Twilight, some use money, other use military might, some even exploit their own people in one way or another.” I shook my head.
            “Then how do your people stop them?” A new, some what sleepy voice broke in. I watched as Nyx lifted her head from her pillow. The Black Alicorn filly looked adorable with her mane all messed up.
            “Well, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes, one evil is beaten by an even stronger evil. Then there are time where good becomes evil. Then there are times their own actions bring about their downfall. I know one thing for cretin and that is what I believe is true is,” I paused for only a moment. “There’s an old saying ‘You reap what you sow’.”
            “I’ve heard Applejack say something like that before.” Twilight nodded.
            That made me think. “Reap what you Sow, Reap what you Sow,” I mulled the thoughts over in my head. “You know that reminds me of a story.” I smiled.
            “Well I speak for us all when I say I wish to hear it.” Ms. Lore said.
    I smiled again. “Sure.”

            A long time ago in my world in an island nation known as Haiti there was once a king. It was curl, greedy but most important short in size which let him short in temper. The King only came up to an average man’s knee. He constantly tried to prove that he was the best of all, best King, better than anyone else. To that end he would force all the villages under his rain to pay him tribute.

            I stopped my story and stood up. “OK, I’m about 5 feet 7 inches. I am some what considered as average so...” I showed them where my knee was. “He was that high. Will that help to understand?”
            “Oh yes,” Ms. Lore said with a nod.
            “That will do, thank you.” Twilight added.
            I sat down and started again.

            He would sit on his elevated throne as the chiefs of the villages came to him. When they approach their Island King he would hold out a large machete and bark. “On your bellies! On your bellies and present your tribute to me. So, let it be done!”
            Then one time when he met a visiting hero from another land, he had an impressive title the Island King wanted one too so he decreed. “From now on you shall call me, Oh King On High. So, let it be done!”
            Yet another time a visiting king came to his home being carried on a  palisade, as was tradition in his home. O King On High saw this and wanted that done too. “ I’ll be carried when I leave my throne room. So, let it be done!” So from that point on wherever he went in his kingdom he was carried by peoples on their bellies.
            No one was immune to this decrees, all who worked, lived in his kingdom had to obey his rules, even his own family. Why did they follow him? They feared him, for if he did not get his way he would use his large machete to cut off their heads.
    
            “That does remind me of Sombar,” One of the Crystal Ponies said to me. “In some respects.
            “There is always an upside and a down side to every story.” I added. “I assure you that it will end better then it happened with you.”
            “Yah,” Nyx piped up. “If it happened here, Mom and her friend, or the Princess would have taught him a lesson.” The Little Alicorn filly jumped up and from her mother’s side. She stomped the ground triumphantly.
            “Settle down Nyx, let him finish the story.” Twilight added.     

            It went on like this for many years until one day a while he was visiting a fellow king, O King On High saw the most magnificent sculpture. You see for the birthday his people made for him a great sculpture. It was a grand piece of work and it mirrored his friends perfectly.
            “It is so magnificent, my people made it for me. They told me it best represents me and my rule. What do you think?”
            “It’s so big and magnificent, truly a great piece of work. Yet is certainly does show you how powerful and great your kingdom is.” Oh King On High told his friend.
            O King On High thought about what would prove his rule? It was then he saw the pale light of the full moon. That was when he got the idea. “Yes, yes, that’s it The Moon. That is the perfect symbol for my rule and perfect symbol for me!”
            The next day O King On High called of his advisors.  “Advisors, I want the Moon! How can I get it give me ideas how we can do this.”
            His advisors took time and talked to each other. “Oh King On High, what you ask is impossible.” One pleaded with him.
            “The mood is too high for anyone to reach.” Another said.
            “Where would we even start?” Yet another added.
            “Think of something you fools or it’s off with your heads!” Oh King On High road at them swing his machete towards them.
            The last advisor fearing for his and his friends life. “Maybe, just maybe you could ask the carpenter. He may have some idea?”
            “That is good, Let it be Done!” He boomed swinging his machete

            I took a deep breath, shouting drank my throat and I had no water. I choked a little I need some water, three stories and I hadn’t had any water.
            A Crystal Pony gave me a cup of water, it felt good. “Thanks that was good.”
            I looked outside, the winter winds were dying down. “Looks like it’s clearing up outside.”
            “It is,” Ms. Lore stated. “But could you finish your story?”
            “With pleasure.” And so I did.

