Dusty was modest but she liked to think of herself as a smart mare. She always tried to be prepared, have a plan wherever she traveled. So how did she get herself into this?
"Come on, guys," Dusty pleaded, her voice shaking. "We can split the findings fifty-fifty. How does that sound?"
"Uh... but there's four of us?" one of the raiders, a yellow earth pony asked. Even in the darkness of the cave they were in, Dusty could tell he wasn't that bright. He was still probably smart enough to aim and shoot the weapon he had trained on her, which was enough for Dusty to pay close attention to everything he said. "How do we split it fifty-fifty if we only have one?"
"Can it, Needles. We're gonna split little miss VIP's skull and then WE'RE gonna split with the pod," the lead raider, a unicorn named Padlock said. "It's too late for negotiations."
Dusty swallowed hard, her heart and mind racing. Looking behind the three raiders, she could see the entrance to the cave and the starlit sky beyond, even feel the wind blowing inside. Unfortunately, the three armed guards that had escorted her through the wasteland into the cave were now standing between her and the exit. They had apparently made their intentions clear; they were going to kill her and take the pod they'd found for themselves. Figures.
Whether instinctively or out of fear, the brown mare took a step back and nearly tripped over the edge of the pod. Whatever was inside there was perfectly preserved from before the war, well worth the trip through the dangerous territory outside New Pegas... and worth the innocent mare's life that led them there. It was also unfortunately the only thing behind her other than a dead end; she didn't need to turn around to know that. She kept her attention facing forward towards the slim possibility of escape.
The cave and pod had actually been known about for quite some time but nopony ever really bothered it before. The silver two-meter long cylindrical container wouldn't open unless a code was entered into the sequencer at the side, the code that Don Honcho had given Dusty just before she left. Whatever was inside was important enough to her boss that he'd sent her with three armed guards to make sure she returned with it intact. She didn't expect they'd betray her, however but she was pretty sure that hadn't been part of the agreement.
"You... you don't need to do this," Dusty continued to plead. "You can take the pod! I won't tell a soul what happened! Please, just-"
"Nah," Padlock shook his head, casually rejecting her offer. "See, we're gonna open up that thing, take whatever goodies are inside and then deliver the thing to ole' Donny like we promised. That way we get loot AND get paid. But Don's too well-connected to just accept one of his little secretaries has just gone missing."
"I dunno, Pad," the third raider, a jet black crystal mare said, "Looks pretty heavy. Can't we make her carry it a ways and then shoot her before we get back to Pegas?"
"Please..." Dusty begged. "We can work this out."
"No," the gray unicorn turned to her and said harshly. "This is the only place we know Don doesn't have eyes. We got here but sadly, Dusty was shot before she could unlock the pod forcing the three of us to carry it all the way back to New Pegas. It was an accident, carelessness. Just bad luck."
"Whatever," the mare remarked, blowing her mane out of her eyes.
Dusty was terrified; she fought the urge to shut her eyes and curl into a trembling ball. She kept backing up, crouching behind the pod slightly as if it would defend her from the three aggressors.
"All right, we have a long trip back so let's get this over with. Needles?" Padlock turned to the other armed pony. "Cause an accident."
Needles grinned and held up a revolver on his hoof. "Oopsie."
Trying to get fully behind the pod, Dusty slipped and bumped the top casing. While she had put in the code before the guards turned on her, the four of them had neglected to open it and see exactly what was inside that was so important. Frosted air poured fourth from the crease in the casing as the silver lid popped open. It rose just in time to deflect the bullet Needles fired causing it to ricochet into the ceiling.
Dusty and her 'gracious escorts' hadn't been told much about what was in the pod, what they were expected to find. Only that they were to open it and return with whatever was inside, something preserved from before the war over two-hundred years ago. What was inside appeared to have indeed been preserved, at least from what Dusty could tell. But what she expected to be preserved was prototype weapons, riches, plans, some type of good... not a pony.
The stallion's eyes fluttered open. "What... what time is it?" the unicorn asked.
"Please!" Dusty panicked, not knowing what she was doing, she grabbed the stallion as he sat up in the pod. "You have to get us out of here! Please, do something now!"
"You don't understand!" the stallion shouted back at her. "You have to tell me what time it is! Right now!"
Gun shots rang off the silver pod's lid, Dusty ducked instinctively but none of them penetrated.
