Chapter 16: The Crystalling
A month passed since Eric and his friends recovered the Locket of Prophecies. It was a sunny early summer morning, Eric was sound asleep, until Twilight tickled his feet with her wings and woke him up.
“Morning, mommy,” Eric said while being tickled.
“Morning, sweetie,” Twilight replied.
She had a mischievous smirk on her face, then she began blowing raspberries on Eric’s midsection.
“Mommy, quit it. I surrender,” Eric said laughing hard.
A short time later, Starlight was wandering the hall trying to find the library.
“Okay. Library... Library... Where did they put the library?” Starlight said to herself and sighed, “This castle looked a lot smaller from the outside.”
Starlight opened a door revealing Spike in a towel and brushing his teeth.
“Morning, Starlight!” Spike greeted with a mouthful of toothpaste.
“Whoops! Sorry, Spike! I guess I’m still trying to find my way around,” Starlight said then asked as she closed the door, “You don’t happen to know where the library is, do you?”
“Next door on the left!” Spike replied.
“Oh. Thanks!” said Starlight as she went into the library.
“Acceptance, mm-hmm. Altruism, definitely. Starlight, good morning, come in!” Twilight said as she noticed Starlight at the door.
“Sorry I’m late. I got a little turned around. I still can’t believe you and Storm are letting me stay here... as your pupil... after everything I did,” Starlight replied.
“Well, we’re not ones to dwell on the past, and neither should you. The castle is your home now, and as far as being my pupil goes, we were just trying to figure out what your first friendship lesson should be!” said Twilight.
“That shouldn’t be too hard, since Jasper and Smokey are also my pupils,” Storm added.
“Oh, well, it looks like both of you are really narrowing it down!” Starlight said.
“Oh, these are just the A’s. After this, I move on to the B’s!” Twilight replied.
“Then the C’s, the D’s, and so on,” Storm added.
The view briefly showed the outside of the castle.
“I know I’m just learning about friendship, but I didn’t think there were this many lessons for anything. How do we choose?” Starlight said while looking at the lesson ideas.
“Maybe we should pare things down a bit before we go through them. Why don’t you join the others in the throne room? They’re planning our trip to the Crystal Empire when Shining Armor and Princess Cadance have their baby!” Twilight replied.
“Besides, maybe you can get to know my pupils, Jasper and Smokey as part of your friendship lesson,” Storm added.
“Throne room! Jasper and Smokey! Got it! Um, which way is the throne room?” Starlight nervously laughed.
Twilight and Storm just sighed.
All of Twilight’s friends, plus Jasper and Smokey were all gathered in the throne room. Eric and his pet otter, Ron were also present.
“Well, I think we should leave ASAP. I don’t want to miss the Crystalling!” Rainbow Dash suggested.
“But, um, shouldn’t we wait for the invitation?“ Fluttershy asked.
“Frankly, I’m not exactly clear on all the customs and traditions of the Crystal Empire, especially when it comes to a Crystalling,” Applejack replied.
“That kind of thing is new to me, too, babe,” Smokey added.
“What’s a Crystalling?” Starlight asked.
“I don’t know what what that is, either,” Eric added.
“Well, that’s just it, darlings. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s baby is due any day, and we’re still not sure. The Crystal Empire was gone for a thousand years. A lot of their customs are a bit murky,” Rarity replied.
“You’re telling me, Rare-bear,” Jasper added.
“We know it’s got somethin’ to do with the new baby,” Applejack said.
”And a party!”
“And the Crystal Heart,” Fluttershy replied.
”And a party!”
“And some kinda cool energy,” Rainbow added.
”And... a party!”
“It’s not hard to understand. Most things in the Crystal Empire aren’t. Like how I’m a big hero there, for example!” Spike pointed out as he showed an image of himself.
Rarity stifled a giggle.
“Eh... plus, I’ve had to help Twilight do a lot of research on Crystallings. Whenever a baby is born in the Crystal Empire, the parents bring it before the Crystal Heart. They get the purest shard of crystal they can find, then pick a crystaller to present the baby to everypony who comes. Then they all share the light and joy they feel, feeding it into the crystal that joins with the Heart, and increases its power! And this is going to be a royal Crystalling, so pretty much the whole empire will show up. That hasn’t happened in a millennia!” Spike explained as he held a vase showing it.
“What do you mean it increases the Crystal Heart’s power?” Starlight asked.