            So the carpenter was summoned.
    The man came crawling in to O King On High’s throne room. “Carpenter, my advisers tell me that you may have an idea what may that be?” De demanded.
            “O King On High, I have a plan to reach the Moon but I must stand first,” The King raised an eyebrow in concern. “I have the plan but it is in my front pocket I can not show you while I am laying on it.”
            The king sighed. “Very well, stand!”
The carpenter stood up and pulled the plans out of his pocket, and showed it to him. The carpenter was a hard working man strong and tall, from the looks of his plans very smart as well. His plan required him to work hard that proved him even more. He was everything the King hated.
            “What is it?” O King On High shouted.
            “I am going to build boxes, then I am going to stake them up. A tower of boxes should be enough. But I am not sure if we have enough trees in our kingdom....”
            “That does not matter,” Oh King On High interrupted. “Steel the trees from our neighboring kingdoms if need be.”
            “But Oh King On High, would that not case trouble?” The carpenter looked at him nervously.
            “It doesn't matter to you yours is to do what I summoned you to do! I will let you stand to complete your work. So Let It Be Done, So says Oh King On High!”
            The carpenter bowed. “Yes sir.”
            So the carpenter went to work and chopped down the trees and build the boxes. He stacked the boxes into a tower just as he had plan. Oh King On High was pleased, soon he would have the Moon the perfect symbol.
            “I have finished, but let me see if it is safe then you can retrieve the moon yourself.” The Carpenter said as he started to climb.
            “No, I will be the first up! I will be the first to take the moon for myself.” Oh King On High pushed the carpenter aside. He started to climb the tower the king soon made it to the top. The King tried to reach with everything but he was just out of his grasp, but the carpenter was wrong he was just two boxes shy of the moon.
            “Blast it was not high enough,” He looked down. “Carpenter, I need more boxes!”
            “There is no more boxes and  trees on the island to make boxes!” He called up to his king.
            “Then take the boxes from the bottom and bring them up.”
            “But O King On High...”
            “Bring me the boxes!”
            The carpenter grabbed two boxes from the bottom as he was told. As he started to climb the tower started to sway, The carpenter could not hold on and he fell to the ground.
            While the carpenter only had a short way to fall that was not the story for Oh King On High. As the tower toppled down the King found himself falling to the ground. He fell and fell and fell some more but he did not hit the ground. He fell into the island’s volcano and was never heard from again.
    
            Everyone started to laugh out loud, the laughter roused everyone that was still asleep.
Nyx and her mother were laughing the loudest.
        “You were right that was a better ending” A crystal pony said with a wide grin. 
            “What happened to the kingdom?” Ms. Lore asked.
            “Well with all the troubles looming and problems the old king cased the people decide to elect their own King this time. The one they chose was the Carpenter, why you may ask. Well before the king even felt the Carpenter talked with all the neighboring kings about what was happening and pleaded for their help, with the boxes at least. But the king heard what their fellow king was doing to his people and were going to force him to step down...”
            “You mean before he took the plunge in lava.” Nyx snickered.
            “Yah, before he took a lava bath. But when the kings came to Oh Kings On High’s Kingdom they were happy to see that the carpenter was now king. That’s the end of it.”
            The sun filled the room made even brighter by the white snow that covered the streets. The crystal City cover in white snow was a great sight it was like a city of ice had spring up from the ground. The fact that some Changeling bodies dotted the landscape didn’t ruin the view any. It wasn’t a bad vacation all in all but I guess I would be helping to remove the snow.
            “Nice view.” I said aloud.