Crystal Ballerina

by BlueSkyHeadLeft010

The Crystal Empire Part 4

Author's Note:

Gore warning! Press Control-F and search for 'Gore Ending' if you don't want to read!
You have been warned...

“Beware the dark pool at the bottom of our hearts. In its icy, black depths dwell strange and twisted creatures it is best not to disturb.” ~ Sue Grafton
------------------------

A roar echoed from below as it shook the foundation Twilight was standing on and caused her to tumble down.
"Twilight!" I shrieked, as I dove down to catch her, but nearly hit her in the process as I found that she had managed to levitate herself before hitting the bottom.
"I'm okay..." She huffed as a quick teleport righted herself on the ground and I sighed in relief before turning back into my human form.
"Hey! Is everything alright?!" Spike echoed from far above us as it bounced off the walls.
"We're fine!" I shouted back as more thumping noises could be heard.

We exchanged glances with one another.
"Ah! There's the exit!" Twilight cheered as she spun around to open a small black door. She reached the handle with her magic before *poof!*, it vanished right in front of us!
"Guh?!" I blinked confused as we both looked around and spotted the door behind us.
"Well that was-" *poof!* The door vanished again as Twilight tried to grab it.

The door appeared behind me suddenly I tried to open it, only for it to vanish once more. "Skittish isn't it?" I joked as Twilight frowned.
"Okay, you go that way, and I'll corner it this way..." Twilight pointed as I nodded and made my way back towards the bottom of the staircase.
"YAAAAAAAA!" Twilight charged the door towards me as I leapt to grab the handle and it poofed once more, causing Twilight to stop too late as she ran into me.
"Ooof!" We both grunted, as the door popped back behind us.

Cheeky little-!
Growling, Twilight reacted by attacking the door with another burst of black magic from her horn.
The result was immediate, as before I could even begin to think about scolding Twilight for stooping to Sombra's level, we were both engulfed in a bright light.
-------------------
[GORE START]

....!
I was-...
Standing around the friends who had helped me by providing kindness, shelter, and food...
They were all dead.
Bleeding out in front of me without any hint of moving...
"My God..." I gasped, as I heard someone laugh behind me, sending chills down my spine.

Sombra. I knew that laugh anywhere. It was the kind that gave a child nightmares. The type I recalled from my early life as one who would tear you to shreds and lay on your bones afterwards. The kind of laugh that had one thing in mind...

My body on autopilot, I turned around to face the nightmare himself.
His form was nothing more than a mass of withering shadows, his eyes a piercing blood red that seemed to see right through my core. One by one he ate my friends, crunching bones and organs while spewing out the rest on the ground, like a bizarre canvas being soiled with paint, and then licked his lips at me.
"And now you will be mine!" He roared as he lunged at me and then-!
-----------------------------------------------

[GORE ENDING!]
"CRYSTAL!!!!" Someone screamed my name, as I snapped out of my gripping fear.
"GAAAAHHHHH!" I screamed, as my weapon instinctively flew out of my Pearl and nearly hit Twilight, before she restrained the hand with magic.

"Crystal calm down! It's me! Twilight!" Twilight shouted, as I finally felt the fear ebb away. It was like I had come out of a fog. I rubbed my eye.
"Nrrgh! I'm sorry! Are you alright?" I asked concerned as my sword vanished once more back into my gem.
Twilight was panting, while Spike, who I have no idea how the heck he had gotten down here so quick, was clinging to Twilight in fear. "Other than being taken by surprise? Then yes..." She said as she let go of my arm, cancelling her spell.
I rubbed it tenderly, but oddly it didn't hurt...
Noticing my distress she carefully trotted over to me, "Hey... Are you alright?" She asked, genuinely concerned as she touched a hoof to my side. Height difference and all that...

In truth, I was not okay. The entire mission might not seem as bad to the rest of the group but I-...
I held back a sob just barely as I bit my tongue to keep from making any noise.
-I could die with one false move. And what was worse was that it seemed like we were failing and-,and-!
Like clockwork I broke down and sobbed.

Confused, Spike tried to pat my back, before Twilight looked at me in sorrow and hugged me tight.
"Shhh.... It's alright, just let it out..." She said patiently as I did.

I cried my heart out it felt like, as I let go of everything I had been holding back, and even more I didn't know I had been holding back!
I cried about my rotten luck arriving here, I cried over the fact that everyone had been so nice and accepting of me even though I had done nothing to deserve it nor had I paid them back, I cried about myself now being immortal and trapped in a body that was not my own, I cried over the mission and the good possibility I could die.
I cried over the dream I had just had where everyone had died in front of me and I had been frozen in fear instead of helping...

After a while I had finally cried out everything it seemed and I calmed down as I rubbed my nose and wiped my tears away.
"S-Sorry..." I said sheepish as Twilight just hugged me again real quick.
"Don't be. We've all had a rough day. I'm surprised you hadn't done something sooner." She giggled embarrassed as she kicked a hoof, "Look Crystal, I understand that we all have secrets we don't like to share but-... Just remember that you're friends are here to lend an ear, or shoulder if you need it." She smiled warmly.

My heart seemed to melt off the cold I had felt earlier after Twilight had said that. I felt silly but, "Why are you guys my friends? I haven't done anything to deserve it." I sighed.
"Oh no you don't!" Twilight pulled my ear with her magic, "You are not getting all mopey on us again!" She snapped, "We're you're friends because well... Everypony needs a friend! And to be honest.." She paused for a moment as I stared at her confused, "Well, when I first met you, I could tell you felt lost and confused. At the time I just thought you were scared because you were moving to Ponyville, but then after you revealed yourself I realized it's because you didn't have any friends or somepony special to talk to about stuff because you had been taken from you're home." She explained.
"But seeing that only made me want to open up to you more!" She puffed her chest. "It's strange when I look back on it, but I just really wanted to make you smile and laugh and feel welcome. I wanted you to know that no pony disliked you and that I thought you were cool." She laughed as I cracked a grin and Spike smiled as well.

"Yeah! You're just like Daring Do with you're awesome sword!" Spike cheered as I just had to laugh at his rendition of me fighting.
"Ok! Ok! I get it." I joked before looking back to Twilight. "Thanks you guys. I hope to always be a good friend." I smiled as a tear a joy slid out from my eye and I stood up, feeling invigorated.

"Okay door! It's time you met The Crystal Warriors!" I shouted as Twilight blasted her normal magic at the door and it melted away...
----------------------------------