> Rainbow Crystals > by MidnightAngel > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Fit for a Queen > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "WOOHOO!! WE KICKED STARLIGHTS BUTT!! TIME TO PARTAY!!" Pinkie yelled, making every pony wince. "Yay. We really did. Did you see how assertive I was?" Fluttershy asked, but the pink pony was to engulfed with all the plans for a big upcoming celebration, to recognise another day the mane 6 had saved the day. "I'm sure y'all want some cider. It's especially made by Granny Smith." Every pony turned to face Applejack with all glee faces. All except for Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow darling, are you alright? You seem so, how can I say this, dreadful. You haven't spoken a word after the big fight, and you don't even have a smile on your face after AppleJack mentioned cider." Rarity, sitting next to Rainbow, put a hoof on Rainbow's back. Rainbow sighed and shuffled away from Rarity's company. Everyone else gave Rarity, the what's-wrong-with-her look, but she just shrugged. "Hey Rainbow, do you want some cider?" Twilight questioned, wondering why Rainbow was so down. They had won the battle for their cutie marks, after all. "Naww I-I'm fine. I just don't feel, y'know, in the mood." Rainbow looked at Twilight's eyes, as her mind wondered off. Uhh.. Rainbow, are you- Gotta go!!" A faint rainbow trail lead behind her, and a loud thud of a door came quickly after. "Do you girls know what that was all about?" Fluttershy said, while she looked through the castle halls. "Im sure Rainbow Dash is fine, she might just be tired." Replies were quickly followed. "Of course Twilight." "Yes dear." "Sure looks like it." "Okie dokie loky!" "And anyways Twi, if RD needs some help, she'll just call for it." Rainbow entered her room. Wow, I sure seem to get lost in this castle easily. Twilight had let all of her friends stay at her castle for a while, despite the fact that the five ponies were going to make a lot of noise. She groaned. How could she of gotten her cutie mark taken away from her, just like that!! It was frustrating, knowing that some crazed-maniac had taken away her cutie mark. It was like her wings getting taken away from her! She wondered what would happen if that truely did happen. Rainbow... "Huh? Who's there?" It's me Rainbow Dash, King Sombra, ruler of the crystal empire. "Is this some sought of sick joke? I thought we defeated you!" Oh yes, you surely defeated me, even though I'm talking to you." "Whatever. What do you want?" Rainbow spat. She didn't like the fact that she was talking to Sombra. Something about his voice made her skin shiver. Oh no no. It's not about what I want, it's about you. "Wait, what? Whaddya mean? You're the villain. Don't you like getting things for yourself?" Can I say something? I've long moved on from Sparkle, and now my mind has its full attention on you. "Huh? Why do you like me now? What do you want!! I need to know so I can whip your sorry butt to tell you I don't have it!!" I have one simple request. I need someone to help me with my duties. Someone to love me and care for me. Someone to rule over the world and enslave others. Sweat trickled of Rainbow's forehead. She knew what was coming next. I need you as my queen. "Just like that?" Well, no not exactly. If you come with me, you can have your beautiful wings. Or, you can stay with your, friends, and live your whole life without, your wings. "You can't say that! I need my wings!" Like I said before Miss dash, me or your friends. "My friends! I would never abandon them! I am the element of loyalty after all!" Even after she had made her decision, Sombra's voice would not leave the void in her head. Me or your friends, me or your friends, me or your friends "Please stop! I already said I choose my friends over you!" Me or your friends, me or you friends. Her yells had now turned into desperate sobs. "My friends- I-I would never gi-ve u-u-p o-n t-t-hem." The voice still continued, refusing to leave. It kept repeating the same words over and over again. Me or your friends, me or your friends. Suddenly a new sound erupted from Rainbow's body as she screamed, whilst her wings were held up in the air by a black aura. A ripping sound started, and Rainbow found herself convulsing in mid air while holding back fresh tears. Blood dripped onto the floor, making Dash feel dizzy. Her screams still continued, and so did the voice. Me or your friends, me or your friends. "Oh she called alright!" The five friends galloped towards the screams coming from Rainbows room, hoping and praying that their friend was alright. They burst through the door, and all gasped at the sight of their friend, whose body was covered in a crimson colour. Dashed in a crimson colour. Rainbow made an attempt to see her friends, but she couldn't get her head to move. The only thing she could feel was the voice, still spinning inside her head. It would drive her insane. Me or your friends, me or your friends. "Rainbow!" Twilight shouted, her voice barely audible over Sombra's. "You can't give up on us! You're the element of loyalty! Stay strong! I'll work out a spell to cast!" A sudden shockwave crashed through the room, emitting a black spark. The world spun as Rainbow looked at Twilight's horn. It had been washed over with black magic, and Twilight tried to cast a spell. She desperately tried, but not a single spark came out of her horn. Suspecting that Sombra had done this with both unicorns, Rainbow turned towards Rarity. Her horn too, had a black aura surrounding it. Me or your friends, me or your friends. "We're coming Dashie!!" Rainbow looked up just in time to see AppleJack and Pinkie run up to her but to be slammed into by a big chunk of black crystals. "NOOO!! DON'T HURT THEM!!" Another scream erupted through her body as her wings were being torn away from her body. "Please.." She weakly looked down at the remaining pony, who shook widely in the corner of the room. Her canary wings were strapped down onto the ground, with chunky black chains. So we're Twilight's wings. Everyone who had tried to help her had failed, and now she could