> The Crystal Prince
>  by Star Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Night Guard?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a calm day in the Canterlot Castle. Two guards enjoyed the breeze that blew through the west garden. They paced on opposite sides of the garden, each on the lookout for any signs of danger.
In the center of the garden, a flash of black and red light caught the attention of the two guards. The flash was followed by an eerie cry of pain and scent of fire.
Both guards raced to source of their distraction and were met with a strange sight.
A bat pony was cowering in the middle of the royal gazebo, smoke emanating from the tip of his bat-like wings. The pony had black fur, as black as the night, with an unkempt red mane and tail. He eyed the two day guards nervously, shaking in his night guard armor.
The two day guards exchanged confused looks, each having recognized the armor. One of the guards suddenly galloped away while the other approached the cowering bat pony.
"Where did you come from?" the guard asked, looking down at the other stallion.
The black pelted stallion shook his head, opening his eyes to see who spoke to him. "I... don't know," the stallion said, his voice cracked and sounded as though he hadn't spoken in centuries. His red eyes darted around as he took in his surrounding, suddenly calming down.
"Princess! This way," a rough voice sounded from behind the day guard.
A beautiful white alicorn followed a guard to the gazebo, her eyes falling on the bat pony.
"P-Princess Celestia!" the bat pony exclaimed, swiftly lowering into a bow.
"Wake my sister. Something about this stallion troubles me," Princess Celestia told the guards.
Both guards flew away, eager to carry out their order, leaving the princess alone with the strange stallion.
"Tell me, do you know your name?" the princess asked the bat pony, her tone kind.
"I-It's... S-Silent... Silent Flight," the stallion stuttered, sill bowing to Celestia.
Celestia remained silent for a short while, her eyes taking in every detail of Silent Flight. "I see. If I remember correctly, you went missing over 1,000 years ago."
"Yes, he did. He went missing when the Crystal Empire did, Sister," the voice of Princess Luna answered for Silent Flight. "I had a dream that the Empire has returned, and now my personal guard from before Nightmare Moon has returned as well. I believe there is no coincidence here."
"Princess Luna!" Silent Flight greeted the dark alicorn, bowing even lower than before.
"Silent Flight, good to see you again," Princess Luna replied, landing beside her sister.
"The Crystal Empire? That must mean he is back as well," Celestia sneered.
"Indeed. Cadence and Shining Armour are headed there as we speak. They will do their best to protect the Empire. Though I am afraid My Love is the only who can defeat him," Princess Luna replied, her voice saddening as she mentioned her love.
"He must have returned as well, Dear Sister. The Empire would not have been able to return if their prince was not alive. He must gained his full power, allowing the Empire to return," Celestia encouraged her sister.
"Yes, he must be. I will try to find his dreams by following those of the Crystal Ponies," Princess Luna replied, determination clear in her voice.
============================================+=======================================================
Silent Flight woke with a start, gasping for breath. That was the twentieth time he had that dream since he returned to being Princess Luna's personal guard. He rolled out of bed and put on his armor, trying to clear his mind of the dream.
Falling Star, Silent Flight's roommate, groaned and peeked out the window beside his bed. "We slept too late!" he yelped, jumping out of bed and rushing to put on his armor. "Captain Nightlock is going kill me!"
"I doubt it, Star. The moon is just rising. If you fly, you can make it to Captain Nightlock's office before he leaves," Silent Flight snickered.
"Hey! I don't fly as fast you do!" Falling Star retorted.
"I know. Well, see you when the sun rises," Silent Flight  replied, leaving his friend alone in their room. He trotted through the empty hallways of the castle, heading to the place where the princess told him to meet her when the moon rises. He entered the south garden and spread his wings, letting the cool night air ruffle what little feathers his wings contained.
"I see your here early," Princess Luna's laugh told the night guard of her approach. She landed in front of Silent Flight, her smile turning into an amused frown. "You have your helmet on backwards, Flight," she laughed, using her magic to fix his helmet.
"Oh, sorry. I had another nightmare," Silent Flight explained sheepishly. "Princess, is something bothering you?" he asked, noticing mare's smile fade once again.
"Shining Armour is unable to use his magic and Cadence is quickly getting weaker. Soon, King Sombra will reclaim the Crystal Empire." As she spoke, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "My fiancé, Prince Topaz, is no where to be found. He has hidden himself from even Discord, who can track magic. Topaz is the only one who can stop Sombra, but if he isn't found, all of Equestria is at stake!"
Silent Flight remained silent, not knowing what to say. In an attempt to comfort the princess, he wrapped one wing over her back.
Princess Luna looked up at him before shrugging his wing off her back. "Thank you, for attempting to comfort me, but only Topaz has ever done that..." she looked down sadly, her eyes watering once again.
Silent Flight looked up at the night sky, his ears pricked. He knew he heard something, but he couldn't pinpoint where he heard it. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide and he leaped into the air, knocking Princess Luna out of the way of a falling object. 
Princess Luna looked up at her guard, her eyes wide with shock at what she saw.
Before stood not her personal guard, but a crystal alicorn. He raised raised his head, his horn glowing a light blue color. Before he could release the spell, he was hit by a branch that fell from the sky, nearly being missed by a large tree that fell down after the branch. The branch had stopped his spell before he could cast it, and the thing he was looking at fled.
The stallion collapsed to the ground, suddenly the bat pony once again. He covered his right eye with his wing, hissing in pain.
"Are you alright!?" Princess Luna asked, shaking herself out of her shock. "Flight?"
