Rainbow is Magic S2: Shadow over the Crystal Empire

by aceotaku

Chapter 1: Cadance's Nightmare

A pink stallion stood over Cadance, giving her a grave look of concern, a cold wind blowing over them both.

“D-daddy...?” The filly asked fearfully. “W-what’s happening?”

The stallion twisted his head as a loud banging was hear, a crystal door creaking and cracking as...something struck against it. He turned back to Cadance, pressing a hoof to her cheek.

“I...I don’t know...I don’t know why this creature hates us so much...Cadenza, be brave, your father will ensure you at least get out of this.” His blue, crystaline horn glowed and Cadance felt a warmth around her while her father turned his back to her while the filly felt something hard forming around her body and stopping her from moving.

“D-daddy I’m scared!” The filly cried in desperation. “Daddy!”

He glanced over at her. “Do not fear, Cadenza, Daddy will protect you.” He turned his attention to his front as the crystal door shattered, a massive terrifying shadow billowing through the opening, green flames surging from within its mouth. “If you want to harm my Empire, you will have to go through me!”

The monster laughed as Cadance’s vision was covered by...something, the last thing she saw was a gout of flame firing towards her father.

Cadance awoke, screaming, sweat pouring from her brow. She blinked as she felt hooves around her body, and she turned to gaze at her wife, Chrysalis the Changeling Queen. The changeling gazed up at her in concern.

“Was it the nightmare again...?”

Cadance relaxed, looking away as she nodded slowly. “Y...yeah...”

“The same nightmare you’ve been having off and on for years?”

“Since I was a filly yes.” Cadance responded, wrapping a hoof around her wife’s.

“And you don’t know what it means?”

Cadance frowned, growing annoyed. “No, dear, and please stop talking as if I somehow need to be reminded about it as if I didn’t JUST have it.”

“Sorry...” Chrysalis lowered her head. “I was just...clarifying, making sure I understood...also because I’m worried about you...You’ve been having these nightmares for so long...Do you have ANY idea why?”

“It has something to do with my childhood...I think.” Cadance’s lips thinned. “Not that I remember anything from...before...”

Chrysalis smiled softly. “I’m here, I’ll help however I can.” She gave her wife a soft kiss, earning a smile from the pink mare.

Just then there was a knock at their door, Cadance slowly getting off of her bed and walking to answer it, greeted by a saluting royal guardsmare. “What brings you here, miss...?”

“Sapphire Shores, Ma’am!” Came the cacophanous reply. “Ma’am! The Princesses and the Captain have urgent business for you!”

“Hmm? Whyever for?”

“Something really weird happened! Come to the throne room at once!”

------------------------

In the throne room of Canterlot, Celestia, Luna, Blueblood, Shining Armour and several Royal Guards stood around a large magically projected map of Equestria. At the northernmost part of the map a ball of light glowed brightly.

Cadance and Chrysalis stepped into the throne room, the pink unicorn gazing past the map up at her aunt. “What is happening?”

Celestia pointed towards the map with her hoof, carefully trying to choose her words as she spoke. “We...that is, Luna and I...we...sensed a large magical surge coming from this part of Equestria.”

“That IS unusual...” Cadance nodded in agreement. “But why would you need to call me here? And why would surge a surge require such urgency?”

“Well, your second question first...” Celestia sighed and frowned. “This surge...we don’t know much but...we can at least tell one thing: it’s DARK magic.”

Cadance’s eyes widened. “Dark magic? But it’s supposed to be a myth...”

Celestia shook her head. “Trust me, we’ve been around a long time, we have encountered examples of dark magic in the past, though it was very rare...but it was never anything THIS strong...”

Chrysalis raised her hoof like a filly in a classroom. “Question! What is Dark Magic, what makes it different from normal magic?”

