The Crystal Curse (Part 1)
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, all rights to the show and it's properties belong to Hasbro.
Friendship is Missing Chapter II
The Crystal Curse
Celestia frowned as she made her way through the halls of the castle. She had only just found an opportunity to escape from the nobles and other party goers who wished to speak with her during the wedding reception. Normally she was more than happy to spend time with her subjects, even the more pompous nobles, but she had other business to attend to now.
Her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, had not shown up for either her brother's wedding nor the reception. Celestia held no illusions about why Twilight had not attended. She was still hurting over the treatment she had received during the wedding rehearsal. A feeling of guilt clawed at Celestia's mind as she thought about how she had dismissed her student, but what could she have done? Despite what her little ponies may have thought, she was not omniscient. While Twilight had raised some valid concerns regarding the fake Cadance's behavior, Shining Armor's rebuttal had also made perfect sense. So she had scolded Twilight, told her she “had a lot to think about”, and left her to think on her actions. Was that not her duty as Twilight's teacher? To help her recognize when she'd done something wrong, and how to fix it? It was perfectly reasonable in her mind to assume that Twilight had been acting as a jealous little sister who did not want to lose her big brother. Yet, even if at the time she had acted perfectly reasonable, she could not help the clawing feeling of guilt as she recalled Twilight's teary eyes.
There was not time for such thoughts now however. She was going to set things right, she would sit down with her student, and explain her actions, and ask for Twilight's forgiveness. Perhaps she could even convince Twilight to read something together, like they did when she was younger and still living in Canterlot. She really did miss having her around.
So lost in her memories, Celestia almost did not notice as a prismatic blur flew towards her. Almost. Her horn glowed as a similar aura caught the object in mid air, revealing a slightly worried looking Rainbow Dash.
“Hello Rainbow Dash, may I ask what has you flying around the halls of my castle like you were trying to race a Wonderbolt?” Celestia asked, smiling gently at the pegasus who floated in her magic.
“Princess Celestia! Twilight is gone!”
At Rainbow Dash's words Celestia momentarily lost control of her magic, causing Rainbow Dash to fall to the ground. Rainbow Dash shrugged it off, quickly getting to her hooves and looking expectantly at the Princess.
“Gone? Whatever do you mean Rainbow Dash?”
“She's gone! She ran away, and left some stupid note about how she had to find herself or something because she was sad and left!” Rainbow Dash hopped from hoof to hoof, clearly anxious to get something done.
“I see... do you have this note?” Celestia asked, as her mind began to fly through the possibilities. This was.... she couldn't even believe it. Her faithful student... the mare she loved as if she were her own daughter, had left because of the hurt she'd caused.
“Ummm... no Princess, I think Spike has the letter. I flew ahead to come find you.” Rainbow Dash looked slightly guilty about that, not having even considered that the Princess may want to see the letter.
“Do not worry Rainbow Dash, let's go find your friends and we'll discuss what to do.”
“That won't be necessary Princess, we're right here, and dangit Dash I told ya to wait for us!” Applejack approached with the others behind her, giving Rainbow Dash an annoyed look.
It was obvious to Celestia that all of Twilight's friends were upset, but Spike was the worst. He still had tears in his eyes, but he also looked determined as he approached and held out a scroll to her.
“This is the letter that Twilight left, Princess Celestia.” Spike looked at the Princess hopefully as she took the letter in her magic and began reading it.
Celestia felt her mouth tug into a frown as she read her student's letter. This was even more serious that she'd thought. She'd never considered that the Elements of Harmony and their bearers could be so tightly tied together. She could only imagine what it must be like, to have the Element you're tied to reject you.
Years of dealing with the public and having to keep her emotions under control kept her from tearing up as she reached the end of her letter. Had she truly failed Twilight so badly, that Twilight would even think she would replace her?
Celestia rolled the scroll back up, and looked at Twilight's friends. They were all looking at her, with a look Celestia had seen too many times over her rule. The look of hope, of uncompromising belief that she held all the answers, and could fix every problem. Never before had she wished that was the truth.
“I see. You found this in Twilight's room I take it?” She asked, receiving nods from the ponies and dragon. “So she's obviously already left. Very well, I will begin an investigation to see if we can find any information on where Twilight may have gone. Her letter states she found something in the library that she believes may help her, so I'll question the guards who were on duty last night.”
“Great! Then what should we do Princess?” Spike asked.
Celestia sighed. She knew that this was not going to go over well. “For now Spike, there is nothing you can do. We have no leads, no idea where Twilight may have gone. Until we have something to go on, the only thing we can do is wait.”