"My... eye..." the stallion growled, wincing in pain as he removed his wing and looked up at the princess.
"It's blind!"
> Dreams of the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A stallion with white fur, white wings, and a neatly groomed blue and purple mane and tail stood near the railroad tracks. His crystal body helped him remain unnoticed by several crystal ponies who went about with their day. The crystal alicorn was waiting for his fiancée to arrive on the next train. He knew the train hadn't even left Canterlot yet, but he was too excited to wait for the moon to begin rising. Tomorrow, he was going to be crowned king, but that wasn't on his mind at all. He was thinking about his wedding that would take place in a week. He shuffled his hooves as he sat down, barely able to contain his excitement.
"Prince Topaz! Hurry!" a frightened scream alerted the alicorn of an attack. 
Prince Topaz spread his large wings and lept into the air. He flew towards his castle, sending a spell to the base of the giant crystal. He readied another spell, his horn glowing light blue, and he found his target.
A monster known as Sombra was rampaging through the Crystal Empire, his bright red eyes set on the prince. Wherever Sombra went, the crystals darkened and became more pointed, no doubt unsettled by the dark magic Sombra rapidly fired at the flying prince.
Topaz dodged the dark spells, knowing that if one hit him, the Empire was doomed to fall into the hooves of Sombra. He shot his spell at the attacker, getting hit by one himself. He let out a howl of pain as his vision faded into nothingness.
=============================================+======================================================
Silent Flight jolted awake, wincing at the pain in his right eye. He had no idea what his dream was about, but it felt real to him.
"Flight! Your awake!" the relieved sigh of Princess Luna confused the bat pony. 
His mind was wrapped around that dream and he had trouble recalling where he was.
"I think your eye is blind... Flight? What is it?" the princess noticed the horrified look on her guard's face and became concerned.
"That... dream," he gasped, shaken as images from the dream and something else raced through his mind.
"Huh?" the princess closed her eyes and laid down as her horn began to glow.
Silent Flight looked around, too tired to notice that he was in Princess Luna's room. After a while he began to doze off, plunging into another dream.
=============================================+======================================================
A young crystal alicorn trotted through a beautiful garden. He looked up at the sound of laughter and watched two young alicorns chase each other in the sky.
The smaller of the two alicorns, flew into a cloud and started to fall. "Celestia! Help!" she cried out , frantically flapping her wings.
The colt began to flap his own wings and flew into the sky. He sped over to the falling filly and caught her with a levitation spell. He flew back to the ground and released the filly from his spell. 
"Luna! Are you alright?" young Celestia asked, landing beside her sister.
"Yeah.. he saved me. Hey! You just got your cutie mark!" young Luna exclaimed, pointing her hoof at the colt's flank.
The colt looked at his flank and smiled. The cutie mark that just appeared his flank on three crystals forming a crown. "Cool! Hey, My name is Topaz by the way. What are your names?" he asked the fillies.
"My name is Celestia. This is my sister, Luna," young Celestia replied.
"I remember this."
At the sound of Princess Luna's voice, the young colt spun around as the dream vanished. The crystal alicorn bowed to Princess Luna. "Princess!"
"I came to investigate what had scared you so badly... I think I'm in the right dream..." the princess replied. "That was the first time I met Topaz. Why were you dreaming about it?"
"I have no idea, Princess Luna." the stallion replied.
The stallion suddenly gasped, his eyes wide. Memories from his life before his defeat flashed in front of his eyes.
"What is going on!?" Princess Luna exclaimed, backing away from the stallion.
The stallion collapsed as a room formed around the two alicorns. He lay on the floor, panting heavily.
"F-Flight?" Luna cautiously approached the stallion as he sat up.
"Who's Flight?" the alicorn asked, his crystal blue eyes found Princess Luna and he scrambled to his hooves. "Luna!"
"Topaz?" Princess Luna croaked, not sure she was seeing things correctly.
"Yes, i'ts me. How long have I been under that spell?" Topaz asked, seeing the confusion in Luna's eyes.
"Well over 1,000 years," Luna replied, her eyes tearing up.
=============================================+======================================================
Both alicorns scrambled to their hooves and embraced each other happily.
"Luna, I'm sorry," Topaz whispered, tears forming in his eyes.
"What for? You couldn't fight that spell Sombra put on you. How did you manage to break it?" Luna cried, tears falling to the floor.
"With your help." Topaz murmured, blinking away his tears, but causing them to roll down his cheeks instead.
"Luna, why did I get a strong- TOPAZ?" Celestia's stunned yell startled the two alicorns.
Two guards burst into the room, their jaws dropping when they saw the tears streaming down Luna's face.
Topaz took a deep breath and began to explain everything that happened before he went missing. "I was waiting by the train station for Luna. Stupidly, my mind was on something other than my surroundings. I was alerted of Sombra's attack by the librarian and I hurried to fight him. I hid the Crystal Heart somewhere Sombra can never find it with a spell I had been practicing earlier that day. He nearly got me with the first spell he shot at me, but I managed to doge it. I did everything I could to protect the Empire, but... he still got me. Please, what state is the Empire in? I must know, Celestia! Luna?"
Both mares shook their heads sadly. "Sombra has almost taken control of the Empire once again. There are two ponies there who are doing everything in their power to keep him at bay, but without the Crystal Heart, they are finding it increasingly hard," Luna sighed, after a moment of silence. "I understand if you want to go know and fight him, but please be extra careful. I don't want to lose you again, My Love."
> Strongest Alicorn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prince Topaz nuzzled Princess Luna's cheek. "I will be more focused this time, Lulu," he whispered reassuringly.