"They're gonna kill us!" Dusty screamed. She cowered behind the pod, covering her head with her hooves.
The stallion said nothing but got up and out of the silver container. More gun shots bounced off the casing and the lid closed shut. The three ponies now had a clear shot at Dusty and the pod's occupant. Frozen in fear, Dusty was unable to move as she prepared for the inevitable. But the raiders didn't fire; when they saw the white pony, they lowered their weapons.
"What? Who the hay are you?" the female raider asked.
"Listen," the stallion said. "I need to know what time it is. Right. Now," he said through gritted teeth.
"Doesn't matter," Padlock said, raising his gun. "Your time's up."
The three ponies fired again, gun shots echoing through the cave. But their bullets didn't get even halfway to their targets; between them and the ponies that fired the shots, a wall of pink energy had appeared as if from thin air.
Dusty almost couldn't believe it. She was alive and somehow... this pony had saved her. Shimmering in front of the white pony was a barrier that had stopped the bullets. She didn't even know ponies were capable of such feats. The raiders looked in disbelief at the phenomenon in front of them. Needles fired another shot aimed at the stallion's head but it too was blocked by the shield.
"I think you guys... are wasting your time," the stallion informed them. He began advancing on them and the shield did too. The raiders' eyes went wide and they dropped their weapons, fleeing from this strange new development. Dusty watched as they ran and smiled as she saw them leave their guns behind. She was going to be all right.
The stallion who had protected her watched as the ponies galloped to the entrance of the cave. Just before they made it outside, the pink shield flashed and began racing through the tunnel after them. Like a fly swatter hitting three mosquitos, the raider trio was picked up off their hooves by the wall of light and carried out of the tunnel... and up into the night sky.
Dusty was able to hear their screams echo off the walls as they soared into the heavens.
Dusty quickly stood up. "Thank you... thank you so much!" she said to the stallion, walking up to him. But he ignored her, not even turning around as he broke into a gallop towards the cave's entrance. Not knowing what else to do, Dusty followed him.
The stallion ran outside and looked up at the night sky. "No... no!" he shouted, stomping the ground. "I'm late, I'm too late!"
"Too late for what?" Dusty asked, curiously but cautiously.
"Too late to stop it all," the pony said, looking down. "There's nothing to protect us from the megaspells now... we're all done for."
"Megaspells?" Dusty asked. "Like the ones that dropped two-hundred years ago?"
The stallion turned to her. "Two-hundred years ago? There were no megaspells-" his expression quickly turned from confusion to shock. "Wait... what year is it?"
"Year?" Dusked asked, confused. "Twenty-two eighty-one. It's October and I think that-"
"T-twenty-two?!!" the stallion's jaw practically dropped. His knees buckled and he dropped down to the ground, the weight of something very heavy pressing down upon his mind. "What... what happened? Something's gone... wrong," he panted.
"Relax," Dusty said. "This must be all very confusing to you. You've been in that pod for a very long time," she walked over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder. "You're safe now, though. What's your name? How did you get in there?"
"They sealed me in there to try and get me home... before the megaspells dropped."
His tone was heavy with sorrow. Whoever he was, he was in rough shape. She decided to keep asking questions.
"Who are you? Where is home, if you don't mind telling me?"
The stallion looked up at her. "I'm the prince of the Crystal Empire. My name is Shining Armor."
"The good life, gentlecolts," Don Honcho remarked, downing his martini. "Doesn't everypony deserve a taste of the good life?"
His associates, the three suited fez-wearing zebras from the Stripes casino remained silent. Their leader, a larger zebra in a red fez named Vinneq gripped the putter tight in his hooves as he eyed his shot. Gently, he swung, connecting the club face with the small white ball in front of him and sending it rolling across the carpet. It reached its destination, the shot glass a meter and a half away, entering the small cup and clicking as it hit the back. The ball made a distinctive ringing sound as it rolled around in the tiny glass.
"I must admit, your offer intrigues me," Vinneq said, placing the putter back in its receptacle by the bookshelf. "Which is why find myself at a question of motivation." Zebras traditionally spoke with a tribal dialect, a characteristic which endured even after their nation had been ruined two centuries ago. While it made them sound wise, some even found it disarming, they were individuals like every other sentient creature. Meaning their natural voices only served to disguise their true natures.
Sitting behind his desk, the donkey down leaned back and grinned somewhat shyly. "Motivation? Well, full partnership for one thing. Plenty of food, water for all of us. New customers, new developments and all-around new opportunities. This could benefit not just you but all of New Pegas if it works."