“The energy it uses to protect the Crystal Empire, I guess,” Spike said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Protect it from what?” Starlight asked.
“I... didn’t help Twilight with that part,” Spike replied.
Twilight and Storm were still planning out potential friendship lessons. Just then, Starlight came in.
“Hey, Twilight? Storm? can I ask you something about the Crystal Empire? Starlight asked.
“Huh! Funny you should mention it. Because I just narrowed your first friendship lesson down to three options, and one of them is in the Crystal Empire!” Twilight replied.
“It was a lot harder than I thought, but we managed to pull through,” Storm added.
“Really?” Starlight asked.
“We found out that’s where the first pony you ever cared about lives!” Twilight replied.
“Sunburst?” Starlight asked.
“Of course, that’s just one idea. We could also go to Griffonstone.... Making friends with a griffon is a challenge all by itself! Or we could tag along with the CMC’s the next time they try to help a pony figure out why they’re special...” Twilight replied.
“Here’s another idea, maybe we could go to Yakyakistan. I hear befriending a yak isn’t exactly a walk in the park either,” Storm replied.
Meanwhile, in the northern reaches of the Crystal Empire, a guard was patrolling the perimeter. All of a sudden, several guards were stunned by magic blasts, a huge army came down from the north, led by Glacio.
“We’re under attack! Light the signal!” the guard shouted.
The remaining guards lit the torches, then they quickly went to the palace. Glacio himself appeared, the guard backed away in fear, then lit one of the torches.
“Now all of Equestria knows you’re here,” the guard said.
“Perfect,” Glacio replied sinisterly.
Once at the palace, the guards patrolling the northern boundary went to alert the prince and princess. Princesses Celestia and Luna were also present, along with Nightshade, Marina, Zuni, and Slapstick.
“Your majesties, somepony has breached the northern boundary with a huge army, and they’re headed for the palace!” The guard captain said.
“Who could possibly attack us from the north?” Shining Armor asked.
“Glacio is leading them,” said the captain.
“Thank you for alerting us, Captain Brawn. Recall every guard back here immediately,” Cadance ordered. Brawn nodded in response.
“Sister, we need to inform Princess Twilight and Sir Storm about this,” Luna said.
“Good thinking, Luna,” Celestia replied as she started writing a letter.
Back at the Castle of Friendship, Spike, Eric, and Starlight were in the middle of a heart to heart conversation until, they heard Twilight’s voice, “Spike! Eric! Come quick!” she called.
Spike, Eric, and Starlight came up to Twilight and Storm who were up on the balcony. The wind blew a message in the shape of a snowflake to them, Twilight caught it in her wing.
“It’s a Crystalling invitation!” Spike said.
“What is it, Mommy?” Eric asked.
“Shining Armor’s a father! I’m an aunt! Well, this settles it! Since we’re going to the Crystal Empire, your first friendship lesson is going to be... reuniting with Sunburst!” Twilight replied.
“Great..” said Starlight as she lowered her head and dropped her ears.
“You hear that, Eric? Your cousin has been born,” Storm said to Eric.
Just then, Spike got a familiar urge. He belched, revealing a message.
“Twilight, Storm, you have a letter from Princess Celestia!” Spike said.
Twilight and Storm looked at the letter, it read:
Dear Twilight and Storm,
I regret to inform you that the Crystal Empire is being attacked by Glacio and his army. The both of you and the others must come and help protect it during your visit.
Yours truly, Princess Celestia.
“It appears we have another important item to attend to, Starlight,” Storm said.
A while later on the train, Twilight, Storm, and all their friends, along with Eric, his pet otter, Ron, and Holly were seated together. Eric sat between Twilight and Storm with Ron in his lap. Starlight sat beside Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity sat with Jasper, Applejack sat with Smokey, and Holly with Rainbow Dash.
“Um, Applejack, what is that?” Rainbow Dash yawned, then asked.
“Oh, just a little somethin’ for the young’un. Made from genuine Sweet Apple Acres apple trees. We make ‘em for all the Apples, and anypony related to Twilight is practically family,” Applejack said.
“You’re a brilliant craftspony, AJ. That’s one thing I love about you,” Smokey said to Applejack.
“Ya flatter me, Smokey,” Applejack replied.
“Yeah, it’s okay... But it’s no Cloudsdale mobile! Bam!” Rainbow said.
Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Jasper gazed at it in awe.
“Pretty,” Pinkie commented.
“Well, a mobile is real nice... as long as you have somethin’ to lay in so you can look at it,” Applejack replied to Rainbow.
“And a fetching blanket to keep you warm,” Rarity added.
“I’m sure Shining Armor and Princess Cadance will love all our gifts. But I think they’re more happy we’ll be attending the baby’s Crystalling,” said Twilight to her friends.
“Ooh! I can’t wait to see all that light and love make the Crystal Heart even more sparkly and shiny!” Pinkie said in excitement.
“Actually, Pinkie, the Crystal Heart is an ancient and powerful relic. Without its magic, the Crystal Empire would be lost to the Frozen North,” Twilight replied.
“It’s among the oldest magical relics in the land,” Storm added.
“Wow, this Crystalling sounds pretty important. I’d understand if you wanted to... you know... wait to do a different friendship lesson when we get back,” said Starlight.
“Are you kidding? This trip is perfect! Not only do I get to see the baby and take part in the ceremony that helps maintain the magic of the Crystal Empire, but I’m starting my new pupil off with the most amazing friendship lesson ever! I can’t wait!” Twilight said.
“Right... Me neither... Actually, Twilight, I am a little worried about meeting Sunburst,” Starlight replied.
“Oh, trust me. I know what it’s like to see old friends. But I’ll be right there to help things along. I’ve broken the whole lesson down into a few easy steps to ensure this reunion goes off without a hitch!” Twilight said reassuringly.
“Right. Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Moondancer. She was the hardest to reconnect with, especially since she had the biggest crush on me back in magic school, they all did,” Storm recalled.
Starlight laughed nervously at this.
The train stopped and everypony got off at the station, then went to the palace.
“Step one, head to Sunburst’s house and get you two started on the right hoof. Step two, get to the castle with enough time to visit the ba—” Twilight read before bumping into a tired Shining Armor.
“Shining Armor!”
“Uncle Shining!”
“Twilight! Storm! Eric!” Shining greeted tiredly.
The four of them entered a group hug.
“I didn’t know you were meeting us!” Twilight said.
“Of course I am! It’s me, right here. Here I am. Why wouldn’t I come meet my sister? Though we have met before, heh-heh...” Shining replied tiredly.
“Are you all right?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, you look exhausted,” Storm pointed out.
“Never better! Being a father is amazing! And wonderful, and amazing, and confusing, and amazing, but surprising too, you know? I mean, not that you’d know. You wouldn’t know, I know... You know. Sorry, I haven’t really slept since Cadance had the baby. Come to think of it, she hasn’t either. It sure would be great to get a break,” Shining explained.
“Oh, of course! I don’t know what I was thinking! You two probably need all kinds of help! I’m sorry, Starlight, but I guess combining your first lesson with this visit wasn’t such a good idea,” Twilight said.
“Not to mention we also have to help repel an attack led by this evil pony called Glacio,” Storm added.
“Oh, uh, don’t be ridiculous! You’re an aunt now, and also a mother! That’s way more important than some friendship lesson,” Starlight replied.
“I just wish there was a way to do both,” Twilight said.
“Maybe there is! You’ve already done the work for Starlight’s lesson with this list. All we have to do is follow it!” Spike replied.
Starlight facehoofed herself at that.
“Spike, you’re a genius!” Twilight said.
“Good thinking, little buddy,” Storm added.
“Yeah... genius,” Starlight laughed nervously and commented through gritted teeth.
“Then it’s settled! Shining Armor, Storm, and I will head straight to the castle, and you two can head straight to Sunburst’s!” Twilight said.
“Aye-aye, Princess and Sir Knight!” Spike replied as he saluted them.
“Uh-huh,” said Starlight nervously.
“Alright, big brother, let’s go see this amazing baby pony!” Twilight said.
“Ahhh... the baby...” Shining mumbled snoring in his sleep.
“Yay! We’re gonna meet my new cousin!” Eric shouted jumping in excitement.
“I know you’re excited, sweetie, but you need to settle down,” Twilight said to Eric.
“Yes, mommy,” Eric replied.
Once in the palace, Twilight, Storm, and their friends, plus Eric and Holly waited behind Shining Armor outside a door.
“Before we go in, I should probably tell you. Seeing the baby might be a bit of a shock,” Shining said.
