“Something's not right.”
Groaning, Princess Luna kept her eyes glued to the magazine she was currently skimming—not daring to so much as glance at the taller alicorn standing before one of the nearby windows. Celestia, for whatever reason, had been pestering her non-stop over the course of a few hours; not even the walls of her personal chambers could protect her from her sister's paranoia. “I don't remember granting you access to my room, Sister,” she muttered.
Frowning, Celestia rested the tip of her horn against the glass. “Are you not listening to me?” she softly inquired. “I think we have more pressing matters, Luna.”
“Ah, yes, remind me. I don't seem to recall the issue.”
“Sister, look to the Crystal Empire's lights.” She touched the window with her hoof. “They're not the same as they were a few days ago!”
Luna closed the magazine. “Thy domain lay with the sun, yet it seems you are not familiar with the nature of light.” She placed the literature on the bedside table before she picked up another. “Light fluctuates—changes. How are the Empire's lights so different?”
“I... simply have a feeling.” She sighed. “You think I'm being too paranoid, don't you?”
Smirking, Luna rolled up the magazine with her magic. “You fear for your student and her friends,” she replied. “Right now, they reside in a settlement of which even we are little informed. It's understandable.” The smirk grew bigger as she proceeded to then tap her sibling atop the head. “It's irritating and completely irrational, but understandable.”
Celestia retaliated with another sigh; setting her sister's magazine on fire was an added flare. “Luna, please, be serious,” she said under her breath.
It didn't do much to affect the Princess of the Moon, who snuffed out the flame as soon as it manifested. “I am being serious,” she replied, as though the incident hadn't happened at all. The younger sister then hopped off her bed and headed for the door. “And since you clearly have no other pony to bother with your daft concerns, I'm going for a stroll in the gardens.” Yet, she found herself unable to turn the knob once she engulfed it in an arcane cloud. She looked over her shoulder at Celestia. Her fellow princess, as usual, hadn't moved from her spot. Sometimes, she couldn't help but suspect that Celestia was part statue. Nevertheless, she managed to pull herself away from the door. “I'm sure they're fine, dear sister,” she said.
“Do you truly believe so?”
“Celestia, even if they were in some sort of unsatisfactory position, they are more than capable of getting themselves out of it.” She approached the other mare from behind. “They are the Elements of Harmony for a reason, after all.”
A nuance of a smile appeared on Celestia's face. “Yes, I suppose,” she whispered.
“You know I'm right.” She touched her sister's shoulder. “Now, enough about the Crystal Empire. Let us eat, perhaps enjoy a steaming cup of tea while we're at it.”
Chuckling, the older sibling finally turned her back to the window. “Well, I guess I could use a snack and a nice cup of tea.”
“Huzzah!” Wings fluttering, Luna hovered during her return to the door—pulling it open with her magic. “Then let us make our way to the dining hall!”
As she disappeared into the corridor, Celestia sighed once more. She looked to the multicolored lights one last time. Despite her sister's positive pushes towards the contrary, the way the lights twitched and seized amongst the clouds when they once flowed like a gentle stream seemed to herald something sinister. Oh, my faithful student, may Luna's trust in you never prove false, and how I pray for the well-being of you and your friends... Slowly, but surely, she followed after her sister. I will see all of you soon, I promise.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Twilight reared back onto her hind legs as she channeled dark magic through her aching horn. Up near the roof of the cave's designated “living room” floated multiple gemstones—all of which were enchanted by Sombra. Unlike last night's practice, he saw fit to stand by and aid her this time around. “All right, Twilight,” he said. “Your goal is to actually destroy these crystals. Perhaps, in completely dismantling their physical forms, you will learn to tear their magic asunder. We'll give it a try and see how it turns out.” He glanced at the targets. “Are you ready?”
A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Twilight's face. Albeit apprehensively, she replied, “I'm ready,” with whatever confidence she could muster.
“Then... fire!”
