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// Chapter 5 
// Story: A Thorn in the Empire 
// by ShiverMay 
//------------------------------//

Narrating: Arts Desire

     Laying in my room, I stared at the painting of my parents. I despised the sight of them in chains, but that's the only way they could stay. Tears crept down my face.

     My whole family was ripped away from me. First, my sister was taken. I never even knew her. I was just told stories of what she was like. From those stories I tried to paint her. One painting I had done made her look a little crazy. Her eyes were crossed and her smile seemed forced. However, the painting helped me remember what she generally looked like.

     My parents would also tell me stories of their journeys through the Crystal Empire.  Every time I had gone outside it was during the night, so I never saw much. My tour would be the first time I could actually explore the outside world. But my parents had told me a little about what it was like before King Sombra. I don't expect much.

     I laid my head on my pillow and closed my eyes. The darkness that now surrounded me was pitch black. I opened my eyes to see my room still lit by my lamp. The light came easily, but when I closed my eyes the darkness was hard. I turned my lamp off and tried to go to sleep. Within minutes I was. The darkness then began to shift into shapes. I saw a cyan pegasus in a bed. She's just a filly.

     She lay sleeping. Her wings covering her face. She reminded me of the painting I had of my sister. Sadly, this was a dream,a repeating dream, just a persistent hope that I could find her. That's all it was.

     She was so small, so young, yet I felt like she was older than me. I tried to walk closer to the child, but for every step I took it became harder to walk. I needed to get over there. I strained against the force.

     Suddenly, a calming voice spoke. "It is your destiny, Arts Desire." The voice was new. It frightened me. Why did the dream change now? "You must save her, just as she plans to save you. Together and only then, will you be able to help the empire." 

     I awoke in the morning startled and struggling to remember my dream. My heart was racing at the thoughts. Was it really my destiny to save her, and ours to save the entire Crystal Empire?