“Come on, big brother. Storm and I have met babies before. I expect meeting this one won’t be any different,” Twilight replied as she and Storm entered the nursery.
Twilight, Storm, Eric, and Holly looked on with soft smiles on their faces.
The baby unfurled her wings and cooed, causing Twilight and Storm to gasp.
“Of course, we could be wrong,” Twilight said.
“You’re telling me, Twily,” Storm replied.
The infant filly just kept babbling.
“The baby is an alicorn?!” Twilight and Storm asked in unison.
“My cousin is an alicorn?!” Eric added in equal shock.
“It looks that way,” Cadance replied tiredly, “Hi, Eric.”
“Hi, Aunt Cadance,” Eric greeted as he hugged her.
“But... But... But I thought Alicorn wings had to be earned by accomplishing some great, princess-worthy deed!” Rarity replied.
“Yeah. How can you just be born with ‘em?” Applejack asked.
“The birth of an Alicorn is something Equestria has never seen!” Celestia said.
“It is beyond even our understanding,” Luna added.
“That’s not very reassuring,” Fluttershy replied in a hushed voice.
Jasper and Smokey just stood still in shock.
“Wow! A unicorn, and a Pegasus! So she could be a super-strong flyer and have crazy baby magic!” Pinkie said.
“Well, I know all about super-strong flying!” Rainbow replied.
“And we can help keep tabs on her magic!” Twilight added.
“Easier said than done. We also need to be ready to repel Glacio’s army,” Storm pointed out.
The baby began sneezing, causing a huge magic surge which blew a hole in the ceiling going many stories.
“It appears her magic is more powerful than that of a newborn unicorn!” Celestia said.
“The crowds have already started to gather,” Luna replied.
“Hi, Eric! Hi, Holly!” Nightshade, Marina, Slapstick, and Zuni said in unison.
“Hi, friends,” Eric replied as they got into a group hug.
“This Crystalling is gonna be some party!” Pinkie shouted as she blew up a balloon only for it to pop.
“Do you think we should call it off?” Cadance asked.
“Um, we’ve all faced a lot worse than baby magic,” Rainbow pointed out.
“I can’t imagine cancelling such a beautiful and important ceremony over something so potentially adorable!” Rarity replied.
Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy agreed with Rarity.
“In light of the little one’s abilities, this Crystalling might be more important than ever,” Celestia said, “Perhaps you should address your subjects and remind them of that.”
Cadance nodded in response and gave her daughter a kiss on the head, then left the room with the other princesses.
“What about stopping Glacio and his army? They’re already in the city, headed for the palace right now,” Storm asked.
“You, Jasper, and Smokey must delay them for as long as you can. Take Captain Brawn, Lieutenant Flash Sentry and a detachment of guards with you,” Luna ordered.
“As you wish, Princess Luna,” Storm replied as he, Jasper, and Smokey also left the room.
“Be careful, Stormy,” Twilight said as they shared a kiss and nuzzled.
Jasper and Smokey also shared kisses and nuzzled with their respective girlfriends, Rarity and Applejack before leaving with Storm.
“Shining Armor! Do you have everything you need for the ceremony?” Twilight asked.
“Huh? Oh, no! I still have to interview the honor guards, choose the purity crystal, and pick a crystaller!” Shining said frantically as he woke up from nodding off.
“Alright, take it easy. Pinkie can stay here with me, Eric, and his friends to keep an eye on the baby,” Twilight replied.
“And we’ll all help you with everythin’ else,” Applejack added.
Shining nodded off once again, mumbling ‘baby’ in his sleep.
“That is, if you can stay awake long enough to tell us how,” Rarity said.
A while later, Glacio and his army were already inside the city advancing to the palace, they were scaring the Crystal Ponies out of their homes, causing them to flock to the palace.
“All too easy,” Glacio said sinisterly, then cackled.
“Give it up, Glacio!” Storm shouted.
“Sir Storm Blade, we meet at last,” said Glacio.
Storm and Glacio tried to blast one another, until their magical beams crossed paths. It seemed as if Storm would quickly be overpowered. Jasper and Smokey blasted their own magic beams, the three unicorns managed to redirect Glacio’s magic beam back at him. He fell but got back up, then kept up the duel.
The guards led by Brawn and Flash were brawling with Glacio’s army.
“Captain, I’m not sure we can keep this up for much longer!” Flash said.