Spike and Rainbow Dash looked like they were going to protest, but Celestia hurried to cut the off. “I understand you're worried about Twilight, and believe me, so am I. If I knew where she was I would be there in an instant. We will find her, have no fear, but there is little to be done at this point.”
Rainbow Dash still looked rebellious but Spike nodded his head sadly.
“So uh- What should we do then Princess?” Applejack asked.
“I'd like for you six to stay in the castle for now. That way as soon as I discover something, we can make all haste to wherever Twilight has gone.”
The five ponies and young dragon nodded, before making there way down the hall. As they went, Celestia overheard Rainbow Dash muttering how the pegasus could just fly all over Equestria until she found Twilight, but she followed the others. Celestia spared a glance out the window, looking at the moon as she wondered what could have become of her student. There was only one thing to do for now, talk to the guards who were stationed at the library last night, and hopefully find some clue as to where Twilight had gone.
=-=MLP:FiM=-=
Twilight jolted awake as she heard the screeching sound of the train's brakes, and felt the train begin to slow down. It had been three days since the night she'd left Canterlot, and she was starting to get a little stir crazy. She'd had to take the train from Canterlot to Fillydelphia, and was luckily able to catch a train from there to the Northern Research Outpost, the closest spot she could find to the Crystal Empire.
She looked out the window to see the snow falling heavily. She wondered why Starswirl's journal never mentioned the arctic climate. She knew the Crystal Empire was far to the north, but surely snowfall like this would have deserved at least mention in his notes? As the train pulled into the station, and Twilight saw a couple ponies bundled head to hoof in warm clothing, she began to regret the decision to only bring a scarf. She had considered packing a coat, but she wanted to travel lightly...
There was nothing for it now, she'd simply have to make do. She wrapped her scarf around her with her magic, and stepped out of the train.
It felt like hundreds of tiny frozen needles were trying to dig under her coat! How could anypony stay in an area like this? She glanced back over the the bundled up ponies working on the train platform and rolled her eyes. Of course, being prepared for the weather would help.
Still, it wasn't like she was completely out of options. She quickly cast a spell, and a burst of purple light emanated from her horn, flowing down her body. It wasn't much, but her magic would dull some of the cold, making her feel more like she was walking through Ponyville in winter than crossing an arctic tundra.
With that taken care of, Twilight walked off the train platform, and into the flurry of snow. Within a few moments the curtains of snow hid the platform from view, and Twilight found herself in a world of white. She thanked the fact that she had already studied spells for wilderness situations. Without the spell to point her in the right direction, she'd be wandering this place forever.
She used her magic to pull Starswirl's journal out from her saddlebag, and checked the map again. If she was reading it correctly, then it looked like she was in luck, the train platform was only a couple hours travel by hoof. It was a good thing too, because even with her magic protecting her she could feel the bite of the cold air seeping through. The sooner she got to her destination and could set up a camp, the better.
Twilight trudged through the snow, calculating the distance she was covering in her head as she went. There weren't any landmarks to guide her, so she had to hope that Starswirl had kept his map as accurate as possible, otherwise she would be wandering for a while.
As time passed, Twilight began to fear that perhaps the scale on Starswirl's map was incorrect. She should be coming up on the ruins of the Crystal Empire, but she saw nothing in the distance. Just more snow. She figured that any outlying settlements would have been covered by snow or eroded by time, but the brilliant Crystal Castle that Starswirl spoke of, surely something had to remain of that?
But... there was something there. She couldn't see anything, but as she got closer to what she assumed was her destination, she began to feel something. It was like a tickling sensation in the back of her brain. There was magic in the air. Powerful magic. So powerful that she could only equate it to one of the Princesses... or perhaps the Elements of Harmony?
It was stronger now too. She could practically taste the magic hanging in the air. There was so much of it! But what could be causing it? Was there some kind of spell or enchantment in place that...
Twilight almost slapped a hoof to her face when realization struck her. Starswirl had mentioned in his journal that the Crystal Empire was protected by an artifact called the Crystal Heart, the same artifact that inspired him to create the Elements of Harmony. Obviously, the magic in the air was coming from the artifact. It had probably remained active even years after... whatever had happened to the Crystal Empire happened. The Crystal Heart was probably keeping her from seeing, possibly even from entering the remains of the Crystal Empire! If that was the case, then it was extraordinary! She couldn't wait to find it and see if she could research it a little.
Of course, first she'd have to find a way past the barrier keeping her out. She'd just need to make a small hole in the barrier, one big enough for her to get through but small enough to keep the entire barrier from falling apart.
