Push Play was an ordinary unicorn trying to pursue his dream of being a filmmaker and reporter.In hopes of a big break, he travels across Equestria to uncover the history of King Sombra, and incites an adventure sure to make the best footage ever.
Push Play was only trying to get his big break in filming. He chose to dive into one of the most enigmatic mysteries of all: the origin of King Sombra. Now Play is fighting against the very thing he was trying to find out about. But he's not alone. Not only are the crystal ponies, the mane 6, and the princesses on his side. The empire's original heir to the throne has returned.
This is more of an alternate story than headcannon.
"The Crystal Empire sure is a stunning place. What are the ways of the Crystal Ponies here?"
The unicorn reporter was asking Princess Cadence for information for his debut documentary, too excited to be shy. He had a midnight blue coat with an auburn mane and tail. He had the cutie mark of a play-pause button that was as green as his eyes.
"Well, Push Play, their customs aren't unlike that of the rest of Equestria. The main differences are the Crystal Fair, the crystal plants that they tend to, and the fact that they take time to polish their houses."
"Polish their houses? Strange, but I suppose that makes sense," Play replied, "So... What else.... Ah! What's the real history of this place, primarily with King Sombra?"
Cadance thought for a second, and said, "I cannot answer that. Maybe the librarian can talk to you about it."
"Okay," Play said, shutting off the camera clipped to his ear, "Thank you, your highness."
"I'm afraid that I don't know much," the crystal pony librarian said, "But I can tell you about the years just before his rule. There was a regal member named Prince Raven Dusk. He and his older sister shared the job of supervising the jewelsmiths."
"Wait, did you say 'older sister?'" Play asked, jotting down notes.
"Indeed. Princess Clarity Breeze. She was a young alicorn who looked out for the well-being of the kingdom. Clarity didn't rule the Crystal Empire, but she was next in line for the throne. Raven seemed to hate Clarity. Clarity, on the other hoof, seemed to look up to Raven with a forced smile.
"But as I was saying, Raven would sneak away for days at a time, nowhere to be seen. And then he would return just as mysteriously and would just say that he needed focus to work on gem-wielding magic.
"On the day that Queen Mira died, Raven and Clarity both vanished. Not long after, Sombra came. We tried to defend our kingdom, but without Clarity, and in our sorrowful state, we were no match against him. He told us that our princess had abandoned us, and that our prince was dead. He took the crystal heart and easily took over."
"Did he say specifically what you told me about the princess and prince?" Play asked.
"Hmmm..." The librarian said, deep in thought, "He said that our princess wasn't coming back and our prince was no more."
Play could see tears starting to form in her eyes, so he decided that he had enough information for now.
"Well, I'm going to review these notes. I'm sorry for any trouble," he said as he hurried out of the library.
"Hmmmm.... 'Raven would sneak away for days at a time...'" Play muttered to himself, "Where could he have gone?"
Then it hit him.
'Of course!' He thought, 'The jewel caves underneath Canterlot! There have been no reported activities that could have caused these gems to form, and nothing has happened to them in years. That's got to have some information!'
And with that, he boarded the train to his next destination: Canterlot.
........................ The next day, Play galloped up to the Canterlot castle, and in his delight, ran smack into a guard.
"Oh! I'm very sorry, sir," Play hurriedly said.
The Pegasus guard he ran into gave a look of neither anger nor forgiveness, as if he didn't even know what hit him.
"No harm done," he said, "But where are you going?"
"To the--" Play stopped abruptly, "Come to think of it, I don't even know how to get there. I was on my way to crystal caverns of Canterlot. I was hoping to get some research done for a documentary I'm filming."
"Hmmm" the guard said, "I know that on one of my patrols, I saw a small entrance to a cave in the outskirts of Canterlot, where it nestles against the mountain. I never went inside, though. I wasn't allowed to part from my route and I have little curiosity, anyway. To be honest, I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard anypony talk about crystal caves anywhere near here. Are you sure that you weren't thinking of the Crystal Empire?"
Play then remembered that few remembered the long-lost caves.
"Oh! I must have," he said, covering for himself, "Silly me! Oh, well. I paid for my train ticket. I might as well just take in the sights."
And with that, Push Play was on his way, leaving the guard in a state of confusion.
'I should go to the outskirts of Canterlot,' he thought, 'That's my best bet of finding the cave.'
As he made his way through the bustling streets, he thought,
'Something big is about to happen.'
...................... 'Sweet Celestia,' Play thought. He had made his way to the mountain and was now looking in the small mouth of a large cave.
It had a large enough mouth to fit several ponies in at once, but it was still small for a cave this size. Not only was the cave as tall as the castle; it was almost just as wide. Not to mention that it branched off into smaller caverns.
'How am I supposed to find my way back to the entrance?' He thought. But then an idea hit him.
To help with lighting for many of his videos, he studied and practiced light spells.
Thinking, he focused, and a glowing orb floated from his horn, with the same color as his aura. It hovered at Play's eye level.