“We could really use Princess Twilight’s help right now!” a guard added.
“Princess Twilight and the others are still preparing for the Crystalling, we’ve got to give them more time!” Captain Brawn replied.
As the battle dragged on, the guards were fearing that they would be overpowered.
“If we scatter, they’ll pick us off! Stand together!” Storm ordered.
Jasper and Smokey stood alongside Storm, with the guards behind them. Soon, it would become more clear that they won’t be able to hold out for long.
Back at the palace nursery, Twilight and Pinkie, along with Eric and his friends were trying to keep the baby under control.
“Well... at least she’s having... fun!” Pinkie said.
The alicorn filly kept blasting her magic, Twilight was constantly intercepting it.
Nightshade shielded himself, along with Marina, Holly, Zuni, and Slapstick.
“Protego!” Eric incanted.
“Whee!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Pinkie, hold her still!” Twilight said.
“I’m tryiiiiiiing!” Pinkie replied.
At the base of the palace, Rarity and the others were trying to keep Shining calm and help him overcome his stress.
Cadance, along with Celestia and Luna came down to check on their progress.
“Okay. I chose the honor guard, picked the purity crystal, and I know exactly who I want to be our crystaller. So, all we need is...” Shining tried to say.
“The baby?” Cadance finished.
“We’re here!” Twilight said.
“She’s a really strong flyer!” Pinkie added.
“You’re telling me, Pinkie! My cousin is really hard to keep up with!” Eric replied.
Using her magic, Cadance separated her daughter from Pinkie, much to the filly’s dismay. This caused her to cry as loud as the Royal Canterlot Voice. The frequency was so powerful that it shattered the Crystal Heart.
Everypony gasped at the sight of this, the little filly calmed down and slowly dropped into her mother’s left hoof.
“I’m guessin’ that’s gonna make it harder to do the Crystalling,” Applejack said.
“It’s worse than that. Without the Heart, the Crystal Empire’s about to be buried under a mountain of ice and snow!” Twilight replied.
“That and Glacio and his army is on their way here. He’ll try to prevent the Crystalling from taking place and destroy what’s left!” Eric added.
Meanwhile, Storm, Jasper, Smokey, and the guards tried to hold out but most of them had been overpowered. they noticed the storm clouds had gathered and that signaled the start of a huge snowstorm.
“Fall back to the palace!” Storm ordered.
“What’s going on?” Smokey asked as they fled back to the castle.
“There’s a huge storm, something must be wrong. Let’s find out,” Storm replied.
Once back at the palace, Storm, Jasper, and Smokey, along with Flash and Brawn reunited with Twilight and the others.
“Twilight, we held them off as long as we could, but Glacio was too powerful,” Storm said.
“Is nopony else back?” Shining asked.
“Storm, Jasper, Smokey, Captain Brawn, and myself are all that’s left. We didn’t stand a chance,” Flash replied.
Everypony bowed their heads and held their right hooves/claws/hands to their chests in respect to the guards who had fallen at the hooves of Glacio and his army.
“What happened?” Storm asked.
“The Crystal Heart was destroyed, and without it, the Crystal Empire will freeze,” Twilight replied.
“Glacio and his army will try to use the snowstorm to their advantage, this is just the first part of their plan to freeze Equestria itself,” Storm said.
“Storm is right, not only do we need to fix the Crystal Heart and get the Crystalling back on track, we also need to stop Glacio from turning all of Equestria into a frozen wasteland,” Celestia added.
The storm was blowing very fiercely and in the distance, Glacio and his army was advancing.
“There must be a spell that can restore the Crystal Heart!” Twilight said.
“Perhaps,” Celestia replied.
“But it isn’t something that either of us know,” Luna finished.
“The library here at the castle is nearly as extensive as the one in Canterlot. There’s a good chance we can find something there!” Cadance suggested.
“Can you hold off the storm?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, for a time, but even our magic will eventually succumb to the power of the Frozen North,” Luna replied.
“We will do what we can, but you must hurry,” Celestia said as she and Luna went to fight the storm.
“I don’t know how long it will take to find the right spell, but you should probably tell the crowd outside to get somewhere warm!” Twilight said.
“And try not to mention the Crystal Heart or Glacio. We don’t want to start a panic,” Cadance added.
“Yes, ma’am. C’mon, girls!” Applejack replied as she, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash went to the crowd.