"Before you fly off to the Crystal Empire, there are a few ponies I would like for you to meet. They hold the power of the Elements of Harmony. They will also be able to show you the way to the Empire. After all, a lot has changed here in Equestria since you ruled over the Empire," Celestia interrupted the affectionate reunion.
"I will gladly introduce you to them, Topaz," Luna offered, returning his affectionate gesture.
"Hmmm...... alright. As long as you promise me that you won't try to fight Sombra," the crystal alicorn hesitantly agreed.
"I promise. I am well aware that you are the only one who can -"
"Why, hello there. I haven't seen you in 2,000 years, Crystal Prince," a sly voice interrupted Luna.
The three alicorns looked over to Luna's bed, where the voice came from. "Discord!" Topaz growled. "I thought you were turned to stone!"
"Oh, I was. But now..." Discord suddenly disappeared, soon reappearing in a different location. He wrapped his body around the male alicorn until he was face-to-face with the prince. "I have been reformed," he finished his earlier sentence in a mock posh voice.
"Get... OFF OF ME!" Topaz screeched, unfurling his large, white wings with such force that he sent Discord flying into the wall above the door. "After what you did to Onyx, I would rather kill you than let you back into the Empire!" he remained in the air as he seethed at his enemy. His horn began to glow a light blue as he shot a spell at the draconequus.
Discord yelped in fright, having forgotten what Topaz was capable of when angered. The spell hit him, sending his legs into different directions as they tried to flee the wrath of the crystal alicorn.
"Topaz! Please! You could destroy all of Canterlot with that spell!" Luna hollered, trying to get the stallion to calm down.
The two guards stood by the door, frozen in place with their jaws hanging in awe at the power of this strange alicorn. They had never seen or even heard of a male alicorn before, but now they know why: He is even more powerful than Princess Luna and Princess Celestia combined.
"I give! I give!" Discord pleaded. "Please, stop!"
Realizing that Topaz was too angry to hear anypony's voice, Luna cast a spell on the stallion, sending him to sleep.
Topaz hit the floor with the sound of crystals shattering, put asleep by Luna's spell.
"DISCORD, NEVER LET OUR COLTFRIEND SEE YOU AGAIN! NEXT TIME WE MAY NOT BE THERE TO STOP HIM FROM KILLING YOU!" Luna boomed, using her Canterlot voice.
Discord merely nodded before disappearing with a snap of his claws.
Luna relaxed and sat beside Topaz, an apologetic look on her face. She nuzzled his chin and murmured, "Sorry, My Love."
"You did the right thing, my sister. If you had not stopped him, discord would surely be dead by now," Celestia spoke gently, wrapping her wing over Luna's back. "I must admit, I had never seen him angry before."
"He can be very scary when he becomes angry....... Once, he even destroyed the entire Griffin army. Their captain got mad and tore my wing. That angered him and... the next thing I know, the Griffin captain was dead. That nearly started a war, but he killed off the other Griffins when they began to attack his guards....... I guess he's just..." Luna smiled sadly, recalling the first time she ever saw her coltfriend get angry.
"Protective?" Celestia suggested.
"Yes..." Luna sighed. She gazed down at Topaz with a sad smile. "Very."
Princess Celestia removed her wing from around her sister. "I best check up on Shining Armour and Cadence," she said before leaving the room, the two guards trotting after her.
==============================================+=====================================================
Prince Topaz stood at the top a lush green hill. He was looking for a certain pony amongst the many pelts of the Canterlot ponies. A breeze blew from the west, ruffling his feathers and messing up his neatly combed mane. He was wearing traditional royal attire, adorned with crystal horseshoes, which sparkled in the light of the setting sun. He wasn't, however, wearing his crown.
He stood next to a cloud that rested just above the grass. On the cloud was his crystal crown and a small box.
Topaz shuffled his front hooves nervously, struggling to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. He glanced over at the box several times, finally deciding it was best to hide it. He used his magic to hide the box deeper in the cloud, making sure that it didn't look suspicious.
"Topaz?" a sweet voice startled the already nervous prince.
"Luna!" he gasped, spinning around to face her.
"Why is your mane a mess?" Luna asked, giggling at his jumpiness.
"Oh, the wind messed it up," he replied, lifting his crown with his magic and using to fix his mane. "So...."
Luna giggled, amused by how the stallion was at a lost for words. "Its almost time for me to raise the moon," she bit her lower lip and an awkward silence settled around them.
"I thought we could stargaze...." Topaz muttered, his white cheeks turning bright red.
"That would be lovely," Luna sighed. She did her best to ignore the crystal stallion's nervousness, even though she was curious.
The two alicorns jumped onto the cloud and settled side-by-side, their flanks touching.
Luna's horn began to glow as she magically raised the moon.
The glow from Luna's horn faded away as the two alicorns gazed up at the night sky.
After about two hours of sitting in silence, Topaz grew restless. His nerves built up as the moon climbed hight in the sky. "I can't take it any longer," he yelped.
"Can't take what?" Luna asked, confused by his sudden outburst.
Topaz used his magic to retrieve the box he hid earlier. He stepped off the cloud and bowed lowly. He raised the box so that it was just in front of Luna. He took a shuddering breath before looking up at her. "Princess Luna Eclipse, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked. His voice was steady, but he struggled to breath as he awaited her answer.
> Meeting New Ponies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Topaz blinked open his eyes, grunting as he covered his face with his wing. Having failed to block out the light of the sun, he sat up in the bed and looked around the room. He noticed he was not in Luna's room, so he flopped back onto the bed, relishing the dream he had. He knew the dream was when he proposed to Princess Luna, but he figured he would have to do so again. After all, he went missing a week before their wedding.
A knock on the door told the prince to give up on returning to sleep to rolled out of the bed. "Topaz? Are you awake yet?" Luna's voice called through the door.
