//------------------------------//
// The Fall 
// Story: The Fall of the Empire 
// by blackrosedarkness 
//------------------------------//


The Fall of the Empire


Panicked hoofsteps raced through the halls of the Crystal Palace. Everypony saw it approaching, a large cloud of black smoke hovered outside the boundaries of the Crystal Empire. The Crystal Heart was keeping it from entering, but as the ponies became more and more afraid, the heart's power weakened. Sombra ran as fast as his hooves would carry him as he raced toward the throne room. Sombra shoved the doors open and walked in, stopping a moment to catch his breath. On the crystalline throne sat a crystal alicorn. Her coat was a glittering rose color and her purple mane, normally bright and vibrant, hung limp down her neck. Standing next to her, her hoof in his, was an alicorn stallion with a golden coat and a short, fiery mane. Sombra bowed before them, "Queen Radiance, King Luminous, you requested my presence?"

Queen Radiance smiled weakly, "Ah, Sombra. My dear friend. As you have probably noticed by now, the kingdom is being invaded."

Sombra stood back up, "Yes. But, may I ask, do you know what this presence is? What does it want from us?"

This time, the king spoke, "For many years, we have known of a dark presence that resided in these lands. The Crystal Heart prevented it from attacking, but as the years have worn on, the heart's power began to weaken. Even now, the heart is barely able to shield us. It will break and the dark magic will invade."

Sombra shook his head, "But why has this darkness not tried attacking before? Why attack now?"

Queen Radiance allowed a single tear to fall, "This dark energy, it can't accomplish anything right now as it is. It... it needs a host. It needs a body so that it can attack. It has tried to take Luminous and I before, but we are strong enough to resist it. Now it has found a pony that has enough power to fuel it, but is to weak to resist."

Sombra's eyes went wide as he realized what the king and queen meant, "No. Not-"

Luminous held up a hoof, "Do not worry, she is safe. But she will not be for long. Sombra, our dearest and most trusted friend, we want you to take Princess Crystalline, and flee the kingdom. There is a nation just south of here known as Equestria. Go there and raise Crystalline until she is ready to take back the kingdom. We will hold off the enemy far as long as we can."

Sombra nodded, "Do not worry your majesties. I will take the filly and raise her as my own."

Radiance smiled sadly as she levitated a basket into her hooves. A foal slept peacefully in the basket, her pale rose coat had not yet gained the shimmer of a crystal pony. On her head were small curls of gold, violet, and rose hair with a tiny horn poking out. Her wings shifted as she dreamed. Radiance softly kissed the alicorn's forehead, "Be safe, my little one. Mommy loves you."

With a heavy heart, she gave the basket to Sombra. Luminous placed a comforting foreleg around his wife and nodded. Radiance turned back to Sombra, "Please. Take good care of her. Make sure she has the love she needs to grow."

Sombra took the foal in his magic and placed her on his back, "You have my word." And with that, he left.

Sombra ran through the streets of panicked ponies. Normally, he would stop to help them in anyway he could, but he was on a mission. He glanced upward and watched as the barrier protecting the kingdom flickered again before disappearing completely. Sombra ran faster, he was running out of time and he had to get the princess outside of the kingdom. As Sombra ran, he was stopped in his tracks by a large explosion. He turned to see a large explosion as a dark mass surged out of the castle. Crystalline began to cry from her basket. Sombra continued to run, "Don't worry, Princess. I won't let them get you."

Sombra continued his trek through the icy tundra. Crystalline had finally stopped crying and had fallen asleep again. Sombra pulled the blanket tighter around her in order to keep her as warm as possible. The land of Equestria was still a day's journey away, and the darkness was still following them. The pair of ponies were confronted by a massive black shadow. The dark mass growled menacingly and surged toward the basket on Sombra's back. Sombra teleported away and began to run, but the cloud of darkness was faster. It quickly caught up to the unicorn and cornered them behind a massive ice crystal. Sombra fired a bolt of magic toward the cloud, but it had no effect.  The dark shadow began closing in. Sombra turned to the basket on his back, he had no other option, "Forgive me." And with a red flash, the princess was gone.

In the crystal empire, ponies ran around panicked. The King and Queen had been murdered, the Princess was gone, and a darkness settled on the area. A lone figure appeared on the castle balcony, "Ponies of the Crystal Empire!"

The ponies turned to the source of the voice. A black unicorn stood on the balcony, wearing the crown of the empire on his head as his eyes glowed with the power of dark magic. He stared at the dull crystal ponies below as dark crystals began to sprout from the ground, "I am your new ruler! Bow before your king! Bow before King Sombra!"

Meanwhile, in Equestria, a basket sat in the middle of a road. A noise that sounded like the crying of a foal came from it. A mare stepped from her carriage and inspected the basket. She called out, "Hello? Anypony out there?"

She picked up the foal and the foal took one look at the mare's face and her crying stopped. The mare smiled, "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

The foal simply giggled in response. Her tiny wings popping out. The mare gave a small laugh of her own, "Aren't you lovely? I suppose I'll just have to take you with me, won't I? Oh, my lovely foal. Hm... My love, Mi Amore? That's it! I shall call you Mi Amore. Mi Amore Cadenza."

And with that, Princess Celestia stepped back onto her carriage. Completely unaware of Crystalline's true name or family. And unaware of the crisis beginning in the north.