Twilight began focusing her magic, not through her horn like she normally would, but this time to her eyes. Soon, the snow in her vision was replaced with glowing orbs of magic. It was an old trick she'd read about during her studies, a way to check on wards and enchantments. She also knew from talking with Spike that it caused her eyes to glow white, which he always complained about, saying it was just too creepy.
The concentration of magic in the area was almost blinding to Twilight. She winced and looked away momentarily, before turning back to see what she could do about this barrier. Or... whatever it was, because it looked nothing like any barrier or ward Twilight had ever seen before. She had seen Shining Armor's barrier with her magic sight, and it was like looking at a spiderweb made from words, symbols, and power. Instead this was just like... like a huge concentration of magic. It was directionless, without purpose. The magic was just sitting there, almost like a placeholder for whatever was supposed to be there. Whatever the Crystal Heart was doing to keep the Crystal Empire hidden away, it was beyond Twilight's understanding. On the positive side however, this would make it much easier to gain entrance into the empire. She'd been planning on having to study the barrier, figure out the different variables written into the magic and various power sources it would use, and find a weak point to push through with a shell of her own magic. Now, she'd simply have to absorb a little bit of the magic floating around, just enough to make a hole for her to get through.
Plan in mind, Twilight pushed her magic back down, away from her eyes. She began focusing, letting her magic reach out into the air, seeking out the magic protecting the area. She felt the electric jolt of the foreign magic, which didn't really feel all that foreign at all. She actually thought she could recognize it, but she couldn't quite place from where.
Before she could think on it further, she felt a surge in her own magic. It was reacting! Reacting to the magic all around her. She quickly tried to reel her own magic back in, but it was like she was stuck, trapped in a connection with this other magic. Her chest began to feel warm, and it spread to the rest of her body, slowly at first, but gaining speed like a wildfire. She felt like she was burning up, and didn't even realize it when her hooves left the ground. Then, even as she struggled with the burning sensation, she felt it. The magic guarding the Crystal Empire was rushing towards her, swirling around her faster and faster, becoming visible even to the naked eye. It was a whirlwind of colors, melding into some kind of cyclonic rainbow. Her chest felt hotter, and she threw her head back as she screamed.
And miles away, in the castle at Canterlot, five other ponies gave a cry as heat rushed through their bodies. They fell to the ground, even as their cutie marks glowed, and a small dragon tried to figure out what was going on. Then, suddenly as it had happened, the feeling was gone, and the glowing disappeared.
Twilight's head suddenly snapped forward. As if following the motion, the rainbow of magic spinning around her launched forward, colliding with the ground before shooting up the sky. The magic splayed as it reached it's apex, as though hitting an invisible ceiling. There was a sound like a thunderclap, and then everything was still.
Twilight, who had returned to the ground after the magic left her, shakily got back onto her hooves. She looked forward, and gasped. Where before there had been miles of arctic tundra, now there stood a city, warm and beautiful, and gleaming in the sun.
She had found it. The Crystal Empire.
=-=MLP:FiM=-=
In Canterlot, castle, the Princesses Celestia and Luna snapped their heads to the north, their eyes widening with dreadful realization. It was time, sooner than either could have expected. The Crystal Empire had returned, and they were not prepared.
Celestia trotted quickly to the guard stationed outside the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Canterlot Archives. “Guard,” Celestia gave a mental grimace at her form of address. She would much to know the names of her guards, but it was part of the enchantment all the royal guard wore, they all would look and talk exactly alike. “I need you to quickly gather the bearers of the Elements of Harmony and my sister, and tell them to meet me in my study. There will be a small dragon with them, have him send a letter to Princess Cadance stating that her and Shining Armor need to return to Canterlot immediately.”
The guard nodded, and galloped away to fulfill his orders. Celestia watched him depart, before turning back to look at the room she'd just been in. She'd been going through all the texts she could think of that Twilight may have read. For three days she'd done nothing but read, and reread, trying to see what she could be missing. The guards who had been posted that night had said that Twilight had visited this wing, spent a hour or so reading, and then had left. Whatever she had found in here had inspired her to go on this journey, but Starswirl the Bearded had gone on many journeys over his lifetime. Twilight could be anywhere in Equestria, or even outside its borders. And now she needed to be found for more than just personal reasons. The Crystal Empire was back, and while they had her princess, Celestia was sure that only Twilight would be able to save the Crystal Ponies. Because if the Crystal Empire was back, that would mean he had returned as well.
Sombra would be back. It would take time for him to regain his power after the Elements of Harmony banished him, but he would regain it, and now the Elements of Harmony were separated. She would have to send the other Elements of Harmony and Cadance to the empire swiftly, and then locate Twilight. She may have to send Luna to buy them time to locate her missing student. She shuddered to think about that outcome. Luna would give her all to protect the ponies of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, but she could not prevail against Sombra. Even if Luna found it within herself to try to end Sombra's life...
