World of Equestria

by Lunar Soldier

Wrath of the Crystal King: Part II

I've got a one-way ticket to the moon was Mike’s only thought after being held in a cell for nearly a full day. His interjection didn't prevent the guards from taking Mike to the only part of the castle he had never been. The damp smell of mildew permeated the poorly lit dungeon area. The stone flooring was wet, condensation from the already moistened air, clinging to his armor and making it stick to his skin. A worn weapon rack held Sorrowmourne on the wall. I've been held in worse. he tried to console to himself.

The guards hadn't taken the book much to Mike’s relief. It sat with him on his lap, unable to be read. A passing guard noticed the book and lit a nearby torch, giving him the gift of illumination. "History of the Crystal Empire: Pocket Edition." Mike read the inscription. "Pocket edition." he scoffed. This has to be at least three hundred pages long. He opened the front cover, the bindings in the spine creaking in protest, and began to skim over the knowledge that had been lost for over a millennia.

The book encompassed what most would consider to be in a typical history book related to Equestria. Discovery, colonization, independence, the rise of the political leadership of a unicorn named Sombra. Mike had been quite well versed in the history of Equestria after spending the time he had with Twilight. He mindlessly flipped through the pages of the text before a chapter made him backtrack. "Chapter IX: The Fall of the Crystal City."

"What?" Mike asked aloud. A latch creaking from the dungeon door made his head spin, hiding the book away again on his belt. Celestia's flowing mane meandered in first, followed by the princess herself.

She had a slow stride, turning every couple of cells to inspect their empty contents. When she reached his, she stopped, and spoke without turning her head. "We really do need to renovate down here."

Mike stood. "Yeah, the lighting isn't that great, and it's a bit drafty."

Celestia swung around. "I'm surprised you can even feel discomfort."

"You'd be surprised what I feel anymore." he said as he walked toward the iron bars. "The only things I feel are heartbreak, numbness, and an ache every time the Arctic winds blow." There was a shining light that had managed to creep through a sizeable crack in the mortar. He stretched a hand from his cell and let the light land on his palm. "Not even the warmth of the Sun brings me comfort."

"We were looking for you."

"I'm aware. Your holy light about killed me. So if you want to not waste any more time," Mike stepped back, "you can go ahead and send me to the moon for failing to do what I promised."

Her horn glowed and a lock on the cage snapped, freeing the door. A golden aurora fell around the handle, and the door slid open. "After what you did, do you really think I'm going to let you off so easy?"

"I had hoped so, yes." Mike replied. "Can’t give a dead man his last wish?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would not hesitate." Celestia waved off her guard detail as Mike stepped into the corridor. She took his blade in magic, sheathing it on his back. "However, you are needed...again."

"Does this have anything to do with the sudden reappearance of the Crystal Empire?" he asked as they began to walk.

"Mostly." the princess responded. "There's also this matter of a particular lavender unicorn that's been heartbroken over the loss of a friend." She began to stroll out of the dungeon, and Mike followed. "I'm not sure whether she's going to hug you for coming back, or hit you for abandoning her."

As they continued to walk, he could feel the emotions of the peering eyes of the guards and servants as they passed. There was loathing, confusion, hate, fear...mostly hate. He hadn't felt such a surge of negative emotions since the Verdant Wedding. A guard had even spat on him as he passed within hoof-striking distance. Celestia paused her motion, turning to the guard to scold him, but Mike raised out an open palm, stopping her.

The double doors to the throne room had always seemed large, but after a year of not seeing them, they seemed to resemble the portal to Draenor in the Blasted Lands. The handles glowed, swinging the giant carved slabs of wood inside. To Mike's surprise, he was not only in the presence of Luna, but Cadance and Shining Armor also stood at the base of the gilded seat, as well as Twilight and her friends.

Oh, boy... Mike thought as he continued his march to the base of the throne.

"Mike," Luna spoke, "it is a..." She fought for words, "privilege for you to grace us once again."

"Hello, Mike." Cadance greeted him with a bow. "It's good to see you again." Mike had always assumed that she would be the most understanding and the least upset with him should he return, after saving her wedding.

Twilight said nothing. Her eyes beamed from her emotionless face, never leaving Mike from the moment he walked in.