'Perfect,' he thought. And with that, he strolled into the cave.
"This is incredible," Play said out loud, "I've been exploring these caves for two hours! And I'm still just getting started!"
He's been rolling the camera at intervals to save video storage. But he always finds something new to videotape. Including a spot where the crystals had been shattered, like a recent fight took place. 'I'm no expert on the matter, but these crystals DO look like they've been summoned by a spell. If this is the work of Raven, why would he come here?' He thought.
Just then, he saw something. More shattered crystals. And the damage was much more significant. And it formed a trail.
Forgetting about the orbs, Play took off, removing the camera from his ear so he could film with a smooth movement. The crystals were turning from a pale lavender to a jagged, opaque gray. 'Much like Sombra's crystals,' Play thought, 'Was he here?' Then, he stopped in his tracks.
There was a pony encrusted in black crystals. There wasn't much of it visible, but Play could see that it was an alicorn.
'Sweet Celestia,' he thought, 'Could that be the lost royalty?'
He wasn't sure how to break the crystals, but he could try. It wasn't hard to fire a beam of energy. Besides levitation, it's one of the easiest spells to learn. 'Why not?' He thought.
He set the camera on a nearby crystal. Then he focused. The green aura of his horn grew brighter and brighter. Finally, a blinding beam struck the crystals, shattering them.
The formerly trapped pony began to stir. Play looked on, afraid to help. The pony got to her hooves, for Play could now see that it was a girl. She was white with a long, lavender and blue mane and tail. They didn't flow but were rather spiked, as if they themselves were crystals. Her irises, too were blue and lavender. She stared at Play fearfully, and uttered one word:
The alicorn had such raw fear in her eyes, Play didn't know what to make of it.
"Raven, please," she said, "Why are you doing this?" Her voice was growing louder and more fearful.
'Do Raven and I really look that much alike?' Play thought.
"Ummm," he said.
The alicorn's frantic breaths slowed. "Please Raven," she whispered, "I'm your sister."
"Listen, I'm not Raven. You don't need to be afraid of me," Play said, breaking the ice.
The alicorn looked up at him with teary eyes. "You look so much like him," she said.
"How long have you been here?" Play asked.
"I don't know. From what I felt, I was simply asleep, but," she said, in tears, "How's the Empire?"
"Safe," Play said. He then hesitated. Should he tell her about Sombra? From what he knew, Sombra killed Raven, but from what he was just told, Sombra and Raven were one in the same. He decided against telling her. Instead, he said, "Safe. A thousand years have passed, but it is safe. A new princess rules the empire. I'm sorry if you lost the throne."
Instead of being upset, the alicorn looked relieved. "I feared the throne," she said, "I felt that I was never cut out to run it. I wanted to be a gemsmith forever. I felt bad for not caring about the throne, but I'm not fit for the leader of such a large region."
She began to cry again. "What about Raven?"
Play hesitated. "Maybe I should get you out of here and take you to princess Celestia. She'll know what to do more than I do."
He then had a thought. "You know, I should probably just teleport us there. You've been gone for a thousand years. Everyone in Equestria, save for the Crystal Ponies and probably the princesses, has forgotten about you. If they see an unfamiliar alicorn around, they may crowd around."
"Have they really forgotten about me?" The alicorn asked, wiping away her tears.
"I literally just learned about you today from a Crystal Pony librarian. Your name is Clarity, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. My name is Push Play."
"So, Push Play," Clarity asked, "Do you know how to teleport?"
"Honestly, no."
"I've done the spell before," Clarity said. She started to focus, and a pale violet aura surrounded her horn.
"Wait!" Play suddenly exclaimed, "There's something I need to get!"
He rushed to get his camera.
"What's that?" Clarity asked.
"It's a camera. I guess you've never seen one before. I'll explain how it works once we get to the castle. You know how to get there, right?"
"Yes. I've been there a few times when I accompanied my mother to accept the annexation of the Crystal Empire into Equestria. It will be nice to see Celestia and Luna again." Clarity's horn turned brighter, a flash, and Push Play felt dizzy.
Play gradually regained his balance, to see the two of them in the middle of a ruined palace. Tattered tarps hung on soiled walls. Moss filled the cracked stone. Clarity had an extremely worried look on her face.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Of course," Play said, "You're used to coming here. Celestia moved her abode to Canterlot."
"Oh," said Clarity, "why?"
'She doesn't know about Nightmare Moon. The Crystal Empire vanished before Nightmare's banishment.'
"I... Don't know," Play simply answered.
"Okay. But I can't teleport to Canterlot," Clarity said.
"Why not?" Play asked.
"I've never been there. As you probably know, a unicorn has to have a visualization of their destination before they can teleport there."
"Oh," Play said. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the distance.
"Picking herbs to heal the sick. My potions take effect quite quick."
"Zecora!" Play exclaimed, "She can help us."
"Who's Zecora?"