No, her mind would not go down that dark route. She would fix this, she would keep Equestria and all her ponies safe. She would fight to her last if that's what it took
Yet, in her heart, there was a sliver of doubt. She had fought Sombra once, side by side with her sister, and they still had needed the Elements of Harmony to survive. She couldn't even call what had happened a victory, just mere survival. If Sombra had truly returned, with nopony to keep him in check while he regained his power...
She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. Now was not the time to worry about what-ifs. Her plan was already in motion, she just had to wait for the players to arrive.
And more important than ever, she needed Twilight Sparkle.
=-=MLP:FiM=-=
Twilight's body protested against the movement. Any movement really, but her mind and curiosity overrode her body's cries of pain. This was amazing! She had expected to find ruins, dilapidated buildings and perhaps the remnants of a roadway. Instead, she found an entire city, a sprawling metropolis that hadn't aged at all. Was this what the Crystal Heart was capable of? Protecting the empire from not just threats, but also nature and time?
The smile on her face would be sure to scare away other ponies, if there were any around. She couldn't help it though. If the buildings were in this kind of condition, then that meant that more had survived the ravages of time. There could be books! There could even be... Twilight's eyes got a dreamy look to them, as she imagined a crystal library, stored with ancient knowledge that ponies hadn't seen since the time of Starswirl the Bearded. She just might have to take a break from her journey, there was just too much research here to pass up!
The architecture around was similar to the style used in bigger cities like Manehattan. The biggest difference was that in Manehattan, the buildings were all clustered together, trying to use up all the available space. Here, the buildings were spaced apart from each other, but still consisted of multiple levels.
And there was something else... but it had nothing to do with architecture. Twilight as she trotted through the town, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. She knew it was silly, it was probably just the sight of all those windows coupled with the empty town. How could there be anypony here?
Trying to rationalize it did not make the feeling go away. She sighed in irritation, and gave in to her urge to look through one of the windows. Not because she actually thought somepony was watching her of course. She just wanted to see what the inside of one of the buildings looked like, that's all.
So Twilight stopped walking, and turned her head to look through the lower window of a building she next to.
And to her credit, she only shrieked a little at the green eyes looking back at her.
The pony in the window jumped back at Twilight's scream with an alarmed look. Strange as it sound, that reaction helped calm Twilight down. She felt her heartbeat slow, as she realized that whoever this pony was, they were just as nervous about her presence as she was of hers. How there was a pony still here was a mystery, but it was a mystery that could easily be solved by simply talking to her.
Twilight slowly approached the window, trying to give a friendly smile to the mare inside.
“Hello! Sorry to startle you, I just didn't think anypony else was here.” She said as she approached. The mare just stared at her through the window. Twilight got a good look at her, and tried to study the mare without seeming to obtrusive (or creepy, as Rainbow Dash had once told her when she had been studying pegasi wings). The pony had a coat and mane that seemed glossy, but not shimmering as Starswirl the Bearded had described of the Crystal Ponies. Perhaps a descendant of the Crystal Ponies then? Had the Crystal Empire continued to function even after it's supposed disappearance from Equestria? This mare's coat was a light red, bordering on pink color. Her mane was a light blue, and it hung limply around her face. And her eyes...
Her eyes gave Twilight a start. Not because they looked strange, for they were simply a pair of green eyes. There was something behind them however. Twilight could almost feel crushing defeat and despair as she looked into the mare's eyes, almost as if she'd never be happy again. She looked away and brought a hoof up to her face, feeling the wetness there. Tears had been silently falling from her eyes just from looking into the eyes of this mare.
Twilight backed away from the window. The mare was still looking at her with that crushing stare. She had to look away, but when she did, she saw more ponies looking at her from windows around the street. They all had the same glossy coats and manes, and the same defeated look in their eyes. Twilight found herself wondering what exactly had happened to make these ponies look so despondent. And why were they all staying indoors? There should be at least some ponies going about their business, but instead everyone was hidden away.
“Hello?” Twilight called out. At the sound of her voice, the ponies watching her from the windows flinched away. Some pulled the curtains shut, some galloped away into a different room, while others just continued to watch.
Undeterred, Twilight decided to try again. “It's alright! I'm not going to hurt any of you. My name is Twilight Sparkle and...” She tried to think of what else to say, something that could reassure these ponies.
There was a creaking sound behind her, and she turned to see the door to the building she'd had her back to opening. The mare she'd first seen poked her head outside. There was a certain confused hesitance to the way she was looking around that puzzled Twilight. It was as if the mare had no idea where she was.