Vinneq shook his head. "Not my motivation. Yours," he clarified stoically.
Honcho raised an eyebrow. "What motivation would I need other than making more caps?"
Clasping his hooves behind his back, the stocky zebra began pacing. His two associates stood at the doorway as they had been, like prison guards listening for word of a riot. Don Honcho knew they were listening even if they didn't look like it. If they were that smart, it meant Vezz didn't cheap out on security.
"This is why it becomes a question of motivation. What would the owner of the most prominent casino on the New Pegas strip want with all of this money?"
The donkey Don continued playing off the zebra's skepticism. "Maybe I just want to give back to my community?"
"I see," Vinneq said, adjusting his fez. "Well, your good nature aside, it will take some time before I reach a decision."
Honcho's smile grew; he could tell he had at least gotten the zebra interested in his proposition. He'd gotten a nibble, now it was time to reel him in slowly. "Of course, of course. Take all the time you need."
"I think our business is concluded. I will return to The Stripes and consider your... generous offer."
The don placed his hooves over his chest in a show of gratitude. "Thank you very much for your time, gentlecolts. Ciao."
The three suit and fez wearing zebras left without another word, closing the office door behind them slowly. Their species was difficult to read at the best of times but Honcho was confident he'd be hearing from them again soon. But it was nice to be sure now and then.
Honcho got out of his chair and walked over to the glass and golf ball on the floor. The donkey don's proposition was genuine but he understood Zinneq's skepticism. Folks in New Pegas didn't do anything if it didn't benefit themselves in at least some way. The Green Gazebo was the top casino on the Pegas strip; there wasn't much Don Honcho really needed. Hydroponics provided food, a collection system provided water and plenty of suckers generously donated their caps every day. But there were some things a casino couldn't provide and for those things, Don Honcho had other things for.
The donkey walked through his office over to his closet door and pulled it open.
"We good?"
"I can tell the device is in position," Grid Rush said. "But I won't know how well it's pickin' up until they start talkin'." Sitting in front of a bank of monitors wearing a headset was a middle-aged orange unicorn with a green mane. While at first glance, he appeared to be an old timer who was experiencing technology for the first time but Don Honcho knew better. Grid Rush was a very different kind of prospector, one who mined data.
Honcho remembered how he'd found the bearded unicorn behind the reception desk, fiddling with the computer at the entrance to the Green Gazebo. He'd told the receptionist he'd made reservations at the hotel and she couldn't find him on file, Grid Rush had offered to help the naïve mare at the front desk to locate it. Honcho happened to be on the casino floor walking out when he happened to see the unicorn at the terminal. By the time the casino owner asked why a guest was behind the desk, Grid had already slaved half the security cameras over to a personal device and was preparing to transfer all of the Green Gazebo's caps over to his own account.
"We'll just have to wait then," Don surmised.
"Hold up, there's somethin' else," the unicorn said, gripping his headphones. He adjusted a monitor in front of him and a greenish picture came into focus. "Looks like Dusty just made it back."
"Good. We can start work on the other codes and see if we can make some real progress, maybe even-"
"Wait," Grid stopped him midsentence. "This isn't right. She left with Padlock and the others, right?"
"Yes, I sent them as a precaution."
Grid swiveled his chair around to face the Don. "Well, why isn't the 'precaution' with them?"
The Don walked over to look at the screen. The monitor displayed the feed from a security camera at the entrance. The picture was a strange lime-green, almost eerie but he could clearly make out Dusty and one other pony. It wasn't one of the other ponies the Don had sent with Dusty; no, it was another pony entirely. Don Honcho's eyes went wide.
"Get them up here now. Both of them."
Dusty was happy to be back at the Green Gazebo. Not only was it her place of business, the opulent casino was also her home, like many of the other employees. She knew Don Honcho was expecting her but she didn't know how he would take the bad news. Hopefully, the 'contents' of the silver pod would well make up being betrayed by three hired mercenaries.
The stallion calling himself Shining Armor hadn't said anything since they left the cave. She couldn't begin to imagine how strange it must all be for him. Then again, being shot at, she was a bit shaken up herself so maybe the silence was a blessing. The two ponies walked through the entrance of the Green Gazebo, stopping just short of the casino floor.
"Thank you again... for saving me," Dusty said.