Mike stopped short of the throne, in line with Cadance, while Celestia ascended the stairs. Luna joined her, seated at her right flank. Twilight finally broke her sight, turning toward the princesses. "Now," Celestia began with her authoritative tone, "as to the matter to which I have called you all here. We have been alerted that the Crystal Empire has returned after one thousand years of mysterious disappearance." She brought forward a crystal that resembled one of the many that Mike had seen during his trek north. She beamed with the familiar glowing energy he had been accustomed to. "Here, the crystal ponies used to live in bliss," an image projected from the crystal, showing a family playing happily, "until the evil King Sombra came to power." An image revealed Sombra's form, a unicorn-ish figure, with a blood-red horn and dark trails steaming from his eyes. The image panned down to show the Crystal Ponies in chains, lacking their shining crystal coats.

A mine cart came into frame with glowing multicolored crystals overflowing the rim. Those must be the crystals he was so crazy for. Mike thought to himself. I can feel their energy even through this projection. It's... familiar. Arcane crystals maybe.

Celestia resumed, "Using the Elements of Harmony, we managed to defeat Sombra, turning him to mist, and banishing him to the frozen north. The city then disappeared," the projection vanished, "and remained that way for over a thousand years. I fear that Sombra himself will return to take what he thinks is rightfully his, and lead his ponies into despair and slavery once again."

"What do we need to do, princess?" Twilight finally spoke. Mike could sense the anger in her tone.

"I am sending you, Cadance, and Shining Armor to the Crystal Empire." The sun goddess spun to face the pink alicorn. "Cadance, you are to use your magics to spread love and light." Cadance stood tall. "Hopefully this will buy Twilight and her friends enough time to repair the protective shield around the city. Twilight," she turned to the purple unicorn, "there is a specific spell I wish you to use. I will send it with you." She quickly took a quill to a spare sheet of parchment, promptly rolling it and placing in Twilight's saddlebag. Another spin, "Shining Armor, you are to see that none of them come to harm." Celestia strode back to her throne. "Any questions?"

"Yeah," Mike sheepishly began, "I have a few. First, where do I fit into all of this?"

"You are going to debrief Luna on your whereabouts for the last year, and then you will report to me and give me a detailed report on just what happened in the Crystal City." She turned around, letting Mike get a view of only her backside. "Then, you will face your...judgement."

And for the first time since they were reunited, Mike saw Twilight smile, though not in the traditional sense. She gave a mocking smile, one that said, "You getting what's coming to you."

The knight reached under his cloak, "Before you dispose of me to the moon, I need to know a few things." Mike unhitched the history book he had been carrying behind his back and threw it down to the floor. The only other audible sound made other than the loud smack from the book was a gasp from Celestia. "Call it a few inconsistencies I've noticed. Nowhere in this book mentions the rise of Nightmare Moon, or her banishment. It doesn't mention the victory over Discord, or Sombra's defeat. It speaks of Sombra's rise to political power...through legitimate means, but not of his fall from grace." Mike began to pace. "It doesn't mention any major event that has happened for the last one thousand years. What I want to know is..." he stopped, staring directly at Celestia, "...why."

Celestia shied away from his glance, turning to Luna. "It is a strange series of circumstances. No doubt caused by Sombra's trickery."

"I wish I believed that." Mike replied. He looked over to Twilight and saw her scowling face again. "It's as if the Crystal Empire was simply upped and removed from Equestria for the past millennia...perhaps because it was."

"And just why would Sombra do that?" Twilight snipped.

Mike peered out the newest stain-glass installment, recalling the Verdant Wedding. All it showed was a depiction of Sorrowmourne's hilt, buried deep in a marbled block, and a white circle giving its backdrop. At first glance, it seemed nothing more than just an ordinary piece of glass artwork, but a pulse came off Sorrowmourne, stopping at the circle's edge. "Whoever said Sombra did it?"

Twilight gave off a disgruntled sigh. "We're wasting time. We need to get to the train station five minutes ago."

Mike continued his gaze through the amber tint. A spark ignited in his mind. "Just why did you put the Crystal Empire in a temporal flux, Princess?"

"I assure you," her eyes darted across the room, "I did no such thing."