“Hello?” Twilight tried again, taking a step towards the mare.
“Who... who are you?” The mare asked. Her voice sounded nervous, almost scared.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm...” She had to think about how to continue her introduction. Normally, she'd introduce herself as Princess Celestia's student, but now... “I'm um, a student from Ponyville.”
The mare didn't comment on her introduction. She continued looking around, almost as if she was trying to assure herself that she was really here, before letting her eyes settle on Twilight again.
The silence was almost oppressive, the warm smile Twilight was trying to give was faltering in the face of it. She cleared her throat, trying to think of anything to break the air of awkwardness.
“Sooo... I'm surprised to see so many ponies still living here. The last documented contact with the Crystal Empire was well over nine hundred years ago.”
The mare looked at Twilight in confusion. “What do you mean? We just received a shipment of mining supplies from San Palomino last month.”
It was Twilight's turn to look confused. San Palomino? “I'm afraid you must be mistaken ma'am. San Palomino was a frontier town that was abandoned after the gem mines were emptied, and that was over eight hundred years ago.”
“No, I'm sure of it. He was very angry that mining had slowed down while we waited for new tools.” The mare said.
“He? Who's 'he'?” Twilight asked.
The mare thought about it for a moment, and then closed her eyes in a wince. It looked like she was in pain, but the moment passed quickly. “I... I'm not sure. I can't remember... it's like I don't want to remember.”
Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of that. “Are you alright?”
The mare nodded. “I, I’m fine. I just feel a little… out of sorts I guess?”
“Oh. Is there anything I could do to help?”
Twilight’s question seemed to shatter whatever courage the mare had used to speak with her. The way the mare tried to make herself as small as possible while still keeping Twilight in her sight reminded her of Fluttershy.
Which was something she very much did not want to think about.
“N-no. I’m alright. Thank you for your concern...ummmm...you said your name was Twilight, right?”
“Yes, Twilight Sparkle.”
“That’s a nice name. I’m Rose Quartz.” Rose, as Twilight now knew her, nodded in greeting. “I don’t know if it will help, but there’s a library a little ways away from here. At least, I think there is. You should find it if you just follow the road down that way.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up with excitement. A library?! This was perfect! Oh she could not wait to see what kind of books the Crystal Empire had, and there was sure to be books about the Crystal Heart and the empire’s history.
“Oh my gosh! A library! In the Crystal Empire! This is so exciting! Do you know how many books they have? Do I need a library card? Can I even get a library card if I’m not a resident of the Crystal Empire?”
Twilight’s excitement brought a small smile to Rose Quartz’s face, the first smile Twilight had seen since she’d arrived at the Crystal Empire. “I don’t know, I can’t really rememberer much. But I’m sure you’ll be able to at least look at the books without a library card.”
“Ohhh, I can’t wait! I bet there’s books in there that nopony in Equestria has seen in centuries!”
Rose Quartz winced at that, and her smile disappeared. “Um… it was nice talking with you Twilight, but I think I’m going to go lay down for a bit.”
To Twilight, Rose looked like she would simply collapse if she was kept any longer. “Of course. Thank you for your time, Rose Quartz.”
Rose nodded, and closed the door. Twilight looked around at the deserted street, her taking in the sight while wondering what exactly had happened to these ponies. She hoped she could find some more ponies willing to talk to her while she made her way to the library. It seemed that her trip to the Crystal Empire had turned into a full-blown mystery.
=-=MLP:FiM=-=
He had awoken. But not from the curse ending, at least not naturally. It seemed that for whatever reason somepony had broken the enchantment that kept him banished. Not without consequence however. He was little more than a shade at this point. Still he was returned, and his power would soon follow.
He was eager to reclaim his throne, yet something gave him pause. The magic that had broken the curse had felt familiar. It reeked of the same light that the sisters had used to banish him originally. Whoever had freed him somehow had access to the same magic. Were they agents of the sisters? Had the sisters moved on from this world during his imprisonment?
There were too many unknowns. He would bide his time, wait for his full power to return. Here, surrounded by crystals, he would grow in power swiftly. Then he would take back what had been stolen from him. The Crystal Empire would be his again.
=-=MLP:FiM=-=
Twilight couldn't believe it. It was impossible! How could everypony in the Crystal Empire not remember anything? She'd asked every single pony who'd been willing to talk to her, and not one of them remembered the name of their king (She had at least gotten confirmation that it was a king, which was strange considering this was the Crystal Empire, but she decided not to delve further into that just yet). Some had given her a reaction at the mention of the Crystal Heart, but after thinking about it for a few moments they would simply shake their head and apologize for not knowing. Strangest of all, they all swore that the date was some thousand years in the past.
