Mother Mare's Foal Tales

There once was a faraway kingdom known as the Crystal Empire, renowned throughout Equestria for its splendor.  Even the ponies that lived within its sparkling walls glimmered from just living in such beauty.

The king and queen of the empire were blessed one day with a child.  He was quite different from the other crystal ponies.  Where their coats were of different pastel colors ranging from green to pink, his was black.  He was no less loved by his parents or their subjects, however, and a grand celebration was held to welcome the prince to the kingdom.

The banquet hall was brightly lit and filled with cheerful ponies.  Galaxia and Cosmos themselves were invited to the celebration to bestow gifts on the young prince.  When they arrived at the hall, the queen rushed through the crowd to greet them.

"Your majesties!"  She bowed low.  "It is an honor to have your presences in our castle."

Galaxia and Cosmos smiled and returned the bow.  Galaxia's mane and tail billowed gently in a wind that wasn't there while her husband's seemed to flicker and swirl into nothing at the ends.  They were a striking couple, nothing like any other pony or creature found anywhere in Equestria.

From behind them appeared two little heads, one light and one dark, as different as night and day.

The queen lifted her head.  "Oh!  You brought the young ones.  An even greater honor for our humble kingdom!"

Galaxia looked down at her daughters.  "Celestia, Luna, please greet the crystal queen properly."

The elder sister ran forward and skidded to a halt to kneel down into a bow.  The younger ran as well, but didn't expect her sister to stop so suddenly and crashed into her.  The two tumbled forward into a mess of giggles that was quickly silenced by a stern look from their father.

"Children, please," he muttered under his breath.  He looked up at the queen with a strained smile.  "I apologize."

"Oh, it's quite all right.  I'm sure we'll understand soon what it's like."

"Yes, speaking of," said Galaxia while Cosmos tidied up the tumbled fillies.  "Please, let me see the young prince."

The crystal queen beamed with delight as she led the alicorn to the royal bassinet set between the thrones.  Galaxia lowered her head to look fondly down at the sleeping foal.

"He is precious."  Her body glowed and the mysterious wind that could not be felt seemed to pick up, as her mane floated with more enthusiasm behind her.  "I bestow upon the young prince the gifts of wit and charm.  He will be as smart as his mother and as handsome as his father:  a perfect combination of two perfect rulers."

Her mane settled and the glow faded.  She inclined her head to look at her husband, who was still making his way across the banquet hall.  He stopped to politely greet each of the crystal ponies along the way.

Celestia and Luna ran ahead of him to ascend the stairs leading to the thrones.  Their little wings flapped just enough to lift themselves off the ground so they could each perch on the arm of a throne on either side of the bassinet.

"Look!"  Celestia giggled and pointed with one hoof.  "He's dark like Lulu!"

Luna frowned.  "I'm not that dark, Tia."

Galaxia also frowned, but hers was significantly more intimidating than her daughter's.  "Celestia, it is impolite to point.  Luna, it is impolite to..."  She paused.  "Both of you, be polite."

"Yes, Mom," they moaned in unison and hopped down off the thrones to stand beside their mother.

Galaxia sighed.  "Cosmos, dear.  Please do hurry up."

"Ah, yes, darling, I'm co- Oh, hello.  Hello, yes.  Hello to you, too."  He smiled, much too polite for his own good to pass up greeting anypony.

It was fateful that he was delayed by his manners, however, as a darkness exploded from a torch near the throne.  A menacing cackle filled the banquet hall and resounded throughout the entire empire.

"Well, quite a glittering assssemblage.  Royality, nobility, the gentry, and, how quaint, even the godsss' children," came a voice from the darkness, which dissipated some, revealing a terrifying creature.

He was an alicorn like Galaxia and Cosmos, but his horn was sharp and curved, fading from black to red.  His eyes were green with red irises and slit pupils.  His narrowed eyes shot across the room at the crystal king and queen, who stood protectively in front of their foal.

"I really felt quite dissstressssed at not recsseiving an invitation," he continued in a rolling hiss.

"We thought you would not be interested in such pleasantries, King of Nightmares."

The shadowed king blinked his eyes with feigned innocence.  "Who, me?  But do you not expect giftsss from the alicorn nobility for your precssiousss little princsse?"

The crystal queen and king glanced at each other, then looked to Galaxia and Cosmos for aid.  The alicorns looked suspiciously at the nightmare king.  The air was thick with tension as everypony kept perfectly silent.

"It would be rude to deny you your gift," Galaxia finally said.

"Thank you, Galaxssia."  The shadowed alicorn walked past her with his head held high.  "You're ssso kind, asss alwaysss."

He stood by the bassinet and looked down at the black foal.  He said in a hauntingly melodic voice, "Lisssten well, all of you! The princsse shall indeed grow in gracsse and beauty, beloved by all who know him. But, before the sssun sssetsss on hisss eighteenth birthday, he shall prick hisss hoof on the Cryssstal Heart and die."

He threw his head back with a loud cackle as he disappeared in another explosion of black smoke.  Purple tendrils of darkness reached for the young prince, but the crystal queen scooped him out from the blankets and carried him away from it.