"Yes," he called back, stumbling over to open the door. He gave up on trying to walk and sat down in the middle of the floor, opening the door with his magic. "Morning Lulu," he greeted the princess when she strolled into the room.
"I saw that dream you had," Princess Luna murmured, sitting next to Topaz. "In case your wondering, I wasn't trying to spy. I wanted to talk with you, but... when I saw what you were dreaming about.... I didn't let you know I was there..."
"Its fine, Lulu. I've told you before that you don't have to apologize for seeing any of my dreams," Prince Topaz reminded the dark blue alicorn. "So, are we going to meet the Element Bearers?"
"Yes. Tia decided to call them all here to meet you. After all, your no good with talking if your in a new place," Luna giggled, reminding Topaz of his dream.
"True... Well, I'm going to head out to see Canterlot," Topaz smiled, standing up and lighting his horn. After a few seconds, the exact armor-like attire from his dream appeared in front of him, including his crown. With a little help from Luna, Topaz slipped the attire on and they left the room.
When they reached the dining hall, Celestia was laughing with an angry stallion.
The stallion was a unicorn with a white coat. His mane and tail were a lapis blue with lighter blue streaks. "I'm telling you, the royal regalia of the Crystal Prince vanished before my eyes!" the stallion demanded. "Princess Celestia, this is no laughing matter!"
"Shining Armour, it's good to see you. But, shouldn't you be with Cadence right now?" Luna greeted the agitated stallion.
The unicorn turned to speck to Princess Luna, but his jaw dropped when he saw Prince Topaz standing beside her. "The... it....HOW?"
"How? How what?" Topaz inquired, not understanding Shining Armour.
"Sining Armour, I would like for you to meet Prince Topaz. Topaz, this is Shining Armour. He and his wife, Princess Cadence, have been doing everything they can to keep your Empire safe," Luna introduced the two stallions with a bright smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, young Shining Armour," Topaz bowed respectfully to the awestruck stallion.
"But... Sombra said..... HOW?"
"Did Sombra say I was dead? No, I am very much alive. Also, you have that draconequus to thank for Sombra's existence," Topaz scoffed, amused by Shining Armour's reaction.
"You.... your... YOUR THE CRYSTAL PRINCE!?" Shining Armour exclaimed, nearly fainting.
"Shining, you better get back to Cadence. I told you the royal regalia of the Crystal Prince was in safe hooves. Now, go," Celestia shooed the unicorn and he reluctantly teleported away.
A Purple flash next to Celestia announced the arrival of somepony else. When the glow faded, a purple alicorn, a pink earth pony, a white unicorn, a blue pegasus, a yellow pegasus, a. orange-ish earth pony, and a purple baby dragon were revealed.
Topaz instinctively took a step away from the group, his ears flattening in uncertainty.
"Please, introduce yourselves to our guest," Princess Celestia encouraged the group of fillies.
"Hello, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. I am pleased to make your acquaintance," the purple alicorn said, bowing politely to the three larger alicorns. "I represent the Element of Magic."
"Hi! Hi! Hi!" the pink earth pony bounced circles around Prince Topaz. "I'm Pinkie Pie! My element is laughter and I like to.... PARTY!" when she said the last word, hundreds of party stuff fell from the ceiling. 
Prince Topaz took the moment as she stopped circling him to spread his wings. He wasn't trying to mesmerize the mares with his angelic wings, but he still did.
A rainbow streak rushing past him nearly caused the prince to lose his balance mid air. "Yo! I'm Rainbow Dash! I represent the Element of Loyalty. I gotta say, I have never seen a male alicorn before!"
"Neither have I. And oh my, you're absolutely gorgeous!" the white unicorn with a purple mane and tail agreed with a voice Topaz already found annoying.
At the unicorn's comment, Luna spread her wings and hissed at the unicorn, "Don't even think about saying something like that to our coltfriend!"
"Luna, you're using the royal Canterlot speech again," Topaz warned his marefriend, landing beside her.
"Oh, I had no idea! My apologies, Princess Luna," the unicorn gasped. "Well, my name is Rarity. I happen to be a designer and those gems are positively divine!"
"They are crystals not gems," Topaz muttered, wishing the unicorn would shut up already.
"Now, now Sugar Cube, ya'll forgot to say which element you represent Rarity," the orange-ish mare said in a very country accent that sent chills down Topaz's spine.
"Oh, of course! How could I have forgotten. I represent the glorious Element of Generosity," Rarity gasped. "Thank you ever so much Darling."
"Well, it'd be my pleasure. Howdy, the name's Apple Jack. I run a farm with my family down in Ponyville called Sweet Apple Acres. Yee-haw! I represent the Element of Honesty. I apologize for my friend Rarity here. She's as googly-eyed as a vampire fruit bat when the orchard's full off ripe red apples, when it comes to stallions that is," the country mare stated.
"Um... Apple Jack. I think... he um.... is getting a bit... um... you know.... unsettled..." the yellow pegasus whispered, noticing that Topaz had taken several steps away from Apple Jack when she mentioned the farm.
"Oh! Well, I'm a might sorry for weirded ya out. Anyhoo, this here is Fluttershy. She is the living Element of Kindness," Apple Jack said.
"Hi! I'm Spike! I'm Twilight's number one assistant," the little dragon said. "And if those were gems, Rarity, I'm pretty sure I would be slobbering by now."
Topaz leaped away at the dragon's last comment. He looked down at Luna as he stayed in the air. "Why did I have to meet such..... commoners!?"
"Topaz! They aren't that bad! Sure, meeting them all at once can be quite overwhelming for a pony of your stature, but they are very kind once you get to know them," Luna insisted.
"Stature?" Rarity and Twilight echoed.
"Just who is he, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Girls, I would like for you to meet Prince Topaz. The only male alicorn and the Crystal Prince. Try not to make upset. After all, he nearly succeeded in killing Discord yesterday," Princess Celestia spoke again, silence falling over the room.
"On... his... own... POWER?" Rarity and Rainbow Dash exclaimed, their jaws dropping.
"Yes. On his own power. He has enough power to flatten to all of Equestria, if he so wished," Luna confirmed.