"You're a terrible liar, Celestia." he retorted.

"HEY!" Twilight sprinted up to Mike, standing face to face with him. He could feel her breath moving across his cheeks, wishing he could feel just how warm it was. "No one calls the princess a liar! And that's Princess Celestia to you!"

"Deleting your own ponies' history." Mike turned to face the bringer of the sun. "You done nothing but stare at that book" he pointed to the history novel "since I revealed it. Are you in awe that you missed one?" He walked back toward the towering throne, feeling like it was shrinking every time he spoke. "Could you not find the Crystal Heart yourself? Is that why you hid them away?"

A pulse came out of Twilight's horn, hitting Mike directly in the chest. The force was enough to knock him to his back and send him sliding. "Blasphemy! The princesses would never do such a thing!"

"Yes..." Celestia whimpered. "We would...and we did."

Silence filled the hall after Celestia's confession, aside from the rustling of Mike's armor as he regained his composure to his feet. A stunned Twilight now looked upon her mentor, jaw hanging agape but slowly receding as what she'd said began to sink in. A distraught Celestia brought her hooves to her muzzle, and began to weep. Mike had seen Celestia’s tears of joy in the past, but seeing her cry now made even his heart ache.

Luna moved to comfort her sister, coming behind and embracing her. Celestia turned into Luna and immediately latched. “There wasn't anything else we could do.” Luna spoke. “The city had no means of defense, so we cast a time pause spell, distorting them from the physical world. ‘Tis the same written on the scroll in your bag. We’d always thought he’d taken the Heart with him.” Celestia sniffed, and buried her head deeper into Luna’s shoulder. “We had hoped Sombra would resurface with the Crystal Heart, but after a century, we thought the Heart destroyed and long gone. We didn't mean for them to lose one thousand years.”

Mike took a step toward the princess sisters. “Princess, I didn’t mean to invoke such an emotional response from you.” He sighed. “I was merely trying to...examine the inconsistencies presented by the history text and from several ponies to whom I spoke. And in doing so, I overstepped my bounds, and for that,” Mike lowered his head, “I beg innumerable pardons.” He swiveled back to the group, “But, for the time being, Twilight is correct.” The unicorn seemed surprised when he said her name. “We’re fighting time here...no pun intended.” Pinkie gave a small giggle. “How...why...doesn’t really matter right now. What matters is that there’s a city out there that’s defenseless. We need to get to the Heart.”

“But it’s been lost for a thousand years.” Twilight finally addressed Mike directly, in a tone that was much more familiar. “It could be gone for all we know.”

“I have a working theory for that.” Mike brushed his brow. “From what I understand, the Crystal Heart is a powerful relic. I find it hard to believe that Sombra would just discard such an immense object that holds sway over so many ponies.” Mike looked to the sisters, glad to see that Celestia had regained some of her original demeanor. “And we know for a fact that he doesn’t have it, or he would have used it by now to locate the Crystal Ponies, and we’d all be having a different conversation.” All in the room now looked to the knight, the feelings of resentment gone, or at least put on hold. “But that still leaves us with the question: Where is it?”

“It couldn’t be in the surrounding area outside the city,” Cadance chimed in, “or he would have found it.”

“Exactly. So, I believe the reason he couldn’t find it was because it was placed in a temporal flux.”

“But the spell only applied to the city.” Celestia brought her head back from Luna and spoke again with a slight frog in her throat.

“It was put in the flux by accident,” Mike turned and looked directly at Celestia, “because it never left the city.” He saw her eyes widen. “Sombra hid the Heart in the city, intending on retrieving it when he returned, but hadn’t expect you to cast your temporal hold spell.” He stepped up to Celestia, and outstretched a palm, to which she filled with a foreleg. “So, you did save them after all.” Mike hopped back down. “All we need to do is go back, find it within the city, and do whatever it needs to start back up.”

“And you’ll be needing this.” He heard Celestia say as she levitated the book of history back onto Mike’s belt. “Go with haste. I fear that Sombra knows that the shield is down by now.”

Mike popped out a rune of portals. “There’s a receiving rune in the city library.” He began his channel, but stopped, facing the sisters once again. “One final question. When you came down to get me, I had just got to a chapter titled ‘The Fall of the Crystal City.’ Can I get a quick summary?”

