//------------------------------// // 94. The Crystal Empire - Part 3 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// “Midnight, are you ok?” Midnight broke out of his daze, lifting his face off the train window. He looked to Twilight and saw her eyes full of concern. “I’m okay, just… a little nervous about this mission.” “Hey, I’m the one being tested,” Twilight said with a nervous smile. “All you have to do is be there for me.” Midnight pulled her into a hug, promising, “Always.” But when they let go, Midnight made sure she didn’t see the guilt on his face as he watched the passing scenery of a frozen wasteland. Celestia hadn’t been kidding when she said the empire was located in the Frozen North. Yet he could not deny it was beautiful, the snow pristine and white, dancing about in a whirlwind race across the hills and banks. However, the guilt he felt in his words plagued him as he recalled the secret chat he had with Big Mac and Thunderlane earlier right after they met back at the train station in Canterlot. He was honestly surprised when they agreed to help him in his mission. Not that he wasn’t grateful for their choice to stand with him but he felt it unfair they should risk their lives along with his to capture a dark magic-crazed warlord. They wouldn’t hear any dissuading from him and even agreed not to say anything to the others. But then they felt the train slow and he looked to see they were slowing and that everypony was already getting prepared to disembark. As the train came to a stop, they stood before the opening doors and were met with blistering cold as the blizzardy winds pelted them unmerciful. They stepped off, Rarity scoffing, “Ha! And you all made fun of me for packing so many scarves.” “Ugh, I didn’t say a word!” Spike grunted as he carried suitcases’ worth of scarves on his back, only for Blueblood to levitate them and relieve his little friend’s burden. “Thanks!” “Don’t mention it,” Blueblood smiled gratefully that even though the little dragon wasn’t the only male in Rarity’s life he still cared for her enough to be helpful. “Why settle for scarves…” Midnight trailed before his horn flared. *Flash* And he’d conjured winter cloaks upon everypony. They all shared the same design aside a few minorities that complemented the wearer; the pegasi’ cloaks had holes for their wings so they could still fly, the unicorns’ hoods had holes for their horns, and so on. They were all dark gray, the hoods hemmed with black faux fur, specially-designed straps fastened around their necks that they didn’t choke or irritate the wearers. Everypony thanked Midnight who took it in stride but took the moment to discreetly slip something each to Big Mac and Thunderlane. “Twilight!” “Shining Armor?” Twilight answered back, knowing that voice anywhere. He appeared as he approached through the snowy winds, garbed in a trailing black scarf, protective snow goggles covering his eyes until he levitated them to rest on his horn, but the eye-catcher was his wings bandaged to his barrel. However he smiled as he greeted them all. “Twily, you made it!” “Shiny!” Twilight ran up to hug him, and then asked, “What happened to your wings?” “Still getting used to them,” Shining Armor admitted sheepishly, “and got a little reckless, flying through this crazy weather.” “I know the feeling,” Midnight stepped up, Shining Armor’s eyes brightening at seeing his good friend, and they saluted each other and spoke together: “To Equestria I pledge my life, along to everypony! To safeguard all from fear and strife alongside my best brony!” They chuckled and hoof-bumped, much to Twilight’s confusion, and Midnight explained, “We came up with our own little greeting, as you do with Cadance.” “I hate to break up a budding bromance,” Rainbow Dash interjected irritably, “but can we get moving already?! I’m freezing my wings off!” Ordinarily, pegasus ponies beheld a greater tolerance to severe weather, which helped them in controlling it. But the very fact that a pegasus the likes of Rainbow Dash could feel it bothering her to this degree reminded everypony that this cold was most likely not normal, even for the Frozen North. “She’s right,” Shining Armor agreed. “There are things out here we really don’t wanna run into after dark!” “W-what kind of things?” asked a nervous Fluttershy as she rubbed against Big Mac. “Let’s just say the empire isn’t the only thing that’s returned…” Shining Armor answered ominously. As they trekked the tundra, Shining Armor explained, raising his voice over the roar of the wind, “Something keeps trying to get in! We think it’s the unicorn king who originally cursed the place!” “But Princess