Chapter 26. If Love Shall Conquer All.
Deep within the bellowing snowstorm that plagued the Frozen North, hovering under the terrible clouds that hung in the skies, was a changing wind that carried the most influential of ponies in all of Equestria. Protected from the harsh elements by a blue magical barrier, inside a large and ornate carriage that was reserved for only royalty, were Princess Cadence and the recently crowned prince, Shining Armor.
The newlywed couple sat on velvet cushions made from the finest fabrics available, wrapped in a wool blanket that was crafted with cashmere from Zebrica. Their bodies were pressed together tightly, with Princess Cadence draping her large pink wings over her husband’s barrel, offering him additional warmth and affection as she snuggled up against him. Her muzzle dug into her sleeping husband’s cobalt colored mane, taking in the natural scent of her lover as he slept.
The gentle sapphire colored aura that surrounded Shinning Armor’s horn illuminated the dark interior of the carriage, giving the Princess of Love just enough light to see the golden ring that hung from his right ear, a tradition that he had adopted in honor of Cadence’s pegasus heritage. In turn, Cadence wore her engagement ring around the base of her horn, showing the acceptance of her assertion to alicornhood, and her devotion to her unicorn husband.
Her own horn glowed for a moment as she checked the magical barrier that her sleeping prince projected around the carriage and over the thestrals pulling their carriage. The oppressive snow that pelted the land below the clouds melted as they hit the magical barrier, allowing her to rest easy with the knowledge that her guards were still being protected from the elements. Once she was finished assuring their safety, Cadence returned her attention to her snoozing fiancé.
His large barrel shifted with each calm breath, gently raising Cadence’s wings with every intake. She felt his heart beating through her wings, sending a melody of emotions through her body as Cadence tried to match his peaceful tune. The princess of Love, and soon to be Empress of the Crystal Empire, tenderly nuzzled the nape of her husband’s neck while he slept, feeling his white fur tickle her snout as she did so.
As the carriage flew closer to the remains of the Crystal Empire, Cadence felt the love she shared with her husband become intertwined with the immense love that radiated from the abandoned empire. Even in the early hours of the morning, Cadence could feel the warmth of the love that she had only felt between citizens from Minotauria who had seen terrible battles from their recent revolution to overthrow the regime that had oppressed them. She could also feel the subtle traces of fear and hints of trauma and pain that ran deep through the Crystal Empire, a darkness that had plagued the minds of the creatures of Cattlevania when they fought, and failed, to succeed from Minotauria, fearful for the repentance that they would receive from their nation for daring to defy their democratically elected leaders.
Even though Cadence found it difficult to sympathize with the minotaurs who wished to continue the old and dark traditions of the Minotaurian nation, she could still understand the horrible sense of fear that they carried after they lost. Cadence had never thought that she would feel such immense and condensed fear again, or at the very least, she desperately hoped that she would never have to feel it again. And yet, almost as if reality chose to spit in her face, she was forced to feel the pressures of monstrous fears again in both Canterlot and from the Crystal Empire.
While her thoughts wandered to the terrible stallion that had caused the horrible anguish and terror that hung over the Empire, her husband stirred from his sleep and looked up at his wife, breaking her out of her thoughts with a delicate kiss placed on her muzzle.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Shinning Armor said as he yawned loudly.
“Morning, Shiny,” Cadence replied as she returned her husband’s affection by placing a kiss near his alabaster horn.
As Prince Shining Armor rubbed the crust from his eyes with a small levitation spell on the corner of the blanket, being mindful not to tug on the entire blanket, he simultaneously cast another spell to check on the strength of the shield just as Cadence had done a few minutes prior. The aqua colored aura that surrounded his horn glowed a bit brighter as he checked, unintentionally revealing the sleeping pile of thestrals who occupied the other end of the carriage with his magical light.
The resting group of guards shifted as the light of the prince’s horn shun against their eyelids, causing the sleeping ponies to adjust their large leathery wings to block the small amount of magical light from their faces. Their sleek grey furs and varying shades of dark blue and purple manes and tails allowed the sleeping thestrals to almost disappear into the shadows of the carriage, hiding them from the view of the royal couple as they waited for their shift to pull the carriage the rest of the way to the Crystal Empire. The soft mewls and muttered complaints from the tired ponies barely registered to Shining Armor, only managing to catch his attention due to the insistent whining of one of the higher pitched guards.
After checking on the stability of the shield that protected them from the terrible storms that plagued the Frozen North, Shining Armor dismissed the telekinesis spell on the blankets and the scanning spell, allowing the illumination around his horn to die down until it was barely glowing, earning him a few content sighs as the tired ponies slipped back into Princess Luna’s Dream Realm.
A subtle azure colored aura still surrounded the prince’s horn as he continued supplying the shield spell with magic, effortlessly protecting them from the storm. Cadence had offered to take over and place a shield around the carriage, though her husband insisted that it was his duty to protect her and the guards who would escort them through the Crystal Empire.
“So, how much longer until we get to the Crystal Empire?” Shining Armor asked as he nuzzled his wife.
“Not much longer, I think. I can feel the love radiating from the Crystal Empire. It’s… It’s amazing. I can’t believe that this is what Princess Amore felt every day of her life.”
“Believe it, cause you’re going to feel it every day too,” Shining Armor said as he took a moment to partially part the drawn curtains that covered the window, peaking at the blinding white light of the Frozen North.
“It feels so weird. I’m actually going to be a princess.”
“You already were one, Cady, at least I’m pretty sure you are. That horn is real, right?” Her husband joked as he mockingly glared at the aforementioned appendage, silently interrogating it with his hardened gaze.
“Oh, you know it’s real,” Cadence said as she illuminated her horn in her own cyan colored aura. Unseen by the sleeping passengers that shared the carriage, the newly crowned prince felt a presence tingle underneath the blanket that was draped over the loving couple.
“C-cadence~,” Shining Armor whined.
“What?” Cadence playfully asked as she tilted her head in mock confusion. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes. There’re other ponies in here.”
“So? They’re asleep,” the pink alicorn reasoned, taking a moment to kiss her husband under his jaw.
“Get a room,” one of the guards quietly complained as they rose from the pile of snoozing thestrals, causing the loving couple to immediately stop their playful actions as the stern and tired voice of General Camisole cut through the air.
“Sorry, General Camisole,” Shining Armor quickly apologized to the mare, becoming rigid at the sound of his old boss’ voice.
“Sorry, Cami,” Cadence apologized as she stifled a laugh at her husband’s formality.
“S’fine,” the general replied before she stifled a yawn. "If anything, apologize to Star Burst for giving her a wing boner. Makes cuddle puddles hard. Heh. Hard~.”
“I did not get a wing boner!” Star Burst quietly argued as she wiggled out of the pile. “See, as flexible as a rubber band,” she defended as she fluttered her dark indigo colored wings.
“Wow, how’d you do that? Did you think of grandma being shaved?” Camisole joked as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“Blegh. You’re disgusting, Cami,” Star Burst chastised as she cantered to the door. “I’m going to check with the fliers in the front, and see what our eta is.”
After opening the sliding door of the carriage fully, bathing the entire carriage in light and causing the still sleeping thestrals to loudly voice their complaints, Star Burst leapt from the open port and spread her wings wide to catch the wind under them, allowing her to glide towards the front of the carriage.
Thanks to the shield surrounding the carriage, the air around them was insulated and warm, protecting them from the harsh blizzard that swirled around them. Unfortunately for the groggy thestrals, the prince’s ability to protect them from the snowstorm didn’t extend to the blinging light that penetrated it.
As the freshly woken up thestrals began to untangle themselves from the pile an stretch their limbs, General Camisole trotted past the prince and princess to search the other side of the large carriage.
“Where’s the instant coffee?” Camisole asked as she moved the rug and rummaged inside the compartment that was built into the floor.
“Ran out after the last shift,” Shining Armor stated as he magically levitated a bag of tea and a small cup to himself. “There’s still—"
“If you suggest tea, then I’m liable to make you wear it,” Camisole half-heartedly threatened as she continued her useless search for military grade instantly made coffee.
“I’ll take some tea, Shiny,” Cadence said as she levitated a second cup out of the compartment.
Her husband easily complied, filling the cups with a small ration of water and heating it up with his magic.
“I don’t understand why you don’t like tea, Cami. It’s really good,” Cadence said as she blew on her freshly brewed beverage.
“You mean aside from the fact that it tastes like piss?” The mare rhetorically asked after abandoning her search for her preferred morning drink. “How about the fact that coffee is superior in literally every other way.”
“Have you ever even tried tea?” Shining Armor asked as the other thestrals trotted towards the compartment to dig out food and water.
“I don’t need to try toilet water to know it’s nasty. Same rule applies to that piss water you call ‘tea’.”
“Aw, come on Cami, you’ll never know unless you try,” Cadence said while levitating an empty cup to the general.
“I’ll also never know what dying feels like until it happens to me. No reason to suddenly jump out of the window with both of my wings tied down.”
“I could order you to do it.”
“Jump out with my wings tied? Sure. But if you mean that you could order me to drink tea, then I'd resign,” Camisole said as she returned to the spot where the sleeping pile of thestrals once laid, taking up the small indent that was left behind by one of the heavier guards who was relegated to the bottom of the pile.
As soon as the general laid down on the carpeted floor of the carriage, Lieutenant Star Burst flew in through the sliding door and quickly closed it behind herself. “Good news, we’re only an hour away from the Crystal Empire,” Star Burst announced to the members of the carriage.
“Just when I was getting ready for a nap too,” Camisole complained as she pulled her bag out of the corner and began to don her military uniform. The usual dark purple flecktarn and heavily padded cotton fabrics of the Night Guard had been exchanged for heavy fur coats that were bleached until they were as white as the snow, allowing the guards to blend into their environment and stay warm in the blistering cold.
“Way to uphold the stereotype, boss,” one of the guards muttered.
“Hey, don’t take that tone with me, mister! Sleep is very important for ponies like me,” Camisole argued.
“Whatever,” One of the larger thestral stallions with a crew cut mane said. “If you keep sleeping like you ‘normally’ do, then we’ll have to call you General Cat,” he attempted to joke.
Even though they were thousands of feet up in the air, surrounded by the bellowing winds of a blizzard that made life almost inhospitable for anything that wasn’t a pony, everypony in that carriage would have sworn that they heard the chirping of a cricket accompany the silence that filled the carriage. After waiting a few moments for at least a chuckle or a light snort, the large thestral stallion coughed awkwardly at the deafening silence before he began to explain his “joke”.
“You know, because cats spend two thirds of their life sleeping…” He explained.
“How do you know that?” Cadence asked.
“Because Crux Heart's the random trivia king,” one of the thestral guards answered.
“May his abundant useless knowledge help us all thrive,” Camisole added on as she tightened the straps on her padded vest. “Praise be to his annoying talking points and boring facts. Without him, how would we ever know that vital fact about cats? Truly, we would be completely helpless without his abundance of knowledge. Thank goodness for that little nugget of trivia, it'll surly come in handy at some point in the near future.”
“… Here’s a fun fact, the Crystal Empire doesn’t have coffee,” Crux Heart stated with a smug tone as he prepared a cup of tea for himself.
“… What?”
“Coffee was invented 2,000 years B.N.M by the Zebras when they negotiated with Minoutaria, and became popular in Equestria in 1,500 B.N.M. The Crystal Empire is 3,000 B.N.M. which means it’s 1,000 B.C, before coffee.”
“… Kill me. Just straight up, use a laser and zap my brain through my eye,” Camisole emotionlessly begged as she slowly resigned herself to a fate worse than death, a punishment only fit for the evilest of monsters to walk Equestrian soil: possible weeks without the nectar of gods that was simply known as coffee by mortal tongues and called “Wakey juice” by very tired immortal alicorns.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Cami,” Cadence lightly chastised.
“I already hate the Crystal Empire. If Princess Luna didn’t ask me to accompany you two, then I would still be in bed waiting for my night shift back in Canterlot, with a fresh cup of coffee waiting for me in my room. But noooo, I have to freeze my wings off in the only place on the entire planet that doesn't have a single coffee shop.”
“Aw, cheer up, General. It’s the home of our ancestors!” Crux Heart enthusiastically said. “We’ll be the first ponies to walk in the Empire in over a thousand years. Just imagine it, buildings made of solid crystal boulders, streets paved in luxurious jewels, and whole new races of ponies that were essentially extinct. We’ll get to meet real crystal ponies and ruvas, maybe even thestrals that existed over a thousand years ago who knew our ancestors! I can’t wait!”
“I still can’t believe that it’s actually real,” Star Burst said. “I always thought it was a foal’s tale, like Marelantis or Canada.”
“Actually, there’s a decent amount of proof that Marelantis was an actual continent. While the stories involving the alleged sunken city being made of salt rocks are most likely speculated fiction, the high amount of salt found in the Paladin Sea—" Crux Heart attempted to explain before his superior officer interrupted him.
“Blah, blah, blah. Nopony caaaares,” Camisole whined. “Tell me how to make coffee with the shit we’ll have in the Empire, or I’m demoting you to private.”
“You can’t do that, I’m the medic,” Crux Heart argued.
“I can. I’m the highest ranked officer in here, so nopony can argue with me.”
“Um… I’m a prince now, so technically, I outrank you,” Shining Armor pointed out.
“You married a princess. That’s cheating,” Camisole stated. The other thestrals in the carriage solemnly nodded in agreement with their general’s argument, leaving the prince with no one to defend his claim. “Crux, if you can’t tell me anything useful about coffee, then tell me something about the king. What’s his name, Sombrero or something, right?” Camisole asked.
Crux Heart shrugged. “It's Sombra actually, and I don't know much aside from the fact that he’s a ruva.”
“The buck is a ‘ruva’ anyway?”
“The only other magical race of ponies that isn’t a unicorn or an alicorn. They were largely considered a myth in Equestria, but since the Crystal Empire is real, that means that they’re real too. Their only visible distinction from unicorns were their curved horns, but it's believed that their midbrains were slightly larger—"
“Do they shoot lasers from their horn?”
“Well, yes, but—"
“Perfect,” she interrupted. “Shining, you’re in charge of shooting him on the spot when we get there. Princess Cadence, we would be honored if you could use your magic to protect any wounded guards in the fight. The rest of us will use hit and run tactics to weaken his defenses, and give Shining a chance to shoot this sucker between the eyes.”
“Shoot who?” Shining Armor asked.
“Sombra, duh. We’re all acting under the assumption that Sombra is just automatically gone, like somepony just waltzed in there and took care of the problem for us. Princess Luna personally tasked me with your safety, princess, and I take my orders seriously. Even if it costs my life, I’m going to make sure that the princess’ only niece is safe.”
“What about shiny?” Princess Cadence asked as her wing subtly squeezed tighter around Shining Armor’s barrel.
“He’s the only pony here with a shield spell strong enough to keep a changeling proof barrier over all of Canterlot for three days straight. I'm sure that he'll be able to protect himself. And, in the very, veeeeeeery, small chance that we need to protect him, then we will,” Camisole reassured her.
“She’s right Cadence, I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m sure we can take on a single rumba—”
“Ruva,” Crux Heart corrected.
“Right, a single ruva. If all goes according to plan, then the Empire will be liberated and you’ll be placed in charge. I mean, what’s the worst thing that could happen?”
“Oh sweet Luna, why do you insist on invoking Eris' name?” Camisole lamented as sighed into her hooves.
Love and affection filled the air of the Crystal Empire as ponies rose with the morning sun, each one taking a moment to bask in the warmth of the sky’s crown jewel as the organic tentacles of night began to crawl back over the horizon, revealing a bright blue sky behind the sheet of stars and darkness that hid it for the entirety of the night.
Smiling faces filled the streets as ponies trotted towards the food district, oblivious to the creature that stalked the decaying and abandoned buildings, watching them from the shadows of the Crystal Empire. In a flash of green fire, the monster was replaced with an average looking “crystal pony” with a green coat and a bright orange mane and tail, allowing him to leave the old worn-down building and trot to Amethyst avenue.
Nopony around the stallion knew what he was, a parasite that was born in darkness, a creature of folklore and nightmares that wasn’t anything more than a whisper during the early days of Equestria’s colonization, a changeling. In fact, nopony around him had even heard of a changeling if what he heard was to be believed.
The crystal ponies who lived in the Empire weren’t aware of the world outside their own borders, separated from the influence of the reunited alicorn sisters and unaware of what had happened in at least the past one thousand years since nopony ever acknowledged the night princess’ dark persona. The benefits of modern technology were also no-where to be found in the Crystal Empire which only added to Thorax’s growing confusion.
Too little information about the ponies had forced him to invent his own persona and take the initiative to search for somepony who would seek him as a romantic interest, using a disguise from his past that he had altered from an aged unicorn teacher to a young and spry crystal pony stallion with a single rose for his fake cutiemark. Using the new name, Thorn, Thorax was able to gather a great deal of information regarding the Crystal Empire.
One of the first things he learned was that a mysterious creature that had allegedly slain a king that had killed an alicorn, which was too far-fetched for Thorax to believe initially since all three alicorn princesses were still alive and well in Canterlot. After subtly prying for more information, he learned that the new king of the Crystal Empire was a creature called “Skeletor”. Aside from that, Thorax knew very little about the mysterious Empire.
Mystical claims about Lord Skeletor being a demon to an deity were too outlandish for the changeling drone to believe, especially when one pony mentioned that Lord Skeletor invented a metal stronger than enchanted iron called “Steal.” Thorax had entertained the idea of trotting into the castle during court to see the supposed demon, but the slight possibility that the creature could see what Thorax really looked like dissuaded him. The fact that the guards were still valiantly searching for his old persona, Thorite, was a testament to Lord Skeletor’s abilities, or at least of his great knowledge of who did and did not live in the Crystal Empire.
Thankfully, Thorax’s latest disguise provided him the perfect defense from Skeletor’s attention. Even if Lord Skeletor knew the name and face of every pony in the Empire, he had never stepped hoof, claw, or paw into any of the shops on amethyst avenue, allowing Thorax to hide among the many ponies who fed the hungry while also managing to eat some of their love as a result. In a dark way, the love and affection of hungry ponies was one of the most filling emotions Thorax had ever tasted.
The small smiles and genuine thanks that were given to him on a daily basis were a feast to the changeling, allowing him to sustain himself on the emotions of platonic love alone.
“Hey, Thorn! Glad you could make it early today,” Fresh Bake happily greeted as the disguised changeling trotted towards Lardy Bread’s Bakery. The guard’s inability to find “Thorite” there the first time they searched had allowed Thorax to take refuge in the last place they would have expected to look since his employer, Track Record, was given orders to report if he ever saw Thorite again.
“Oh, hey Fresh!” Thorax greeted the co-owner back. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”
The dark blue colored stallion with a black mane looked up at the dome that encased the Crystal Empire, admiring the magic that danced miles above their heads. “Yeah, it is a nice day,” Fresh Bake agreed while he held the door open for “Thorn.”
The interior of the bakery was nothing too different from the other shops on the street. The rose quartz floors and marble walls were as badly damaged as the other buildings, only kept together by the ambient crystal pony magic that the citizens of the Empire were channeling through their hooves from their midbrains, similar to how earth ponies harnessed their magic to grow crops and carve stone. The only difference from Lardy Bread’s and the other shops on Amethyst avenue were the colorful drapes that hung from the windows, a gift from a friend of Fresh Bake’s named Lacey.
Thorax hadn’t yet had the opportunity to meet Fresh Bake’s female friend, though he did plan to meet her soon to learn more about the mare. If his disguise was ever compromised and he needed to take the form of another pony, either Fresh Bake or Lacey would prove to be sufficient disguises, all he would need to do would be to cocoon one of them in his mucus and hide them away. For the time being, however, Thorax didn’t need to steal their identity so long as he played his cards right.
Once Thorax learned enough about the Crystal Empire and its defenses he planned to return to the hive in the Badlands and report his findings to Queen Chrysalis. He would be praised for his work and pardoned for abandoning the hive, returning as a hero to all of the changelings who once mocked him. The praise of his people and the recognition from his queen would allow him to live the rest of his life in blissful luxury.
The disguised changeling would often dream of the three words that every drone longed to hear from their queen, “You did adequately.”
Those words of approval were rarely heard in the hive, and only given to the most devoted and respectable of changelings. The only changeling that Thorax knew of who was praised by Queen Chrysalis was his brother, Pharynx, after the battle-hardened soldier defended the larva nursery from a tatzlwurm that burrowed into their territory. If it weren’t for the bravery of his brother, the dozens of changelings who sacrificed their lives that day, then the nursery would have been devoured by the tunnel digging behemoth.
Queen Chrysalis was so impressed with Pharynx that she even smiled at him, at least that was what most of the changelings told Thorax when they recounted the events to him. Thorax was certain that his queen would give him similar praises for his efforts to help the hive, allowing his aged and molted armor to decorate the hall of historical changelings who passed away as heroes of the hive, the highest honor any changeling could hope to receive.
As Thorax imagined the bright future that laid before him, allowing his hooves to unconsciously needle the dough on the table in the kitchen of the bakery, the sound of galloping hooves thundering against the streets outside drew his attention to a nearby window. Outside of the shop, droves of guards were rushing towards the southern side of the Crystal Empire, dressed in a mixture of normal crystal pony armor and a few new darker sets of armor that a Thorax didn’t recognize.
Track Record and Fresh Bake soon emerged out of the storage basement with a barrel of yeast balanced on their backs. “What’s all the commotion out there?” Fresh Bake asked as he and Track Record slowly lowered the wooden barrel.
“I don’t know,” Thorax replied as he peered out the window, looking in the direction the guards were galloping.
His employer, Track Record, soon joined Thorax at the window to stare at the galloping guards as Fresh Bake trotted to the door of the bakery. The sound of stampeding hooves became louder after the front door was opened, allowing the three to hear the guards shout orders to ponies as they galloped through the streets.
“Get indoors!” They ordered repeatedly, causing most of the ponies in the streets to canter into the nearest buildings. The few that decided to stay outside watching the guards were quickly escorted into shops by younger members of the guard.
A large amount of crystal ponies took refuge in Lardy Bread’s, quietly questioning what was happening as they trotted into the building. Track Record quickly tore himself away from the window to ease the ponies.
“Calm down everypony, I’m sure the guard has everything under control,” Track Record reassured them. “Everything is going to be fine. Let’s just have some breakfast and wait for whatever this is to blow over. Thorn, grab some bowls and help set up the tables… … Thorn?”
Track Record’s orders went unheard by Thorax as he focused on the skies, staring at a small spec in the sky that became gradually more detailed with each passing second. While the ponies who lived in the Empire relied on their eyes to see the foreign object, Thorax allowed the tip of his horn to poke through his mane and latched onto the magical signature that was emanating from it. He was wrapped in terror as the forbidding presence grew closer, feeling the immense power of a goddess he had only glanced at before the full invasion of Canterlot.
“Thorn… Thorn?” Track Record repeated. “Come on, Thorn, we’ll need all hooves if we want to feed these ponies.”
“I uh… Yeah, sure,” Thorax said as slowly trotted away from the window and retracted his horn.
After tearing himself from the window, Thorax picked up a stack of cups from the kitchen for drinking and discreetly glanced at his disguise in the mirror. To his relief, the teal eyes of a green colored crystal pony stared back at him, allowing him to hide away from the all-seeing eyes of alicorns. So long as Thorax wouldn’t cast a too powerful spell, or give the alicorn a reason to perform a scanning spell on him, then he could perfectly mimic the magical output of a below average earth pony, allowing his magical signature to blend into the sea of crystal ponies.
Still, the arrival of the Princess of food Love was a great concern for Thorax and the rest of the changeling species. He would need to report to his queen sooner than he anticipated and warn her of the new dangers that their paradise held within.
With the princess' intrusion on the only place of sanctuary for changelings to live and thrive in, Thorax discreetly left the bakery through the back door and made his way to the edge of the barrier.
The heavy hoof falls of guards carried a cautious warning that reached the ears of the citizens before the guard’s voices reached them. Panic leapt from one pony to another, spreading like a plague as the guards galloped through the streets towards the crystal pony palace, crying out orders to remain indoors and seek immediate shelter.
Ponies who tried to question the guards went largely ignored by the Empire’s first line of defense as they continued to deliver their warning without any hesitation. The once crowded streets of the Empire soon became desolate as Colonel Kernel and the guards made their way through the streets. The lingering fears of the position he held in the guard and Crumb Catcher's warnings about his allegiances were momentarily forgotten as he and the other guards took up defensive positions around the crystal pony palace, watching the unknown object fly closer to the Empire until it finally penetrated the barrier.
A sudden sense of dread filled their hearts as they watched the soaring object effortlessly pass through their greatest defenses. During the reign of Princess Amore, the barrier’s strength prevented anypony from flying through the shield unless they went through a specific entrance point. But, after the great atrocities that the crystal ponies faced under Sombra’s dictatorship, the newly reestablished barrier was only barely strong enough to keep the snow storm from burying the Empire.
Old guards and new volunteers alike were gathered around the jewel of the Crystal Pony Kingdom, waiting with baited breath as the strange object became more visible. From his position at the entrance of the crystal pony palace, Colonel Kernel could make out the odd appearance of a azure colored sphere that reminded him of the barrier that encompassed the Crystal Empire. The glossy appearance of the dome prevented him from getting clear details, though once it drew closer, the odd shield dissipated and revealed an exceptionally large metal carriage that was being pulled by a large number of armor-less thestrals in white fur fabrics.
The group of thestrals slowly descended to the pathway of the crystal pony palace, trotting down the cracked road that was paved for the elite who lived in the palace before Sombra’s rise to power. As they drew closer, their outfits and large carriage became more detailed.
Small squares that varied in light grey and white hues decorated the fur coats that the thestrals wore, which matched the patterns on the bowls on their heads. Another detail they noticed was that the thestrals wore yellow colored mirrors that covered their eyes, causing the Empire’s guards to share confused glances with each other. Despite having the strange blinders covering their eyes, the thestrals didn’t show any inability to maneuver around the pot holes and cracks that littered the pathway.
After getting over his initial confusion, Colonel Kernel trotted forward to halt the thestrals’ advance. “Stop right there, identify yourselves,” he ordered as he tried to muster a commanding tone of voice.
To his slight surprise, the odd looking thestrals easily complied with his order, stopping a few dozen yards away from the entrance of the crystal pony palace. After coming to a complete stop, the side of the metal carriage slid open, allowing an unbelievable presence to exit the strange vehicle. A larger than average pink unicorn trotted out of her carriage, wearing an expensive gown that glistened in the rays of the sunlight. Her mane slightly swayed in an unseen breeze, allowing the pale yellow, bright pink, and purple locks of her hair to become more prominent as they bounced in the air. At the base of her extravagantly long horn rested a beautiful golden tiara that was bejeweled in amethyst crystals, which gave the guards reason to consider her a possible noble from Dream Valley.
Before Colonel Kernel was able to voice any questions to the pink mare, a luxurious pair of large pink wings extended from her back causing the Empire's guards to share a gasp in awe at her display. Due to a subconscious desire that the guards couldn't control, they quickly bowed to the unknown alicorn as she descended from her strange carriage. Thousands of questions raced through his mind, but none of them touched his lips as he stuttered instead.
With a deep breath, the pink alicorn prepared herself to address the Empire's military and explain her reasons for arriving to their Empire. With a voice that was laced in silk and salt, the unfamiliar goddess spoke to the Empire's guards in an attempt to ease their minds.
“Greetings, faithful bastions of honor, tis a pleasure to make thine acquaintance. Forsooth, I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, princess of merriment and wonder, here to claim thy seat of obsidian and gold, for it doth be my birthright. T’would be favorable if thou could lead us inside thine castle of crystal, so that we may speaketh about the pleasures of our arrival and the deeds done by thine liberator. What say thou, stallions of armor and bravery?”
"..... Uh..." Was all that Colonel Kernel could say in response as he stared dumbly at the unknown princess. "Beg... Pardon?"
"Nary pardons behoved, my dearest warriors. Thou hath not beseeched us or shown any ill-will towards me and mineth company. We simply wisheth to deliver the Empire from disrepair and bring fourth the enchanting charm yond cometh from the depths of one's heart," the alicorn elaborated.
“… Why is she talking funny?” One of the guards quietly muttered to another.
“I think she hit her head,” a different guard replied.
“Um… Doth my phrasing pass by the ears of thine guards. Mayhaps we can repair this confusion and build a sense of trust that shall ease your spirits,” the princess stated. None of the guards could tell if that was a request or a demand of the strange princess, and decided to not address her odd mannerisms directly.
After allowing a few more moments of silence to awkwardly hang in the air, Colonel Kernel steadily rose to speak to the odd princess. He wasn't sure where the alicorn had come from, but he was almost certain that she must have had a basic understanding of Equish.
“…. Helllllo. I. Am. The coooooolonel,” he slowly explained before he gestured to the guards with his foreleg. “These. Are guuuuuards. They… Fight good. Who are they?” He asked as he pointed at the equally odd thestrals.
“Do… Do thou not speak old Equish?” The self-proclaimed princess asked.
“Old what?” Colonel Kernel simply parroted.
“Old Equish. Doesn't everypony here speak the old language? ” She asked with more normal phrasing.
“Um, princess, ” one of the male thestrals said after exiting the carriage with a small number of other thestrals behind him. Unlike the other thestrals in their clean white coats, the stallion had a bright red cross on the bowl that rested on his head. “Old Equish is actually from 5,400 B.N.M. and was replaced by our more modern understanding during the beginning of Equestria’s peace treaty with Yakyakistan. The yaks complained about that language being too… difficult to understand, so it was simplified around 4,000 B.N.M.”
“Really? Then why does Luna always talk like that?” The unnamed princess asked.
The guards' hearts leapt at the utterance of the princess of the night, causing Colonel Kernel to directly address the princess without any formalities. “Do you mean Princess Luna? Where is she? Are she and Princess Celestia alright? Did they send you? ” He quickly asked in succession. His bombardment of questions opened the gates for his fellow guards as they followed his lead and began to voice their own uncertainties and questions. Fears and concerns poured out of their muzzles, begging for answers that could provide some sense of reassurance to their lives.
“S-settle down, everypony. My aunts are completely fine,” she reassured them.
All of their questions pattered off into stunned silence as the princess’ words rang in their ears.
“... 'Aunts?' You... You're their relative? You’re their relative and they’re okay?” Colonel Kernel desperately asked.
“Yes, why would you think they—”
“They’re Okay!” Colonel Kernel shouted happily, causing the other guards to be lifted up into uproarious cheers of glee. “Uh, um, You two, no wait, you, you, and you two there, go spread the word to the citizens! Go! Go!” He hurriedly ordered his guards.
The chosen guards quickly galloped down the streets of the Crystal Empire, shouting the good news to the Empire at the top of their lungs with a feverish joy. After letting his happiness overtake him for a few brief moments, the colonel returned his attention to the new alicorn princess and bowed deeply.
“Thank you so much, your majesty. We've all just been worried for the princesses' safety. After we woke up and they were gone... Well, most of us feared the worst,” he shamefully admitted before a sense of happiness and pride drowned his sorrows in a sea of bliss and hope. “But, if they're alive like you said they were, then it would be amazing! I'm certain Lord Skeletor would want to meet you quickly. Come, your majesty, we need to escort you to the Crystal Castle right away.”
“Wait. Isn’t this the Crystal Castle?” She asked as she looked up at the towering palace.
“No, this is the crystal pony kingdom palace. That’s the Crystal Castle,” he replied as he pointed his hoof to the spires of crystals that rose from the heart of the Crystal Empire.
“Whoa… I thought that was just a monument... Kinda looks like the Prance Tower,” the princess quietly said to herself as an incredibly large white unicorn stallion joined her side.
“So, if I may ask, what brings you to the Crystal Empire. And uh, what’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking, your majesty.”
“Oh right, allow me to properly introduce myself and my associates. I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the distant descendant of Princess Amore, and I have come to lead the Crystal Empire into an era of peace and prosperity that will unify the Empire with the modern world and introduce you to today’s society.”
“… She’s still talking funny,” one of the younger guards observed.
Before Colonel Kernel had the opportunity to chastise the guard for possibly insulting the, admittedly odd, princess, a white unicorn stallion in a bright red suit jacket with golden epaulettes trotted forward to introduce himself.
“I’m Prince Shining Armor. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, soldier,” the white unicorn introduced. “Would you mind telling us why you thought the princesses’ weren't alright?”
“Because none of us knew where they were. I’m sure Lord Skeletor will want to hear about this. Come on, we’ll escort you and your… um… friends? Or, servants?” The colonel asked.
“We’re guards,” a petite thestral mare bickered.
“Guards, huh? Your... armor is… Really unique? Anyway, if it’s alright with you your majesty, we’ll escort you and your guards to the Crystal Castle.”
“Hold up there, buster,” the petite thesteral mare stated as she stepped to the front of the group. Simlarly to the stallion with the red cross on his bowl, the mare’s only distinctive feature was the silver colored crescent moon on her head-bowl. “First thing’s first. We need to deal with Sombra and we’ll need a plan.”
The Empire’s newer guards tensed at the mention of their deceased tyrant as flashes of his atrocities played in their minds. Thankfully, the memory of his death at the hands of Lord Skeletor was enough to set some of the guards at ease once they remembered that the demonic ruva had been brutally killed.
“What do you mean, ‘deal with’?” Colonel Kernel hesitantly asked.
“How to kill and/or capture him. So, where is he hiding and what’s he done since the Empire’s return?” The mare thestral questioned.
The guards of the Crystal Empire shared a brief glances between themselves, silently asking a myriad of questions that would go unanswered by any of them, with the most prevalent question being a very simple; “What?”
“Sombra’s been dead for a few weeks now. Lord Skeletor killed him,” one of the guards bluntly answered.
Their simple answer caused the white unicorn and alicorn to share a questioning glance before the newly arrived princess asked the inevitable question. “And… Who is ‘Lord’ Skeletor, exactly?”
“The lord of the Crystal Empire,” Colonel Kernel stated proudly. “He saved us from Sombra and revealed all of the terrible things that the tyrant kept secret from us for years. If it weren’t for Lord Skeletor… Well, I… I don’t want to think about that,” Colonel Kernel explained with a hint of unease. “Anyway, you’ll be able to meet him at the Crystal Castle. I’m sure that he would want to know about how the princesses are doing, and make an announcement to the Empire. Um… If you’d allow us to escort you, your majesty, we would be most grateful.”
“I would be honored to have you escort us, colonel,” the princess replied. “And, if it wouldn’t be too much to ask, I would appreciate it if you could tell us a little bit about how the Empire is fairing.”
“Of course. Well, it’s been getting better since Lord Skeletor took the throne from Sombra,“ the colonel began as he prepared to tell the tale of Sombra’s terrible rise to victory and his wonderful fall from power. For a brief moment, the nagging words of Crumb Cather's threat rang in the background of his mind, as if the phantoms of his fears were reminding him of those who wished to do Lord Skeletor harm. And, with those lingering fears and doubts formed the beginnings of an incredible plan, a plot of his own that would ensure the safety of the Crystal Empire and solidify Lord Skeletor's rule over the Empire.
As a pony who was chosen to protect the Empire in General Cannon Fodder's absence, Colonel Kernel would make it his mission to convince Princess Cadence of Lord Skeletor's great deeds so that she would bless his lord with her approval. While the colonel held no sway over the guards who despised Lord Skeletor, or the other Council members who may have been secretly plotting against their new lord, the words of an alicorn such as Princess Cadence could easily persuade the few who hated their lord to accept him.
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“I always thought it was a foal’s tale, like Marelantis or Canada. Instead it's in the middle of the arctic. Like Saberia...or Canada.”
Oh, god. I sense a great disturbance between trains, They will collide... and it will be such GLORIOUS CARNAGE.
I'm pretty sure everything will be alright. /s
I mean, it snot like someone already jinxed it.
or anything
10484225
Not quite a fair comparison. The lands of the Frozen North were known, but knowledge of the Crystal Empire had fallen into myth. A better one would be a large city suddenly appearing in the Northwest Territories.
Aye get hyped!
I can’t wait till they see him
Everything is going so well for Skeletor. He works his ass off to fix this very broken empire, and in return its citizens plot to overthrow him in favor for someone who never set hoof in the empire and whose sponsors failed to defeat Sombra.
Luckily the Crystal Kingdom is without a ruler. Cadence can be a princess, Skeletor can still be the emperor. I just hope they actually realize this solution before they comes to blows.
Or Skeletor will be like, "You want the crown? Here, take it. Good fucking luck."
This wont end well.
Yooo, the hype is reaaaaaaaaal.
I'd like to add an idea; what if Cadance asks about Sombra around Emerald, or another pony who has particularly bad memories of his reign, causing Skeletor to get angry? Not unreasonablelly angry, but suitablely unhappy. I think it could have some interesting implications, as well as easily lead into a reason for them to have a conversation without the rest of the royal court with them; then allowing all sorts of directions for the story. It would be quite interesting. (Ps, I'm gonna read it regardless of this idea's implementation, because this story is straight up amazing. Keep on writing it' please. It's one of the best stories on this website.
)
dam i am so hyped for the next chapter it goes down
Canada’s a myth lol.
Well, skelle-man doesn't seem attached to his rank, so unless something decides to keep him there, he could bail without losing face.
10484258
You want to be stressed out all the time and constantly worried about not screwing up and costing lives? Nyyeeehhhh you can have it sister! Just you know...remember I did deal with Sombra for you and did a good job being a nice ruler until you showed up. So no blasty stompy okay?
Pretty sure its Pharynx not Phyrax. Pretty sure Skeletor will be glad to step down and let Cadence rule the empire instead.
Another great chapter, as usual.:D
10484391
It sure is, I should know I live right next to it............ wait.
Do you hear boss battle music? The master's theme of 80's music is playing! You should listen it for ever! when reading this story!
From Great Lord Skeletor.
I am stepping down!
3/4th tears and panic
1/8th semi silent cheer
1/8th confusion
Too much change is never a good thing, plus skeletor's personality seems to take a turn to the spooky scary skeletor side
Now that's how you do a build-up! This is gonna be great
skeletor: laughs in neh
10484633
Little does she know, SKELETOR is the princess.
10484427
Oh, you're right. Thanks for catching that!
Good job can't wait for the next chapter :-)
10484515
What are you talking about, there's no such thing as Canada.
mrkantor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/mapedit-740x333.jpg
Now that is true mastery - the build-up here is excellent. It can truly go any way and that's beautiful. Colonel might overdo the praises, making Cadance see Skeletor as new tyrant, which in turn might escalate even further with poorly scheming general, better scheming spymaster and the wild card that is Skeletor himself, not to mention the possibility of Mane Six arriving soon after. Personally, I hope Cadance will become an actual friend to Skeletor - he could use some friendship and paranoid general some confusion. It is quite likely with him not wanting the crown in the first place. Skeletor might just offer to step down after confirming she has right to rule and lifetime of education for this purpose, seeing this as a way out... and such 'selfless' action might be exactly what wins Cadance over. Throw in a threat of changeling invasion (which our lord mistakes for resurrection of Sombra and might tip off Equestrians) and we have a perfect powder keg. I can only hope by the end of it protagonist won't just become a scapegoat, because even with all serious moments it was still a hilarious ride. <glares at the suspicious Sad tag>
Blast.
I thought for sure this was going to be the one where 'Skeletor' and Cadenza would finally meet.
10484954
Nnnnope. That will be chapter 29. Sorry.
10485002
i.pinimg.com/600x315/e7/7a/14/e77a144180bf9408ef786708d79e29a9.jpg
IT HAS BEGUN!
10484427
I would like to see them try to stop him from stepping down
if i were a betting man i'd put money on Not!Skeletor reacting to Cadence like so:
"oh thank all that's holy! someone get me a scribe and the council, i have an abdication to dictate!"
Finally. The good shit starts now.
10484225
You mean Norther America?
10485056
AAAAAHHH
I like, he estado esperando este encuentro desde hace mucho.
i laughed so hard
Well done, I thought for sure you were going to go the cookie cutter generic rout of, The Alicorns coming in and immediately attacking our hero. Im really excited to find that your thinking outside of the box and doing something different and creative by having someone telling about how much good Skeletor actually did. It makes the story so much better by really complicating an already complicated situation.
Fantastic work
The Monk
“Hundreds of years,” Reflection muttered, enjoying the scratching. “That’s a lot of porn.” - Dropbear
I eagerly await the next chapter.
The Princess of Food hath arriven!
Lol, bless Kris. Also finally, Skeletor will get some answers.
Very interesting chapter, I'm excited to see what the next one will bring! Keep up the great work
Col. Kernel is becoming my favorite guy in this story.
10488785
Sorta, the right amount of carbon is lenient (between 0.002% and 2.14%) but the issue comes into the fact that for good Pure Steel he would need Coking Coal, which means he needs a high pressure Furnace.
Not only that but he would need a massive Factory dedicated to Steel Production that would house the Massive Blast Furnaces.
I hope that his lack of good emotions doesn't do him in. I hate timing based things like this... hopefully he recovers in time for nothing to be skewed. I know its a hope that will leave me disappointed, but oh well.
I can totally see Skeletor momentarily feeling relief when he thinks Candence takes charge only to hear she won't due to all the exaggerated praises she heard about him from Colonel Kernel. Then Cannon Fodder thinks Skeletor is the one who tricked and/or mind-controlled her.
This is so good. I'm liking this story more and more, with each updates.
I'll be honest I can barely wait for skeletors first meeting with cadance. Thank you for the chapter.
I do like this.
I'm curious how they're going to react to the whole '3000 years' time gap.
Also,
"I am here to be your new ruler."
"No thanks. We've got a new one already and policy mandates a three month trial period before we put out ads."
10485474
Wait, don't you live in South Canada?
10485002
3 more chapters? NANI?
10492983
Are you saying you'd like to claim Florida as kin?