Sombra's horn glowed, causing the gems to float around in an erratic manner. Twilight took great caution whilst aiming. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy. With the strain that came with dark magic, it literally felt like her horn was on fire. She had to act quickly, yet efficiently. When she spotted the first gem out of the corner of her eyes, she turned and fired. She missed—taking a chunk out of the rocky wall instead. After cursing herself for the failure, she followed another crystal with her eyes before she took another shot. There was contact, but her magic bounced off the shimmering surface.
Oh, you stupid thing! Grinding her teeth together, she shot at another gem. No effect. She fired at another. No effect. No effect. No effect!
She cried out in frustration. Stupid gems! Stupid dark magic! Why won't you cooperate with me? I have to do this, my friends are depending on me! Shining, Cadence, Spike... Fresh tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash... I can't imagine how you're faring beneath Trixie's hoof. I hope you're all okay.
Underneath her dissatisfaction, there came a spark of anger. Trixie... She hated to think that the stage performer would and could harm her friends. Back when she first saw the magician, it was clear that Trixie knew her way around enough magic to thwart her friends' attempts to upstage her. They were harmless defensive measures, then, but now that she possessed the Alicorn Amulet... Well, Twilight saw the effect it had on the other unicorn's magic first-hoof. It wasn't pleasant.
“Twilight, focus!” snapped Sombra. “Your dark magic isn't strong enough. Remember what I told you? You need to channel your negative emotions if you wish to destroy the crystals!”
Well, she knew that; delving into the darkest of her feelings was, so far, her only means of calling upon the sinister power in the first place. She didn't like it one bit, but she agreed to the training and, for her family and friends, she'd do just about anything. So, she plunged herself into the required turmoil—emotionally speaking. The arrogant tune of Trixie's voice quickly came to mind. “What's wrong, Twilight Sparkle?” it sneered. “Are you having trouble wrapping your head around such superior magic?”
The tinder was effective, feeding the embers of her anger into something akin to rage. The menacing glow that gravitated around her horn hummed and undulated with the power for which it so desperately craved. “My magic's gotten better since you saw me last, and I want to put it to the test. So, Twilight Sparkle, me and you, a magic duel. Winner stays, loser leaves the Crystal Empire forever! The same applies to Ponyville.”
“What if I refuse?”
“If you refuse, I'll just keep casting spells until you agree. Open your eyes, Sparkle. I influenced both the guards and the crystal ponies to see through your lies. You're outnumbered. Do you really want to see how much more chaos The Great and Powerful Trixie can cause for you?”
Twilight gritted her teeth. “Trixie,” she all but growled. Only once did she blink before she suddenly saw the magician's grinning face within the confines of her translucent targets. It was just so smug and infuriating... It was the last straw. She released all of her fury in a strained shout—tendrils of dark, arcane might branching out from her horn. The magic trapped each gem in its grasp, and it took the tug of a single mental thread to shatter them in unison. The fragments fell to the ground like rain.
Sombra smiled and stomped his hooves in applause. “Well done,” he praised. Given what he previously saw of Twilight's magic, he expected her to take a systematic approach by defeating her obstacles one at a time; he didn't expect the intense chain reaction he just witnessed. Apparently, neither did she, for her quaking legs gave way at that point and she gracelessly fell into a sitting position. Sombra wasn't concerned—the amount of magic she exhausted was no doubt tiring—until her whole body began to shake. “Twilight?” he called. He crept up behind her, making the startling realization that she was crying. “Twilight,” he repeated, albeit in a softer tone. He seated himself beside her, gently laying his hoof upon her shoulder. “What's wrong?”
She choked out a response that he couldn't quite hear, so he leaned closer. “Pardon?”
He was patient as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Of course, when she finally turned her head to look at him, fresh moisture fell down her lovely face. “I-I don't think I can do this, Sombra,” she said. “It's so hard to focus! I can't stop thinking about my family and my friends... and I can't imagine what they might be going through right now. How... Oh, how do we know she's not hurting them?”