"I... you're welcome," Shining Armor replied. His gaze wouldn't meet hers; his eyes seemed to stare holes in the floor.
The two were silent for a moment. This was a stranger from another time! A pre-war pony... what if the other pods contain other ponies? Dozens of ponies locked away, waiting to be awakened. So many thoughts ran through Dusty's head that she could barely think straight.
"Maybe you should stay here for a while? We have plenty of rooms and-"
"I need to see the Empire," the stallion interrupted her offer. "I... I have to get home. I have to get back to the Crystal Empire."
She reached a hoof out to him. "Umm... Shining..." Was it okay to even calling him Shining? "I know you probably don't want to hear this but-"
"I need to get back to the Empire. Thank you... for getting me out but I have to get going," Shining said, turning to leave.
"Wait!" Dusty stopped him. "It's very dangerous out there! Do you even know how to get to the Crystal Empire from here?"
The white stallion didn't say anything for a moment as he considered her words. "I'll find a way."
"Please..." Dusty pleaded, grabbing his foreleg. "Just, please, come see my boss for me. He's the one who helped me get you out anyway. Maybe he can help you?"
Again, the stallion paused to consider what Dusty had said. His mouth hung open as he tried to say something, then seemed to debate over his own words. "Oh...kay. Okay," he finally said.
Dusty smiled and nodded. "Thank you... again."
The two ponies made their way across the casino floor. The occupants regarded the two as any other gamblers or tourists visiting the Green Gazebo, not even paying attention to them or giving them a second glance. Dusty led Shining Armor through a maze of colors and lights, the incessant noise of slot machines and voices ringing in the air. Banks of slot machines clanged, gamblers and dealers played at card tables and ponies drank in the luxury and the liquor at a bar that dominated the casino's east side. Towards the back of the floor, Dusty and Shining finally reached the elevators.
Don Honcho's office wasn't on the top floor; the condo-sized penthouse suits were reserved for guests of the Gazebo, high-paying guests. It wasn't that the esteemed owner didn't give himself luxury, only that he preferred keeping home and work close together. His office connected to a modest bedroom and bathroom, both lavish and fully furnished. He had his meals delivered, sometimes Dusty did the delivering herself to his office. The Don only traveled now and then to different parts of the casino when he was outside his office. Nopony had ever seen him leave.
Shining Armor had never been to Las Pegasus before. While he was engaged, he and Cadence had jokingly considered eloping here and getting married without all the royal fanfare. Now, he wondered how things might've worked out if he'd just spirited Cadence off with him and they'd left royal duties behind. Considering what had happened, it didn't seem like a bad idea.
The shock of losing his wife, his friends and family was a lot to take in. Part of him felt like he wanted to just close his eyes, sleep and pretend everything would just drift away. It pained him to think about his old life, everything before the war. Compounding that was the fact he'd been trapped for two-hundred years. He didn't know what to think, do or say. The stallion just followed the young mare, falling back on his training to protect those in danger. When times were tough, it was easy to just switch back to a mechanical instinct. But it would not sustain him forever; he knew this.
He had to reach the Crystal Empire, see if something, ANYTHING remained of his kingdom... of his family. Twilight, Cadence, Celestia and Luna, he had to see if some part of them still persisted. Perhaps he would be lucky and find they were sealed in tubes like he was. It was a slim chance, he knew that. Better than no chance at all.
The two walked down the hallways at a brisk pace. Shining noticed security cameras fixed in the corners monitoring activity. The emerald-green walls were faded in some places but there was evidence of upkeep. Somepony had to take care of the place for past two centuries. It only served to remind Shining he was in a completely different world. He could do little more than follow the mare who'd led him here to wherever it was she was taking him.
Turning right from a hallway leading away from the elevators, Dusty and Shining faced a single door with two large objects at either side of it. Shining immediately recognized them as mark-five "Spitfire" turrets, small stationary gun emplacements designed to defend positions with high-energy lasers. Memories from the war came flashing back to him providing more questions he needed to have answered. Who won the war? Was the answer obvious?
Dusty stopped by an intercom on the side wall. "Mr. Honcho? It's, uh, it's Dusty and-"
The turrets immediately receded into the floor.
"Yes, Dusty, please come on in here and bring your guest with you," a voice replied from the intercom speaker. The door directly in front of them opened.
"Dusty, good to see you back," a balding donkey welcomed them both inside.