So Twilight had done what she always did in times of crisis, visit the library! The problem was that even the library was being frustratingly unhelpful. After an increasingly aggravating conversation with an older mare, who wasn’t sure whether or not she even worked in the library, Twilight had set about on her own looking for books to help explain the situation. Only there were not any books discussing the royal line, and nothing on the Crystal Heart. She'd only found one book that was of any help at all, titled A History of the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately, the title was a little misleading. Rather than talk about the history of the Crystal Empire itself, it mainly spoke of a tradition set in place by the Empire's first Queen (who also unfortunately went unnamed in the book), the Crystal Fair. The Fair had been established to help renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire, to protect it from harm. At the end, there was a picture of the Crystal Heart, which was evidently the centerpiece of the fair.
The book however did not mention the fact that the Crystal Heart was what protected the Empire, nor that there was anything special about the heart at all. Had Twilight not already known of the Crystal Heart's significance, she would have thought it was simply a decoration.
It was almost like... like somepony was trying to hide the history of the Crystal Empire. But why? What had happened that would make the entire population forget their King? Or that they were supposedly protected by a magical artifact that was the precursor to the Elements of Harmony? What had happened that made it so the last millennia of history was simply hidden away?
Something wasn’t right. The closest thing Twilight could even hypothesize was that the crystal ponies had entered something similar to a fugue state of mind, causing the ponies to temporarily lose memories, personality, or even invent entire new identities for themselves. This would explain not only why they could not remember general information about their kingdom, but also why they thought that the date was some thousand years in the past. The only problem with that idea though, was that she’d never heard of an entire populace affected before. No, whatever had happened to these ponies was not normal.
She had to figure out what was going on here. But how? For once books didn’t have the answer, and the ponies she’d met couldn’t seem to remember anything that would help, only vague warnings to stay away from the castle.
If only there was a way she could help restore their memories somehow.
That thought made her pause, before she smacked a hoof against her face. There was way she could help restore their memories. It was a simple spell, though one that required finesse. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about it. After all, that was the spell she had used when Discord had corrupted…
She shook off the negative feelings as she thought about her friends. She didn’t have
time to wallow in pity, she needed to figure out what was going on in the Crystal Empire. She’d just have to find a pony to cast her spell on. Then, hopefully, she’d get some answers.
With that plan in mind, Twilight left the library, if only a little reluctantly. After all, there was a literal treasure trove of books she’d never even heard of before! But helping the crystal ponies would have to come first. She could raid their library later.
Once outside, Twilight was surprised to see the streets were no longer deserted. Crystal ponies were finally starting to emerge from their houses, though they still seemed nervous. One actually jumped at the sight of its own shadow, dashing back inside with a speed that my have made Rainbow Dash envious, and possibly predicting two more weeks of winter.
Twilight made her way back through town, towards the home of the one pony who had actually been any help. While she could cast the spell on anypony, she’d rather have the pony’s permission first. Given the reception she had received so far, she figured that Rose Quartz would be her best chance.
Luckily, Rose Quartz was still at home, and willing to answer the door when Twilight arrived. The pink coated mare looked better, though she still carried that air of nervousness that seemed to afflict all the crystal ponies.
“Twilight, right?” She asked, this time actually smiling at her. “Did you find the library alright?”
Twilight nodded. “I did, but it didn’t have the information I was looking for. But I did get an idea while I was there, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me?”
Rose glanced around hesitantly. “Well, I suppose I could try. What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing actually!” Twilight chirped, happy to finally be making some headway. “I would just like to try casting a memory spell on you, to see if it helps with the weird memory loss everypony here seems to have gone through.”
“A-are you sure that’s necessary, Twilight?”
“No, but it’s the only thing I can think of. There’s something really strange going on here, and I want to get to the bottom of it.”
“Well...alright then.” Rose clenched her eyes shut, her whole body shaking with nervousness.
Twilight didn’t want to waste a second, worried that Rose might change her mind if she waited too long. With a thought her horn began to glow, and she gently touched it to Rose’s forehead, letting the arcane energy flow into the other mare.
The effect was instantaneous. Rose Quartz fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in pain as she clutched her forehooves to her head. Twilight recoiled at the sound, staring at the mare in horror. She wasn’t sure what was going on. She knew she hadn’t cast the spell wrong, but she’d never seen nor heard of such an adverse reaction to it before.
The few crystal ponies who were out on the street quickly galloped away, all looking for places to hide. Twilight looked around, as if somepony else may have an answer to what had happened to Rose.
