-Crystal Empire-
The longer Twilight stayed in the Empire the more she she experienced a feeling of nostalgia. She bumped into her friends half-way the through the day and explained her reasoning for secretly following them. They all were understanding, but Applejack gave Twilight a fixed look almost like she could tell she was lying when Twilight told them Princess Celestia allowed her to follow them.
After they left Twilight bolted into the throne room, thankfully Cadence had already left for the balcony with Twilight's friends. An hour or so ago Twilight searched through the Empire's public library, and after chatting with a oddly confused librarian, Twilight had found a peculiar book of sorts. She had asked around and after several failed attempts to gain info from the amnesic ponies, Twilight had enough and used a powerful memory spell on the crystal ponies -after asking them for permission of course- she had found out the stallion known as King Sombra had placed a memory curse upon the citizens.
Somehow Twilight had managed to break the curse temporarily on a small number of crystal ponies, so she quickly magically scanned through their memories and had found out about a relic known as the Crystal Heart which Sombra had hidden somewhere in the Empire. Twilight had recounted that Sombra would have hidden it where he could access it quickly. Than she remembered the Crystal Throne room.
Currently she was scouring said throne room for a secret room or panel, anywhere King Sombra could placed it without anypony noticing. After about an hour of fruitless searching, Twilight groaned and fell on her back. “This is pointless, there is no crevice, no locked box, no hidden panel in a bookcase, just no, nothing...NOTHING!!” She screeched jumping to her hooves again, stomping all the way.
Twilight clenched a hoof in anger as she glared at the crystalline chamber with a look that could melt rock. 'What...what's happening to me!? Usually I'd be panicking or skimming through books for answers but all I feel is pure anger.' She began to hyperventilate as her anger continued to rise. 'I must calm myself! I could hurt somepony should they come in here!' Placing a fore hoof to her chest, Twilight began a breathing exercise Cadence had taught her. 'In, out, in, out,...in...out.' Her breathing steadied as she regained her some of her composure. “Okay, there must be something in this room that could point to me to where the Crystal Heart is.” She glanced around and saw something she hadn't noticed before. A tall slender crystal sat at the top of the throne's back rest that seemed to beckon to her.
“That looks a lot like the one Celestia showed us.” Twilight pondered for a moment and racked her mind for the strange the Princess had used on the crystal. “...S-she used Dark Magic didn't she?” Something pulsed within her as she felt her magic activate itself and a dark violet beam rushed towards the crystal. “Wha?” Twilight backtracked as a large shadow erupted from the crystal and hit the floor revealing a spiraling staircase that led deep into the palace below.
She stared at it and took a tentative step on the first stair, it seemed to go on forever into the abyss. Twilight gulped as she trotted down another step, being careful not to trip on her own hooves accidentally. Fifteen minutes down the dark staircase, Twilight was beginning have doubts. She began sensing tremendous amounts of magic outside to the east rising in power. 'Ugh, Dark Magic not good, King Sombra must be starting his attempt on reclaiming the Empire.'
Twilight bolted down the stair as fast as she dared, but an slight nook in one of the incoming stairs sent Twilight tumbling head over hooves down the remaining length. Luckily she cast a levitation spell just before she hit the floor and landed on her stomach with an echoing thump. “Oww...” Twilight groaned as she stood up again.
...
...
...
There was a singular door at the bottom of the stairs which stood directly in Twilight's sight, she eyed it with a curious look. A black jewel was embedded on the door's top arch, while a series of crystals bordered the wooden door itself. Twilight saw the door's handle and gave it a tug with her magic, the door shuddered and zipped around the chamber and stopped directly behind her. Growling, Twilight attempted to grip the knob but the door once again moved around and stopped in the spot Twilight first saw it. “This is getting annoying.” She huffed as she let go of her magic and trotted to door hesitantly.
“If magic won't work then...” Twilight mused gripping the knob with her hoof and pulling the door open to...
Nothing. Just the crystal wall behind it. Twilight slumped as she felt an even more powerful wave of dark magic rising in the east. “Confound it! I wish Spike was here! This place just likes to mess with me doesn't it?” Twilight left eye began to twitch. “Just like everything else around here! First; Celestia said I was unfit for saving the Crystal Empire! Second; I'm being effected by magic that's not even my own! And Thirdly; the way things are going Celestia is going to be very upset that I disobeyed her wishes and King Sombra will reclaim the Empire!” Twilight felt Echo's concern rise within her she lit her horn with a dark purple hue.
'Mistress! The magic within you is reacting to your sudden surge of emotions!' Echo whimpered.
“I don't care! I am tired of things no longer making sense around me Echo!” Twilight yelled than channeled even more magic into her horn unleashed it upon the the open door, causing it to explode and a blinding white light pored into the room. Screaming in pure adrenalin, Twilight rushed into the light and felt her senses overwhelmed by the intense glare. She clamped her eyelids shut as she ran, she could feel her internal magic cascading around her body and lashing out at something. Twilight opened her right eye and no longer was she being assaulted by bright light but rather she found herself at the bottom of another staircase, this one being made out of some sort of white-ish crystal. “What in Celestia's name...” Twilight muttered as glanced over the edge of the stair and noticed that it lacked any kind of bottom. “Eh?” She stuttered and whirled around to find that the door she came through vanished.
“Wha-but-how did-NO FREAKING WAY!!” She rushed to the wall and placed her hooves to find any sign of the door. But found none. “Great so I'm stuck here. Just perfect.” Twilight growled as she made her way up the staircase hoping for some form of exit.
...Little pony...
Twilight stopped when she heard a distant voice. “Was that you Echo? If it was, it wasn't very funny.”
Echo fidgeted mentally. 'Fraid not Twilight. I heard it too.'
Twilight continued up the stairs. “Are you sure?” She asked quietly.
'Mmmhmm' Echo affirmed.
“Okay but keep your guard up, I don't want anything to sneak up on us.” Twilight lit her horn, preparing for an attack.
...Little pony...who are you?...
The mysterious voice had a feminine tone to it, but sounded gruff and raspy. Twilight merely sneered ahead, deciding to not answer it.
...Wait your...magical aura...it seems familiar...
Twilight perked her ears up in alert.
...Interesting...so you're...the vessel...
She could a half-hearted laugh echo through the endless expanse but still refused to answer.
...you are merely...a container...for the magic you...carry...
Twilight grit her teeth when she felt a sliver of pain in her chest.
...Ignoring me than?...Understandable...
Echo felt Twilight tense up and stop mid stride. “Cut it out whoever you are!”
...Now that wasn't...very nice...little pony...
Ignoring the voice for a moment Twilight noticed that the staircase did not seem to have end anyway she went.
...You won't be...able to find me...that way...
Twilight glanced up and a thought hit her. She cast the gravity spell she used on Nightmare Moon during the Summer Sun Celebration on herself, flew upward and slid down the reverse side of the staircase. Despite herself Twilight couldn't help but let out a squeal of excitement as she slid down.
...Clever...little pony...yes...this way...come to me...
Twilight and Echo snorted at the voice and continued up the staircase -now slide- as they finally reached the top and landed rather roughly upon the crystal landing. “Ack...again. Now where are we?”
'Looks like the palace's roof.' Echo guessed thoughtfully.
“Let's hope...so” Twilight regained her footing and saw something spinning in the air. “There's the Heart!” She exclaimed before looking out to the east and witnessed the barrier protecting the Empire fade away and a black fog moved in. “Sombra!”
______________________________________________________________________________________________
-Outskirts of the Crystal Empire-
Sombra couldn't hold in a loud booming laugh as he quickly rushed towards the almost defenseless Empire. His Empire. “At last!” A crystal mare galloped away from the city -not looking where she was going- in hope of escaping Sombra's wrath. Unfortunately King Sombra erected a crystal right in her path and she smacked head first into it causing him to chuckle darkly.
“Eek! King Sombra!” The poor mare whimpered.
Rising up, Sombra let his huge shadowy mass encompass the Empire. “My Cryssstal Ssssslavvves.” He hissed while corrupting buildings and roaring at the other Crystal Ponies.
“Hey!” A voice shouted in his direction.
He turned head around and saw rainbow maned Pegasus mare flying at him. Sombra laughed as he raised a tendril and fired several shards of black crystal toward her.
Rainbow Dash banked left avoiding the shards than flew right through the shadow tendril, severing it from Sombra's body. She grinned at Sombra's surprised expression. “Ha! I am Rainbow Dash! Future Wonder Bolt and The Element of Loyalty!” She exclaimed before taking off again in a rainbow blur.
Sombra growled in irritation. “Element of Loyalty huh? We'll see about that!” Sombra lit his horn and unleashed multiple blasts of dark magick at his prismatic foe.
Rainbow made a U-turn, did a barrel role around two beams and narrowly avoided getting hit by the last two beams. “Whoo-hoo!! Come on slow poke you can do better than that!” She challenged with a snark.
Forming a dark dome around Rainbow Dash, King Sombra laughed. “Slow am I? Let's see if you escape being crushed like bug you are!” He replied before slowly collapsing the sphere around his captive.
Rainbow hovered in midair. “Aw damn it all I can't see anything in here!” She cursed.
“Hahaha! This short fight was amusing while it lasted 'Loyalty', but goodbye now.” Sombra grinned vicously.
Rainbow Dash thought quickly before remembering a trick she used on a manticore a year ago. “Might as well see what works.” She rolled her wings in their sockets around to steady herself for what she was about to do. “Nopony beats the Dash!” Rainbow hollered before flying around in a circle rapidly.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
-Crystal Spire-
Twilight watched the whole scene from her perch atop the spire with a worried frown. “As fast as Rainbow Dash is, King Sombra is still made of pure shadow so she won't be able to hold him back forever.” She turned around to the Crystal Heart and examined it. “If only I had asked Princess Luna on how to cast her Mage Sight spell.” She shook her head and trotted to the Heart.
...Yes little pony...
Twilight stopped a few feet from her goal at sound of the voice. 'Ignore it Mistress Twilight.' Echo said urging her on. Twilight paused. Something about all of this just did not add up. She craned her head over to her saddle bags and pulled out the tapestry from earlier and gazed over it's contents.
...That tapestry...belongs to me...
“Shut up for a second!” Twilight snapped than look upon the tall dragon winged Alicorn depicted on the cloth. 'Something about her seems vaguely familiar...'
“Miss Twilight?” Somepony asked curiously.
Forced away from her thoughts Twilight lowered the tapestry and noticed the tall Unicorn Crysta Feather coming out from the staircase. “How did you get here?” She asked dumbfounded.
...Ah...a devoted follower...of mine...
Crysta looked side to side frantically in search of the mysterious voice. “Miss Twilight did you hear that?”
“Nope.” Twilight's impatience was wearing thin at this point, from all the stress she accumulated over the day, her rising agitation of not knowing exactly what the magic within her was doing, and her own nervousness of actually disobeying Princess Celestia by coming to the Crystal Empire. 'That's it!' She rushed toward the Heart and attempted to pluck it out the air. The moment she stepped the center of the spire a magical alarm went off below her. “Now what!?” Twilight screamed.
-Sombra-
King Sombra felt something trigger the alarm system protecting the Crystal Heart so he unleashed a wave of dark magic and sent it toward the Palace just before the dome collapsing on Rainbow Dash burst open and the mare flew to safety. “Heheh not for long.” Sombra grinned as he gave chase.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Crystal Spire-
Twilight felt the floor rumble before a wave a dark magic passed over her and black crystals popped out and sealed her inside with the Crystal Heart. “No!” Panicking, Twilight clutched the Heart close to her chest and quickly cast her teleportation spell to escape. The spell failed and she found herself imprisoned again.
“Miss Twilight are you alright?!” Crysta asked her voice slightly muffled by the crystals.
“Does it look like I am?!” Screeched Twilight.
...Sombra did...this with...dark magic...
'I can see that.' Twilight replied mentally. She raised up on her hind legs and kicked the crystals with her fore legs. Echo was about to ask why, but Twilight stopped her. 'If I were to fire a magic bolt in here it would ricochet off the crystal and might hit me.'
...Such tricks...are pointless...try something else...
After several more kicks Twilight felt winded, so she sat on haunches. “This isn't working. There has to be a way out...” Twilight pinched her nose in irritation. Screams could be heard from down below as Sombra terrorized and attacked Twilight's friends, which fueled her anger even more.
...If you stay in here...you're friends...will either be...slaves or dead...by the hooves...of Sombra...
Crysta blasted at the enclosing black crystals with her considerable magic pool. “Miss Twilight, I can't hold off Sombra's magic forever! Please do something! You are the Element of Magic yes!?” A crystal tendril tore at her white robe before she smashed it to bits.
“Damn, fine!” Twilight charged up her own horn, surrounded herself with a sphere of pure mana than forced it outward against the dark crystals imprisoning her. At first they stood unmoved until Twilight released even more magic and considerable cracks began to appear in the crystal. The sturdy black crystals stubbornly refused to break apart regardless of much magic Twilight let out. More screams echoed up toward the spire as Twilight's ire begin to rise.
“You'll never get out there mare!” Sombra in his shadow form leered overhead of the mares as he grinned madly.
Twilight frowned as she felt the exertion on her magic begin to wear down the crystal around her. “No more.” She whispered before feeling the other magic deep within her soul flare up and wash over her like a waterfall. The magic spun out of her body like a tsunami, Twilight screamed as she felt her bones and muscles begin to stretch themselves for some Celestia knows reason.
Outside Crysta and Sombra witness a bright purple glow emanate from inside Twilight's prison. More and more cracks protruded from the crystal as it shuddered. Crysta was the first to move so she dashed back down the stairs while King Sombra narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
...It's time...little mare...
Sombra couldn't hear the voice so when the crystal prison he trapped Twilight within exploded outwards and actually scarred his shadowy body, his eyes went wide. “Wha-what sorcery is this!?” He yelled with rage.
...hahaha...it's over now...little Sombra...hahaha...
Twilight emerged from the smoke and flying crystals with a sweep of a black, feathered bat-like wing. The tip of the wing had a bat-like membrane while the edges and the part protruding from her back was entirely feathered. A long, sharp, spiral-less black horn adorned Twilight's head as her dragon-like eyes glowed a deadly deep purple. Twilight stood at roughly Princess Luna's height now but the majority of her coat remained her usual lavender.
Sombra gaped at her sudden transformation and prepared a spell and wrapped Twilight's body with several tendrils. “I do not know how you took that form mare, but prepare to DIE!” Sombra squeezed with all of his might and sent black lightning bolts along his tendrils to finish Twilight off.
...Poor fool...
“...Is that all you have?” A sultry female voice asked.
“What?” Sombra snarled.
“I was seriously expecting more from the mighty and terrifying King Sombra. But it seems I have overestimated your power.” The female voice continued.
“Do not patronize me foal!” The dark king roared as he squeezed more.
Lightning and thunder boomed from the skies as dark clouds began to blot out the sun. Sombra looked up and realized too late that it was not him who was causing the strange weather. That moment was all Twilight needed. She lashed out at the tendrils with her own lightning, which in turn caused them to vanish. “SPIKE!!” Twilight magically tossed the Heart over the toward where she knew the dragon was at that moment.
“No!” Sombra yelled.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
-Down Below-
“SPIKE!!”
Hearing his name being called Spike quickly looked up and a shining heart shaped gem falling toward him. “Whoa!?!” Spike gasped before speeding towards it and jumping up to catch the Heart before it hit the ground. With a grunt Spike carefully landed on the ground with the gem firmly in his grasp. “This is...but wait who threw it? It sounded somewhat like Twilight's voice...” Seeing the other Elements of Harmony a block down, Spike rushed over to them; Crystal Heart in claw. “Hey you guys! I have the Crystal Heart I think!” He panted.
The mares turned to him, Pinkie Pie was the first to speak up. “Hey! Great job Spikey! Now we can save all the nice Crystally Ponies!” She exclaimed while hugging Spike excitedly.
“Yea-yeah!” He gasped out from Pinkie's strong hug.
“Alright Pinkie Pie darling, you can let him down now.” Rarity quipped.
“Okey-dokey!” Pinkie said as she dropped a gasping Spike.
“Gack! Fresh air!” Spike gasped.
“Oh my you okay Spike?” Fluttershy quietly said helping him to his feet.
“Hmm...” While the others were tending to Spike and chatting to each other, Applejack was watching the dark clouds swirl around Sombra's shadowy form and the Palace's Spire. “Ah wish Ah new what was goin' on up ther'.” Beside her Rainbow Dash narrowed eyes when she saw a familiar looking lavender speck atop the spire.
-Crystal Spire-
“What have you done mare!?” Sombra yelled straight to Twilight's scowling face.
“I am stopping you. Simple as that.” Twilight replied while she flexed her new wings. She wasn't quite sure how they appeared like they did but at moment Twilight didn't care. “I recommend giving up right now before I unleash real pain upon you Sombra.”
He laughed loudly. “Me? King Sombra surrender to the likes of you? You're a fool than!” He rushed forward meaning to smother and suffocate Twilight with his shadows.
Twiligh flared her new wings out and bolted up into the air and pummeled Sombra with magic bolts. After that she avoided his tendrils they as shot at her, Twilight expertly chopped off each and every one that came her way. As the tendrils were regrowing Twilight flew away from the tower daring Sombra to give chase.
“Get back here mare!!” Sombra charged at high speed toward his fleeing foe.
Twilight grinned grimly, twirled around in mid air, wrapped her wings around herself and waited. Sombra smiled triumphantly, thinking Twilight had given up and opened his huge jaws in order to swallow her whole. “I'll enjoy adding your magic power to my own!!”
Time seemed to stop before Twilight as she opened her glowing purple eyes just as King Sombra got too close. “It's over foolish Unicorn.” Snapping her wings wide open, Twilight screamed like a banshee and let lose a jet of powerful magic right in between Sombra's eyes.
The scream assaulted Sombra's ears and the magical jet hit him like getting bucked by an over-powered Earth Pony. He reeled back in pain and collapsed into the streets below. “But how?” Sombra demanded weakly as he noticed a pink Alicorn approaching.
Twilight gazed coolly at Sombra as her old-sitter gathered the Crystal Ponies to her side and proceeded to place the Crystal Heart in it's awaiting pedestal below the palace. Then her vision cleared as one would awake from a bad dream, and her eyes widened in shock. “How did I do that?” She questioned herself in fear as she flew back towards Ponyville. “And these strange wings! How did I get these!?” Parts of her manes began to spring up as she felt an all too familiar panic attack rise within her. “What is this!?!” Twilight yelled as the Crystal Heart activated and lit up the entire Empire behind her.