“I’m gonna need all of your help. The crystal library is enormous!” Twilight said.
“You can count on us, Twily!” Shining replied.
The little filly giggled and teleported onto Pinkie’s face. She then teleported to another location.
“Where’d she go?!” Shining asked.
“This way!” Cadance replied as she heard her daughter giggling.
Meanwhile, Storm, Jasper, and Smokey went to face Glacio. Unknown to them, Eric and his friends were trailing behind.
“Do you think we’re being followed?” Jasper asked.
“I think so,” Smokey replied.
Storm looked behind them and saw Eric and his friends.
“Eric, what are you doing out here? You should be back with your mom and helping her at the library,” Storm said.
“We wanted to help you. We’ve held our own against Glacio’s minions before,” Eric replied.
“Please, Sir Storm?” Nightshade asked.
“Okay, but stay close to us and be careful,” Storm said.
“Will do, Sir Storm,” Zuni, Marina, Holly, and Slapstick replied in unison.
Soon, Glacio and his army spotted them.
“We meet again, Sir Storm,” Glacio said before turning to Eric, “You’re the two legged creature my minions told me about. Let me guess, Eric Sparkle. We meet at last,”
“You’ll never get the locket, Glacio,” Eric retorted.
“Oh ho ho, am I a dog that you come at me with a stick?” Glacio asked mockingly.
Everypony in Glacio’s army laughed at that.
“Good one, my lord,” Frostbite commented.
“I don’t know exactly what you mean, but you’re not a dog. You’re a big mean pony who wants to freeze everything he sees, and you’re gonna lose,” Eric replied.
“I beg to differ,” Glacio retorted, then ordered, “Minions, get the locket!”
“You want the locket, you’ll have to go through us,” Nightshade said definitely.
“Yeah! You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!” Zuni added.
Eric began dueling Hot Shot, Nighshade fought Hydia, Zuni fought Reeka, Marina fought Draggle, Slapstick fought Skywarp, and Holly fought Thundercracker. Storm was able to defeat several ice pony soldiers with many kicks from her back legs. Storm was once again dueling Glacio, with Jasper and Smokey fighting more ice pony soldiers, the two brothers incanted, “Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Everte Statum! Confringo!”
“Incarcerous!” Eric incanted.
Hydia was then tied up in a conjured-up rope, Eric then took out the locket and said, “You want the locket? Go get it!”
He threw the locket very far, then incanted, “Reducto!”
“You’re too late, Glacio! I’ve destroyed the locket!” Eric said.
“What can any of you hope to gain from this? My forces outnumber yours, you cannot win!” Glacio asked mockingly.
“We’re just keeping you busy until Twilight and the others fix the Crystal Heart!” Storm replied in defiance.
“Forget the locket! Continue on to the palace, so we can destroy all information about the Crystal Heart and stop the Crystalling! Then we’ll march on Canterlot!” Glacio ordered.
A short time later, Celestia and Luna were still trying to fight the snowstorm, but their efforts were all but futile.
“Push them back, my sister!” Celestia said.
“I’m trying!” Luna replied.
All of a sudden, they were blasted out of the sky by Glacio.
“You cannot fight the freeze, sisters!” Glacio said.
“Equestria will never be yours, brother!” Celestia retorted.
“Let’s agree to disagree,” Glacio replied.
A duel between siblings broke out. Storm, Jasper, and Smokey suddenly zapped Glacio from behind, but then they were chased all the way to the palace, where Twilight and Cadance were preparing to fix the Crystal Heart.
“Twilight! Cadance! You may want to hurry up, Glacio’s here!” Storm said.
“We’re trying!” Cadance replied as Twilight was memorizing the spell.
“Princesses Twilight Sparkle and Mi Amore Cadenza. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” said Glacio.
“Feeling’s not mutual, Glacio!” Cadance retorted.
Glacio was about to blast Cadance and Twilight, but Storm intercepted him and they dueled once more.
“Uh, I think that’s everything?” Twilight asked.
“It looks right to me, but... there’s only one way to find out!” Cadance replied as she and Twilight activated the spell.
At first it seemed as if the spell was a success, but the Crystal Heart broke apart.
“The spell failed. I don’t know what else to do,” Twilight said.
“Looks like you’re out of ideas, princess,” Glacio mocked and cackled.
“An old student of mine believes he does,” Celestia replied as she and Luna revealed Sunburst.