Celestia answered, “Another story for when you return.”

---

Mike hadn’t closed the portal before he realized something had gone amiss with the city. It was darker, despite it being near midday when they left Canterlot. A shriek from outside forced the group to sprint to the nearest door. Upon exiting they glimpsed their first sight of Sombra. He was towering in mist form, seeming to encompass the entire city in one circle of dark mist. An inaudible grumble came from the largest mass of clouds, and a red horn materialized. “Crystals…” That was enough to send most of the Crystal Ponies into a panic.

“Cadance, Shining, if you would?” Mike gestured to the couple.

“Who put you in charge?” Shining smugly asked.

“This is not a time to argue. These ponies need a protection spell, and they need it now!” Shining raised a hoof in objection, but before he could speak, it was met by Cadance’s own, who simply shook her head. A glow surrounded her horn, and Shining began to do the same. They crossed their horns, combining their powers, and a bolt escaped, racing to the sky before exploding, resulting in a magical blanket falling around the city. The roars of Sombra were quickly silenced, and the Crystal Ponies stopped their screams, looking in wonder of the new shield that had formed.

“It won’t hold forever.” Cadance’s horn continued to glow. Her face strained. “I can feel him pressing, trying to find a weakness.”

“Do what you can to make sure he doesn’t find one.” Mike told her as confidently as he could. “Shining,” he snapped his head to Mike, “I suggest that you stay with Cadance. It’s gonna take just about everything to make sure Sombra doesn’t get in.” Shining nodded. “As for us…” Mike continued as he addressed the rest of the group, “We need to brainstorm on where the Heart might be.”

The six turned to one another, “I-I don’t even know where to begin.” A flabbergasted Rarity exclaimed. “It could be anywhere.”

“Best way to begin is with the facts. What do we know?”

Fluttershy had the first barely audible response. “There’s a giant mist monster outside the barrier.”

“Okay, that’s a...start.”

Rainbow hovered over, “Who’s bent on getting his kingdom back.”

“‘n he hid the Heart somewhere in this here city.” Applejack continued.

“He would have had to hide it in a place nopony would have thought to look for it,” Twilight concluded, “Which makes this all the more difficult.”

“Oooooh! Now it’s going around in circles!” Pinkie squealed. Mike had missed Pinke’s crazy antics and her Pinkie Pie-ness, and was about to accredit her statement to just being Pinkie, but when he looked up at her, he noticed her eyes fiercely tracking something above them. More interesting still, it was moving.

Mike’s gaze turned skyward to observe, when he saw Sombra’s mist form circling the protective shield. “And he can fly.” A glint off the crystal spire gave him an idea. “Rainbow, where would you hide something that you didn’t want anypony to get to?”

“Probably in a cloud or somewhere high.”

“There’s our answer.” Mike pointed to the top of the spire. “In his last ditch effort before being banned, he either placed or teleported the Heart to the top of the Crystal Castle.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.

He began to walk toward the tower. “That’s where I would put it.”

Ten minutes of walking later, Mike and Twilight reached the entrance of the crystal tower. The other ponies had been dispatched to create a “Crystal Faire” as described in the history text. “A reminder and an empowering festival to renew the spirits of the Crystal Ponies and strengthen the Crystal Heart” the book had said. Both Twilight and Mike were hoping that’s what the Heart would need in order to work.

The walk to the spire had been silent. Mostly. “So…” Mike tried to begin.

“So…” Twilight repeated.

“I miss anything in the last year?”

“Not really.”

“Haven’t saved Equestria since the last time?”

“Nope.”

“Read anything good lately?”

“Of course.” The smalltalk ceased. He got the feeling that she was still furious that he walked away, and didn’t want to push her any further. “Well, here we are.”

Mike looked up. “Any ideas on how to get up there?”

“Walking?”

“I was hoping for a more immediate solution.”

“Well I can’t teleport that far, let alone try to take you with me.”

“Alright miss grumpy.” Mike said as he opened the double doors, “We’ll walk.”

“I am not grumpy.” Twilight snipped back. “I’m just irritated about why somepony else couldn’t come with me.”