Without thinking, he replied, “There's no way for either of us to know for sure.” He immediately winced in response to his own words—a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. The feeling worsened when his friend struggled to hold back her sobs. He felt the need to kick himself in the flank. Figuratively, of course. Idiot! You need to fix this, now!
He resisted the urge to gnaw on his hoof as he sifted through his mind for a solution. There was no room for doubt in regards to Twilight's love for those closest to her. No wonder they made so little progress. Unfortunately, there was no way for her to check on them; the corruption of the Crystal Heart guaranteed her exile. Access to the Crystal Empire was nonexistent to her... and there lay the answer. “But,” he corrected with a smile, “I do know how I can find out for you.”
Sniffling, Twilight shot him a curious look. “Really? How?”
“Watch.”
One of her eyebrows arched as Sombra stood and backed away from her—his horn glowing all the while. Whatever he had in mind, it involved more dark magic—dark magic that, like wisps of smoke, slowly consumed the stallion until he was covered from snout to tail in shadow. Then, the darkness expanded into a sizable cloud, which grew until Twilight feared she needed to flee from the room. “Sombra?!” she cried. “What are you doing?!”
From within the smoke, his voice bellowed, “Call it a demonstration, Twilight.”
She gasped as the green of his eyes suddenly manifested amongst the ominous clouds of magic. “In this form, I will be able to sneak into the Crystal Empire undetected,” he said. “But, I'm afraid you will have to remain here. I'm sorry.”
Hesitantly, she approached Sombra in his new form. There was no helping her fascination. “That's fine, but... Is this... safe? You won't be seen?” And will I be able to pull that transformation off someday?
“It may not have been my means of getting inside before, but nopony, including Trixie, will be privy to my intrusion.” It was the truth. Upon his release, the last thing he wanted to do was use his dark magic. The crystal ponies were jumpy enough upon their own awakening; his current form would've attracted their attention.
“When do you think you'll return?”
“I will try to be back before sundown.”
She stepped out of Sombra's path as his massive form floated in the exit's direction. She followed after him. “Be careful,” she said, “and thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
The cloud ceased its movements, and the stallion's “head” rotated to look at her. “It is my understanding that friends help each other. Am I correct?”
She smiled up at him. “Yes.”
Despite the concealment of the magic upon him, Sombra smiled as he took his leave. As much as he disliked parting from Twilight, she would be safe within the protective walls of the cave. Judging by the bitter wind that slapped him in the face once he slipped out onto the tundra, he'd made the right call. His form expanded into mist as he crossed the snow. With all its furious might, the Frozen North attempted to halt his progress with its icy gale. He hadn't been able to change into such a form for so long, and yet his maneuverability was unhindered by his exile; he plowed through it like a locomotive.
The pink radiance of the Crystal Empire's shield alerted him to his closeness. It was reluctant to allow him entry when he pressed his body against it. A little force, however, and he slipped right on through.
The streets were not as he remembered. Crystal and Royal Guards alike marched up and down the sidewalks, whilst translucent citizens worked to hoist cobalt-colored flags embroidered with a magic wand. He didn't recognize the symbol. He was more interested in the ponies tending to them. Despite the smiles donning their faces, he could sense the powerful magic at work here.
Downtrodden by the sight, he shook his head. Their chains now ethereal, the crystal ponies had once again been enslaved.
A flash of crimson light venting from the Crystal Palace's windows drew him to his next destination. Shifting himself into a mist-like state of body, he weaved in between the alleys less traveled and, as he drew near, he heard cackling. Cautiously, he snaked up the smooth surface of the palace's outer wall until he reached the top. Then, he peered into one of the windows.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Suggested Listening : Beasts and Cherubs
Trixie's laugh reverberated off the walls of the throne room. “Yes, these will do nicely!” she shouted, circling the herd of crystal rams standing in two tidy rows in the middle of the floor. Through the power of the Alicorn Amulet, she had molded the once-demure animals into ferocious beasts. Thick, curved horns adorned their heads—an “improvement” over the tiny spikes that were once there. Albeit heavy, they were able to support them with the strength of their powerful, muscular bodies and legs.
