Braveheart

by BraveheartStudios

The Dark Empire

Braveheart, Rainbow, and Spike all got on the train to Canterlot just in time before it left the station. They went to the library earlier. Spike was right, Twilight hasn't been there since last night before she left. What could've happened to her? Did she spend the night at Canterlot Castle? If so, she would've sent Spike a letter telling him where she would be, but this isn't what happened.

"Braveheart?" somepony called out.

Braveheart snapped out of his thoughts about Twilight. He saw both Rainbow and Spike looking at him.

"What?" Braveheart asked.

"I asked you what do you think happened to Twilight." Rainbow told him.

"Oh, sorry. I don't really know what to make of it. I know Twilight, and this isn't her. She wouldn't just not tell anypony where she was going." Braveheart answered.

"Yea, you're right. This doesn't add up." Spike said.

"Has Twilight had any reason to leave? Anything at all?" Rainbow asked.

"Not that I know of, unless something happened with Celestia last night, but she would've sent a letter by now." Spike answered.

Braveheart and Spike had told Rainbow all about what happened last night when Braveheart and Twilight first got there.

"How do we know if she made it there safe or not?" Braveheart asked.

"Oh she did. The princess would still be sending letters if she didn't."

"Good point. So it must've been when she left. If she ever did." Rainbow said.

They were quiet for the rest of the trip. Rainbow and Spike must've been thinking about what could've happened to Twilight, but Braveheart had a pretty good idea. His dream. The older mare said she would take what he cared most. He cared for Twilight, but he didn't think that she was what he cared for the most. Braveheart didn't understand. This could've been just a mere coincidence. Maybe he could've had a dream that could fit into this situation so well. Braveheart thought that to himself, just trying to cheer himself up, but it didn't work. He just got her back. Why did this have to happen right after Twilight and him just get back to being friends? Why? So many questions were running through Braveheart's head at the moment. Questions he wished he had the answers to. Something wasn't right, and Braveheart, right then, made it his goal to find out what it is. Whoever, whatever, that mare was in his dream... She will pay for this. No matter what, Braveheart was going to find her, and make her pay for taking Twilight away.

---

The train pulled into the Canterlot station soon afterwards. Braveheart instantly got up out of his seat and ran towards the train's door. He pulled it open and ran out. Suddenly, he was met with a hoof in his face.

"Halt!" a castle guard said.

"C'mon man, move!" Braveheart told the guard.

"I'm sorry. Nopony is allowed into Canterlot until he figure this out." the guard told him.

"Braveheart, what's going on?" Rainbow asked coming up behind him.

"This guard isn't going to let us through until they figure out what happened." Braveheart answered.

"Figure what out? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't tell you. Princess Celestia told us not to let anypony into Canterlot or let them know what's going on. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The guard started to push them back into the train. Braveheart struggled to get by him.

"No! You don't understand!" Braveheart screamed.

Then two more guards came running up and tried to help push Braveheart back in.

"Braveheart, stop. It's no use." Rainbow said.

"No! I'm not stopping until we find out what happened to Twilight!" Braveheart called to her.

"Wait." one of the guards said.

All three of the guards stopped pushing Braveheart and backed up. All three of the guards' eyes were widened.

"Did you say Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?"

"Y-yes." Braveheart said confused.

The guards looked at each other. Two of them stepped aside. The last one turned his back on them and said, "Come with me."

The guard started to walk out of the train station. Braveheart looked back behind him and Spike and Rainbow. They looked just as confused as he was.

"Come!" the guard called out.

The three of them snapped out of their confusion. Spike climbed up on Braveheart's back and all three of them ran after the guard, and towards Canterlot Castle.

---

Braveheart has only been in here once, but he remembers it fondly. His first day in Equestria. His first day as a pony. His first day as 'Braveheart'. This is where it all began. He recognized the huge doors that lead into the throne room. Two guards standing on each of the doors were silent. Once they saw the four of them coming, their horns glowed. One was light blue, the other was lime green. The doors opened. That was when Braveheart saw her. The huge mare. Her long muti-colored mane and tail. Her shiny, enormous crown. It was the princess. She was pacing around the room. Her expression wasn't what Braveheart wanted to see. They entered the room and started down the aisle.

"Your Highness." the guard spoke up.

The princess looked up and her eyes widened. She stopped her pacing and walked towards them.

"These three say that they have some connection to..." the guard started.

"Twilight. Yes, I know. I was just about to call for them." the princess said.

Even though it was clear that the princess didn't know what happened to Twilight either, her voice was calm. She could easily persuade him into thinking nothing was wrong.