“In case you haven’t noticed,” he pointed out the nearest window, “there’s a giant floating mist monster out there trying to get to the same thing we are. Who knows what else may be laying in wait.”

“Oh please,” she whined, “I don’t exactly need a royal escort. I’m not a princess, you know.”

“I’m well aware.” Mike replied as he pushed open another set of doors. “I’m also aware that Celestia would never forgive me if I let anything happen to her prized pupil. Might even work up the courage to kill me.”

“Can you die?” She asked.

“I’m beginning to wonder that myself.” he said as he scanned the throne room. “I’ve always viewed immortality as a curse.” He paused. “Wait...what are we doing in here?”

“I’m not sure. I was just following you. You seemed to know where you were going.”

Mike shook his head. “Call it intuition, I was drawn here.” He stretched out a hand. “There’s a good amount of energy nearby.”

“Is it the Heart?” Twilight asked in a more upbeat tone.

“I don’t think so.” Her ears fell. “It’s dark energy, radiating from…” He took three steps toward the throne itself. “...here. Right here seems to be the highest concentration.” He glanced at Twilight. “Think you could give it a blast of your magic?”

“What good will that do?”

“I’m hoping it will destabilize whatever is here.”

“You and your crazy theories.” She scoffed. A charged bolt from her horn revealed a hidden staircase in the floor. “What...how...I don’t even…”

“The best part about the crazy theories is they tend to be right.” He whispered in her ear before beginning the descent. The trek down the spiral staircase remained uneventful before reaching the base. “Oh good, another door.” As he reached for it, the door moved, sliding its way to the other side of the wall. “What the…” Mike gave chase, but to no avail. The door kept moving.

He finally lashed out with death’s hand, grabbing the doorknob and securing it in place. Upon placing a hand on the knob and giving it a turn, it revealed Bulwark’s shining form. “Mike, I’m glad you have arrived.”

“Bulwark?” was all he managed to spurt. “How did...”

“Now is not the time for questions, soldier. I need you up at the front lines. Victory is at hoof.” She pointed an iron-armored hoof in the direction of the sunset, and over the swarm of decaying undead ponies of all kinds. He heard them say Forward in his mind. A shimmer on the horizon caught his eye. An undead unicorn who still had their eyes was using a telescope before Mike relieved him of it.

Mike’s heart dropped when he saw Twilight, doing her best to fight off the closing dead. The ones closest to her he immediately recognized as Pinkie, Fluttershy, Dash, AJ, and Rarity, all poised to attack.

“Twilight…” he whispered.

He thought he heard her yell back. “Mike!”

“Twi...I’m sorry.” Then he became sure she was yelling. Her voice became louder until it was unbearable for him to hear.

A hoof came down on his exposed head. “MIKE!”

His vision went black. “Wha...wha...happen…”

“You were just sitting there staring at the door, and you kept whispering ‘I’m sorry.’ And, you were crying.”

Mike was coming back around to his senses again, remembering where he was. As his vision realigned, Twilight waved a hoof in front of his nose, to which Mike immediately grabbed and pulled into him. “Twi...I have never been more horrified than I was just now.” He felt her body tense. “I saw you, fighting off undead ponies, the others about to get to you, and I...was leading them.” he finished with a sniffle.

“I don’t under-”

“This door, it shows you your fears.” Mike looked back at the doorway, which now was opened. “I felt like...when I walked away from you all those days ago, I didn’t know what else to do.” He held tighter. “I was running from what I thought was a problem, but in truth, I was just abandoning you. And-and I came back when it was too late, and let you fall. I’m so sorry, Twilight.”

Mike’s head fell into her shoulder. “Shhh...it’s going to be okay.” Twilight tried to comfort him. It was the first time she had ever seen him look afraid, and to Twilight it made him seem normal again. “I haven’t fallen from anywhere.” She took his face in her hooves, directing his eyes toward hers. “But if you do that again, I’m going to come for you and drag you back to Canterlot myself.” She threw her forelegs around him again. “I missed you.”

They were both content with sitting at the base of the staircase before they felt the power of the shield disperse. “Uh oh.” Mike said, standing again.

“We need to hurry.”

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay.