Chapter 2: The Crystal Empire - Part 2 (S3:E2)
My Little Pony: Nine Elements
Book 3
Written by Brandon Nell, Micah Shires, and Blake Hawkins
Chapter 2: The Crystal Empire - Part 2
Twilight had been in bleak situations before, but, they paled in comparison to the situation she’d been dealing with for the past day. She was witnessing new friends in a new location facing off against a shadowy umbrum unicorn named Sombra.
It all started when Princess Celestia received word of the Crystal Empire returning, calling Twilight and her friends to Canterlot immediately.
“The Crystal Empire has returned,” Princess Celestia summarized. “With it, King Sombra.”
After the situation was explained and Celestia stated that in the end, Twilight alone must aid in Shining Armor and Princess Cadance liberating the Crystal Empire, the Guardians of Harmony took the train to the Frozen North. They were met by Shining Armor and Flash Sentry as well as Flash’s pet thunderbird, Joules. After the three fended off against Sombra’s vaporous form, they led the guardians towards the entrance and encountered a dragon.
Inside the empire’s castle, they saw Cadance in an exhausted condition. “I’m not used to using combat magic,” Cadance said. “It’s a bit draining for me.”
With the help of both old and new friends, the guardians have come to learn more of the Crystal Empire and their efforts to protect it without Cadance’s magic. In their research, they met local Crystal Ponies who hadn’t lost their luster. They told our heroes of the Crystal Faire. “Ooh, I’m so excited for a Crystal Faire!” Lemon Zest, one of the new friends, said.
Near completion of the preparations, Twilight came upon an entry explaining a powerful artifact known as the Crystal Heart. She quickly learned how essential it was and discovered that part of the information on it was ripped out of the book.
At that moment, the threat of King Sombra loomed. Twilight’s new friends bravely faced Sombra to buy her time.
After Twilight and explained what happened, Cadance’s body finally collapsed with exhaustion. The situation was the darkest Twilight had faced yet.
Even as Sombra was rapidly closing in, Spike seemed to get an idea on what to do. "I'm writing to the princesses! They must be informed of this!"
“It won’t make a difference, Spike,” Twilight said. “It would take too long for the message to get to them and for them to show up. They wouldn’t get here in time to save anypony. My friends and I will just have to try and fend him off on our own.”
“But, what about Princess Celestia’s order not to engage him?” Spike asked.
“The safety of the Crystal Ponies should be what matters, Spike,” Twilight said. “Besides, under the circumstances, I'm sure she'd understand that we had no choice. We've come too far to just let him take back the empire. Even without the Elements of Harmony, the girls and I will find a way to win."
“I have a better idea,” Cadance’s voice rang out. “This is my empire, therefore it's my duty to protect it!" With a great deal of struggling she was able to develop a replica of her husband's signature shield spell and just in time, too.
At the borders, Astral and the Crystal 5 were battling Sombra and his golems when suddenly, the vaporous tyrant was pushed back, screaming and howling in pain as he made contact with the newly erected barrier.
“Ah!” Sombra howled. He looked down and noticed that the top of his curved horn was cut off and burying itself deep into the ground before either Astral or the Crystal 5 had a chance to notice. “I must admit,” he said to the six before him. “You’ve put up a good fight, but, all you’ve managed to do is frustrate me.” He then looked at one of the surviving golems still within the barrier. “And turn one of my golems inside out.”
“There’s more to that if you come around here again!” Indigo snapped.
“This is merely a delay,” Sombra said. “This barrier wasn’t made by the Crystal Heart, so, it can only keep me out temporarily. It won’t last forever. It’ll fail eventually. And when it does, I'll be waiting! You can't keep me locked out forever!" And then, his shadowy form retreated for the time being.
Lemon Zest gazed on at his remnants with an angered face and blew a small raspberry.
“Did any of you notice that the top of his horn was missing?” Sunny Flare asked.
“Yeah, I did,” Sugarcoat said. “Likely due to that magical surge we felt from the Princess’ magic.”
“This doesn’t bode well,” Sunny said. “If even the tiniest fragment of Sombra is within the empire’s borders, it could spell disaster for all involved.”
“You five go ahead and report this to the princess,” Astral said as he made his swords disappear and went into a quadrupedal stance. “I'll stay here and look for his horn.”
“We’re counting on you, Astral,” Indigo said as she and the other mares made their way to the castle.
At the castle, the Crystal 5 had finished their report.
“The surge of magic did, unfortunately, tear off the tip of Sombra’s horn,” Sugarcoat said. “We’re not sure where it landed as we didn’t get a good enough look.”
“But, Astral’s out there keeping an eye out for it,” Lemon Zest added.
"Thanks to you," Cadance smiled back before adopting a more serious tone. "But, Sombra's right, we haven't shut him out completely. We need to find where he hid the real Crystal Heart and fast! We'll probably have to call off the fair to conduct a search."
“No, Cadance,” Twilight protested. “You and Shining Armor can’t afford to turn this place upside down. The fair must go on, the Crystal Ponies should still believe we have the real Crystal Heart. It’ll be important to keep their spirits up when we do eventually have the real artifact. After all, it’s your empire now. It would be a good idea to interact with your subjects.”
"But, what about you, Twily?" Shining Armor questioned his sister. "What will you do?"
“I can handle the search,” Twilight said. “When I find it, I’ll bring it to you. In the meantime, please work with my friends and keep the fair going.” She then gestured to the Crystal 5. “That goes for you, too. Try making a convincing replica until I find the real one.”
“It’s going to be tricky considering it’s a special artifact,” Sour Sweet said snarkily, then, in a sweeter tone, she said. “But, we’ll try our best anyway~”
“We’ll do our best, Twilight,” Cadance promised. “But, be careful. There's no telling what sort of security measures King Sombra will have set up for the Crystal Heart should you find it.”
“I will be careful,” Twilight promised. She then trotted off to begin the search.
“Wait for me, mom!” Spike said as he followed her.
The Crystal 5 were confused. “‘Mom?’” Indigo said.
“I hatched his egg,” Twilight said as briefly and concisely as possible, briefly sticking her head back in to do so before hurrying off.
“Well, you heard her,” Sunny said. “We’ve got a job to do.”
The Crystal 5 discreetly discussed recent developments with the other Guardians of Harmony, making sure the more high-spirited Crystal Ponies didn’t hear.
“Oh, my,” Fluttershy said. “Well, it won’t be easy, but, we’ll do our best.”
Spike soon made it to Twilight, breathing heavily. Once he got control of his breath, he spoke. “Mom,” he said. “I have to ask: Are you out of your mind?! You don't even know where to begin looking for the Crystal Heart!"
“I appreciate your concern, Spike,” Twilight said. “But, everything is under control. You can stay with me, but, please try not to touch anything. Princess Celestia did say that I had to be the one to help Shining Armor and Princess Cadance to ensure everypony’s protection.”
Spike was undeterred. “But, mom,” he said. “Don't you think that maybe the real test from Princess Celestia here is to see if you'll follow every order she gives to the letter, no matter what?" He was quick to point out, "She's not perfect. She can make mistakes. We both saw how she was in that projection. Heck, you and the others have been, at the very least, trying to correcting her mistakes since you became the Guardians of Harmony. Nightmare Moon, Discord, and even Chrysalis! And the Guardians didn’t even succeed with her!"
Twilight didn’t say anything until Spike was done speaking. She then took a moment to process his words. Even now, the Guardians were trying to correct Celestia’s mistake by finding a permanent solution to the Sombra problem that four sired alicorns couldn’t.
“You’re right, Spike,” Twilight said. “You’re right about everything.” Then, a thought occurred to her. "Well, she didn't really elaborate on what she meant by 'helping,' so, I guess you tagging along won't break any of the rules or cause me to fail."
“There you go,” Spike said. “If the way she acted in that projection is an indication, we should reevaluate your incredibly high opinion on Celestia.”
“That would have to be for another time,” Twilight said. “Right now, we need to find the Crystal Heart. Still, I don't want you to touch anything unless I say otherwise. Sombra's sure to have the Crystal Heart well protected, and I promised Princess Luna I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You're my son, after all."
“I know, Mom,” Spike said with a smile. “I was right next to you.” His smile faltered. “But, where do we even begin? Asking Sombra where he hid it would be stupid on so many levels.”
“Right,” Twilight said. “In order to find it, I need to start thinking like Sombra. There’s only one place I can think of where he would keep something so important. It would have to be in a place where he would ensure nopony could think to find it or dare to look.” She looked towards the Crystal Castle.
“The castle is so big,” Spike noted. “We wouldn’t know where to start.”
“We’re going to have to start looking, Spike,” Twilight said. “Once the barrier goes down, there’ll be no stopping Sombra. I just hope our friends and the Crystal 5 can keep the fair going.”
“Knowing our friends,” Spike said. “They will. I hope you’re right about the location of the heart. If it’s not in the castle, it could be anywhere in the Crystal Empire.”
So, Twilight allowed Spike onto her back and she ran into the castle.
The Crystal Fair was still ongoing, but, it was quickly becoming a problem when various Crystal Ponies wanted to stop by to see the Crystal Heart for themselves.
Rainbow flew up to one of the Crystal Ponies’ faces intimidatingly. “What are you lookin’ at?!” This intimidated the Crystal Pony, who backed away in fright as a result. “That’s what I thought.”
Rainbow was struck in the back of the head with a hard object she quickly learned to be a disgruntled Indigo Zap’s right forehoof.
“Listen, Dash,” Indigo said. “We get what you’re trying to do, but, that’s no reason to scare the Crystal Ponies. We’re supposed to be raising their spirits, not traumatizing them.”
Rainbow sheepishly put her right forehoof behind her head. “Right, sorry. I tend to go a little overboard with these things.”
“If that’s a little overboard,” Indigo sneered. “I’d hate to see when you really go overboard.”
“Okay, genius,” Rainbow said. “How else am I supposed to keep them from finding out about the heart?”
Indigo wasn’t intimidated. "I'll stay here with Applejack and help divert ponies as needed. You should go straight to the arena to show off your jousting skills."
Rainbow’s disgruntled attitude suddenly changed to one of determination. “Okay, I like the sound of that idea way better. You really are a genius!” As quick as a wink, Rainbow flew in the direction of the arena. Once there, she saw Shining Armor preparing for a joust.
“Hey, Rainbow,” he said. “Care to go a few rounds against me in the tournament? I could use a little refresher in combat. I can’t use my magic for the time being.”
Rainbow’s grin grew. “You’re on!”
Meanwhile, other Crystal Ponies began to come by, ones not interested in the jousting match. “Having a good time?” Indigo asked. “If not, don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll relay it to the princess and her husband.”
“I’m feeling the best I’ve felt since…” one Crystal Pony started. “I can’t remember when! This is the best time I’ve ever had!”
“That’s good to hear, Autumn Gem,” Indigo said.
“I would love to see the Crystal Heart, though, before the ceremony,” Autumn said. “It’s been a long time since anypony has laid eyes on it.”
Applejack was getting nervous.
“There are a lot of other activities to try,” Cadance said, coming to Applejack’s aid. “There are plenty of rare foods to try and even a jousting match that my husband is participating in.”
Applejack watched the whole thing unfold as she thought to herself. Come on, Twilight... hurry it up, will ya?! These here Crystal Ponies’re more curious’n a cat! Don't know how long the rest o’ us can keep 'em away.
Back in the castle, Twilight was searching through every possible nook and cranny. Unfortunately, nothing stood out or gave any indicator as to where the Crystal Heart could possibly be.
“It's got to be here somewhere," Twilight protested with annoyance. "Where is it?!"
“Believe me, Mom,” Spike said. “If I did know where it was, I would tell you. Sombra must have been desperate to keep the Crystal Heart hidden.”
“From what the Crystal 5 told us,” Twilight said. “Just being near the Crystal Heart would make him sick and weak, so, he couldn’t be holding onto it himself.” As she continued to search, she remembered something that Princess Celestia told her and her friends. “Wait a minute… if I want to thwart Sombra, I’ll have to think like him!”
Spike gulped. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s not what you think, Spike,” Twilight reassured her drake son. “I won’t be speaking to him directly, but, I need to remember that things in the Crystal Empire were different when he reigned. This is Queen Amore’s castle, not Sombra’s.”
“But, we can’t ask Queen Amore,” Spike said. “She was turned into a crystal statue and shattered with the fragments being scattered across Equestria.”
“What I mean is,” Twilight clarified. “Sombra must have altered the throne room in a way only he could. That way, he could hide the Crystal Heart in a place where only he could get to it. And the only way to find it is to use dark magic.”
“But, you haven’t learned any dark magic spells,” Spike said.
“Good thing I can figure spells out after seeing them in action,” Twilight said. “You better stand back. I’m not taking any chances.”
Spike cautiously stood back. He was worried for his pony mother’s safety. Then, with a large effort of concentration, Twilight’s deep magenta magical aura became black engulfed in a vivid violet haze with light brilliant green edges. And to make matters worse, Spike could see her clearly straining as she aimed a beam of the powerful magic at the crystal atop the throne.
In Twilight’s mind, she could feel dark thoughts starting to seep in. And to make matters worse, she soon heard the familiar voice of King Sombra starting to taunt her. "Well well, the prized protege of Princess Celestia. Finally getting a taste of dark magic, I see. It hurts, doesn't it? It's like no pain you've ever felt before."
“Get out of my mind, Sombra!” Twilight roared and growled in defiance. She was unaware that the conversation was being heard, though thankfully, only by Spike.
“I only wish to make a deal with you to ease your suffering,” the greedy king said. "Give into the darkness. Let it consume you as it did me, let it burn away anything and everything else. Once your heart is as black as mine you'll feel so much better, because you'll be incapable of ever feeling anything ever again."
“I will never become like you, Sombra!” Twilight snapped. “You won’t corrupt me! I’ve sharpened my mental barriers!”
"They will do you little good in the end," the umbrum cackled in a deep voice. "Still, I can't maintain this link between us for long. I must concentrate my powers into fully restoring my physical presence. After all, that pesky princess' barrier is going to run out before long, even sooner than that pathetic husband of hers from whom she copied the spell."
“You leave my brother out of this!” Twilight snapped again. “Don’t even think about harming him or my sister-in-law!”
“Ah, so, they’re your family,” Sombra said in surprise. “Good. That will make their destruction all the more satisfying. Talk to you again soon, Twilight. You'll have to use a lot more dark magic than what you're currently using to stop me. And if you're already struggling now, I can only imagine how hard the rest of the trials will be." Just like that, his voice faded away.
Twilight opened her eyes and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She now stood in front of a large spiral staircase that led down into a dark cave that had not been there a moment ago. “Spike, this looks dangerous. Stay here while I go down to see where this goes. If it’s safe for you to come down, I’ll call you. Remember, not a claw until I tell you, okay?”
Spike gave a salute to show he understood.
Unable to tell how deep the staircase was, Twilight picked up a loose piece of crystal and dropped it. She listened for a possible sound when it hit the ground, but, it took a long time for the crystal to hit the bottom. When it did, it was very faint. With that, she started down carefully. Since the staircase didn’t have any rails, she had to be really careful with how she tread. “Spike,” she called. “Can you hear me?”
“Barely,” Spike replied. “What do you need?”
"Is everything okay outside? I haven't looked in a while." Twilight instructed.
Spike peered out the window with his emerald green eyes. He could see the barrier flickering on and off. When it did fade down, the surrounding area outside took on a dark red hue that made everything seem ominous and troubling. It was even possible to hear the sound of thunder crashing as King Sombra’s voice was speaking through the dark crystals that were sprouting up like weeds.
Spike hurried to the staircase entrance. “It’s not looking good, mom,” he said. “Cadance’s magic is fading fast! I’d say we have an hour before it fails completely!”
“Oh, dear,” Twilight said dismally. “If you don’t hear from me by then, you’ll have to get the Princesses involved. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.” She continued down the stairs, only to misjudge her step and tumbled down the whole flight. She managed to illuminate her horn, cascading the room in a soft magenta light. “Ow…”
“Are you okay, mom?” Spike called from above.
“Been better, but, nonetheless okay,” Twilight called. She then found a door. She then called up. “Stay where you are, Spike! I’ve got something to check out!”
However, as Twilight got closer, the door moved itself further back. She tried this a few more times, but, the results were the same. Losing her patience, Twilight used the same dark magic spell she used before and fired a beam at the door, causing it to stop. “You stay right there!” The door then creaked open and a blinding flash could be seen. “I think I found a lead, Spike!” she called. “This must be where the Crystal Heart is!” She then ran through the door. Or at least, she thought she ran through the door.
Once the flash faded, Twilight discovered that she was no longer in the dark cave beneath the castle throne. Instead, she found herself back in… of all places… the Canterlot Castle throne room. Twilight looked around in confusion. In fact, any resemblance of the door that brought her there was no longer in sight. “Huh?” she said quizzically. “Canterlot? How did I end up here? What’s going on?”
She then bumped into Princess Celestia. “What are you doing here?” the sun princess asked in a very stern voice. “I thought I sent you on an important assignment.”
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight gasped in surprise, thrown for a loop at her mentor’s vocal tone. “I don't know how, I swear! I was in the Crystal Empire when I opened this door and-”
Celestia interrupted coldly. “I don’t have time for your excuses. You have disobeyed my instructions.” She turned her back. “You must go.”
“Go?” Twilight asked, blinking dismally in confuison. “Go where?”
“It makes no difference to me,” Celestia said. “You failed my test. I hoped you would do better than Sunset Shimmer as a student, but, you’re as much a failure as she was.*”
Twilight gasped in shock and horror. “What?! But, I don’t understand! How could I have failed? I didn’t do anything wrong! I don’t even know how I ended up back here!”
"I told you I didn't want to hear your excuses, Twilight,” Celestia snorted. “You disappointed me. So now, not only will you not move on to the next level of your studies and begin advanced lessons, you won't continue your studies at all! Your time as my student has come to an end."
“I…” Twilight stammered. “Y-you can’t do this! You never said anything about me no longer being your student if I failed!”
"Oh, didn't I? I thought you already knew since you made it a habit to know everything," Celestia replied as she trotted away, refusing to look her former student in the eyes. "Get out of my sight, Twilight!" And just like that, she disappeared.
Twilight was still shaken up from what she had heard. She couldn’t understand why Celestia was acting like this towards her. At that moment, she saw a stained glass window depicting King Sombra overpowering and conquering the Crystal Empire. The image of this reduced Twilight to tears. “No… no, it can’t be… no! NO!”
Suddenly, in the distance, Twilight became aware of a familiar voice calling out to her. It was faint at first, but, it slowly grew louder. “Mom? Mom! Moooom!” the voice called. Twilight realized that it was Spike. His voice broke her out of her apparent trance and she shook off the dark magic feeling once more. She found herself back in the cave in front of the door.
“Spike?” Twilight said, turning to see him running down the stairway.
Spike wasted no time embracing his unicorn mother.
“Thank goodness you’re okay,” he said happily before he said in an apologetic tone. “I know you told me to stay up there, but, you weren’t answering my calls. I got worried and came down to check on you when I heard you crying. What are you looking at that’s troubling you?” He turned his attention to the open door that wasn’t really an entrance. “It’s just a wall. Why would-” But, as Spike peered into it, the crystal adornment on the doorframe flashed with dark magic, causing an illusion to unfold before Spike that only he could see as his eyes glowed a sickly green. “Ponyville? How did we get back- Mom, how did you- No! Please! I don’t want to go! You can’t send me away! I thought I meant something to you! Please, don’t make me go!”
Realizing what was happening, Twilight quickly shut the door, cutting off the spell it was casting on Spike. “Looks like my hunch on traps was right,” she said. “This elusive door is powered by King Sombra's dark magic. He must've enchanted it to show one's worst fears. For me, it was failing the test. And for you... well, we just witnessed it for ourselves."
“We were back in Ponyville,” Spike sniffled with tears running down his face. “You told me you didn’t need me anymore, so, you were going to send me away.” The little dragon started to sob. “After you brought me into the world and everything I did for you over the years, you were going to send me away!”
Twilight’s heart ached in sympathy as she looked upon her devastated little dragon. The mere sight of him in pain alone was hard for her. Knowing that she was tied to it was heartbreaking for her. She hugged the little drake into her barrel. Her hugs weren’t as tight as Pinkie’s, but, they were still soft and comforting.
“I promise I'll never let that fear come to pass,” she said gently. “I’m never going to send you away no matter what. You will always have a special place in my heart and next to me. If there comes a day where you’re too big for the library, I’ll still stay with you because I can’t imagine living anywhere without you.”**
Hearing Twilight’s words made Spike feel much better, even without Twilight having to rub his left face cheek. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I needed to hear that. But, if that door is supposed to be here, how do we get inside if it’s a dead end?”
The unicorn smiled. "By countering Sombra's dark magic with my own magic. A magic powered by light and love. A magic I'm reminded of just by having you near me." And that's exactly what sort of magic she used on the crystal above the door, breaking the spell and allowing the door to swing open. There was no blinding flash of light this time and both pony and dragon took that as a sign that it was safe to proceed.
“More stairs,” Spike said as he saw what was inside. “I’m sensing a theme here.”
“So am I,” Twilight nodded in agreement. “But, I think it’ll be better for both of us if we stick together from here on out. I left you alone when a threat to Equestria was on the loose before and I won’t do it again. Now, we'd better hurry and find the Crystal Heart before it's too late!"
As Twilight and Spike searched for the Crystal Heart (with none of the empire any wiser to the hardships they were enduring), the Jousting tournament was finally underway. The excitement kept the Crystal Ponies engaged. The Crystal 5 were the only Crystal Ponies aware of the barrier flickering.
“This is getting really bad,” Lemon Zest said.
“Oh, I hope Twilight is okay,” Sour Sweet said in her sweet tone. Then, in her sour tone, she said. “She better find it soon!”
Pinkie Pie, now decked out from head to hooves in a green jester's outfit, blew into a flugelhorn. "Attention, fillies and gentlecolts!" she declared afterward. "Thank you for your patience. We're ready to start the jousting tournament! In this corner: Knight Rainbow Dash!" A spotlight shown on one end of the arena, showing Rainbow Dash in her jousting outfit. "And in this corner: your prince, Shining Armor!" Another spotlight showed Shining in his jousting outfit, which also fortunately obscured the dark crystals surrounding his horn. The crowd cheered wildly as Pinkie announced. “Jousters, ready your lances! Get ready and… go!”
Rainbow charged forward at lightning speed. She aimed her lance at Shining Armor’s mid-section with the intent of knocking him down. She knew he couldn't use his magic to adjust his lance’s position. Even if he could, it would be an unfair advantage. She learned this from practice matches with Indigo. This is going to be an easy knockout, she thought to herself with a confident smirk.
However, Shining Armor just continued trotting at his leisurely pace until at the last second, he charged forward. Unprepared for this burst of speed, Rainbow was knocked over instead.
“And the first point goes to Knight Shining Armor!” Pinkie announced. “First one to three points wins the match and then moves onto the next match! The not-victor takes over as the jester. Okay, jousters, back to your stations. Prepare for your next faceoff.”
Flash, who was in the audience alongside Cadance and Joules, snickered as Shining approached Rainbow, helping her to her hooves. “You gave yourself away charging ahead like that,” he instructed the mare. “In the royal guard, we consider that behavior reckless. And you just saw where recklessness will get you.”
“Yeah, sure,” Rainbow said, dusting herself off. “I won’t make that same mistake again. You won’t beat me again!”
Wow, Shining said internally. Applejack wasn’t wrong about Rainbow’s attitude. “With that attitude, you don’t stand a chance,” he replied. "Twilight tells me you've been trying to get into the Wonderbolts. Well, if you want to have any shot with them you're going to have to learn to think with your head, not with your hooves."
“Hey, enough chit-chat!” Pinkie called. She was ready to blow into the flugelhorn to start the next match. “I can’t keep this party going forever. We have to keep the entertainment going. So, you better get back out there and give these ponies a good time!”
“Oh, don’t worry, Pinkie,” Rainbow said. “I’ll give them some entertainment and then some when I come back from an early defeat and win this whole tournament!”
Indigo, who was among the other participants in the tournament next to Fluttershy, could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Is she seriously that stupid?!” she asked the demure pegasus.
“Um,” Fluttershy said, trying to be polite. “She does have her moments.”
Indigo could only groan in annoyance. “Please tell me she’s not the best example of schools these days.”
“Sure, she isn’t perfect,” Fluttershy said. “But, she has proved to raise our spirits if we’re ever in trouble.”
“From what I’ve seen so far,” Indigo said. “You’ll have to forgive me if I’m skeptical.”
Meanwhile, Rarity trotted up to Applejack with bad news. “I am running out of weaving materials for the traditional crafts booth! I just made a hat out of three pieces of hay and a drinkable straw. I made it work, but, still. At this point, I don’t know how long we’re going to keep the fair going.”
Sunny stepped up. “And I can’t keep making stuff out of crystals,” she said.
“Even the petting zoo isn’t getting much attention,” Lemon Zest reported. “The barrier’s not holding up well. It looks like it could fail at any time.”
Cadence came trotting over, forcing a smile as it was clear she was struggling to maintain her composure. "It may be time to consider a Plan B. The only thing we have left to keep the Crystal Ponies interested is the jousting tournament. But, if the barrier fails soon, even that won't be enough."
Just then, some Crystal Pony called out. “Where’s the Crystal Heart?”
Thinking quickly, Sugarcoat subtly concentrated her magic to make the replica appear.
“I know this isn’t really an honest means,” Sugarcoat whispered to Applejack. “But, we still have to keep the Crystal Ponies secured until the real Crystal Heart is found. The alternative is having them panic. Do you honestly want that?”
Applejack shook her head no. Just then, an overly excited Crystal Pony stallion tripped and hit the fake, knocking it over before the crowd of Crystal Ponies.
“The heart,” said a Crystal Pony, losing his luster. “It’s a fake.”
“Ooh, that clumsy Gallic!” Sour Sweet said bitterly.
“Please, do not be alarmed,” Cadance said, attempting to calm the crowd. “The true Crystal Heart is-”
Applejack quickly interrupted. "-A-already on its way!" And she gave a nervous chuckle.
“Probably should have said, ‘being polished,’ to buy us more time,” Rarity whispered.
Sugarcoat pulled Applejack aside to whisper to her. “We’re in trouble enough for lying. We don’t need more lies to make it worse.”
“Didn’t ya tell me moments ago ‘bout this?!” Applejack asked in a low voice. “Besides, ah know ya don’t know me, but, if ah did lie, ah woulda gagged with an upset stomach.”
Sugarcoat simply rolled her eyes. “Look, at this point, the best we can do is try to contain the fallout now that everypony knows we don't have the real Crystal Heart. With a little luck, Twilight and Spike will find it soon."
“Right,” Applejack nodded. “Ah hope Astral’s doin’ better.”
At the borders of the empire, Astral was smashing dark crystals with his swords. Though, his efforts were making little difference as the crystals were growing faster than he could smash them.
“Just give up, dragon,” Sombra said wickedly. “You’re running yourself down to the ground. You cannot stop my efforts!”
“I failed to stop you once,” Astral said between breaths. “I won’t let it happen again!”
“And just like that, you played right into my hooves,” Sombra said. “With you preoccupied here, the empire doesn’t have its strongest guard.”
Astral knew that Sombra was trying to get him to let his guard down. He knew he couldn't give up. “I know what you’re trying to do, Sombra,” he said. “That’s why I made my own force fields around us.”
Sombra noticed some of his crystals were unable to grow past the barrier Astral created. “What is this?!”
“I’ll keep defending the empire to my last breath!” Astral said. However, no sooner had he said that than his eyes went back to their normal icy blue and he passed out. His barrier faded.