"Thank you, Mr. Honcho," Dusty replied timidly. The pair entered, the door closing behind them automatically. Unlike the rest of the casino, Don Honcho's walls were a tannish-gold in color complimented by a massive maroon-brown carpet beneath their hooves. The furniture was a similar false-golden shade, faded in some places. A brown couch took up space in the center with a good-sized desk in front of it. What Shining Armor noticed first about the room though was the view.
Behind Don Honcho's desk and chair was a massive single window. It provided a breathtaking view of New Pegas and the area beyond. Several other massive buildings stood alit, easily as high as the Green Gazebo. The lights twinkling below them illuminated the New Pegas Strip; a myriad of neon signs and street lamps. However, the strip was the only thing that was really lit up.
The surrounding New Pegas area, roughly three-fourths of the city was almost completely dark. A few buildings were lit in areas outside the strip but most were almost as dark as the landscape. In a way, it reminded him of the view from the top of the Crystal Palace.
"Quite a view, isn't it?" Don Honcho remarked, noticing Shining's attention. "Kinda makes you appreciate the scope of things."
Shining didn't even bother shrugging at the statement. Don Honcho took a seat on a cushioned office chair behind his desk. Pulling out a drawer, the donkey retrieved a cigar, lit and stuck in the corner of his mouth. The room immediately began to smell of acrid smoke. "You two can take a seat if you want."
Dusty and Shining walked around to sit on the couch in front of the desk. The Don spent a few moments puffing on the cigar. Shining noticed Dusty was finally beginning to relax.
"Maybe I'm just getting old but it doesn't seem to be in the true nature of mercs to skip out on getting paid. So, where's the security I sent you? If you made it back, I have to assume they're at least alive."
Dusty looked over to Shining standing beside her, not knowing what to say. The unicorn stood resolute like a heavily-armed guard but he wasn't wearing anything.
"Umm, well, we got to the cave and I input the code on the container. But then, they said they wanted it for themselves..."
The Don's jaw went slack. "They tried to kill you and take it?" He removed the cigar and immediately tapped it over an ash tray nearby, hoofing his face with his free limb as he did so. "Can't find good help in this town any more. I'm sorry about what happened, Dusty."
"It's... it's all right," Dusty said timidly. "Umm... this stallion happened to be in the pod and he was able to fight them off."
"Undoubtedly," the donkey said curtly, rising out of his seat. He walked over to the two who stood themselves as he approached.
"Again Dusty, I'm sorry about what happened. Thank goodness you made it back all right," he turned to face Shining. "And thank you for saving her. Really, I didn't expect them turn on us over a pre-war container."
"It's fine," Shining said, giving a short answer.
"Why don't you head back to your room? Get some sleep and we'll talk about this later," Don Honcho suggested to Dusty. The brown mare nodded and walked out the door, closing it behind her. She knew how dangerous it was outside the casino, in the wastelands. They all did, but when you're confronted by the danger face-first, it can take a lot out of anypony. Don regretted having to put his staff in danger. Unfortunately, sometimes there was no other choice. That was the reality of the world they lived in.
The two were quiet in the small room. "Thank you again for saving Dusty," the Don said, walking back around to his desk. He continued to stand though, so did Shining. "I take you probably have some questions. A lot can happen in two-hundred years."
Shining took a step forward. "I need to get to the Crystal Empire. I... I need to get there right away."
"Crystal Empire, huh? That's pretty far away from here. On hoof, that is."
"Have you been there? Recently, I mean? What's become of the Empire?" Shining asked, almost demanding.
The Don braced his hooves on the desk, lowering his head. "I hate to break it to you... but the Empire's gone."
"Gone?" Shining said, horrified. He felt his energy seep out with the word, a dull hollowness taking up space in his chest cavity. "What... what happened... to it?"
Don Honcho looked back up at Shining. "The megaspells happened."
Shining could do nothing but stand and breath. Even that was a struggle. The weight of reality pressed down on him, making him feel like he was going to pass out. He dipped his head low, tears heavy in his eyes. His home, his family, vaporized by the megaspells. He could only hope they didn't feel any pain.
The Don walked back around the desk to him. "Our world's changed, Shining. The war changed everything, destroyed Equestria and the Zebra Empire."
The stallion looked back up again, fighting the pain. "Have... have you been there? Have you... seen it?"
The donkey put a hoof on the white stallion's shoulder. "I have, son. What happened two-hundred years ago... it changed a lot of things. But it is good to see you again."