> Topaz's Promise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The six young mares stared, wide-eyed and open mouthed, at Prince Topaz. Not even the talkative ponies said a word.
Prince Topaz knew that what Luna said was true, but he wasn't one to boast about his power, especially when Luna did that for him. He landed beside the dark alicorn and uncomfortably rubbed his blind eye with his wing.
Rarity's expression turned to horror when the prince's blind eye was revealed. "Oh dear! Whatever happened to you?" she exclaimed.
"Nothing that concerns you," Topaz spat, turning away and exiting the dining hall. They act like commoners from a village or something! He shivered at the thought and picked up his pace. He trotted out of the castle, not wanting to speak with any more ponies. He was very unsettled by how those mares acted, especially the little dragon. His pace soon escalated into a full on gallop once he was no longer in the sights of the guards.
"Topaz? Why did you run out of there?" Luna's soft voice stopped the stallion in his tracks. The princess landed in front of him, her eyes full of concern.
"They all acted like village ponies. Not to mention how they hardly let me speak! They seem quite rude, with no thought at all as to what they say! Only that quite pegasus seemed to know her manners. Oh, don't even let me get started on the bratty one!" Topaz exclaimed.
"They were just excited. Sure, Rarity and Rainbow Dash could think more before they speak, but that's no reason to make them think they frightened you!" Luna pressed.
"They did...." Topaz muttered, sitting down with a heavy sigh. "That pink one was well over the top, the rainbow one seemed very cocky, that farmer gives me the chills, that unicorn made you angry, and that dragon is,,, well, a dragon!"
"Topaz, I understand it must be hard for you. But you really need to stop seeing for their flaws," Luna urged. "Start seeing ponies for their good qualities."
Silence settled between the two alicorns. After several minutes of silence, Topaz let out a sigh. "Right now, I'm more worried about my Empire. I still have not returned to my full strength, so I can't even go protect it from that monster. I still feel trapped... Like... I'm going to wake up to find myself bound chains, surrounded by fire, and unable to do anything except listen to the wails and screams of the Crystal Ponies," he lowered his head as he spoke, his voice wavering.
"Was that... when the Crystal Empire disappeared?" Luna asked softly.
"Yes... I had never felt so powerless before. If the citizens of the Crystal Empire say they were tortured.... Just know... I went through worse than they did," Topaz's voice was dark as he spoke.
"It's all over now, My Love. Soon, you will be able to reclaim your Empire," Luna reassured her coltfriend, wrapping her wing around him in an attempt to comfort him.
Topaz smiled weakly at his marefriend. "I still have to get into the Empire with being attacked. I can regain no more strength until the Crystal Heart is powered." As if he suddenly decided on something, he stood up.
"Tia stills wants for the Element Six to escort you there," Luna said, standing up as well.
"I... understand..." Topaz nodded. "Come, let's go and celebrate our reunion, shall we?"
"That sounds lovely. I know the best restaurant in Canterlot, follow me!" Luna replied.
The two alicorns flew back to Canterlot, avoiding the castle by ducking through clouds when they flew past it. They landed just outside a boutique, startling several ponies.
"Princess Luna, did you come to pick up the gown?" a well dressed unicorn stallion asked, bowing to the princess.
"Not today, Fancypants," Luna replied, shaking her head.
"I see. Is there any other reason you have come?" Fancypants asked, eying Topaz with a kind smile.
"Yes. Would you mind helping Topaz with a new outfit? Preferably something that matches what he is already wearing," Princess Luna requested. "I already have a dress in mind. Topaz, I'll meet you by the statue at sunset."
"Alright," Topaz nodded. He nuzzled Luna's cheek before she trotted off.
"Are you the fiancé Princess Luna has talked about?" Fancypants asked, ushering Topaz into the boutique.
Topaz nodded silently, looking around at all the clothes on display around the room.
"This is just the shoppe. I make custom orders back here," The Prench stallion said, leading the prince to a room at the back of the boutique.
"So... Luna still sees me.... as her..." Topaz began uncertainly.
"Oui, she has said that you are the Crystal Prince. She seemed much happier today than any other time I have seen her," Fancypants spoke while holding different fabrics up to Topaz with his magic. He went through hundreds of blue and silver fabrics before sighing in defeat. "None of these work. They either clash with your mane or are too plain compared to what you have on. Wait right here for a moment, s'il vous plait."
Topaz watched the unicorn leave the room. He doubted this designer had any fabric that wouldn't clash or seem too plain. 
After a while, Fancypants returned with a bag in his mouth. He set the bag down near Topaz and used his magic to pull out the fabric that was inside. "This fabric has been passed down through ma famille. It cam from the Cristal Empire long ago."
====================================================+===============================================
By the time Fancypants finished making Topaz a vest that resembled the armor of the Crystal Knights, the moon had already began to rise.
"She might try to kill me," Topaz groaned, pausing just outside of Fancypants' boutique to light up his horn. He looked around, noticing the street was not as busy as it was earlier. He trotted over to a statue that stood just outside what looked to be a theater, not seeing Luna anywhere.
"Topaz!" Luna's voice stopped the stallion before he reached the statue. "Sorry, I didn't realize how long it would take for me to get here without the night guards noticing."
Topaz turned around, about to say something but he froze when he saw Luna.
She was wearing a silver dress dotted with light blue gems. 
"W-wow," Topaz breathed, awed by the beauty of the mare approaching him.
"Topaz?" Luna asked, waving her left front hoof in front of Topaz's face.
Topaz shook himself out of his state of awe. "Yes, Lulu?"
"Can you promise me something?" Luna asked, her voice softer than usual.
"Anything for you," Topaz replied.
"Topaz, I... can you... the wedding..." Luna fumbled to find the right words looking everywhere but at the stallion she spoke to.