“Just as I thought,” Sombra said. “You used too much energy raising a barrier in your combat state. You played into my hooves again.”
Back with Twilight and Spike, they were still venturing up the tall stairway, but, Twilight was running low on breath.
“You know,” Spike said. “Something occurred to me. “What if this is just another one of Sombra's traps he set up with his dark magic? Think about it: A passage beneath the throne room only accessible by dark magic, a door that leads to your worst fears. Why not add stairs that lead to nowhere on top of it at all? It's so evil nopony would ever think of it."
Once Twilight had a chance to catch her breath, she thought for a moment. She then brightened up. “There’s only one thing I can think of that would thwart his trap. Spike, grab onto me and whatever you do, don’t open your eyes and don’t let go!”
Spike reluctantly obeyed. “W-what are you going to do, mom?”
Twilight didn’t answer as she concentrated a magic aura around herself and Spike. They suddenly found themselves upside down and sliding upwards on the underside of the stairwell. Realizing what was going on, Spike clenched his eyes tight.
“I had studied gravity spells,” Twilight said as she excitedly slid. “I had a feeling this would be helpful and it was!” At last they reached the bottom, or rather the top, as Twilight returned gravity to normal. “You can open your eyes now.”
“I think I’m going to keep them closed for a little bit if it’s all the same,” Spike said nervously, still processing what happened as Twilight levitated him down to the floor.
The two found themselves in a tall tower. There before them was the Crystal Heart in all its glory. Twilight was captivated by its shimmering glory. Without thinking, she walked forward and held it in her forehooves. Unfortunately, touching it triggered an alarm set by Sombra. “Fool!” his voice said. “Did you think I would leave the Crystal Heart unprotected?”
Hearing Sombra’s voice caused Spike to pop his eyes wide open with surprise. Several huge crystals grew around Twilight, one launched the Crystal Heart out of Twilight’s forehooves towards Spike. Twilight was trapped. She looked around for the magical artifact. “Where’s the Crystal-”
“It’s over here!” Spike called. “It rolled over to me!”
Meanwhile, Twilight groaned and lamented aloud. "How could I have been so foolish?! I should've known it was a trap! It was so obvious! But, I was so eager to get it. And now..." She trailed off, watching as the protective barrier began to fail completely.
“You have to get out of there, Mom!” Spike called. “There’s no point writing to the princesses and you’ll fail the test! I don’t know what Sombra’s going to do to you for trying to take back the Crystal Heart! Please, Mom. You’ve got to have a plan! You have to!”
But, Twilight shook her head. “There’s no plan, Spike,” she said before a thought occurred to her. “Spike, keep the Crystal Heart safe and take it to Princess Cadance! There may not be enough time for me to escape, let alone deliver the Crystal Heart.”
“Me?!” Spike said as he grabbed the Crystal Heart. “But, I’ll mess up for sure!”
“Don’t doubt yourself now, Spike,” Twilight said. “I’ve seen your courage several times. You risked your life to literally grab Nightmare Moon by the horn so we’d have a chance to purify her. You’re the only one I can trust right now. Don’t worry about me. I’ll think of something.”
Spike, hearing his pony mother’s genuine words, suddenly became determined. “Okay.” And with that, he went to a nearby window to find a way down.
Be brave, Spike, Twilight said internally. For both of us.
Outside, things had gone from bad to worse as the looming threat of Sombra was ever approaching. “Come back to me, my crystal slaves!” he said in a tone barely above a whisper.
The Crystal 5 refused to let their fear get the better of them. “You’re no king of ours, Sombra!” Indigo said.
“You may say that now,” Sombra teased as he picked up Astral’s still unconscious body with shadow tendrils. “But, give me the time and I’ll show you that I am the king that you deserve!” He then threw Astral at the Crystal 5. “Besides, the only way to stop me is with the Crystal Heart and you will never find it!”
“Think again, Sombra!” a familiar voice called out.
The Crystal 5, Flash, Cadance, Shining Armor, the rest of the empire, and the remaining guardians turned their attention upwards where the voice came from.
“Spikey-Wikey?!” Rarity gasped in alarm. “What are you doing up there?! Where’s Twilight?!
“There’s no time to explain,” Spike called. “I got the Crystal Heart!” At that moment, Spike realized he was at the top of one of the castle’s spires and froze in fear briefly before carefully trying to make his way down. However, he lost his grip and fell, screaming all the way.
“Spike!” Shining Armor called out. Princess Cadance, who was weakly on Shining Armor’s back, spread her wings.
“Honey,” she said. “Throw me. I’ll catch Spike and the Crystal Heart.”
Shining nodded in understanding and did as she said. As Cadance glided upwards towards Spike and the Crystal Heart, the magic from the artifact was able to instantly restore her well-being and her magic. She grabbed onto Spike, allowing him to rest on her back while she flew down with the heart in her magical aura. The little dragon held on tight while clenching his eyes shut. The crowd of Crystal Ponies, the Crystal 5, Flash, and the Guardians gasped with amazement. Princess Cadance then landed on the ground, shattering the fake Crystal Heart while her Crystal Heart Cutie Mark glistened brilliantly.
“NO!” Sombra said.
“King Sombra is invading,” Princess Cadance said sternly. “We cannot let that happen. Use the light and love within you to ensure that he never gets the chance to!”
The Crystal Ponies obeyed and kneeled before they began to glow like the Crystal Heart. The light magic then began to be absorbed into the Crystal Heart, which began to spin rapidly. It cascaded a brilliant light that caused all around it to glow like crystal.
“No! Stop!” Sombra demanded. “Bow before me! Your king demands it!”
“It’s like I said,” Indigo retorted. “You are no king of ours and you will never be!”
The light from the Crystal Heart struck Sombra, who screamed in agony as his vaporous form seemed to burn. He then turned into his solid form, which melted into a dark blob that melted into nothing while trying in vain to escape.*** The light from the Crystal Empire also destroyed the remnants of Sombra’s magic, including the trap that was around Twilight. All the while, even non-Crystal Ponies and dragons began to glow brightly. Twilight looked down from the window to see a large crowd of Crystal Ponies praising Spike and Princess Cadance.
Good job, Spike, Twilight thought. Mama’s so proud.
The light from the Crystal Heart also brought Astral Flare out of his weakened state.
“Welcome back, Astral,” Indigo said. “Sombra’s dead.”
Astral breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
During the celebration, the Guardians, Flash, Joules, the Royal Couple, Spike, Astral, and the Crystal 5 were gathered.
“Let’s hope you’ll be ready for when Sombra comes back,” Twilight said.
“Oh, that won’t happen,” Sugarcoat said. “He’s dead.”
“Even so,” Sunny Flair said. “We can help out around here for other reasons. We haven’t seen all of our neighbors in such a long time, but, now we can use what we’ve learned to help out.”
“I’m sorry,” Rainbow said. “Did you say that he’s dead?!”
“Yes,” Sugarcoat said directly. “You act as if you’ve never killed before.”
“WE HAVEN’T!” the guardians said in unison.
“Oh,” Lemon said plainly.
“Well, look on the bright side,” Flash said.
“How can there possibly be a bright side to this?!” Pinkie said.
“You were told to find a permanent solution to the Sombra problem,” Flash said. “And you did. No amount of magic can bring him back now.****”
“That’s…” Pinkie started, before taking a moment to think about it. “That’s actually a really good point. Huh… maybe there is a bright sight to this.”
“Believe me, I know how it feels,” Shining Armor said. “In my time as a royal guard, I’ve taken a few lives myself.”
“All the same,” Rarity said. “This is going to take some time to process.”
“Considering the type of pony Sombra was,” Sugarcoat said. “Literally none of the Crystal Ponies are going to complain about his death.”
“Indeed,” Astral said. “And I’m certainly not going to, either.”
“You’ve saved more lives than you’ll ever have to take,” Shining said.
“That’s true,” Twilight smiled before giving her big brother a hug. “Thank you for understanding.”
Astral turned his attention to Spike. “So, you were a were-pony, too?”
“Yeah,” Spike said directly. “It felt painful changing between pony and dragon. Though it did give me a great bonding moment with Rarity, I couldn’t bare through that pain and I chose to be a dragon again. She, Mom, Shining Armor, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance worked their magic on me. I almost didn’t make it, but, thanks to Rarity, I did.”
“I was the first were-pony,” Astral said.
“Whoa,” Spike said.
“As a side effect of the curing,” Astral said. “I’m able to use pony magic.”
“That’s cool,” Spike said. “Even after enduring the pain of transforming you felt, of course.”
“I wish to take you as a magic student,” Astral said. “As well as teach you how to harness your combat instincts.”
“I appreciate the offer,” Spike said. “But, I didn’t develop any magic after my transformation. Besides, my home is in Ponyville and it’s a long trip between here and there.”
“Very well,” Astral said. “But, if you ever find yourself using magic, do not hesitate to let me know.”
Meanwhile, Rarity was chatting with Sunny Flare. “Those crystal creation spells are simply magnificent,” she said before whispering to her. “Could you teach me that?”
“I can try,” Sunny said. “But, I can’t promise anything. You need at least partial Crystal Pony blood to be able to use that kind of magic at all.”
“So, that’s a no,” Rarity said sadly.
“It might be more possible than you think,” Sunny said. “You look a lot like a unicorn Crystal Pony named Sparkler.*****”
Rarity recognized the name. “Sparkler? My parents told me she was one of our ancestors. Though, how would she have been one of my ancestors if the Crystal Empire had been gone for over one thousand years?”
“That doesn’t sound as far-fetched as you think,” Sunny said. “Sparkler moved to another kingdom a year before Sombra took over.”
“So,” Rarity said. “There is a chance I can learn what you know.”
“Yes,” Sunny said. “Though, with so many generations of non-Crystal Pony ancestors, you’ll have to work harder.”
“I understand,” Rarity said. “So, knowing this, once I do learn more, I’ll have to use this magic for practical purposes.”
Meanwhile, Twilight had a thought on her mind.
I am so proud of Spike’s efforts, Twilight thought to herself. But, if Princess Celestia finds out that I wasn’t responsible for helping the Crystal Empire…
Shining took notice of Twilight’s deep thought. “I know that look,” he said. “Something on your mind, Twily?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “I disobeyed Princess Celestia.”
“You,” Shining Armor said in confusion. “Disobey Princess Celestia? How?”
“She told me not to engage with Sombra,” Twilight said. “And I ended up drawing myself and my friends into battle with him. Sure, it wasn’t direct, but, that’s besides the point. Not only that, but, I didn’t end up being the only one to help you and Cadance save the Empire.”
“Twilight,” Shining Armor said in a stern yet kind voice. “What mattered was that the Crystal Empire and its ponies were safe from Sombra’s wrath. Once you and your friends explain the story, I know she’ll understand why these things were done.” He then gave a somewhat disgruntled follow-up. “Besides, if she wanted all her subjects blindly following her orders to the letter no matter what, she wouldn’t be trying to phase out the clone guards, now, would she?”
Twilight took a moment to consider this. “You know, that is a really good point.”
“Besides,” Shining said. “Spike was bringing the Crystal Heart to Cadance because you told him to, right?”
“Well…” Twilight began. “Yes.”
“So, you did have a hoof in it,” Shining said. “Even if it wasn’t direct.”
“That’s true,” Twilight said. “Still, I am proud of Spike’s efforts. With that, he was given such well-deserved admiration from the Crystal Ponies.”
“We both know how hard it was for Spike growing up back home,” Shining said.
“Right,” Twilight said.
“I’d say that earning the admiration of an entire pony society makes up for that,” Shining said.
“You’re right,” Twilight said, beginning to feel better. “I just wish there was a way to make him an actual Element of Harmony.”
“It’s a nice thought,” Shining said. “But, look what he’s accomplished without one.”
“Hey, that’s true,” Twilight said.
“He won the admiration of an entire pony society,” Shining said. “And he didn’t need an Element of Harmony to do it. Thoughtful as giving him an actual element is, at this point, it’d be too much too soon.”
“I see,” Twilight nodded. “By the way, will there be a royal guard here?”
“Well,” he replied. “One advantage to Cadance now being in charge of the Crystal Empire is that I can hoof-pick my own guard candidates here and make sure they are PROPERLY trained. Oh, I'm not going to delude myself into thinking they're going to be a match for the god-tier baddies you and your friends come across - it will be years before even the best trained guards can realistically think they're ready for that sort of stuff. But, they will at least be competent enough to be able to handle NORMAL criminals as well as make their judgements based on individual character instead of on species.”******
“Will Astral be on the guard?” Twilight asked.
“After his efforts to keep the empire safe, yes,” Shining Armor smiled. “Besides, he knows the Crystal Guard better than I do.”
“That’s understandable,” Twilight nodded.
“Will I be accepted, captain?” Flash asked.
“Of course,” Shining Armor smiled. Then, he remembered the amount of incompetent guards in Canterlot. “On second thought… maybe wait until we hire more competent guards back in Canterlot first.”
“But, you have a responsibility to the Crystal Empire now,” Flash said. “You can’t be in both places at once.”
“Well,” he said. “I definitely see a lot of potential in getting to train the Crystal Ponies and learn from the mistakes made with MOST of the Equestrian Guard. However, while I appreciate your help here, Flash, I'm afraid Equestria can't afford to lose BOTH of us long term, given that you are among the few competent guards besides me. Therefore, as my last official act as Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard before joining Cadance in ruling the Crystal Empire, I hereby promote you to Lieutenant and wish you luck in training the new crop of Guards."*******
“Thank you, sir,” Flash said in surprised gratitude.
Soon, the guardians, Spike, Joules, and Flash were making their way to the train to Canterlot. They'd reverted to normal by then.
“It’s too bad the Crystal look is temporary to non-Crystal Empire natives,” Rarity said sadly. “Did you see the way my mane shimmered?”
“But,” Applejack said. “Good things’re better when they’re a rarity.”
Rarity, hearing this, giggled happily at Applejack’s kind words. During the train ride, Twilight was rather quiet. Spike was the first to notice.
“Mom,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“I just hope that Princess Celestia doesn’t discontinue my studies or label me as a failure like Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight said.
“What?” he said. “I can understand why, given what happened before, but, that doesn’t sound like anything Princess Celestia would do these days. Besides, when would she have called Sunset a failure directly?”
“Well, remember that door that showed whoever opened it their worst fears?” Twilight said.
“Say no more,” Spike said with an uncomfortable shiver. “But, just like you reassured me that my worst fear wouldn’t come to pass, once Princess Celestia hears what we endured, there’s a chance that she’ll reassure you that your worst fear won't come to pass.”
“What’s this ‘bout Sunset Shimmer?” Applejack asked.
“Sorry,” Twilight said. “I was telling Spike about my worries. When he and I were looking for the Crystal Heart, I came across a door that leads to your worst nightmare. When I opened it, I saw that I was back in Canterlot and Princess Celestia told me that I not only failed the test and am no longer continuing my studies with her, but, she told me I was also a failure like Sunset Shimmer.”
“That doesn’t sound right,” Fluttershy said. “Sure, she used to solve problems by sealing, banishing, or both, but, she’s not that pony anymore.”
“And any time she brought up Sunset Shimmer around us,” Rarity said. “She gave the impression that she thought very highly of her.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie said. “So, I don’t think Celestia would have even thought about calling Sunset a failure. And you either, for that matter, because you’re not one.”
“We may not know Sunset Shimmer personally or what happened to her,” Rainbow said. “And we probably never will********, but, if Princess Celestia thinks so highly of her, that’s good enough for me. She doesn’t just throw praise around.”
Twilight, hearing her friends comforting words, began to feel better. “Thank you, Spike. Thank you, everypony.”
The group returned to Canterlot the next morning and Twilight was soon left alone for an audience of one with Princess Celestia. Surprisingly, the sun princess seemed to take the news of the mission's unexpected developments quite well, especially since a new stained glass window commemorated the final outcome: Spike delivering the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadence and King Sombra being destroyed. "It's beautiful. This will make a fine addition to the other displays here in the throne room," Princess Celestia spoke up.
“It is, indeed,” Twilight said. “And I’m very proud of Spike’s efforts and the admiration he got from the Crystal Ponies. Still, I wish it was ultimately me who saved the day as you wished. I’m sorry you had to find out this way and that I didn’t contact you or Princess Luna.”
“While Luna and I would have appreciated some contact to let us know what was going on,” Celestia said. “If I understand correctly, you sent Spike to deliver the Crystal Heart to Cadance because you were uncertain how quickly you could escape the tower or Sombra’s trap. You were unwilling to risk the future of the Crystal Empire in an effort to guarantee your own. You were even willing to disobey my orders, even if you misinterpreted them, if it meant the empire would be saved.”
“Misinterpreted?” Twilight asked.
“Your friends weren’t there solely to boost your morale,” Celestia said. “Finding a permanent solution to the Sombra problem was something even a sired alicorn couldn’t do alone. Did you honestly think I expected you to accomplish it by yourself when you didn’t even know the Crystal Empire existed until two days ago?”
Twilight took this information in for a moment. Spike was right before, she thought to herself. And it seems he’s right again. “The real test was if I’d follow your orders to the letter no matter what?” she asked aloud.
“In a way,” Princess Celestia said. “The real test was making sure that a problem is solved with what you have, who you have with you, and with what you learn about. You not only succeeded in that regard, but, showed that you understand the importance of self-sacrifice instead of only looking out for your own self-interest.”
“So, I’m not a failure like Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight asked.
Celestia was taken aback by this. “Sunset Shimmer wasn’t a failure,” Celestia said. “If anything, I feel I failed her. Was this idea from the worst fear doorway you told me of?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “I know it sounds ridiculous when you were singing her praises any time you brought her up around us, but, I don’t know what happened to her.”
“Alas, I don’t, either,” Celestia said. “But, I can’t help but feel partially responsible for it.”
Twilight walked up to Princess Celestia and gave her a comforting nuzzle. The sun princess was touched by her student’s empathy.
“I cannot worry about her now,” Celestia said after a moment. “Now, I have your future studies with advanced magic to look forward to. For the time being, after you and your friends’ endeavors, you must rest.”
“Out of curiosity,” Twilight said. “Will there be studies on dark magic?”
“Yes,” Celestia said.
“After this experience,” Twilight said. “I’m not really in a rush to explore its more intricate facets.”
“I understand,” Celestia nodded sympathetically. “All the same, your future’s looking bright.”
Twilight was doing her best to keep her composure, but, inside, she was jubilant. At that moment, Luna came trotting in with the still lifeless Canis on her back.
“Indeed it is,” she said. “And I'm pleased to hear that my favorite dragon finally got a chance to be the big hero he always dreamed of being. You should be proud of yourself for raising such an excellent son, Twilight. He's definitely in good hooves with you."
“Thank you,” Twilight said respectfully to both princesses. “I’m definitely impressed with how much he’s grown during this adventure.” She wiped a lone tear from her eye.
“We all are,” Luna smiled. “I’m certain you’re aware of the promise you made me.”
“Yes, I am,” Twilight said.
“Well,” Luna said. “The other guardians informed me that he fell off one of the spires of the Crystal Castle.”
“He WHAT?!” Twilight said in shock.
“Though,” Luna said. “Cadance ensured that he was swooped up before he ever had a chance to hit the ground. Because of this and the fact that you were trapped at the time, I will overlook it this one time.” She then made a very stern expression. “But, don’t make this a habit.”
“That is a promise I will definitely keep, your highness,” Twilight said.
Twilight then returned to Spike and the other guardians.
“Did it go well?” Pinkie asked.
“Better than well,” Twilight said. “I passed! And I have all of you to thank for it!” She then made a stern face. “But, why didn’t you tell me Spike fell off one of the castle’s spires?”
“Would you believe we felt you had enough to worry about without knowing that?” Rarity asked nervously.
Twilight’s stern expression gradually softened. “Very well,” she said. “But, the next time Spike’s in danger and the rest of you know about it while I don’t, I expect you to actually try and do something about it. Understand?”
The guardians made approving replies.
“Especially you, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “You’d think that as the best flier on the team and the one most likely to risk your life to save others, you would’ve thought to try saving him first.”
“I did think to save him,” Rainbow said. “But, I realized that it’d be difficult to rescue him and hold the Crystal Heart, which he let go of while he was falling, at the same time. I don’t have magic to carry the Crystal Heart with.”
“Even if Rainbow was able to catch it,” Pinkie said. “Shining Armor already threw Cadance to catch Spike.”
“Come on, girls, don’t argue,” Spike said. “My mom passed her test thanks to you. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Yer right, Spike,” Applejack said. “Ya always know how ta keep the peace ‘tween us. N’ on top o’ that, yer a real hero, too.”
On the way back to the train, Rainbow found her voice. “Am I the only one who’s noticed that we’re starting to suck as Guardians?”
“Hey,” Spike said. “You girls did what you could, though. That doesn’t mean you girls suck.”
“Our track record tells another story,” Rainbow said. “Ever since we became Guardians of Harmony, there've been four threats to Equestria and we’ve only managed to beat the first two. Shining Armor and Cadance beat Chrysalis and with Sombra, we had to rely on Spike to save the day.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Spike said indignantly. “Is it because I’m younger than all of you and I don’t actually have an Element of Harmony that my efforts shouldn’t be recognized? Is that it?!”
Rainbow realized her mistake. “No,” Rainbow said with a sigh. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m sorry. I guess I was just jealous. But, that shouldn’t stop me from celebrating your achievements.”
Spike pulled Rainbow to face him. “So,” he said. “Is your position as a Guardian of Harmony more important than doing the right thing?”
“No, it’s not,” Rainbow said. “And it’s not as important as my friendship with you, either.”
“At the Crystal Empire,” Applejack said. “Y’all were a greater Guardian o’ Harmony’n all o’ us. Ya may not have a real Element o’ Harmony, but, after winnin’ the admiration o’ the whole Crystal Empire, ya coulda fooled me.”
“Indeed,” Rarity said sweetly to the drake. “And we are ever so proud of you.” Then, sternly, she turned to Rainbow and added. “Aren’t we, Rainbow?”
“Yes,” Rainbow said. “We’re really proud of you. And from here on out, I’m going to celebrate any non-Guardians’ efforts to save the day.”
“Thank you,” Spike said, letting go of Rainbow.
“I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut,” Rainbow said.
So, the friends took the train back to Ponyville. Celestia and Luna watched from the Castle tower. As they watched the friends depart, Celestia materialized a peculiar looking book with a cover consisting of stars in a swirling pattern. She gave a knowing nod to her lunar sister, knowing that this would spell big things for Twilight in the future. But, what was this book? Only Celestia knew for the time being.
End of chapter.
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Man, this hit really hard
I hope you have an amazing birthday 🎂🎊🥳
Yikes, what a way too go out
Yeah, that’s what we ALL though at as well… *looking back at a certain draconequus*
Though, highly doubt he would do something like that again in this timeline
FORESHADOWING! Oh I love to see it, especially when we’re getting close to the first movie
11879468
Which part?
11879479
Same.
11879483
Yep.
11879488
In Nine Elements, Grogar and Discord are separate.
Hope you have an amazing birthday! 🎉
11879491
Yep.
11879501
Thanks.
11879495
Both the part of Spike fear being abandoned
And that Twilight letting him know that no matter what, she’ll never abandon him or leave his side
And with that, the 2 parter is finished! Can’t wait to see what the remaining season has in store
Might be the shortest season of Gen 4, but still had a lot of things to offer
11879499
Nice
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You’re welcome
And so the Crystal Empire was saved because Twilight did the right thing sending Spike to deliver the heart. Definitely liked the portrayal of Sombra in this version. And boy Rainbow's gotta be careful with what she says, because she just about sounded like she was insulting Spike's worth just because of jealousy
11879505
To her credit, she lives up to that pledge.
11879508
Yep.
11879509
Yeah. This validates Discord’s reformation.
11879512
Yep.
Hey there. Excellent work, once again, on the dialogue, characterizations, action, general wrap-up and future story foreshadowing. And thanks very much for liking most of my ideas enough to use them. Anyway, really appreciated the added detail of the efforts of the other Guardians, Shining, Cadance, Astral and the Crystal Five as well as the discussions of Sunset, the greater detail on Twilight and Spike's fears, the gang's reaction to the steps needed to stop Sombra, Astral's offer to train Spike if and when he starts developing magic, Twilight and Celestia's chat after the mission was accomplished and the little bits of ironic foreshadowing concerning Sunset, Flash pointing out how much Shining still has to do in Equestria before his promotion and Twilight getting on the others' case for not being able to help Spike during one of the most dangerous parts of the mission.
REALLY looking forward to more of this in a couple of weeks. And Happy Birthday in advance.
11879526
Thanks.
Sombra has been defeated and Flash has been promoted to lieutenant. (Star eyes) This is so cool! I'll be willing to see more of Sunset Shimmer I want to know everything what she did before Twilight.
Also, here's a song to celebrate your birthday. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/jqYxyd1iSNk?si=Tr11c6rpEPsYX8wh
11879608
You’ll find out plenty.
Thanks.
Pretty good, amazing Spike still gets to be the hero, now being a celebrated hero among the Crystal Empire too.
Celestia's sure gonna be in for a surprise when she finds out the real reason why Sunset ran off in the first place and about Moonrise.
Interesting addition of Rarity (and by extension Sweetie Belle) being part-Crystal Pony through an ancestor (tying back to G1). Definitely setting up for her own crystal shield powers similar to her human counterpart on Equestria Girls.
Little do the Guardians know this isn't the last they see of Sombra, as they find out in 6 years (albeit joined by three extra ponies in the team to help when he returns).
Next week: Pinkie Pies clones herself, leading to chaotic laughter madness in Ponyville.
Also, is season 3's episode order gonna be the same as canon or will the episodes be reordered like season 2's episode order?
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Production for the next episode starts next week.
11879687
Let me get back to you on that one.
For the review:
That was great! Great that Spike gets a hailed as a hero! Good to see everypony/dragon learn that sometimes, one has no choice but to kill somebody if there is no solution. Knowing that when King Sombra returns, he'd want revenge on Spike for being the cause of his death.
For your notes:
Happy early Birthday! I completely understand why you would stop for the time being because everybody's birthday is a special day.
11879695
I do hope you write it in a blog post if there's going to be any episode swaps
11879629
You're welcome
11879858
Thanks.
11879859
Maybe.
Certainly a good expansion on the season 3 premiere(especially with it being the one that me into MLP technically by proxy)
I do wonder if its foreshadowing that Spike will gain a Element too in the future.
And like the foreshadowing of the magic Spike could get.
And pretty cool on more hinting towards Sunset.
11879937
Wait and see.
Good wrap-up to S3 premiere with Sombra's demise, hope that this isn't the last we see of Astral interacting with Spike & that him take Astral offer in regards of magic training later!
And speaking of which I can't wait to see how Discord's return will play out here, especially since he treated Spike somewhat decently when they first met!
11880379
Thanks.
I guess King Sombra is now a goner.
11880525
Until season 9.
With Spike being a hero of the Crystal Empire, the Crystal 5 playing a role and Sombra gone for the time being, this was a great chapter to read.
11880701
Thanks.
Hmmm
I wonder if that could be foreshadowing for Lightning!
Hmmm
And thats why i dont like how they ended fim
...just THEY DONT KILL!
sure did THEY deserve it? Yeah! (Iffy on one of them but still!) Is it against the idea of friendship is magic? YES!
True but
One of my morals is Forgiveness/Empathy
I want to see people get better
Alright you two maybe we should sunset this pun train alright?
Besides we'll meet HER soon
Sunset: or will you?
Vsauce intro music
Hehehe
Wait...Sparkler?
*Flips through book of names* not one I've heard of besides in g4
11882251
I plead the fifth.
11882278
Unfortunately, sometimes, it's the only option.