The darkness and the cackling faded, replaced by the worried murmurs of the crystal ponies.  The queen sobbed against her husband's shoulder.

Again, Galaxia was the first to speak.  "Not all is lost, your majesties.  Cosmos has yet to give his gift."

The queen jerked her head up with sudden hope.  "Then he can undo this curse?"

Galaxia closed her eyes and shook her head.  "I am afraid not.  Powerful we may be, but a curse filled with such hatred is a vile and even more powerful thing."

Cosmos stepped forward and looked down at the prince, sadness on his face.  "But I can ease the pain."  His eyes closed and the starlight in his mane and wings swirled.  "Sweet prince, if through this wicked king's trick the Crystal Heart should your hoof prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death but just in sleep the fateful prophecy you'll keep, and from this slumber you shall wake when true love's kiss the spell shall break."

The queen seemed calmed by the change in the curse, but the king did not look satisfied.  He turned to look at his guards.

"Guards, take the Crystal Heart away from this place.  Take it far away and hide it somewhere safe."

The guards glanced at one another.  "But, your majesty...  the Crystal Heart-"

"Do as I say, for my son, your future king!"

"Y-yes, your majesty."  They bowed low.

Murmurs ran rampant through the crowd.

"He's taking away the Crystal Heart?"

"What will we do without it?"

"What will become of our kingdom if there is no Crystal Heart?"

The king stomped a hoof.  "Silence!"  He turned to face the crowd.  "We are a strong people, and we will endure without the Crystal Heart.  Upon the prince's eighteenth birthday I will have the Crystal Heart retrieved, and we will celebrate in twofold:  for the safety of our prince, and for the return of our Crystal Heart."

The crowd still seemed unsettled, but they did not argue against their king.

Galaxia put a hoof on the queen's shoulder.  "I am sorry, your majesty, that you must suffer through this."

The queen offered a weak smile.  "At least, if it does come true, he won't die."

The king walked up behind her with a serious frown.  "But it won't come true.  I won't allow it to happen.  No one but the guards shall know where the Crystal Heart has been taken."  His gaze lifted to meet Galaxia's.  "I humbly request of you, your highness, that the guards return to Canterlot with you upon their return to further ensure the safety of their secret."

"It shall be done."  Galaxia nodded.  "Now, let us depart from the topic and enjoy the present.  The prince is alive and healthy in your arms."  She smiled.

From a distance, a young filly sat by her father.  She inclined her little head and though she was much too young to speak, but her desire was clear.

"You will see him, worry not, my dear."  Her father, Crystal Varado, patted her on the head.  "Have patience."

Autumn Gem huffed, gurgled, and reached out her forelegs for her bottle of apple juice.

Soon, a line assembled for the crystal ponies to meet their prince individually.  Varado carried the foal on his back as she giggled in excitement. Once they reached the front of the line, he bowed his head with respect, then stepped forward.

"Look, darling; it's the prince."

Autumn Gem stared at the sleeping black foal for a moment.  Startling everypony around them, she leaped from his back to land in the bassinet.

"Autumn!"  Varado cried.

"What's going on?!"  The king ran forward, then froze.  His scowl lifted at the sight and he laughed.

Inside the bassinet, the young prince remained in deep slumber, undisturbed by the sudden companion.  The filly was curled up beside him, already fast asleep.

Varado bowed low.  "I humbly apologize, your majesty-"

"There is no need to apologize for the innocence of foals," the queen said as she gazed down at the two.  "It is all right."

"Still, it is not like her to act this way.  Come on, now, Autumn."

When the stallion tried to pick up his filly, she squirmed against him.  He frowned.

"Autumn Gem..."

The moment she was separated from the prince, she broke out into loud wails.  This stirred Sombra from his sleep and, not knowing what was going on aside from hearing another crying, started to cry as well.

The crystal queen looked at the crying foals, tilting her head.

"Perhaps, just a while longer?"  She looked between her husband and Varado with a smile.  "After all, they are only foals."

The king nodded and the stallion returned his daughter to the bassinet.

Autumn ceased her crying and snuggled back up to Sombra, who looked at her in confusion.  He tried to wriggle away but caught up in his blanket, at which point he gave up and fell back asleep.

It was initially an uneasy relationship between Varado and the king, neither sure what to make of the friendship that suddenly developed between their foals.  The queen, however, had utmost faith that it was healthy for the prince to have a foal friend his own age.  Over the years, Autumn would frequent the castle to play with the prince.

"Three... two... one!"  Autumn pulled her hooves back and looked around with a big smile on her little filly face.  She galloped through the crystal blue halls.  "Ready or not, I'm coming!"

Her giggles echoed off the walls.  She ducked into the first room she came across, which was an empty meeting hall.

"Hmm..."  She stepped slowly.  Her ears twitched as she listened carefully.  Then, with a sudden jolt, she jumped through the cloth that was draped over the table.  "Ah-ha!"

Sombra pouted from his spot next to one of the table legs.  "That's not fair!"

Autumn sat down and tilted her head to the side, one ear flopping lazily.  "Huh?  But I found you."