Cadance frowned. “Well, think about this: your mother’s magic that she used to make herself powerful by draining love from others, and which she used to hurt other ponies on our wedding day? That ISN’T Dark magic. DARK Magic is much more dangerous, in theory: it is magic derived via negative emotions, said to have a very...dangerous effect on both those using it and against whom it’s being utilised against. And since that’s not magic work through normal means, rumours over the years claim most examples of it were derived from forgotten artefacts that existed before modern magical theory...” Cadance paled. “If my Aunts have discovered a modern source of Dark Magic...it’s potentially too dangerous to ignore...”

“And there’s the matter of why we called for you specifically...” Celestia continued. “The surge...it’s located exactly where I found you years ago.”

Cadance’s eyes widened. “W-what...? Do you...?”

“At the very least it would be wise to be cautious.” Luna responded. “Hence why my sister and I have agreed you will investigate the area along with an entourage.”

“An entourage?” Cadance parroted.

“A selection of Royal Guards and the Elements of Harmony and their Bearers.” Celestia clarified. “The Elements are the one thing in Equestria that are the best counters to Dark Magic in its forms, so they shall accompany you...besides, it would be good for you to tell Rainbow Dash the full story of your...past, would it not?”

Cadance nodded. “I...suppose I had to sooner or later...but...are we SURE this is not coincidence? How can you be sure this has anything to do with me?”

“We don’t know, but it IS an odd coincidence if so, hence why I believe its best to make sure.” Celestia said. “The circumstances of my finding you have weighed heavily on my curiosity for a long time. I am hoping that this investigation may shed some light on that, as well as your lost past. Besides, wouldn’t you like an excuse to see for yourself, and find any clues about said past..?”

Cadance bit her lip, an image of a shadowy monster flashing in her mind. “I..” She took a deep breath and steeled herself. “Yes, I think I do. I NEED to find out why I...” She shook her head. “No...that’s not for your ears... very well, Aunties, I agree to investigating this surge in the north.”

Celestia smiled softly. “Very well, I am glad. I hope this search is fruitful.”

“Me too...” The pink unicorn agreed.

-------------------------

Rainbow Dash and her friends had been called together, and her friends were soon onboard a train headed towards one of the northernmost regions of Equestria, the six mares holding the Elements within brown bags for safe keeping that were strapped to their sides securely. Spike sat near Rainbow Dash’s leg, reading a book while Chrysalis and Cadance stood side by side before the mares.

“So...” Rainbow said with a chuckle. “Didn’t think we’d be seeing each other again so soon...”

Chrysalis smiled widely. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Dash!”

Cadance nodded. “Yes, well, shame it couldn’t be under more...casual circumstances...”

“So, we have to deal with a potential force of Dark Magic...” Rainbow shivered. “I remember some of the stories I’ve heard...the idea that some of those horrible tales could be TRUE is...”

“That’s interesting and all,” Pinkamena interjected, “but I’m less concerned over some weird magic...’thing’ that may or may not be real, and more about what Cadance has to do with any of this? I mean sure, we got some magical doodads that are like really powerful ‘I win’ buttons, but while I don’t doubt the Princess here is quite powerful, I don’t see why a school headmistress is being sent on a potentially dangerous mission like this.”

Cadance nodded. “It’s...personal. You see...the surge was discovered in the same place Celestia found me.”

Pinkamena tilted her head. “’found’ you...?”

“Yes, well...” Cadance looked away, gazing out a window as she looked pensive. “I....am not a native to Canterlot. In fact I’m actually technically older than I appear. While exploring the uncharted northern territories, Celestia sensed a very similar surge of magic a long time ago. It quickly vanished as she went to investigate, but...she did find SOMETHING. A massive hunk of crystal, brimming with ambient magic. Celestia took the crystal back home to have scholars and mages research it and eventually...it broke apart, revealing a sleeping filly, no older than 6 or so. After the filly awoke, Celestia and the mages tried to question her...but found that the filly had no memory, only the vague notion of her name sounding similar to ‘Cadance’ or something.” Cadance chuckled softly. “Celestia found that crystal around...a few years after banishing Nightmare Moon, and it only broke open around...well, I guess you could call it my ‘birthday’ around....20 years ago, I think?”