"She's a zebra who lives here in the Everfree Forest. She blends herbs and plants to make potions. Ponies go to her when they have an unusual illness that the nursing ponies can't diagnose. She's also very wise. She often gives advice and counseling for troubled ponies."
Zecora then saw them.
"Goodness me! Who is there? I apologize if I gave you a scare. I didn't see you as I walked past You're either very stealthy, or very fast."
She walked up to the duo, staring as a look of realization crossed her face.
"Sorry for staring, the air is so tense. But something is wrong, or so I sense. I recognized Push Play with great ease. But you look quite a bit like Clarity Breeze!"
"You know who I am!?" Clarity exclaimed.
"A potion I've made can reveal the past. And how through the future its effects can last. The original mix could only be used by alicorns But I altered the brew and I see that it warns...."
"Warns what?" Play asked.
"What it warns, I do not know. What I saw was Clarity's final blow. But ask Princess Twilight. She's in Ponyville. Just a ways from that hill."
"Of course!" Play said.
"Princess Twilight?" Clarity asked.
"Twilight Sparkle is the princess of friendship and harmony. She and her friends go across Equestria to spread the magic of friendship. And she has close ties with Celestia. She'll know what to do." He then turned to the zebra, "Thank you, Zecora."
"You're very welcome, Push Play. I'm happy to help any day." ...........................
"Woah," Clarity said. The two ponies had headed into Ponyville and were now standing in front of a large, crystalline tree.
"Hello?" Play asked as he knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a purple alicorn.
"Hello," she said, "May I help you?"
"Princess Twilight," Play said, hitting the record button on his camera, "My name is Push Play. I'm a reporter from Manehattan."
"You know what I told the press," Twilight said, cutting Play off and using her magic to turn off the camera, "No paparazzi!"
"This isn't about you!" Play said a bit sharply, "I need your help with something." He stepped aside, revealing Clarity.
Twilight's expression immediately turned into shock.
"What in Equestria!?" She exclaimed.
Clarity, frightened, took a few steps back.
"Twilight! What is it!?" A voice said from within the castle. A purple and green dragon scrambled to the door and crashed into Twilight's hind leg.
Clarity gasped and, out of fear, counterattacked. Pale purple crystals shot out of the ground and encircled the dragon.
"Clarity, stop!" Play said.
"Spike!" Twilight said, racing up to the dragon now in a crystal cage.
Spike, though, took a bite out of his prison.
"Mmmm, Amethyst Quartz!" He said.
Clarity had a look of fear and confusion present on her face. "Could someone please explain this?" She asked.
"That's what I want to know!" Twilight said, who are you!?"
"Princess, this is Clarity Breeze. She's the heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire. I found her trapped in the Canterlot caves.
"And Clarity, that dragon is Princess Twilight's assistant, Spike."
"Correction. I'm her Number One Assistant!" Spike said as he finished eating his way out of his cage.
"I'm sorry," Clarity said, "Old habits die hard. Dragons were always a threat to the Crystal Empire due to all the crystals."
"But I'm still really confused. What happened, and how did you find her?" Twilight asked. ....................... One recap later ........................ "Wow," Twilight said to Clarity, "How did I not see you?"
"You've been in the caves before?" Play said.
"When Chrysalis was posing as Cadance before my brother's wedding, she imprisoned me in the caves. She used the crystals as an intercom and I tried to destroy her by firing at them."
"So you must've made the shattered crystals that were relatively new."
"But it doesn't explain why I didn't see her."
"The Crystal Empire reappeared after the wedding," Spike said, "Maybe that has something to do with it."
"Wait, what do you mean 'reappeared?'" Clarity asked.
"After Sombra was defeated by Celestia and Luna, he sent the empire into the future, just over a thousand years." Twilight said.
"Oh my goodness," Clarity said. If she hadn't cried so much earlier that day, she would've been sobbing. But now her eyes were glassy, far away.
"What would they say?" She whispered.
"How about we worry about that tomorrow?" Play asked, "It's been a long day. How about we get some shut eye?"
"Where exactly?" Clarity asked, resulting in an uncertain look from Play.
"You can stay here for now," Twilight said, "Spike, write a message to the princesses."
"All of them?"
"Yes. Tell them to meet us here at sunup tomorrow."
"Ok."
Clarity marveled at how the letters simply floated to their destinations in the form of smoke after Spike burned them.
"You ought to meet my friends tomorrow," Twilight said, "They're a really fun bunch." She then turned to Play. "And if you came here for my help, why were you recording me?"
"Habit, I guess?" Play said sheepishly. Twilight then took the camera off of Play's ear.
"Hey! What was that for!?" He asked.
"Talk to my friends about recording them. Until then, break your habit."
A loud knock sounded at Clarity's door, waking her.
She pushed the door open, and saw a navy blue unicorn standing in front of her. He had flowing black hair and the cutie mark of a light gray diamond and a black feather.
"Raven?" Clarity asked.
"Thank you, Clarity," the unicorn said.
"Don't thank me. Thank Push Play," Clarity said.
"Well, then I thank Push Play." Raven said, "But you're the first one I'll be coming for."
"What?" Clarity asked. Raven didn't reply. Instead, his eyes turned green with red irises. A dark beam flew from his horn and struck Clarity.
"After a thousand years, Raven! You still hate me? Why?"
"Does it matter?" Raven asked, his coat looking more gray. He pinned Clarity onto the ground, shaking her vigorously, laughing, repeating her name, "Clarity... Clarity... Clarity........." ............. "..... Clarity? Clarity!"
The young alicorn awoke with a start. Sweat was dripping down her face. The dark blue unicorn shaking her immediately stepped back. His auburn hair, however, made Clarity sigh with relief.
"Are you okay?" Play asked, "I heard you screaming in your sleep."
"I'm fine," Clarity said. She didn't want to worry Play.
"Are you sure?"
"Really, I am."
"Okay..."
"Anyway, what time is it?"
"Almost sunup. Twilight's friends should be here any minute."
"HI THERE!!" A pink pony said. Clarity and Play both screamed, although Play quickly recovered from it.
"Geez, Pinkie!" Play said.
"Huh?" Clarity asked.
"My name's Pinkie Pie! Although my friends just call me Pinkie! You must be that long lost princess! THIS IS SO AMAZING!!!"
"Pinkie Pie!" Another voice said, in a southern accent, "I told ya' not to go barrelin' in there!"
"Guess they're all coming," Play said, "Let's go see them."
The duo made their way to the mane room, where they were greeted by the southern pony.
"Name's Applejack. I reckon you're the one that Pinkie was goin' nuts over."
"Yeah. She was pretty crazy," Clarity said.
"Ya get used to it," Applejack said.
"Hey guys!" Twilight said, "Did you sleep well?"
"Considering that I have slept in the most uncomfortable mattresses in Equestria on a nightly basis, I slept pretty good."
"Ooookaaay," Twilight said, "What about you, Clarity?"
"This castle really reminds me of home. I slept really good."
"Glad to hear it!" Twilight said. Unbeknownst to her, though, Play gave Clarity an uncertain look.
A white unicorn walked in with the most fancy dress Clarity had ever seen. Her purple hair was curled in an exquisite way. She looked at Clarity and gave a small look of shock.
"Why, you must be Clarity," she said, "I'm Rarity."
"It's nice to meet you," Clarity said.
"But... Have you looked at your mane?" Rarity said, looking at the spiked, untamed strands, "Was that from your thousand years in black crystal?"
"No," Clarity said, "It's always been this way. Except on special occasions, I leave my mane as it is."
"Well... You see... That's not how society is now."
Clarity looked at Applejack, who shook her head, mouthing, "Don't listen to her. She's ultra-fancy-shmancy."
Clarity nodded in agreement.
Next a blue pegasus shot through the door, trailed by a rainbow. And a slower, yellow pegasus.
"Hey," the blue pegasus said, "Name's Rainbow Dash. That's Fluttershy."
The yellow pegasus simply smiled shyly and looked at the ground.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Clarity said, walking up to Fluttershy, who came eye level with her.
"So, where's Princess Celestia?" Play asked. There was another knock at the door. Celestia herself walked in, followed by her younger sister.
"Clarity," Celestia said, "It's been a long time."
"It really has," Clarity said.
"Is Cadance coming?" Twilight asked.
"No."
"Who's Cadance?" Clarity asked.
"She spreads light and love," Celestia said, "She's also the current ruler of the Crystal Empire."
Clarity had a look of surprise and despair.
"Are you alright, sugar cube?" Applejack asked.
"I don't know," Clarity said, "I feel relieved that the empire is under the peaceful rule of someone, but I also feel bad for thinking like that."
"What do you mean?" Luna asked.
"I was always afraid of the responsibility of an empress. When Mirar died, I hid. I just wanted to have some time by myself before I was coronated. I never should have left."
"What happened afterwards?" Twilight asked.
"Raven came up to me from the shadows, something I'd never seen him do before. He said that I could always let him have the throne. You see, I think that he was envious of me for being next in line for the throne. He was always so distant. I tried to reach him, but he would never give in, and Mirar was never aware of any of it. I may be afraid of the pressures of ruling, but I feared what Raven might do even more if he had the throne. So I refused. He then teleported me to the Canterlot caves. There, he became the form known as King Sombra. We fought, and I lost. Because I was a coward," Clarity said, breaking down into tears.
"It's okay, Clarity," Fluttershy said, "Sombra's gone Cadance used the Crystal Heart to destroy him. He's gone."
"But he may not be," Play said, "We talked to Zecora yesterday. She actually altered the past future potion and tried it herself. She saw Clarity and Sombra fighting."
"And the past future potion will only show you a vision of past that is relevant to a future event," Twilight said, "That has to mean something."
"I had a dream last night," Clarity blurted out, "I saw Raven. He thanked me for releasing him. He said that I was the first one he'd be after. When I asked him why he hated me, he just asked if it mattered."
A look of shock crossed Luna's face, a she shed a tear.
"I think I know how Raven feels," she said. Clarity stepped back in shock, but everyone else looked in realization.
"I know how you feel, Clarity," Celestia said.
"What do you mean?" Clarity asked.
"A thousand years ago, not long after the defeat of Sombra, Luna and I returned to our old palace, for we did not live in Canterlot at the time. The ponies congratulated us, but I took center stage, leaving Luna in the shadows."
"Mirar would shower me in attention, wether I wanted it or not. Either way, Raven became envious."
"As did I," Luna said, "I gradually held more and more of a grudge against my own sister. Even when she tried to smooth things over, I refused to give in. Like how ponies sleep through the beautiful night, I felt unappreciated."
"Just like Raven..."
"Eventually, Luna just lost control," Celestia said.
"I really did," Luna added, "I didn't even remember what I was angry at, but I was blinded by rage, and I wanted nothing more than to take it out and show how much power I truly had."
"Raven..." Clarity whispered.
"Two mirror events, the release of one of the siblings, the vision from the potion, I think I know what's going on," Twilight said to herself, "It's only a matter of time before history repeats itself..."
"Interesting," Luna said, after touching her horn with Clarity's, "I've looked at the remnants of your dream. It was sent by Raven himself."
Clarity looked at her. "Does that mean something?"
"When the empire initially reappeared, the crystal ponies were under Sombra's influence until he was defeated once again.
"If Raven and Sombra are one in the same, like you say, and he's talked to you via dreams, he's been released once again."
"Then why hasn't he attacked yet?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"He's still very weak," Celestia said, "Not to mention that the Crystal Heart will keep him at bay for a while. But he will regain strength. He's trying to use your uncertainty to gain power."
"Me?" Clarity asked.
"So how is Som- I mean, Raven, feeding on Clarity's uncertainty?" Rarity asked.
"I don't know," Celestia answered.
"I might," Clarity said, "It has to deal with the Crystal Heart.
"As you all know, the Crystal Heart is powered by the light and love of the Crystal Ponies. The queen, however, played a major role in channeling the energy to the heart. He's trying to diminish the light within me to gain power. And I think that it's working."
"We have to see Princess Cadance," Rainbow Dash said, "She may have an idea for what to do!"
"We already spoke with her," Luna said, "She's expecting us."
"They won't want to see me," Clarity said.
"Why not?" Pinkie Pie said, "It's always great to see a friend after a long time!"
"They may not consider her a friend anymore," Play said, "The librarian I spoke with acted like Clarity abandoned the kingdom. They may not take her return lightly."
"Don't worry," Twilight said, "We all have your back."
The frigid wind blew snow into everyone's faces. Storm clouds covered the sun, making the drifts look gray. Clarity closed her eyes to the sight.
"Play! What are you doing!?" Twilight asked. Clarity opened her eyes to see Play's camera, with a red light blinking.
"What the.." She said.
"That means that it's recording hoofage," Play said.
"Hoofage?" Clarity said.
"Video. It's like it can save the sights and sounds that it detects and play it back for everypony to see."
"At a time like this?" Rainbow asked.
"It's okay," Clarity said, "It's distracting me from my worries."
The ponies continued. ...........................
Clarity stepped into the empire's boundaries, and gasped. It was exactly how it was when she grew up. The same dazzling skies, the same prancing sheep, even old friends of hers, working happily. The only difference was the current ruler walking towards her.
"That must be Cadance," she whispered to herself. Twilight suddenly rushed forward and chanted something with Cadance happily.
"Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and Do a little shake!"
'Reminds me of my foalhood days,' Clarity thought.
Ponies nearby began to turn their heads. They noticed their lost ruler. Some ran. Some stayed, staring. Clarity felt the glare of all the eyes. She just wished that she could just sink into the ground. But she was saved by Cadance.
"Follow me," she said, "We'll have more privacy in the palace."
Everyone headed into the towering structure, leaving those outside to wonder.
"How am I supposed to tell them what happened?" Clarity asked, once inside."
"I think I might know," Play said, looking at his camera. .............................
"So tell me, Clarity," Cadance said, "What are you like?"
"Well," Clarity said, "I love working with gems and am usually outgoing. It's just that now, being back after over a thousand years, I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of what others think of me. Of how I'll fit in. Of what will become of Raven."
"Tell me about Raven."
"He was always looking out for trouble. He was always serious, but kindhearted. He used to care about me so much," Clarity began to sob, "I don't know why he had to turn to dark magic."
"Do you think you can tell me about what happened before and up to that point when it changed? Because I'm getting confused."
"If you've heard of the motives behind Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon, you can easily compare it to Raven's tale.
"Because I was older, and therefore the heir to the throne, my mother, Queen Mirar, always gave me more attention and royal lessons, whether I wanted them or not. And to be honest, I usually didn't. I was the typical filly, always wanting to have fun. But that didn't hinder Raven's jealousy. It's rather ironic; I had the attention that I didn't want while Raven lacked the attention that he desired.
"I tried on numerous occasions to reinforce our siblinghood, but it wasn't much use. He grew increasingly distant. He would sneak off for days, if not weeks, at a time. I guess that he was practicing dark magic there.
"When Mirar fell fatally ill, Raven and I were bombarded with royal lessons. Raven caught on to them naturally, but I struggled. I felt terrified. I've always wanted what's best for Equestria, but I didn't know how the empire would fare with me as ruler. But it was my duty, so I faced the challenge the best that I could. I tried to turn to Raven for support, but he would never give me any support. It was like he WANTED me to fear the throne. In retrospect, I think that he did.
"When Mirar died, and the time for my coronation came around, I hid. Just to have a few hours for myself before my life forever changed. Raven approached me, and said that he was willing to take the throne if I didn't want to."
"Did you let him?"
"No. I didn't trust him. He had grown too distant. And I told him that. There was a flash, and I found myself in a series of caves. There, I saw Raven... Become... Unrecognizable."
"And he called himself Sombra?"
"Yes," Clarity was fighting back tears, "I tried to fight him, but he was too powerful. He hit my body with a black energy beam, and the last thing I saw before going unconscious was seeing my body crystallizing."
"May I ask what your thoughts were?"
"I was afraid for my people. No. Not my people, my friends. I knew that they would be especially weak. Without a ruler to utilize the heart's power and without much hope, the citizens of the Crystal Empire were an open target for attack. And that's how Raven wanted it," Clarity said. She wasn't crying. Her tears were spent up.
"What are you going to do now?" Cadance asked.
"I don't know," Clarity answered, "I just want everypony to know that I never meant for this to happen. I don't expect you all to welcome me back with a grand celebration, but please know that I'm here to stay."
"How is it?" Play asked.
"You expect me to believe a word of this?" Rewind said.
'I wonder how many other bosses are like this,' Play thought.
Suddenly, crystals began to form along the wall. Black, jagged crystals.
'Is that... Sombra?' Play thought.
"Clarity, are you seeing this?" He asked.
"Yes," a voice behind him said. A pale purple light surrounded the area of air as Clarity undid the invisibility spell she cast on herself.
A formless shadow crept on the floor, towards Clarity, who bolted out the door and into the busy streets of Manehattan.
A black crystal shot up, knocking her off her hooves. Nearby ponies stood, staring. A ring of crystals formed around her, but she took off. The advancing crystals just crashed into one another. Police started to evacuate everyone in the area while many of the ponies ran, screaming.
Play and Rewind ran out of the building with everyone else.
"Do you believe me now?" Play asked. Rewind didn't answer. He just stared at some of his employees racing out.
"One of you! Get this on camera!" He yelled.
"With our lives at stake!? No way!" One of them replied. They all took off running.
"I'll get the shot for you," Play said, "I was going to stay anyway."
"What!?" Rewind said, before being carried off by a police officer. Play pressed the 'record' button on his camera.
A large crystal shot at Clarity, but she counterattacked with a crystal of equal size. Unlike Sombra's crystals, these were a combination of pink, purple, and blue, and were smooth and weren't jagged.
This is how the battle continued for the next several minutes, until a puff of smoke took the form of a dark gray unicorn with a blood red horn and clad in steel armor.
"Raven," Play heard Clarity whisper.
"We'll meet again," Sombra said in his echoed voice, "Sister."
He vanished, and so did the crystals, leaving a bunch of ponies traumatized.
Clarity and Play were immediately swarmed by ponies everywhere.
"Who are you?" "Why was Sombra here?" "He called you 'sister.' Why?"
"Please," Clarity said desperately.
"Stop!" Play shouted above the commotion, "You're scaring her! You don't even know what she's been through!"
"And that's what ponies want to know," Rewind said, pushing his way through the crowd, "Just to think of it! A mere intern, awakening a long lost princess. You have yourself a real story here, Push Play, and I would be grateful if you would organize a documentary about it."
"I would be honored," Play answered, "But under a few conditions. You may not be aware of it, but Sombra is back on the loose. We have more important things to focus on before the documentary. I propose that I put together an article summarizing Clarity and the crisis we are facing. Once I know that Sombra is out of our hair, I'll get to work on the documentary."
"I don't know about that," Rewind said, "What's in it for the money?"
"Consider this," Play replied, "Sombra is terrorizing Equestria. Everyone who knows this is fearing when he will strike next. But there's a great deal of ponies who are still naïve to his presence. If there's no warning for them and Sombra wipes out entire cities, they'll get angry at us for not focusing on the task at hoof. They'll think that we're only doing things like this for the money. As a result, they will not pay for the films that we make."
"Oh, Sweet Celestia!" Rewind said, "That never once crossed my mind! Very well, then. I authorize your request for the article. Besides, just giving Equestria a taste of this hidden history will get them wanting more, and they'll come to us for more! It'll equate to more money in the end!" He talked on as he walked back into his building.
"Is he always like that?" Clarity asked, "And since when did you become so pervasive?"
"First of all, Rewind always thinks like that. He sees the world through dollar sign glasses. Second of all, I've learned to manipulate the gossiping ponies I've interviewed into revealing certain things. With others, I'd never step into their presented boundaries, but I was born and raised here in Manehattan. Rewind is not the only pony who only thinks about himself."
"I'll take your word for it," Clarity said, "But can we please get out of here? A lot of ponies are still staring at us." She was right. All eyes were still glued on the two ponies.
"Good idea," Play said, "Let's get back to the Crystal Empire." ............................
Two days later, the article aired on the news. It featured the the interview Clarity had with Cadance.
"I hope that this changes any doubts that anyone has about you," Play said.
"Me too," Clarity replied. The two were walking around outside the palace. Then, Clarity bumped into the librarian.
"Goodness!" The librarian said, dropping the books she was carrying.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry." Clarity said as she started to help her pick up the fallen books.
"Thank you, Clarity," the librarian said as she began to walk off. But then, she stopped.
"By the way," she said, "I'm sorry for anything I may have said that hurt you. The veil of sorrow had clouded my judgment as well as others'. Please know that I have your back."
The duo was in the throne room with Cadance, Shining Armor, and the mane six.
"So, what's our best course of action?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, the crystal ponies were able to use the crystal heart to banish Sombra before," Twilight said, "Surely they could do it again."
"But it won't work," Clarity said.
"What do you mean?" Cadance asked.
"If we banish Sombra, then it would only be a matter of time before the same thing happened again."
"She's right," Armor said, "We need to stop him once and for all!"
"But how?" Rarity asked.
Play thought back to the last Summer Sun Celebration. As he recalled, Celestia said that the event became a time to commemorate the return of Princess Luna, rather than the defeat of Nightmare Moon.
'Nightmare Moon,' he thought, 'She was defeated by the elements of harmony twice. When Celestia used them, Nightmare was banished to the moon. When Twilight and the others used them, she turned back into Luna. Why? How were the elements wielded in each battle?'
"I'm just throwing out suggestions here, but could we just use the Crystal Heart or, if necessary, the elements of harmony to dilute his dark power?" He asked.
"Now that you mention it," Clarity said, "That could work. When you defeated Sombra with the heart, you were aiming to destroy him. If we simply redirect our motives, then... I just might see... Raven. The one I know and love. The one that will always be my brother. The one I want to see again..."
"I hate to break your daydream, but we don't have much time to lose," Armor said, "There's no doubt that Sombra will be coming here as quickly as he can. He'll be after you and the Crystal Heart. I'll round up the guards to protect you, my friends, and Cadance."
"I don't want to be under guard," Clarity declared, "I never wanted the princess life. And I've always looked out for the Empire. And I'm the one that he's after."
"Wait, what are you saying?" Spike asked.
"I have to face him," Clarity replied, "The guards don't stand a chance against his power. You know how he fights."
Everyone looked at each other, uncertain, and slowly nodded in agreement.
Sharp, erratic notes filled the air from the crystal horn.
"Please remind me why we let Pinkie play the horn again," Rarity whispered.
The citizens of the empire soon came swarming to the castle balcony where the mane six, Push Play, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Clarity stood.
"Attention everyone," Cadance called out, "There is no way to describe the emotions you, I, or anyone else might be feeling. As many of you know, Princess Clarity has been found by Push Play and brought home."
Clarity cautiously made her way to the front of the balcony. A round of cheering rose up from the crowd.
"But there are other matters to be brought to mind," Cadance said, cutting the applause short, "Clarity, no one knows this like you do. Could you please explain?"
Clarity gulped. She wasn't sure where to start. It was like cutting a brilliant cut out of a diamond.
She then thought back to when she was learning how to cut gems. 'You always start from the beginning,' Ruby Gold had told her, 'Assess the gem's weak spots, and use caution when cutting them.'
'Start from the beginning,' Clarity thought, 'Use caution on the weak spots.' Her weak spot had always been Raven's gradual corruption. She felt that there was something else she could have done to stop him from becoming so diabolical. If only she had told Mirar. If only he had opened up to her...
'Stop!' She thought to herself, 'Wallowing in the past is not going to change anything! Raven is coming, as King Sombra, and there's nothing you can do about it if you just blame yourself.
'Blame, that's what Raven has been blinded by. He blames you for all the things he never got, and he let it take control of him. Now, I have to stop him. For this empire. For my friends. For Equestria. I'll go down fighting.
'Calm yourself. This isn't about war. It's about peace. For we all have to show him the light. Show him that after all this time, after all I've been through, I still consider him my brother, and I won't let anything change that!'
A huge cheer erupted from the crowd.
"That was an amazing speech!" Twilight said.
"Wait, what?" Clarity muttered, before mentally slapping herself. She had spoken every word.
"Don't worry," Cadance said quietly, "You got their hopes up. That's all that matters."
Clarity eyed some pitch black clouds gathering in the south. The moment of truth was nearing.
'I'm sick of running,' she thought, 'I've always wanted what's best for this empire. And I'll go down fighting with my weapon of choice: peace.'
It wasn't long before the clouds arrived. The crystal ponies were gathered around the crystal heart. Cadance was in the palace with Armor, the mane six, and countless guards.
Play had run off, onto a balcony, with his camera rolling. He knew it was probably a bad idea, but the plan to defeat Sombra seemed pretty straightforward: Sombra came, the crystal ponies activated the heart, and Raven is revealed. It didn't seem too dangerous.
Clarity stood at the gate, waiting.
The cloud materialized into the soot-gray unicorn she had come to fear, yet love.
"Well, unguarded, I see," Sombra said, "I expected more from the heir to the empire."
"The empire is under the rule of another," Clarity replied, "Now neither of us will rule."
"We'll see about that," Sombra replied, his horn surrounded by orbs of green and purple, "Are you going to fight, or would you never bear to lay a hoof on your own brother?"
Clarity answered, realizing something, "You are not the Raven that I remember playing and having fun with. The one who would be there for me. I am not your sister. Not while you're in that state." She paused, and added, "But you will always be my brother. I fight with love. And with love, I will defend this empire!" She took to the air.
Sombra fired at her, but she dodged the blows. He began to summon the huge, jagged crystals, and she counteracted with her own crystals. This is how the battle went for the first several minutes.
"Think about what happened a thousand years ago!" Sombra roared, "What makes you think that you are any more powerful then than you are now?!"
This question took Clarity off guard, and Sombra hit her with a black beam.
Play gasped. He saw black crystals begin to form around Clarity's body.
"She's more powerful because she knows that she's not alone!" He yelled, firing at Sombra.
"Play's right," Clarity said in a weakening voice, "I'm not the shy, frightened filly I used to be. I know that I have more friends than I could ask for. Our unity is what helped me overcome my initial fear of you." As the crystals progressed to her neck, she added, "And I want you to truly understand our unity."
She closed her eyes, and the crystal heart began to glow. The crystal ponies stepped forward, and the roadways of the empire lit up once more. The black crystals reached Clarity's horn, completely encasing her, but her horn glowed.
The lights suddenly shot back to the heart, causing it to rotate at its breathtaking speed. A glowing shockwave pierced the air, and Clarity's prison. She opened her eyes, shakily stood up, and looked at Sombra.
The heart shot a pale teal beam at Clarity, who in turn fired it at Sombra. Glowing cracks could be seen forming in his armor. His eyes glowed pure white. He screamed. The world went black. ..............................
Groaning, Play got up.
'What happened,' he thought. He looked at his camera and rolled through the hoofage. He heard himself screaming at Sombra. He saw the blast that shattered Clarity's crystal prison. He heard Sombra scream. Then the screen went static.
'The blast must've shorted out the camera,' he thought. He cautiously peeked over the balcony, seeing other ponies beginning to stir.
'Guess I wasn't the only one knocked out,' he thought as he made his way down, 'To be honest, what all just happened now feels like a bad dream.'
The mane six bursted out the door with Cadance and Shining Armor. Clarity slowly stood up, getting her balance.
When everyone was up, they all looked at the damage, shocked. Because there was no damage. The only sign that anything happened was the navy blue unicorn who was trying to stand up.
"Raven," Clarity said, with her eyes surprisingly dry.
The former dark king just looked at his older sister with a look of half anger and half fear.
"Clarity," he said.
"I don't like where this is going," Rainbow Dash said, "I'm taking him down." She began to shoot towards him but was stopped by Twilight's aura.
"Calm down!" She said, "This is not going to be like when Luna was stopped. Clarity's willing to forgive and forget, but Raven's not. Let those two talk it out."
"It's been over a thousand years since I've felt at ease around you, brother."
"So it has."
"Listen, I'm sorry for not being there for you. I tried, but I guess that I didn't try hard enough."
"It's not your fault. You had it all. The attention, the throne, the power. Everything that I didn't have. That's why I shut you out."
Clarity pondered for a while, and said, "I don't want us to live in hatred with one another. I'm aware that we will never be the bright, young, innocent foals we once were, but I want to be your sister again. The wounds are raw and deep, but time will soothe the pain." She then turned to Princess Cadance and said, "Cadance, although it was never made official, I pass the empire's crown on to you. You and Shining Armor are ruling the empire far better than I ever would. I am unsure of my true role in the empire, but I know that I won't be in the journey on my own."
Raven looked rather insecure, but followed Clarity into the palace.
"Hay! Wait up!" Play called. Clarity and Raven turned around to let the unicorn reporter catch up.
"So, you want an interview?" Clarity asked.
"A what?" Raven said.
"I'll explain," Clarity said, "Just correct me if I get something wrong, Play."