Topaz chuckled lightly, closing the distance between himself and the princess. "I can promise you, as soon as Sombra is defeated, we can finally have our wedding," he murmured.
Luna smiled up at him as they both met in a kiss. Her heart nearly exploded as she thought about how long it has been since she felt this way.
> The Failed Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prince Topaz and Princess Luna trotted in the direction of a very fancy looking building. Topaz rested his left wing on Luna's back as they approached the building.
"Good Night, Princess. Your table is ready for you. If you would, please follow me," a stallion wearing a server's collar and tie greeted the couple.
The two alicorns followed the earth pony into the restaurant. They ignored the puzzled stared and hushed murmurs coming from the other ponies in the restaurant.
The waiter led the couple to an outdoor table near a natural waterfall. "Your server will be here shortly," he said, turning to the couple. With a swift bow, the stallion left the royal couple to themselves.
Topaz pulled out one of the chairs with his magic. "For you, Princess," he said, bowing in a playful manner. 
"Why thank you, Crystal Prince," Luna cooed, joining in with the stallion's playful formality as she took the seat offered to her.
Topaz smiled and took the seat opposite of the princess. "Lulu, remember our first date?" he asked after looking at the menu on the table.
"Of course! How could I forget? Tia stormed into the bakery and nearly skinned you alive!" Luna snickered, recalling the look of terror on the stallion's face.
"Yeah. Didn't she ground you for that?" Topaz chuckled.
"Yes, for one thousand seconds!" Luna replied and both alicorns burst into laughter.
"Ahem. May I take your orders?" the sound of a stallion clearing his throat snapped the couple out of their memories.
"Oh, yes. I will take a sandwich du cheval please," Topaz was the first to reply to the unicorn waiter.
"And I'll have the pony special," Luna added.
The stallion nodded and walked away to prepare their food.
Luna looked up at the night sky, sighing fondly. "I miss those times. Then, everything was so simple. But now... things are complicated..."
"I wonder how long it will take for me to adjust. As well as the Empire..." Topaz murmured thoughtfully.
After a short silence, the waiter returned with their food. "Un sandwich du cheval, pour le monsieur et un pony special, pour la madame," the stallion spoke in Prench as he passed out the plates. Before either had the chance to thank him, the waiter left to see another table.
The two ate in silence, with only the noise of the waterfall breaking the quiet of the night.
Finally, Luna broke the silence, "Topaz, do you want me to organize everything for the wedding while your gone?"
"Only if you want to, Lulu. Though, it will have to be in Canterlot. I'm afraid the Crystal Empire will need major repairs before we can open our borders to trade with Equestria," Topaz replied. His smile suddenly faded and he looked down at the table. "I really don't want to kill my little brother, but if I can't find a spell to free him of the monster Discord made him into, I will be forced to kill Onyx," he murmured sadly.
"I'm sure it won't have to come to that," Luna said encouragingly.
Topaz nodded, forcing a smile. "Thank you, Lulu. You always know how to cheer me up."
Luna opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a bat pony swooping in to land beside the table.
"Princess, a way has been found to entire the Empire without any trouble. You will have to teleport there," the night guard immediately began to speak.
"Thank you," she said, dismissing the bat pony. "Topaz?"
Topaz stood up, leaving a bag full of bits on the table. "It's unfortunate that tonight has to be cut short, but I must prepare for the teleport."
"Alright. Let's head back to the castle," Luna agreed, standing as well.
The three ponies flew off into the night, heading to the castle. When they reached the castle, the bat pony broke away from the two alicorns.
"The library is down here," Luna told Topaz as the two landed in the castle. "I don't know if you'll find what you need, but I'll help you look."
"Thank you," Topaz used his magic to open the doors to the library.
"You'll not find it in here," a voice whispered in the prince's ear. "I have the spell you are looking for."
Topaz spun around to see Discord holding a sheet of paper. 
Discord handed the paper to Topaz before disappearing with a snap of his claws.
"What does it say?" Luna asked, eying the paper.
Topaz lifted the paper into the air with his magic and began to read it aloud, "The spell that rids a pony of the darkness caused by Discord can only be cast by one pony. The spell goes as follows, 'Free this pony of all evil. Let his heart not be corrupted. Vanquish the darkness and replace it light. Death shall be overthrown by life. Return this pony to his true self!'"
Topaz's horn began to glow and a beam of light shot from his horn. The spell surrounded Luna, seeming to pull a dark mare from within her soul.
"LULU!" Topaz screamed.
The spell quickly faded, taking the dark mare with it.
Luna was lying on the floor, unconscious and breathing heavily.
"Lulu!" Topaz urgently nudged the mare as he called out her name.
"Oh... That shouldn't have- ah, yes. Nightmare Moon has left her soul for good. She will be perfectly fine," Discord's voice said. 
Topaz spun around, but the draconequus was no where to be seen.
Luna grunted softly, struggling to sit up. "Topaz?"
"The spell hit you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cast it," Topaz sputtered.
"It's alright," Luna chuckled. "Nightmare Moon is gone, never to return again. Thank you."
"Um?" Topaz didn't know how to reply to the mare's words.
"I'll explain later," Luna said, shaking her head. "For now, you should finish getting ready to go to the Empire."
"Alright," Topaz sighed. He tried to think of anything he might need before remembering that all his stuff was back at the Empire. "I think I'm ready to go."
"OK. Just please stay safe," Luna begged, standing up.
"I promise. I'll return when Onyx is back to normal," Topaz promised. He kissed Luna's nose before he stepped away from the mare. With a final good-bye, Topaz was engulfed by his magic.
When the spell cleared away, Luna was alone in the hallway.
> The Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shining Armour paced circles around a light pink alicorn. "The guards have looked everywhere! Sombra must have destroyed the Crystal Heart." He sounded stressed and sat down with a huff.

A flash of light blue started the two ponies and both scrambled to their hooves.

As the light faded, Topaz could be seen standing in front of the crystal throne. The crystals nearest to him began to glow and seemed to come alive with radiant colors that bounced off his sparkling white pelt.

"Th-the Crystal Prince!" Shining Armour exclaimed, quickly lowering into a bow.

"You must the ponies I have heard of. Shining Armour and Cadence, correct?" Topaz inquired, his gaze taking in the destruction of the throne room.

"Yes," The pink alicorn gasped, the faint glow emenating from her horn flickering out. She fell limply to the ground and Shining Armour rushed over to her.

"Cadence!" He nosed the alicorn until she weakly lifted her head to look at him. "She cannot keep this up, he will break through the barrier and enter the Empire. I'm sorry."

"I will take things from here." Topaz trotted out of the room, the crystals reviving with each step he took. He made his way to the foot of the Crystal Palace  and froze when he saw the destruction caused by Sombra.  He spread his large wings and took to the sky. "Attention every pony!"

Topaz's voice rang throughout the Empire, stopping all the ponies in their tracks. All eyes turned to look up at him, every pony waiting for him speak.

"Come to the foot of the Crystal Palace! Together, we can return this Empire to it's former glory!" Topaz shouted. As he spoke, the sun began to rise, sending rays of light over his body and illuminating his figure.

He watched as the ponies trotted toward the palace, each one trying to figure out what was going on.

Topaz took a deep breath and began a spell. He flew down to land in front of the Crystal Palace and cast his spell. The crystal heart on his royal crown seemed to be pulled from it's socket and it grew to be larger than the Crystal Prince himself. The Crystal Heart was set on it's pedestal and a tiny, blue crystal heart was returned to the socket in the prince's crown.

