The frigid wind blew snow into everyone's faces. Storm clouds covered the sun, making the drifts look gray. Clarity closed her eyes to the sight.
"Play! What are you doing!?" Twilight asked. Clarity opened her eyes to see Play's camera, with a red light blinking.
"What the.." She said.
"That means that it's recording hoofage," Play said.
"Hoofage?" Clarity said.
"Video. It's like it can save the sights and sounds that it detects and play it back for everypony to see."
"At a time like this?" Rainbow asked.
"It's okay," Clarity said, "It's distracting me from my worries."
The ponies continued.
...........................
Clarity stepped into the empire's boundaries, and gasped. It was exactly how it was when she grew up. The same dazzling skies, the same prancing sheep, even old friends of hers, working happily. The only difference was the current ruler walking towards her.
"That must be Cadance," she whispered to herself. Twilight suddenly rushed forward and chanted something with Cadance happily.
"Sunshine, Sunshine,
Ladybugs awake.
Clap your hooves and
Do a little shake!"
'Reminds me of my foalhood days,' Clarity thought.
Ponies nearby began to turn their heads. They noticed their lost ruler. Some ran. Some stayed, staring. Clarity felt the glare of all the eyes. She just wished that she could just sink into the ground. But she was saved by Cadance.
"Follow me," she said, "We'll have more privacy in the palace."
Everyone headed into the towering structure, leaving those outside to wonder.
"How am I supposed to tell them what happened?" Clarity asked, once inside."
"I think I might know," Play said, looking at his camera.
.............................
"So tell me, Clarity," Cadance said, "What are you like?"
"Well," Clarity said, "I love working with gems and am usually outgoing. It's just that now, being back after over a thousand years, I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of what others think of me. Of how I'll fit in. Of what will become of Raven."
"Tell me about Raven."
"He was always looking out for trouble. He was always serious, but kindhearted. He used to care about me so much," Clarity began to sob, "I don't know why he had to turn to dark magic."
"Do you think you can tell me about what happened before and up to that point when it changed? Because I'm getting confused."
"If you've heard of the motives behind Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon, you can easily compare it to Raven's tale.
"Because I was older, and therefore the heir to the throne, my mother, Queen Mirar, always gave me more attention and royal lessons, whether I wanted them or not. And to be honest, I usually didn't. I was the typical filly, always wanting to have fun. But that didn't hinder Raven's jealousy. It's rather ironic; I had the attention that I didn't want while Raven lacked the attention that he desired.
"I tried on numerous occasions to reinforce our siblinghood, but it wasn't much use. He grew increasingly distant. He would sneak off for days, if not weeks, at a time. I guess that he was practicing dark magic there.
"When Mirar fell fatally ill, Raven and I were bombarded with royal lessons. Raven caught on to them naturally, but I struggled. I felt terrified. I've always wanted what's best for Equestria, but I didn't know how the empire would fare with me as ruler. But it was my duty, so I faced the challenge the best that I could. I tried to turn to Raven for support, but he would never give me any support. It was like he WANTED me to fear the throne. In retrospect, I think that he did.
"When Mirar died, and the time for my coronation came around, I hid. Just to have a few hours for myself before my life forever changed. Raven approached me, and said that he was willing to take the throne if I didn't want to."
"Did you let him?"
"No. I didn't trust him. He had grown too distant. And I told him that. There was a flash, and I found myself in a series of caves. There, I saw Raven... Become... Unrecognizable."
"And he called himself Sombra?"
"Yes," Clarity was fighting back tears, "I tried to fight him, but he was too powerful. He hit my body with a black energy beam, and the last thing I saw before going unconscious was seeing my body crystallizing."
"May I ask what your thoughts were?"
"I was afraid for my people. No. Not my people, my friends. I knew that they would be especially weak. Without a ruler to utilize the heart's power and without much hope, the citizens of the Crystal Empire were an open target for attack. And that's how Raven wanted it," Clarity said. She wasn't crying. Her tears were spent up.
"What are you going to do now?" Cadance asked.
"I don't know," Clarity answered, "I just want everypony to know that I never meant for this to happen. I don't expect you all to welcome me back with a grand celebration, but please know that I'm here to stay."
"How is it?" Play asked.
"You expect me to believe a word of this?" Rewind said.
'I wonder how many other bosses are like this,' Play thought.
Suddenly, crystals began to form along the wall. Black, jagged crystals.
'Is that... Sombra?' Play thought.
"Clarity, are you seeing this?" He asked.
"Yes," a voice behind him said. A pale purple light surrounded the area of air as Clarity undid the invisibility spell she cast on herself.
A formless shadow crept on the floor, towards Clarity, who bolted out the door and into the busy streets of Manehattan.
A black crystal shot up, knocking her off her hooves. Nearby ponies stood, staring. A ring of crystals formed around her, but she took off. The advancing crystals just crashed into one another. Police started to evacuate everyone in the area while many of the ponies ran, screaming.
Play and Rewind ran out of the building with everyone else.
"Do you believe me now?" Play asked. Rewind didn't answer. He just stared at some of his employees racing out.
"One of you! Get this on camera!" He yelled.
"With our lives at stake!? No way!" One of them replied. They all took off running.
"I'll get the shot for you," Play said, "I was going to stay anyway."
"What!?" Rewind said, before being carried off by a police officer. Play pressed the 'record' button on his camera.
A large crystal shot at Clarity, but she counterattacked with a crystal of equal size. Unlike Sombra's crystals, these were a combination of pink, purple, and blue, and were smooth and weren't jagged.
This is how the battle continued for the next several minutes, until a puff of smoke took the form of a dark gray unicorn with a blood red horn and clad in steel armor.
"Raven," Play heard Clarity whisper.
"We'll meet again," Sombra said in his echoed voice, "Sister."
He vanished, and so did the crystals, leaving a bunch of ponies traumatized.