After a few seconds, Rose’s screaming stopped. The mare laid on her side, taking in shaky breaths. Tears matted the fur around her eyes, and her curly brown mane was sticking up in patches from where she’d grabbed her head.
“R-Rose? Are you…?” Twilight felt sick. She’d never hurt a pony like that before. To hurt somepony with her magic, she felt like she’d committed some unforgivable sin.
Rose was silent for a few moments. She looked at Twilight, and the look in her eyes made Twilight shudder.
“I...I remember…” Rose’s voice came out hoarse, a whispery sound that Twilight would have missed if there had been any sound other than her own breathing. “We...we have to get out of here. It’s not safe, he could be back any moment.”
There it was again, he, the mysterious pony that everypony knew but couldn’t remember.
“What do you mean Rose? Why isn’t it safe here? And who is ‘he’?”
There it was again. That look of hopelessness, as though nopony would ever be happy again. It made Rose Quartz look like she was a thousand years old.
“Sombra.” Rose said. The word itself evoked feelings of dread, even in Twilight. She half expected to hear thunder booming ominously in the distance.
“Sombra?” It even sounded awful when she said it, and she still had no idea who this Sombra was.
Rose whimpered at the name, but was slowly getting back onto her hooves. “King Sombra, the tyrant of the Crystal Empire. If we’ve returned, then so has he.”
Twilight still wasn’t sure what exactly was going on. But the word ‘tyrant’ rang strongly in her ears. From her research, the ruler of the Crystal Empire was supposed to be a wise and benevolent pony, one who was able to inspire such love in their ponies that the very force of it could be used to power the Crystal Heart, and protect the empire.
“Tell me everything.” Twilight said, and for the first time since her brother’s wedding, she left everything troubling her behind. Something was dreadfully wrong here, and Twilight was going to fix it. She was going to save the Crystal Empire, no matter what the cost.
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we'll be watching you, buddy! you try to disappear like that again, and we'll hunt you down and tie you down in front of your computer.
Well, it's good to see this finally updated after a long hiatus, and right on the heels of a mass publishing of new stories by you.
I must say, it's nice to see that Twilight knows by now that Sombra is nopony to be trusted. For a while, I had a feeling that with Twilight's resentment towards her friends and mentor, the Crystal Tyrant would use the same tactics as the villain from a certain underappreciated Disney sequel that Tara also starred in, pretending to be friendly towards her while using her as a pawn in conquering the Crystal Empire and Equestria, but thanks to Rose Quartz, Twilight now knows the King is the villain of the story, and will soon be getting the history of the Empire after Starswirl departed from it.
Nice to see this updated!
This version of Twilight, is one of my favorite one's. She's confident, she knows the extent to her abilities. And she's not afraid to do things her own way if no progress is made. She is independent and this journey will change her, she will return wiser. With new knowledge with how the world works much like Starswirl did. Twilight will become the new prodigy, the legend of this age. And even though she learns new things she is still the same book loving mare that she always is. She probably even will get more powerful with this journey, not to mention her alicorn status in the future. And perhaps bring her own magic into the world. Dear author, i got to say. This is gold and i will wait eagerly for the next chapter. Imminent Royal Sorcerer Twilight ahoo!!
1) The story is back, yay!
2)
On another note, I am so looking forward to what's going to happen when Cadance finds out about the situation.
As Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy would probably say: Shining, you have some explaining to do...
What I really hope will happen is that Twilight will beat Sombrero's ass then take off for the next part of her journey just before Celestia/Luna/Cadance and the rest show up to try and fix the Crystal Empire ...
Welcome back. I like the idea of this story and Twilight having to find herself and hte true meaning of her life and friendship. I hope the next chapter pops up....soon.
4538302 Well it is constantly referenced even before Twi became an alicorn that she's got tons of magical power so that could be the case. She did break Sombra's spell on RQ with ease after all.
(I seriously hope that she does it alone without help too)
Oh wow.
This is great. And to see something come back after such a long hiatus is awesome.
Of course, I just found it for the first time, so I skipped the wait.
Happy writing!
4537864
Sombra is not without his own tricks, but it was never intended for him to use Twilight. I can't ever see her being that gullible, at least not in a situation like that.
4537996
I actually wrote a chapter for Sparkle Dash Family about an Archmagus Twilight, who lived in a more warlike Equestria, with little twists on all the Mane 6 (Applejack was Applejewel, etc). I love strong Twilight as well, and hopefully this story will showcase here more as the mare I think we see she could become.
4538059
Cadance will not be happy. Shining is definitely in the dog house over this, but he actually feels even worse about it.
4538302
That's actually the plan, for Twilight to go about her journey, always moving on, and her friends arriving to see the changes she's wrought.