Rainbow and her friends stared at Cadance wide eyed. “H-Hold on...you’re...? HOW old...?”

“The crystal kept me in a state of ‘suspended animation’ for years, I never aged a day and remained sleeping until it broke apart.” Cadance frowned. “And ever since I had no idea who I was, where I came from, why I was trapped in crystal, HOW that had even happened, or why I was left in the middle of a frozen wasteland....”

“And now ANOTHER surge has been found, in the same place...” Rainbow frowned in thought. “Could be a coincidence, but...”

“But there’s a chance it’s connected, somehow...” Cadance affirmed. “And I may FINALLY have a chance of learning more about myself.”

Rainbow placed a hoof on her mentor’s shoulder. “Well, we’re here for ya, we’ll help you, and not just because it’s part of our mission here.” She stuck out her tongue.

“I am also here to help!” Chrysalis added. “Mostly via moral support and snuggles!”

Cadance chuckled and moved to embrace her wife. “And that is very much appreciated.”

Pinkamena narrowed her eyes. “I’m gonna yarf.”

Fluttershy gasped, flying close to Pinakemena. “oh no! And this time we don’t have any fire extinguishers!”

Caadance blinked, staring at the yellow pegasus. “What...?”

Spike shrugged, still reading his book. “Noodle incident, don’t worry about it.”

-------------------------

A pony stood on a rocky hilltop overlooking the traintracks. She sat patiently, staring at the tower of billowing shadowy magic dominating the landscape.

“So, the Piece is there?” She asked aloud, seemingly to noone. She was quiet for a while before responding. “And we cannot enter? We are plenty powerful, we should be able to march in and take it by force!”

Once more, she was quiet for a moment.

She gritted her teeth, tutting in annoyance. “Typical. So what are we to do?”

More silence, the only sound being the harsh blizzard blowing around her.

She frowned, raising a brow in puzzlement. “What do you mean by ‘pawns’...?” As she asked that, her eyes were drawn to the train that was heading down the tracks near her. Her eyes changed colour briefly, her frown turning into a cruel smirk. “Ah, I see.”

Her horn glowed, not with its usual magical aura, but with a dark, shadowy aura, which extended outwards forming massive arms ending gnarled, clawed hands that reached out and grabbed at a car of the train, lifting it upwards in the air.

Inside, the car shook and the ponies (and changeling and dragon) within stumbled and cried out in surprise.

“W-what’s going on!?” Twilight Sparkle called out.

Pinkamena growled. “A complication, I think.”

Outside, Sunset Shimmer grinned coldly. “You better not die on me, not until I get what I need, at least.” With that she used her magic to tear the car from the rest of the train, tossing it hard into the swirling tower of darkness, the ponies inside screaming as they were tossed about within before they disappeared into the darkness.

The arms shrank back into Sunset Shimmer’s horn as she sighed. “Now...to wait.”

------------------------

Within the castle that stood over the Crystal Empire, King Sombra opened his eyes, smiling toothily, revealing rows of razor sharp fangs.

“Cadenza,” the King growled coldly, “home at last I see. And here I was thinking I would never get to see the look on your face when you saw what I’ve done to your Empire.” He grinned widely, laughing cruelly as helmeted ponies stood around him, awaiting order. “Go to the city square, bring our...visitors to me. Do not dawdle.”

The helmeted ponies nodded obedientally, turning and trotting away.

King Sombra’s chuckled to himself, taking a bite out of a black gemstone, looking forward to meeting a certain pink pony after so long an absence.

Author's Note:

So this has been a story I’ve been wanting to do for a while, especially in concerns to developing Cadance. I WAS gonna hold off on this till later BUUUUUT I changed my mind, I need to do this NOW.

Hope you all enjoyed it, and please comment.

Comments

[Fluttershylover3]

Candace has a wife in this universe? Or is it supposed to be husband

[aceotaku]

9610805
wife, detailed in the direct prequel to this story ;3