Celestia sent me here to find a way to protect the empire!” Twilight brought up. “If King Sombra can’t get in, isn’t it protected already?!” “Lemme guess, you have some means of protection but it’s only just doing the job!” Midnight spoke up as he stepped up next to Shining Armor and gestured him to lean in for a private word. “In case you are not aware, Celestia sent me here on a mission of my own…” “I know, she wants you to capture Sombra,” Shining Armor confirmed, “but I was told it was a strictly need-to-know sort of thing.” “Yes, and your sister doesn’t need to know,” Midnight said sternly, “which is why you have to force her to go into the empire while me and the other Guardians remain to confront the evil king.” But before Shining Armor could respond to that, everypony startled in response to a distant yet frightful howling. “Wha- What was that?!” squealed Fluttershy in fright. Midnight looked to Big Mac and Thunderlane, the three of them nodding as Midnight yelled, “Get to the empire, run! EVERYPONY RUN!” In response to the blue unicorn’s words, a plume of smoky shadow erupted from the snow like a geyser and from the darkness did appear a very familiar pair of frightening eyes! Blueblood quickly levitated Spike onto his back, discarding all of the scarves Rarity brought, and joined the herd as they galloped for their lives, the pegasi flying protectively above them. “GO, GO!” Twilight screamed, and looking ahead they saw a shiny blue dome. “Almost there!” Shining Armor yelled, to which Midnight responded by skidding to a halt, Shining Armor, Big Mac, and Thunderlane doing the same as they faced the fury of the darkness. The shadowy mass leered down at them, Shining Armor making the first move as he fired a dark magenta laser from his horn. The darkness dispersed to avoid it but bunched back together as it came down upon the Alicorn Prince. “SHINING ARMOR!” the Guardians screamed, Midnight casting a Life-Line into the fearful fog, and felt a connection. Grunting he pulled with all his might, bringing Shining Armor out, and the others pulled him away from the darkness. “Shining Armor!” Thunderlane gasped. “Yer horn!” Big Mac pointed. Midnight hurried over and felt his heart sink to see black crystal blemishes on Shining Armor’s horn. “Shining Armor, follow the others into the empire!” “I can’t leave you guys to face this thing alone!” “We’re not alone,” Midnight assured him, “and your family will need you. Just promise me you’ll keep Twilight in the empire, and tell her this: Find the Crystal Heart.” “The what?!” Shining Armor had no idea what Midnight meant but he didn’t have time for an explanation. “Good luck!” With a pulse of his magic, Midnight sent Shining Armor flying on through towards the vast dome ahead of them and was satisfied when the alicorn prince vanished into its protective light. Shining Armor groaned as he came in for a hard landing although it was cushioned a little on a soft bed of grass. “Oh no!” He felt his sister take his hoof, “Shining Armor, your horn!” They looked up at it and he concentrated… only to groan as he got the mother of all headaches! “Ugh, King Sombra, he’s… he cursed my horn! I can’t use my magic.” “Where’s Midnight?” “And Big Mac?” “And my co-captain?” “Girls, they…” Shining Armor, hesitated, knowing the Guardians’ mission to capture Sombra had to remain a secret. For now at least. “They stayed behind to… give us time.” “What?! What do you mean?” Twilight demanded, everypony looking at the prince. “Twily, Midnight said… he had a vision,” Shining Armor hated lying to his sister but what else could he do? “He said he foresaw the barrier protecting the empire falling because King Sombra kept hammering against it. So he and the other Guardians of Harmony chose to remain outside and fight him, keep his attention off the barrier and… on them.” “We have to go and back `em up!” Rainbow declared before she zoomed towards the barrier. *CRASH* Soarin flew up and peeled Rainbow off the barrier wall. “What just happened?” “Wait, these cloaks…” Twilight hadn’t noticed before, due to being focused on getting through the cold and escaping the shadowy unicorn but the cloaks Midnight had given them carried an enchantment! “They’re… they’re enchanted with a sealing spell! Midnight’s locked us all inside this barrier!” “Why would he pull a goldarn thing like that?!” Applejack demanded. “To keep you all from going out to help them,” Shining Armor realized aloud. “and so you’d all have no choice but to focus on finding a way to protect the empire.” He looked sadly towards the barrier and felt most worried for his new friend. “The Guardians of Harmony… are on their own.”