“The baby did this?!” Sunburst asked.
“I tried putting it back together with—” Twilight tried to say.
“The spell of Relic Reconstitution. No, that won’t do it. The Crystal Heart’s been around for millennia, restoring a relic like this is way beyond one spell. You need to combine it with something else. Something unique to the relic itself, something that strengthens it and provides it with power...?” Sunburst explained.
“The Crystalling!” Twilight replied.
Meanwhile, Storm and Glacio resumed dueling, buying time for Twilight and the others to fix the Crystal Heart and begin the Crystalling. Eric and his friends, along with Jasper and Smokey were keeping the enemy soldiers occupied.
“Game over, Glacio! You’ve lost!” Storm said.
“I will prevail! I always have. Do you think Luna would have turned into Nightmare Moon if I didn’t go to her head and talk her into giving into her hate? Would Queen Chrysalis and the changelings have invaded Canterlot if I hadn’t told her about it? And who do you think lured Cerberus away from Tartarus so Tirek could escape?” Glacio retorted.
“Let me guess, that was all your doing?” Storm asked.
“Correct, your enemies have been pawns in my game,” Glacio replied.
Just when Glacio was about to overpower Storm, Jasper and Smokey quickly came to his aid.
“We’re here to assist you, Storm,” Smokey and Jasper said as they fired their own magical beams.
“Thanks, guys” Storm replied.
Meanwhile, the Crystalling was in full swing, as Sunburst presented the baby princess.
“Citizens! May I present the newest member of the Crystal Empire!” he announced.
Everypony then bowed in respect and then Sunburst collected the love energy inside the purity crystal and applied it to the Crystal Heart, thus repairing and giving it the strength to repel the storm. Everypony soon began to glow all shiny, they all wowed and cheered.
“NOOOOOO!” Glacio shouted in fury, “This isn’t over, Eric Sparkle and everypony! I’ll be back!”
Glacio and his forces then fled back north, the Crystal Empire was safe, as was the rest of Equestria, for now.
Eric and his friends, along with Storm, Jasper, and Smokey rejoined Twilight and the others.
“Mommy! I’m all shiny!” Eric said as he and his friends were amazed.
“That’s what happens when the Crystal Heart is activated, sweetie,” Twilight replied.
Starlight went up to Sunburst and said, “For a pony who isn’t great at magic, you did pretty well.”
“Indeed. I’m glad to see you’ve found a way to share your unique gift, Sunburst. You may be more of a wizard than you think,” Celestia added.
Starlight and Sunburst just looked at each other and smiled.
A short time later, everypony went to the train station. Twilight Velvet and Night Light then came up to them.
“You would not believe the crazy weather that delayed our train. Came out of nowhere,” Night Light said.
“But it was all worth it to see this peaceful little angel! Awww, so sweet! Come to your grandmare!” Velvet added and said to her granddaughter.
“Grandpa! Grandma! You made it!” Eric said as he came up to them.
“Hi, Eric,” Night Light and Velvet replied in unison as they hugged him.
“Yeah, peaceful now, anyway,” Applejack pointed out.
“I suppose that spell really did the trick!” Twilight said.
Just then, the filly began to sneeze. Everypony ducked in fear of another magic surge, but it was just a normal sneeze.
“We have Sunburst to thank for that,” Shining Armor replied.
“I hope he takes his role as crystaller seriously. Something tells me the baby will need a pony like him to look to for magical advice,” Cadance added.
“Cadance, darling, aren’t we gonna name the poor little dear, or are we gonna spend our entire visit just calling her ‘the baby’?” Twilight Velvet asked.
“We were thinking... “Flurry Heart” Cadance replied.
“You know, to remember the occasion,” Shining added.
“Oh, goodness, how could anypony forget?” Rarity asked rhetorically.
“I think it’s lovely,” Twilight said as she gave Flurry a kiss.
The little filly giggled.
“Grandma, can I hold her?” Eric asked.
“Of course, dear,” Velvet replied as she passed Flurry to him.
“Hi, Flurry. I’m your cousin, Eric,” Eric said to the filly.
Flurry reached her hooves out and touched Eric’s face. The boy nuzzled his cousin, Twilight and Storm smiled at this.
“Flurry really loves you, sweetie,” Twilight said.
Soon everypony saw off Cadance and Shining Armor, then boarded the train.