"Leave us." Celestia said.

"As you wish." the guard said as he bowed in front of her.

Celestia waited for the doors to fully close before speaking.

"I'm guessing you're all here because of the same reason?" she finally asked.

"Um...yes, princess." Spike answered.

"Princess, where did Twilight go? Why didn't she tell anypony?" Rainbow asked.

The princess was silent for a moment.

"Braveheart..." she said.

Braveheart was shocked. What did he do?

"Yes, princess?" he said.

"Has Twilight ever told you anything about Princess Luna?"

Braveheart thought for a minute.

"Not much. All she told me was that she was the Princess of the Night, that she raises the moon and stars every night, and that she's your younger sister. That's all she told me." Braveheart finally said.

"Is that all she told you?" Celestia asked.

Braveheart was quiet. He hated to admit it, but he didn't know much about Luna, the princesses even.

"Yes. That's it."

The princess only nodded.

"Um, Princess Celestia?" Spike asked, coming up to them.

"Yes, Spike?"

"Do you know what happened to Twilight?" he asked.

Princess Celestia sighed.

"Last night, when Twilight came to see me..." she started.

---

"I...I don't get it. What happened to Princess Luna? Why isn't she in here?" Twilight asked the princess.

"Princess Luna left sometime between this morning and now. I don't know why or where she is going. That's why I called you. I need your help to find her and bring her back." Princess Celestia answered.

Twilight walked inside Princess Luna's room. Her bed sheets were completely straight like she hasn't even gone to bed. Twilight walked around the room. She didn't see anything that would give her a hint to somewhere Princess Luna would go.

"There wouldn't be anything in here, Twilight. I already have had the guards check around and I've checked myself." Princess Celestia told her.

"This doesn't make sense. Has Princess Luna ever said anything to you that would make you think she was gonna leave?" Twilight asked.

"No. She rarely talks to me since she's been sick. I just don't understand why should leave."

"Of course you wouldn't." somepony said.

Twilight jumped. Celestia didn't budge, but it was clear that she was shocked. The voice sounded like an older mare's voice. About the same age a pony would speak if she was Celestia's age.

"Who goes there?" Celestia said.

She looked around the room. Nothing. She poked her head out of the door into the hallway, but there was nopony there.

"Who am I? You want to know who I am? Well, I guess it has been a while. You haven't seen me for so long. I've missed you Celestia. And you..." the voice paused. "Twilight."

Twilight's eyes widened. Who was this mare? Twilight swore that she's heard this voice before, but its been so long since she's heard it that she couldn't remember who it was.

"Who-who are you?" Twilight asked the voice, extremely scared.

"You will soon find out, my dear Twilight Sparkle, but for now, I need you."

"Why in Equestria do you need me?" Twilight asked.

"Well, specifically I need you so that some other pony will come for you. You may know him, Braveheart." the mare said.

Twilight's heart dropped and her eyes widened even more.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Twilight shouted.

The mare laughed.

"Oh please Twilight. I'm not going to hurt him. I just need him for something that won't involve you. Once I have him in my grasp then you can forget that he ever existed."

"No! I won't let you! Braveheart won't come to you because I'm not going with you!" Twilight yelled.

"It always has to be the hard way doesn't it? But you make me laugh Twilight Sparkle, because you're wrong." the mare said.

"No. I'm not. You won't even be able to capture Braveheart. Ever!"

"I already have. Now come. Lets go pay your family a visit."

That's when the room went dark.

"Twilight! Don't move!" Princess Celestia shouted.

There was no answer.

"Twilight?"

Princess Celestia's horn glowed a lime green. The light shone throughout the empty room. Everything was there, except Twilight.

---

"Who?" Braveheart asked the princess.

"I think the one that took Twilight was my sister, Nightmare Moon." Celestia answered.

"Wait, I thought Luna was your sister. You have two sisters?" Braveheart asked confused.

"No. You see, the day Twilight came to Ponyville, my sister, Nightmare Moon, had planned to shroud the world in eternal darkness. Twilight and her friends defeated her by using the Elements of Harmony. I have no idea how she could be back. I thought that once she was defeated she wouldn't return. Obviously, I was wrong. I'm afraid that she has bigger plans in store. Rainbow Dash..." Celestia explained.

Rainbow Dash looked up. Braveheart noticed a tear running down her cheek. She wiped it off immediately.

"Yes, princess?" she asked.

"I need you and the others to go grab the Elements of Harmony and find Nightmare Moon. Defeat her again, and save Twilight." Princess Celestia said.

"I will, but how can we? We don't even know where she is." Rainbow said.

All four of them were silent.

"Hang on. Didn't Nightmare Moon say something about Twilight's family?" Spike asked.

"Yes. She did." Celestia answered.

"I got it! I know where Twilight's parents live. We can head over there and..." Spike started.

"No need Spike. I already visited them, and they were perfectly fine, but they don't know what happened either. We have no leads. If her parents wasn't what Nightmare Moon was talking about, then I don't what she was..." Celestia stopped.

"What? What is it?" Spike asked.

"Rainbow."

"Yes, Princess Celestia?" Rainbow asked.

"I need you to take your friends and the Elements of Harmony to the Crystal Empire. I am almost certain that Nightmare Moon took Twilight there." Celestia answered.

"Of course! Don't worry princess, I'm on it."

"You must go at once."

Rainbow took a few steps back and spread her wings. She took one final look at Celestia, Spike, and then Braveheart. Before she took off, she ran up to Braveheart and gave him a big hug.

"Don't worry Braveheart. I'll come back. With Twilight." she said.

Both of them had tears in their eyes. Rainbow let go and flew off. Braveheart watched as she flew out the doors. Once she was out of his vision, he turned to Princess Celestia.

"With all due respect Princess Celestia, I think..." he started.

"Go." she interrupted.

Braveheart's eyes widened. He nodded his head and spread his wings.

"Braveheart, wait!" Spike called out.

Spike ran up to him and hugged his hoof.

"Bring her back. Bring everypony back." he said.

"Don't worry Spike. I will." Braveheart responded.

Braveheart floated off the ground.

"Braveheart..." the princess started.

Braveheart turned towards her.

"Be careful." she finished.

Braveheart nodded. He then flew, full speed, towards the doors, and after Rainbow Dash.

---

It started out as an icy wasteland, but then it started to get beautiful. The train roared through the valleys at top speed. Rainbow filled everypony in on what's happening and what they were supposed to do. The Elements of Harmony were sitting on the seat beside her in a chest. The other ponies had tons of questions that Rainbow could barely answer. Noise filled the train car. Braveheart was sitting in the back, looking outside the window.

"Hey." somepony said.

Braveheart turned and saw Rainbow standing behind him.

"It'll be ok. We'll get her back." she assured him.

"I know we will. It's just..." Braveheart started.

"What? It's just what?"

Rainbow sat down next to him. Braveheart knew what he had to do. He had to tell Rainbow about the dream he had. He took a deep breath and started to explain the dream. He tried to put in every detail possible. Once he was done, Rainbow leaned back.

"So, she took what you cared most for huh?" she finally asked.

"Look, I care for Twilight, but she's not the one I care for the most. To be honest, I don't know what I care most for." Braveheart answered.

"Oh, I see."

They were both silent for a while.

"Anyways, where are we going anyways? What is this Crystal Empire, and how does it relate to Twilight's family?" Braveheart asked, breaking the awkwardness.

"You see, Twilight's brother and his wife live in the Crystal Empire and..." Rainbow started.

"Wait a second. Twilight has a brother?" Braveheart asked shocked.

"Yea, she never told you?"

"Nope."

"Oh, well his name is Shining Armor and his wife is Princess Cadence." Rainbow said.

"Geez, how many princesses are there?" Braveheart asked.

"Three, as far as I know. Anyways, they live in the Crystal Empire. It's a place where everything is made of crystals, even the residents. Its a real beautiful place and..." Rainbow said.

"Uh, hey. Ya'll may want to come look at this!" Applejack called from the front.

Braveheart and Rainbow both got up and walked down the aisle. Applejack moved out of her seat to let them see. They both looked out the window and gasped.

"That doesn't look very beautiful." Braveheart said.

---

The train doors opened. Braveheart was the first to step out. This place didn't match Rainbow Dash's description at all. The dirt path was a darkened blue, and the grass was a faded brown. All the ponies walked down the dirt road until they came to a gate made out of crystals. Braveheart would've been amazed if the crystals weren't black. They got to the entrance and they all gasped. The once beautiful, magnificent Crystal Empire was now a dark, crystal wasteland. The entire empire was completely dark. So dark that it looked abandoned. The biggest building that Braveheart could see came to a point at the top. Thunder clouds surrounded the top of it. Lightning struck, and all the ponies jumped.

"C'mon y'all, we have to find Twilight." Applejack said.

"Right." the rest of them said.

Braveheart took the first step outside of the gate. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Braveheart saw a white blur next to him. Next thing he knew, he was on the ground. A horn was pointed at his face and it glowed bright blue.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" the pony yelled.