The Queen demanded the very best, especially when it came to security. She needed more than guards, and so she took it upon herself to provide that need. And what better addition to her army than a herd of bone-breaking beasts?
“Shining Armor,” she snapped. She turned to face her Captain. “Have one of these rams assigned to each and every patrol unit.”
The armor-clad stallion bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Rams, follow Shining Armor to your new posts!”
Grunting, the altered animals were lead away without protest—their sharpened hooves clicking against the mirror-like floor. Yet, Trixie wasn't ready to relax. “Send in the seamstress!” she growled, shifting her attention to the silent pegasus who stood near the entrance. Fluttershy flinched at her Queen's bitter tone, but she immediately obeyed. She motioned to the guards on the other side of the archway. That was their prompt to enter, along with their prisoner.
Rarity certainly endured better days. Try as she might to appear as though recent events didn't wear her down, her head hung low and her hooves dragged across the floor. Sleep was an elusive and withheld thing; the only time she was permitted to close her eyes for a spell was when she fell into a nap at her appointed work station—a nap disturbed often by either Fluttershy or a guard. Needless to say, she was less than enthusiastic to be in Trixie's presence. “You called for me, 'Your Highness?'” she sighed, lifting her head to gaze at the tyrant.
In her graciousness, Trixie ignored the absolutely disrespectful tone of her voice. “Your Queen demands to know the progress of her coronation gown and her regalia!” she retorted sharply.
The alabaster-colored unicorn rubbed her tired eyes with the back of a hoof. “Your dress is ready and waiting, as well as your masquerade mask, and the smiths are nearly done with your regalia.” There was no need for her to mention what she went through in order to convince the crystal artisans to construct the accessories for her. She was willing to chalk it up to Trixie's mind-control... but if another creature tried to stroke her hair in the future, she was going to break their limbs. Slowly and agonizingly.
“Then, you are more than free to perform the next task Queen Trixie has for you.”
“I'm sure there are other, more qualified ponies who can—”
“You will make battle armor for my new rams, and I want new sets designed for my guards.” She stuck her nose in the air. “They're all mismatched and your Queen does not like it!”
The dressmaker's jaw dropped in disbelief, before she pointed at Trixie in a sudden flare of fury. “Now, hold on just one second!” she blurted. Much to the guards' and Fluttershy's appall, Rarity stomped up to the magician. “You've had me working non-stop for the past forty-eight hours! I've made your flags, your banners, your rugs, and your accursed dress! I'm tired, my hooves ache, and nopony's had the decency to allow me a simple hairbrush! You want new armor? Then, Your Majesty, you can make it yourself!”
Trixie drew in a sharp breath. “How... How dare you speak to your Queen in such an insolent manner?!”
“Rarity, don't!” pleaded Fluttershy, who glided towards her friend. “You're in enough trouble as it is! Please, oh please, don't make it worse!”
But, she was ignored, and the white-coated unicorn tossed her measuring tape to the floor. “You are not my Queen! You're nopony's Queen!”
“But, I will be Queen!”
“Only because of your brutish magic!” She, in her foolishness, poked the crimson gem of the Alicorn Amulet—unknowing of its power. “Oh, I can't wait until Princess Celestia finds out what you've done. She'll turn you to stone, like she did Discord, or she'll lock you away in the Everfree Forest with all the other nasty little beasts! Either way, your 'reign' won't last long!”
Try as she might, Trixie couldn't stop the thought of retribution from coming to mind. And it was terrifying. Surely, Princess Celestia was reasonable enough to see that she was more than worthy of donning the Crystal Crown? The Alicorn Amulet grew hot around her neck. “I thought we already had this discussion,” it growled. “The crown will soon be yours! Princess Celestia will have no control over you once you are Queen!”
But, the Princess might—
“What happened to not letting anypony trot all over you? Well, you're doing it right now, Trixie. You're letting a servant put doubt in your heart. You're giving her control over you. Remedy this situation, or fall to a lowly peasant!” The necklace flashed hot with anger, as did Trixie's mood.
