Coldlight's flight to the castle was unsympathetic for her parents. She shielded herself to keep out the cold and wind, but allowed her parents to get it. She also refused to stop and let them rest when she herself was running on her Earth-pony stamina. By the time they reached the Crystal Empire, her parents were close to collapsing.
"Stand up straight!" Coldlight snapped. "This is when I take my kingdom, and if you wish to rule with me, you will appear strong."
"Yes ma'am." Sombra said humbly, but secretly he was thinking about how it must have felt during his own tyranny.
"Yes ma'am." Cadence mocked. Her tone turned serious. "Listen here, young lady! Just because you've gotten your super fancy wings and been spoiled rotten since we sent you to live with that family, doesn't give you any right to order us around!"
Coldlight turned to her mother, a look of rage on her face. "YOU UNGRATEFUL WENCH! DO AS I SAY AND RELEASE THE SHIELD!" Coldlight's magic lifted her mother into the air by her throat. "Unless you can't handle this. Then I'll have to dispose of you."
Cadenza shook with fear. "I hate you." she gasped as she was dropped.
"Go." was the only reply she got, and she obeyed. She walked into the city, sweat poured down her neck and she was sure that every pony was staring at her. Including Coldlight. Cadence considered hiding in the empire, but that idea was instantly thrown out; Coldlight would smash the shield eventually. She strolled as naturally as she could to the crystal heart and tapped into it. It momentarily resisted her touch,
but then it allowed her in. Her order to release the shield was rejected. Her mental conversation was short.
"Come on, you can do it. It's all right. I'm a good guy." She said gently. It trembled shortly before it collapsed the shield. Coldlight instantly appeared beside her with Sombra beside her.
"Thank you, Cadenza." Coldlight said sarcastically. "Now excuse me." She stepped forward, and her voice echoed across the empire. "LITTLE PONIES! BOW BEFORE THY NEW QUEEN! THE HEIR OF SOMBRA REIGNS NOW!"
"Save us, Princess Cadence!" One of the ponies pleaded. The princess merely turned her head as Coldlight punished the mare, but the screams couldn't be shut out.
"HER? SHE'S MY MOTHER! SHE LET ME IN!" Coldlight screamed. She turned to the Crystal Heart, malice in her eyes. A shot of pure dark magic sprang from Coldlight and struck the beautiful blue gem exactly in the center. The Heart shuttered, then began to rise in the air. It
trembled there for several heart-wrenching seconds before a darkness spread from the middle out. The once lovely and graceful heart turned black and jagged, striking ponies no longer with hope, but with fear. Coldlight reveled in the sound of anguish and distress radiating from the crowd, but she was not yet finished. A blast of magic flew from the heart, changing every crystal in the kingdom dark and jagged. All the ponies grew dull as their hope faded and the horrible truth hit them: no one would save them. The reign of Coldlight had begun. A black shield encased the Empire, keeping out all who would dare to challenge the new Queen. The twisted Alicorn grinned an evil grin as her plans began to fall into place. She could already sense Celestia approaching, and Celestia would never leave alive.