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// Biding the Inevitable 
// Story: Somber Rule 
// by Seraph Serenitatis 
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	The Crystal Empire returned to it's place. The warmth that penetrates the caves is immense, and a welcoming change. My time was again at hand. My sister's presence is nearby, and though my spirit tainted, I clung to its energy as only a brother could. And while my consciousness sought to reconcile with her, my thoughts turned toward vengeance against the Equestrian Princesses. My time in that prison was over, its bonds long since weakened. In a thrust of fury and power, only comparable to hurricane, I broke free of my chains in the black smoke my spirit had become.

Within moments of that freedom, I sought out my sister and my Empire. I stepped down from my foggy dark mist, into the form I knew so well, a red cape over my withers, and looked upon my throne. My sister sat upon it, wide-eyed, next to a white stallion I could not recognize, I could only assume was a coltfriend in the closeness they sat together. The stallion did not matter to me, however, I would address that issue at a later time. She whispered my name birth name. Then seemed to remember herself. I demanded my throne back, but inserted that I had forgiven her of her past treachery. As I stepped closer, that white stallion jumped in front of her, whatever little protection that pathetic unicorn could have given her, but I digress. I made my intentions clear to her: to unite Equus under my dominion for eternity.

She was not happy, and fought me for the throne. In the last throes of our little squabble, she cast a barrier spell that repelled my dark magic, amplified, by that stallion's magic, using Love as a power source. I could not stop my second banishment from the city. And the bubble shield remained, keeping me out of the city. I was both proud and angry with my sister, she had grown powerful while I was away. 

In any case, I was not sealed back into my frozen tomb, so I looked for flaws in my sister's shield waiting for her moment of weakness. While my sister's shield whittled her magic reserves away, day-by-day, I explored the Frozen North in the present era, what was supposedly 1000 years past my time. It appeared my mother's Alicorn magic was still with me, otherwise, perhaps I would have crumbled into dust long ago. I had noticed a curious little building on the southern outskirts of the tundra, a funny little thing with a pair of iron bars that stretched on for miles into the south, about a mile out of my castle city.

My castle city, on the other hoof, was no longer the gray, decrepit city I sent to another realm a thousand years ago. In fact, it was nearly as bright and colorful as before my tyrannical rule began as King Sombra. My Dark Magic must have been cleansed from the city before it was banish into the next plane. Forming my plan to begin corrupting the crystals from the outside in, I set to work, patrolling the bubble, and letting my magic seep beneath and underneath the shield. 

Not two days into my work, I heard a whistle from the south. I briefly recalled a time during Mother's rule about plans to create a solid, permanent road to Equestria, to ease the flow of trade and traffic between our two nations. And those iron bars reminded me of the carts and tracks used in mines back when I had control of the city, which could possibly mean a form of transportation for ponies. Surely enough, five miles away from the building, I could see steam puffing out of a chute a small vehicle situated on those tracks, and ponies filing out. 

As the vehicle started puffing away, seven ponies and one mound of what I could only assume to be luggage started making their way toward my crystal city, one of which looked like that same white unicorn who sat next to my sister. If my sister's spell was fueled by love, then I needed to block this stallion's magic. With the scheme in mind, I sought to sneak up on the ponies, perhaps taking the others as my first slaves. As I neared, perhaps not even 10 meters away, I heard my name called from a purple unicorn trotting next to the white stallion. It was now or never, despite the dramatic entrance I made immediately after my name was called. Nonetheless, I made my presence known with a growl, and the ponies ran off towards the bubble. 

After chasing the group, I had noticed consisted of 6 mares, the white stallion, and one of the smallest dragons I had ever seen, with the luggage forgotten half-away back, the stallion turned about to confront me; I would guess, to protect the 6 mares and little dragon from my influence. I let the others go, my true target in my sight, and sealed his magic I did. The dark crystals in his horn would also work to influence the crystals on the inside of the shield, should it let him pass. My work done, and my plan set in motion, I let the stallion re-join the group inside the bubble. I would have liked to corrupt the other two unicorns' horns, but I got the stallion's, my plan succeeded, whether they knew it or not.

All I needed to do was wait. I could tell my sister's shield was already weakening due to the prolonged disconnection to the stallion's magic, I would not have to wait long, maybe another day or two.

After half a day passed, I noticed decorations being placed around the city, realizing the crystal ponies must still have some recollection of the Crystal Fair, the very event that inspires the Crystal ponies with harmony, love, and all other positive feelings to activate the Crystal Heart. However, the ponies seemed to hold no recollection of the Heart itself, and my sister, in her young age, had no idea of its importance. The ponies would not succeed. Until I noticed one of my spells that kept the Heart's location hidden, was triggered with a small bit of dark magic, not of my own making. Somepony was actively seeking out the Heart. 

I quickened my pace, with more vigor, and succeeded in tearing down Cadence's shield, just as another of my traps fell. I charged forward, only to get cut off by my sister's barrier again. Her strength of will was astounding. Part of the jagged point that I call my horn, had fractured, and fell within the shield. My key to the inside. When it sank into the ground, I began corrupting the outer crystals, slowly moving my way in. With my spell work both inside and outside of the shield eating away at my sister's magic, the shield began to fall faster. By this time, the fair was in full swing, and the crystal ponies were enjoying themselves, oblivious to my ever-nearing presence.

At long last, her shields fell, my presence made known to the ponies, my renewed slaves. Just as the last of my traps fell, holding captive the pony who sought to take the Heart from its clandestine place. I made my way toward the palace, ponies all around quivering in fear. I stopped, looked up to a point at the highest tower. That pathetic creature called a dragon was holding my Crystal Heart! How had it slipped outside of my crystal prison? 

In any case, that dragon was bringing the Heart down to where my sister lay in the balcony. I shot forward, all of my might and magic, with my crystals propelling me, I desperately attempted to reach that vermin before it reached my sister. The dragon fell, the Heart falling out of its grasp! That was my chance, I was close, I could feel its magic radiating. A blur of pink passed through my peripherals. My sister was flying, the dragon on her back, and the Crystal Heart in her telekinetic grasp. As she brought it to its pedestal beneath the castle, I could do nothing but race toward my sister, corrupting any and all in my path. The ponies all began bowing, I was nearly there. And then I saw white.