She pushed Rarity away from her, baring her teeth. “The Sun Princess has no power over Queen Trixie!” she all but screamed. “I will rule the Crystal Empire far better than she rules all of Equestria!”
Rarity stood her ground in defiance. “If you were half the ruler Princess Celestia is—!” A hoof suddenly struck her across the face—the force throwing her to the floor; pain and stars shooting across her vision were all she knew in that moment of time.
Amongst the blurry shadows, however, she heard a completely-incensed stage performer shriek, “I'm ten times the ruler Celestia is!” Like the trinket she donned, Trixie's vision was red with fury. Although, a soft gasp reached her ears, which drew her attention to Fluttershy as she helped Rarity onto her hooves. The rage lingered, but the sight cleared her vision. “And just what do you think you're doing, Fluttershy?” she inquired.
Wide-eyed, the timid pegasus stepped away from the other pony. “Um,” she breathed, rubbing her front hooves together. Truth be told, she didn't really know what compelled her to run so quickly to the fashionista's aid. She was, in her head, loyal to the Almighty Trixie. Rarity was an enemy to the Crystal Crown... but, in her heart, there was a different feeling. The delicate strings were painfully plucked upon seeing the exhausted unicorn fall, and something in her mind clicked to match.
The Queen struck her friend, not her enemy.
However, as her head and heart collided, Trixie felt the weakness in her magical grasp on the pegasus. Ears folding back against her head, she approached Fluttershy—towering over her cowering form. “You will obey your Queen!” she demanded, her horn glowing.
Right away, Fluttershy was rendered rigid from the effect. “Y-yes, Queen Trixie,” she replied softly. “I will obey.”
If other ponies weren't watching, Trixie would have audibly sighed with relief. “Good. Now, be a good loyal subject and help me punish this disrespectful welp.” She already knew the appropriate punishment, too. Grinning, she engulfed Rarity in a red-tinted bubble before conjuring a shiny, sharp pair of scissors. “Cut off her mane,” she ordered as she handed them to Fluttershy. “Make it as messy as possible.”
“What?!” yelped the seamstress, who proceeded to struggle within her small prison. “No, not my hair! You can't!”
Trixie shot her a glare. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can do whatever she wishes!” She then directed her icy stare at Fluttershy. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
Once more, the pegasus' eyes widened as she looked back and forth between the scissors and Rarity. “This... doesn't seem right, Your Highness,” she quietly replied.
Baffled, the magician pushed her in the dressmaker's direction. “You dare question Queen Trixie?” she snapped. What in Equestria was wrong with her mind-control spell? It was supposed to guarantee absolute loyalty! “Need I remind you of your earlier transgression? Your almighty Queen is seriously considering punishing you instead!”
After a moment's thought, Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. The bizarre combination of conflicted feelings were faint now, but they undoubtedly remained. This wasn't right. None of this was right, and she had to do something about it. “Would it satisfy Your Majesty if I was punished instead?” she asked.
Trixie dragged a hoof down her face. Last time she checked, punishing her enemies and keeping her subjects in line wasn't so agitating. “Somepony needs to be punished!” she groaned. “Queen Trixie is losing her patience! Just make something happen in her glorious name!”
Biting down on her bottom lip, Fluttershy glanced at the bubble-bound unicorn. She had always admired the effort Rarity put into her appearance, especially her hair. The amethyst-colored curls, disheveled as they were, remained in place. Sure, there were some strands of hair sticking out here and there, but it still looked lovely. Her own hair, on the other hoof, wasn't as high-maintenance. It wasn't high-maintenance at all, in fact. She never used any products in it, other than shampoo and conditioner, and having a dwelling full of critters quickly taught her that a simple brush was all she needed to get through the day without looking like an absolute wreck.
The choice was clear and, disregarding Rarity's desperate pleas, she lifted the scissors to her own mane.