choose to live with them, or live with him, with her own wings. Tick Tock, Miss Dash. Your wings await your approval. She gave a defeated sigh, looked down at her friends, and choked on her own words. "You." > Don't Play with Fire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Rainbow.. why..." Twilight collapsed onto the floor, looking down at the fresh charred floor. Rainbow Dash was gone now. She had left her friends. Twilight understood, she truly did. But she didn't understand. Why? Why had King Sombra invaded her house? Why had he threatened Rainbow Dash? Why would he need her as.. A queen. "Noo..." She just couldn't get herself to think about it. Not anymore. What an element of loyalty she was, letting the elements down. She had no friends to accompany her now. Because of what she decided, she was now alone in the crystal castle, it's once breathtaking decor now dressed in a dark grey colour. The whole crystal empire had been once filled with lively ponies, theirs hearts strong and pure. But year after year, Sombra had seen enough love spread around that he invested all his energy and hate to come back to the crystal kingdom. He had built up so much anger and rage that his magic had grown stronger, and by the time he finally arrived at the crystal empire, every pony had fled, becuase they had noticed the sky turning a dark red, and every crystal fading into a dark grey. But some ponies, who weren't lucky, didn't even notice the sky changing. The castle guards. From then on, King Sombra had ruled over it, and he experimented with every guard, playing with them like chess pieces. After screams, blood and torture, he had finally created a beautiful creature, that would defend him in any way possible. He went to over to every guard that he had and turned them into demons. Demons, who were reckless creatures that would stop at nothing to protect there master that had created them. Their glistening eyes, awfully sharp teeth, and rough raven black scaly skin would drive off crowds of ponies, by just looking at them. Rainbow hated to think about any of it. Sombra had told her the whole story, since she was the only pony around that he could actually communicate with. He was stuck with her, and she was stuck with him. Her friends would never help her now. Rainbow looked up to the ceiling, and gulped. If only she found away of freeing herself, if only there was a way of...escaping. Rainbow Dash stumbled across the crystal floor, over to where Sombra was standing. Even through her cloudy vision, she could see his horning glowing. She wondered what he was- suddenly she was drifting in mid air, and her wings we're being tugged at again. Again she was screaming for help through the searing hot pain she was enduring. Her wings were being ripped off her body. Again. "Ponies always think I will give them a straight foward deal, but I never give what they want! Now Miss Dash, you won't ever live with your wings again!!" Sombra continued laughing, and Rainbows eyes darted back and forth, wondering what was going on. "Wait a second, I thought you said my wings were free?" Rainbow quivered, trying to maintain her cocky voice. Sombra slowly trotted up towards her, and lifted her chin up, so that they were now looking each other in the eyes. Rainbow gulped. "I guess I did say that to you, but I have my ways of being a villain." "No..NO!! YOU MADE A PROMISE!!" She screeched, hoping that it hurt Sombra's ears. "My my, you are one hell of a pony. But you are a great fool. There are many ways of being a great villain, and great villains never give up in order to get what they want!" He snarled, making Rainbow flinch. "And that is why you're a fool my dear. I did tell you that you're going to live here, didn't I? No you're going to live in the crystal dungeons and rot for eternity. I told you that you're going to become the queen, didn't I? You're going to become a slave, who is going to be visiting the mine shaft daily, where all the slaves go to mine for crystals. But... If you misbehave, it is likely that you will get a horrible punishment to make sure that you never, EVER fool around in my empire again." Her eyes widened. Rainbow was going to spend her whole life in a dungeon? Enslaved? What kind of pon- Oh right he's a villain. And since he's a villain, I'm probably gonna die, but hey, why don't I think on the bright side! She heard a fake cough and turned her face to see Sombra, inches away from her, with a permanent scowl. "One more thing my dear. Please do look me in the eye this time. Ok, now that I've got you're full attention I'm going to make it clear. Do you remember when I told you about staying with me or your friends?" Rainbow nodded. "Do you remember how you chose me?" Rainbow looked away. Sombra's horned suddenly glowed, sending a tendril of black smoke at her. She turned just in time to see the tendril whip across her face, leaving a burning red mark. She quickly nodded at Sombra. "Ok." "Now do you know why you're here? Because I let you come here. I told you the truth." Rainbow winced at the last sentence, and closed her eyes shut. "You know what Miss Dash? I now know that some villains do keep their promises." Through the rooms, through the halls, and through the castle were screams, screams from a mare called Rainbow Dash. Twilight picked herself up. If she was going to rescue her friend, she had to try. To try and free Rainbow Dash. Twilight didn't exactly want the elements of harmony to fail without loyalty, so she was going to track down the crystal empire and find Rainbow. She did have one plan in mind, but it was a bit risky. It actually included her putting an unique spell on Sombra, that would only work once. It was a very difficult spell to cast, becuase it was the forgetfulness spell. If it would work, Sombra would forget everything about himself, and the mane 6 would 'reform' him. She couldn't even imagine him being reformed, it be would hilarious seeing King Sombra helpless. Twilight chuckled at her thoughts, and picked up her saddle bag. This was going to be a long journey to the crystal empire, but first, she needed to grab a few things from a zebra.