“Well, I think you’re the Crystal Empire’s big important wizard, whether you like it or not,” Starlight said to Sunburst.
“I don’t know if I’ll have time for any wizarding. I’m a crystaller now, that’s a big responsibility,” Sunburst pointed out while blushing.
“I can’t think of anypony more qualified. Just... promise you’ll stay in touch?” Starlight asked.
“Hm, like I’d ever lose touch with my oldest friend,” Sunburst replied.
Twilight and Storm looked on as the two foalhood friends hugged. They had troubled looks on their faces.
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Spike asked.
“I don’t know, Spike. I think I have a lot to learn about being a teacher,” Twilight replied.
“I think I do as well, for Jasper and Smokey,” Storm added.
“What are you talking about? Your lesson went perfectly! Starlight and Sunburst got over their past and rekindled their friendship! As for you Storm, your lessons for Jasper and Smokey went smoothly too,” Spike said.
“No thanks to us, we know a lot happened. We just wish we could have given our pupils the attention they deserve,” Twilight replied.
“Well, I know they needed to be put on the right path, but giving them the space to make their own decisions worked pretty well. Isn’t that how Celestia taught you?” Spike pointed out.
“You know, I never thought about it! But I guess it is!” Twilight said.
“Maybe you’re both better teachers than you thought,” Spike replied.
Starlight looked out the window and waved goodbye to Sunburst as the train started moving and went back to Ponyville.
“We’ll need to spread the word of Glacio’s return,” Storm said.
“We also need to tell Princesses Celestia and Luna that Prince Blueblood is working for him,” Eric added.
“We’ll tell everypony soon enough, sweetie,” Twilight replied.
Eric quickly fell asleep and rested on Twilight’s shoulder, she wrapped her wing around him, while she leaned her head against Storm. Rarity and Applejack also leaned on their boyfriends, Jasper and Smokey on the train ride back to Ponyville.
THE END
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now Twilight is aunt and mother
10737588
I know it
10737590
What do you think of Storm Blade, Jasper, and Smokey?
10737622
They are cool
I think Andrew Francis reprise his role as Shining Armor in this story how about you
10739130
Correct, same with Britt McKillip reprising as Cadance.
10739359
Celestia and Luna's voice actor also reprising,right?
10739373
Yes, same with Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst
I think it's make sense when Eric have last name "Sparkle"
10741074
Indeed.
What do you think of the references I made?
10741612
Use Twilight's last name since she adopted him
10742409
I figured it would be best since Joshua from ‘A New Life in Equestria’ or Zachary Baker from ‘Free at Last’ didn’t gain the Sparkle name, as shown.
Anyone care to comment on the pop culture references that I made?
10749766
I don't get it what you mean pop culture reference
10751018
If you look closely, you’ll find them in Chapters 14, 16, and 17.
You may recognize these situations and quotes from a few movies.
10751022
Chapter 14 transformers reference
10753828
I also made a pop culture reference in Chapter 15.
Care to guess?
10751018
Did you ever watch Flushed Away and Night at the Museum 2?
10754649
i only watch night at the museum
10754918
You see, the part where Hydia and his partners pursue Eric and his friends but are blocked by the Mane 6’s human counterparts (minus Sci-Twi) is a reference to a scene from Night at the Museum 2.
Anyone care to comment on Chapter 16?
10761107
Eric finally have an additional family member
10762000
Care to guess the pop culture references I made in this chapter?
10762010
I don't know
Twilight never let Eric stay up late
10777601
For Eric, 8:00 pm means bedtime. The Grand Galloping Gala is the only exception.
I think Eric feel comfortable when he wrapped in Twilight's forelegs while he sleeps
10780324
You are correct. He’s been afraid to sleep on his own since his guardians, Ted and Lacey died.
10780341 so Twilight sleep with him
10780658
Yes, for the time being
Ashleigh Ball still voice Rainbow Dash,and Tabitha St.Germain still voice Rarity, as well as Andrea Libman in this Story
10786981
Correct.
I also imagine the voices of Michael Dobson (Hydia and Skywarp), Mark Oliver (Reeka, Draggle, and Thundercracker), Anne Hathaway (Misty Sky), and Mark Hamil (Valiant Knight),
10787159
I know Mark Hamill from Luke Skywalker
10788697
Don’t we all
10787159
Michael Dobson actually in MLP as Caballeron