Shining felt lost. What was he going to do now? He struggled to find some scrap of hope, something to cling onto but he found nothing. Tears rolled down his cheeks and hit the floor. "I... I need to see it..." he said between sobs. "I need to see it again."
"I understand," the Don patted him. "It's rough having your kingdom ripped away from you. I can arrange some transportation but it's not going to be cheap. Still, it's the least I can do. In a weird way, I feel like you're my brother," the donkey said with a chuckle.
"Thank you..." Shining said, sniffling.
"I remember it just like it was yesterday," Don Honcho said. "The Crystal Palace... the Crystal Heart. You and your wife... everything was just so beautiful before the war. Before the disaster."
Shining Armor picked his head up. "Were you... were you in one of the pods, too?"
"No, no I wasn't. I haven't been to the Empire for two-hundred years. The whole area's been irradiated. It's a wasteland where it was," the donkey said, returning to behind his desk.
The stallion quirked an eyebrow, somewhat confused. "Two-hundred years? You're two-hundred years old?"
The donkey chuckled again. "I'm actually almost fifteen-hundred years old. The Green Gazebo's nice but I still miss the Crystal Palace. In some strange way, I even missed you and your wife."
"What do you mean? How do you know me?" Shining was beginning to get skeptical. Something didn't feel right about any of this.
"Oh, I've been watching you and your wife for a very long time, Shining. Some little things you just can't help but obsess over, I guess. Like my kingdom," the don said, clasping his hooves together.
"What are you saying? Your kingdom? You've been watching me?"
"Of course!" the don said, grinning. "Ever since you and Cadence kicked me out, I've been watching my Empire from afar. The Equestrian Games, every time your sister came to visit and especially during the war. I love my kingdom. After all, I am still its king."
Shining's jaw almost hit the floor. "No... it can't be..."
"Hahahaha!" The donkey let out a light-hearted laugh from behind his desk. The visage of Don Honcho began to waver in front of him, a black smoke rising off of his body. The smoke quickly began to take on a new form, one Shining Armor knew all too well. The donkey's body was replaced by a jet black coat and mane. His eyes went from a dull hazel to green with red pupils and glowed purple at the corners. Shining Armor stared at him like he was looking at a ghost.
"It's good to see you again, Prince Shining Armor," King Sombra said.
"Sombra!!" Shining shouted. The overwhelming amounts of sorrow in Shining Armor's body quickly turned into boiling rage. Without warning, he unleashed a wave of energy knocking the dark king onto the glass wall behind him. The shadow king winced as the magic pressed against him.
"This world's got enough problems without you in it! I should toss you through this window right now!" Shining walked around to the desk and right up to the phantom, keeping him pinned with his powerful spell.
"Please, no!" Sombra said, the energy holding him in place. His voice was choked as he was pressed against the glass.
Huffing with anger, Shining mashed him against the surface harder. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't just throw you off the roof."
"The Crystal Empire... the Crystal Empire..." Sombra coughed, trying to form words. "It's still intact!"
"Liar!!" Shining shouted. He pressed Sombra's head against the glass. "You just told me the whole area was destroyed!"
"No!" Sombra pleaded, his voice weak. "I... I said it was gone! The area was hit by a megaspell but it's still intact, the Empire survived! Please, let me down!"
Shining considered his words carefully. With some reluctance, he put the dark pony back down on the ground again. The king immediately massaged his throat.
"Thank you..." Sombra said, gasping.
"Explain. Now," Shining demanded. "How did the Crystal Empire survive a megaspell?"
"The Empire... it disappeared. Two-hundred years ago, it vanished again. Just like when I took over the first time," Sombra revealed.
The memories came flooding back to Shining. Before he became a prince, the Crystal Empire had vanished for a thousand years after King Sombra claimed the throne. He, his wife and his sister restored the Crystal Empire and banished King Sombra from the realm. But before that, the Empire had been gone, an entire kingdom just disappeared for a millennium. Shining never would've thought the same thing could happen again.
"How do you know this?" Shining demanded.
Sombra smiled back at him. "I may have been a tyrant... but I still care about my kingdom. After you cast me out, it took me a while to gather my strength again. When it finally returned, the war had broken out between Equestria and the Zebras. I thought about trying to return and reclaim the throne... but I thought better of it. I kept watch over the Empire, trying to make sure it didn't get involved. I didn't know it would be the target of one of the megaspells."