The ponies behind Topaz began to cheer as they slowly began to regain their own crystal pelts.

Topaz stepped up to the Crystal Heart and gently touched his horn to it. Both his horn and the Crystal Heart began to glow and a mist spread all throughout the Crystal Empire. When Topaz removed his horn, he turned to face the Crystal Ponies with a dignified stance. "I need for all of you to return to your homes! I will rid us of this threat once and for all!"

At his shout the Crystal Ponies  dispersed from the crowd and raced back to their homes, just as they were told to do.

Shining Armour and Cadence exited the palace and approached the prince. "Where was the Crystal Heart?" Shining Armour gasped.

"In the one place no pony would think to look," Topaz replied, pointing to the heart shaped crystal on his crown. "Now, I must find Sombra. Both of you, keep up the barrier until I return. He cannot be allowed to enter this Empire."

"Yes sir!" Shining Armour saluted to Topaz with his front left hoof. "Sorry, I used to be a guard at Canterlot before I married the Princess of Love.

"I see," Topaz nodded and flew away, searching for the monster that harmed his Empire.
> Battle For Onyx
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Topaz raced through the sky, flying high over the Crystal Empire. His eyes were locked on Sombra, whom had no idea that Prince Topaz was back to his full power. 

"There you are!" a flash of rainbow shot in front of the prince. "We are here to help you fight Sombra! Princess Celestia asked us to help you!" the rainbow haired blue pegasus shouted as she circled Topaz.

"I do not need help! You fillies will only get in the way!" Topaz spat angrily at the pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash!" a calmer voice sounded from behind the Crystal Prince. "Please allow us to aid you in reclaiming the Crystal Empire. We are here to help you-"

"No! This is my fight. Onyx can still be saved," Topaz hissed, ducking under the pegasus and willing his wings to flap harder. He crashed through the barrier, immediately getting Sombra's attention. "You did not kill me with that spell! I will save my brother!" he cried, magic swirling around his horn as he spoke.

"Bahaha! That foal is long since dead! And soon, you will join him in eternal slumber!" Sombra roared, lighting his own horn.

Topaz shot a purifying spell at the base of Sombra's crystal stand, shattering it and sending the monster plummeting to the ground.

Sombra shot a dark spell at the flying prince, who managed to dodge it. Sombra, however, didn't let up. He continued to shoot spell after spell at Topaz, getting angrier the more he dodged them.

Topaz struggled to remember the words of the spell that was given to him by Discord. His horn lit as the words flooded back into his head. He prepared to shoot the spell. 

A large ball of dark magic burnt through Topaz's left wing, sending his to the ground as well. 

Topaz cried out in pain, letting go of the spell. He landed on all four hooves, nurturing his hurt wing.

The spell wrapped itself around Sombra, following the monster as he tried to escape from it. The spell broke into wisps and plunged into the monster.

Sombra let out a screech of pain as the spell pulled a small black colt with a dark gray main and tail out of Sombra's chest. "NOOOOOO!" his cries soon faded into the darkening sky as the spell dispersed, along with the soul of King Sombra.

The small colt was unconscious, but alive. His small flank rose and fell as he breathed heavily.

Topaz stumbled over to the colt and rested his nose on his head. "Onyx. Please stay with me, Little Brother," Topaz murmured softly.

The group of fillies hurried over to the hurt prince. 

"Prince Topaz! Your hurt!" Shining Armour raced after the fillies, skidding to a halt beside Topaz.

"The Crystal Heart will heal me in a few days time," Topaz replied, not taking his nose off the colt.

"Topaz!" Princess Luna's cry startled the group and Topaz lifted his head to see the dark blue alicorn flying down to land in front of him.

"L-Lulu!" Topaz yelped, trying to hide his hurt wing.

"Topaz, you managed to save him!" Luna exclaimed happily.

"Who is he?" Shining Armour asked, crouching down to get a better look at the foal.

"His name is Onyx. He is my little brother," Topaz replied softly.

"Brother!?" the purple alicorn shouted.

"Twilight! That was our reaction when we defeated Nightmare Moon and found out that she was really Princess Luna! Remember? I do! Cause I was all Like-!"

"Now now, Pinkie Pie. We all remember that very well," the orange-ish earth pony said, stuffing an apple into the pink pony's mouth.

The colt sat up, a hoof on his head. "Ouch." he whimpered.

"Onyx!" Topaz looked down at the foal, his eyes watering. "I'm so glad you aren't hurt."

"What about you, Topaz? Are you hurt?" Luna asked, nosing the foal into a standing position. 

"Not badly." Topaz admitted.

"Twily, get Cadencefor me," Shining Armour said, turning to the purple alicorn.

"On it!" Twilight nodded. She jumped into the air and spread her wings. "Come on girls!" she encouraged before flying away to the Crystal Empire.

"Onyx, are you ready to go home?" Topaz asked the little foal.

"Yes, Brother!" the little unicorn nodded, stumbling over to his older brother.

"Let me carry you, little one," Luna murmured. She gently picked Onyx up and set him on her back. 

Side by side, Topaz and Luna trotted back into the Crystal Empire, their wings touched every so often as they moved.

Curious ponies cautiously stepped outside of the homes and fell into a trot behind their prince.