4545146
Hope it was worth the wait!
4549191
Awwww, I don't want you to feel left out. Tell ya what, I'll wait to post the next chapter for like a year and a half, just so you can have the full experience
I'm kidding, please don't lynch me.
4554228
*Reads the final line of the comment*
"Oh."
*turns to the rest of the mob*
"Well, this is awkward guys. The author was just kidding. We should let them live."
4554228 Glad to hear that she will continue to grow. I am planning something very simmilar for my fic. I will await the next chapter and i am confident this story will be one of the best i've seen. Keep it up!
This has been bugging me
When the crystal empire appeared was it always princess celestia's plan to have monarchy of the empire turned over to the canterlot couple
It's basically means she is forcing a country to accept who she is putting in charge
Wow, after soo long, you're finally back
i'm really glad that you are continuing with this story because I really liked the first chapter and I wanted to know what happened next. I came up with a similar idea to yours months ago but never decided to create a story, this is great!! Hope to read the next chapter soon, also that steven universe reference 
when is this freaking story going to be updated?!? i'm all for being patient so that the author can refine the story to what they want it to be, but this is ridiculous!
I really hope you continue to update this so we don't have to wait a year for it, you have gotten my attention and I crave more!
This truly interesting to me!
I cannot wait to read the rest of this story. Please keep on writing
PLEASE KEEP WRITING!!!!!!!!! I need MOAR!!!!!
are you going to keep writing this story I like it
4554228 hey, is this story going to be continued? it's been a while, and we're all really curious as to whether this is going to be continued.
HI, just wanting to ask if you are updating this story anytime soon? Just wanting to know where this leads too. If you need help bouncing ideas off this one, I can help.
can there be another chapter please
Great chapter. Twilight was able to use the elements of harmony without having the actual elements with her. Will Twilight be able to stop Sombra without her friends? Or will her friends meet up with her first? If not then how will they react when they find out Twilight stopped Sombra on her own? Can't wait for the next chapter.
Please post more chapters.
I really like this story so far. Are you going post more I really like to know what happen.
Come on man! You can't just leave us like this again! This is a great story I'm already enjoying it I really hope that you pick this story back up again! Please.
I'm beggin ya.
like the story so far hope to read more soon
...But you wouldn't know anything about what that feels like, would you, Princess? ... I really wish there was a Sunset Shimmer emoticon, but you'll have to settle for the princess trolling herself.
Also, it's been three years. DO SOMETHING!
Noice
Oh? I didnt know acting like a complete asshole was merely being stressed.
How retarded are you Celestia.
You never seem to learn with your students.
8743755
The 'headache' relief spell the queen cast on him that made his eyes go loopy. It isnt a good excuse but it is one all the same
8743778
Ok maybe so, but EVERYTHING Shining said wasnt from the spell.
8763322
Ehhh... maybe maybe not. We dont know when the queen changed places with cadance nor how much/many times she used magic on his head. I'm half convinced she only continued all the way to the wedding itself to get a shot at sunbutt.
8763328
Regardless, no matter what evidence people give, im never ever gonna defend Shining in any way.
I dont care if he was mind-controlled, he`s the Cpt. of the Royal Guard. Meaning he shouldnt fall so easily to mind-control.
8763353
I'm not saying defend the dumbass i'm just giving an explanation. As for not falling easily into mind control... she was useing his fiancee's form. He likely had his guard down to her not expecting it the first time and afterwords she was already in.
8763363
Maybe your right maybe your wrong, but he will never be innocent in my eyes, like I said.
No amounts of Explanation or Experiments would make me think hes innocent.
8763381
I'm not saying he needs to be. I am just answering the question you asked me several comments ago of why everyone says he was mindcontroled. Personally i wish twi had just looked at celestia and told her "you have alot to think about" before walking off when sunbutt told her she had another wedding to plan. Cause screw all them.
8763387
Yea your right.
But this is Hasbro, everything has to be kid-friendly.
8763392
I know thats why i said "you have alot to think about" not "go buck yourself"
8763393
No I meant the always happy ending thing.
8763398
That would have been a happy ending for me. Lol
8763400
Maybe to us yes, but not to Hasbro. And to little Kids.
8763408
To little kids who need to learn that when you hurt someone you need to do something to make it up to them. Hell twilight didnt even get a hug or anything just a very poor excuse for a "we're sorry".. after the queen rubbed their faces in it and they were captured.
8763414
Yea but this is the 21st century were not allowed to do that to kids anymore
8763511
Says who?
8763514
Rich assholes.
8763518
If their sexy fuck em. If not throw them into the rancor pit.
8763520
Rancor?
8763525
Starwars lol.