"Who made it disappear? Did you take over, do something to the Crystal Heart?"
"No... but your wife did," Sombra said, bracing himself on his desk. "When the spell was about to hit, they were looking for you. But when you didn't show up, Cadence broke the Heart. Shattered it right in front of everypony. Just before the spell hit, the Empire disappeared again. I saw the whole thing, barely made it out of the blast zone before the explosion."
Shining almost collapsed on the floor. The Crystal Empire had disappeared again... but it had survived and so had everypony in it. Cadence was alive.
His thoughts quickly turned to panic. "Why... why haven't you tried to make it reappear again? What do we have to do to get it back, there must be somethin-"
"Calm down," Sombra interrupted. "If it was that easy, I would've done it a long time ago. The area where the Empire was got hit by a megaspell. If the Empire reappears now, it'll pop up in the middle of a radioactive wasteland. The whole thing will be completely irradiated, including everypony in it."
That realization hit Shining Armor hard, too. Things were obviously more complicated than he realized. Part of him told him not to trust Sombra but... what choice did he have? Was he just telling him these things because he wanted him to think his wife was alive? Why did he wake him up from the pod in the first place?
"What can we do to bring the Empire back?"
"I've been working on that for a long time. Part of the reason I woke you up was for your shield spell. With Cadence... disappeared, you're the only one who can produce a large enough shield spell to encompass areas of the land so we can cleanse it."
"That's the reason you woke me up?" Shining asked.
"Well, that and I was feeling lonely," Sombra said sarcastically. He pulled the drawer of his desk out again and levitated up something out of it. It was a gleaming crystal shard sparkling even though barely any light hit it directly. "When the Crystal Heart shattered, the pieces exploded out of the city. I barely had enough time to gather them up before they hit the spell hit. If we reassemble the heart and take it back to where the Crystal Empire is, it will reappear."
Shining Armor looked at the tiny shard, the question on his mind obvious. "Where are the other pieces?"
Sombra grinned apologetically. "Uh... well, after I left the area, I came here to New Pegas. I didn't have any money and needed a place to sleep. Living here, well, it's not cheap and this casino was pretty expensive in itself"
"What are you saying?" Shining asked, threat entering his voice.
Sombra's grin grew more apologetic. "I... kind of gambled away some of the pieces of the Crystal Heart. Pawned one, sold another."
Shining's ear twitched. "You... YOU PAWNED THE CRYSTAL HEART?!! YOU GAMBLED AWAY THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE?!!!"
The shadow king backed away from the enraged white stallion. "I... I always thought I'd be able to win it all back but... I guess I'm just not that lucky and-"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!"
"Now... hold on! I know where the pieces are; I played the field. There's one at each of the major casinos on the strip and a couple places here in New Pegas! It's been over two-hundred years! Most folks don't even remember the Crystal Empire!"
"I... I feel like I'm going to be sick..." Shining Armor said, staggering to the side.
"Hey, it's not going to be a problem. We'll just have to talk to the casinos and buy back all the pieces, then find a way to clear the radiation off the land and poof! Empire's back again! How hard can that be?" Sombra asked, putting a hoof around Shining's back.
In that brief moment, Shining imagined waiting two-hundred years for the Crystal Empire to come back. But it would be better late than never. He would wait to see Cadence again no matter how long it took... no matter who he had to wait with.
"I think I need to lie down..." Shining put a hoof on his forehead.
"Absolutely, I'll set you up in one of the suites here at the Gazebo. Just uh, don't tell any of them I'm really some mysterious shadow king who ruled an empire and enslaved his subjects over a thousand years ago," Sombra said, smiling.
"Right..." Shining said, heading out the door. He turned back around quickly and grabbed the Crystal Heart shard with a levitation spell. "But I'm taking this with me. I still don't trust you... but if it means getting the Empire back, I guess we can work together."
"That'sssssssss the right attitude, my friend. Just talk to the receptionist and the entrance and I'll have everything set up, don't you worry," Sombra said back to him. The stallion left without another word and the door closed behind him automatically.
King Sombra walked back over to his closet and opened the door.
"We good?"
In front of the bank of monitors, Grid Rush adjusted his headset. "Once again, I can tell that the device is in place but I won't know how well it's pickin' up until he starts talkin'."
"We'll just have to wait, then," King Sombra surmised.