He stomped his forelegs.  "But I'm the prince.  It's not fair that you always win!"

Hearing the conversation from outside the room, the crystal queen paused and listened.

"So what if you're a prince?"  Autumn rolled her eyes.  "You're a bad hider."

He gasped somewhat dramatically.  His lower lip trembled before he ran out from under the table.  "Mama!  Mamaaa!"  He skidded into his mother's legs.  "I want Autumn to go away!"

The queen smiled down at her foal.  "Why is that?"

"She said I'm a bad hider."

"'Cause it's true!"  The filly poked her head out, the cloth draping over half her face.  "He always hides under the table!"

Sombra stuck his tongue out at her.  "Then stop looking there!"

The queen put her hoof gently on top of his head.  "So, you want me to send Autumn Gem away, do you?"

He nodded vigorously.

"Then who will you play with?"

This gave the colt a moment of pause.  Finally, with his best attempt at a regal tone, he said, "I shall play with the servants, of course."

Autumn gasped at the idea of being replaced so easily.  "But-!"

The queen silenced the filly with a raised hoof.  "The servants are too busy to play with you, dear.  And you've refused to make any friends other than Autumn.  But, if you really wish for me to send her away..."

Sombra huffed, puffed, and gave in.  "Oh, fine!"  He got up and stomped over to the filly.  "But we're playing a new game."

The queen covered her mouth as she tried to smother a giggle.  The king came up behind her and peered into the room.

"Is everything all right, my darling?"

She smiled up at him.  "Yes, of course.  Just our son and his little friend."

"Yes, speaking of that...  Is it wise to allow our son to play with her?  How will he learn proper manners for a prince?"

Her smile fell.  She stared up at him with a blank expression verging on a frown and pointed at the foals, saying nothing.

"Oh, woe is me," cried Autumn in an over-exaggerated tone.  "If only I had a brave young prince to save me from the evil dragon!"  She squirmed from her place beneath a chair.

A folded napkin in the vague shape of what was supposed to be a dragon sat between her and Sombra.

Wielding the magic spoon of truth, the brave prince Sombra charged at the dragon-napkin.  He scooped it up and tossed it over his head, then set the spoon down so he could strike a valiant pose.

"I have defeated the dragon, my lady!"  With all of his practiced poise, he offered his hoof.  "Let us away to my castle!"

Autumn fanned herself with one hoof and put the other in his.  "You're sooo brave, Prince Sombra!"

He smiled.  "Yes, I am."  His composure fell and he dropped her hoof.  "That means I win!"

As they argued about who had won their roleplaying session, the king sighed reluctantly.

"I suppose it is good for him to be humbled..."

As they grew older, they played together less and less.  Sombra's time was occupied with royal duties while Autumn Gem had to help her father with the bakery.  However, once a month, they would meet for lunch at the castle.

"I'm going out!"  Autumn Gem called over her shoulder, now a lovely young mare.  Her crystalline purple hair fell down into gentle curls around her shoulders, held back with golden bands.

Varado looked up from the bread he was kneading and smiled.  "Don't forget to harvest the wheat before it gets dark."

Autumn giggled.  She wiggled her plot to show off her cutie mark of a single stalk of wheat.  "Of course not, Father!"  She waved to him before she trotted out the door.

The air was filled with the scent of wheat being ground into flour.  Though she left the house in a good mood, something odd brought her down to a more sober mood:  all around her, ponies were holding hooves and giggling over some kind of secret jokes.  She paused halfway through the town and turned in a slow circle.  No matter which way she faced, ponies were in love.

"I wonder,"  she began to sing softly as she continued to the castle.  "I wonder... I wonder why each crystal pony has a somepony to sing to, sweet things to, a gay little love melody?"

On a balcony above, Sombra looked out across the kingdom.  His gaze landed on Autumn Gem as she made her way through the crowd.  He sighed and rested his snout on his hoof.

"I wonder... I wonder if I can keep this secret?  Will I ever regret that someday, she'll leave me, and find her own special somepony?"

He turned away from the balcony and began to make his way to the stairs so that he could greet her.  His heart was heavy with mixed feelings.  Everypony around him, however, greeted him with big smiles and cheerful waves.

It was the day before his birthday, the day before his freedom from the curse.  Yet he cared not for some words said on a day he couldn't remember.  Why should he?  The Crystal Heart hadn't been seen for nearly eighteen years.  No, he was more concerned with more pressing, serious matters: his unrequited, impossible love.

"Hello!"  Autumn hopped from hoof to hoof at the main doors to the castle that Sombra had the guards open for her.  "I know it's early, but I won't get to see you tomorrow, so..."  She pulled a red scarf out of her saddlebags and wrapped it around his neck.  "Happy birthday, Sombra!"

He blinked a few times.  He raised a hoof to touch the soft fabric.  "Thank you?"

Autumn stuck out her bottom lip.  "I made it myself!"  She dropped down onto her haunches to show him her hooves.  "And I don't have fancy magic like you, so it was hard."

His cheeks flushed at this, imagining the hooves waved in his face working diligently on the scarf he wore.  He nuzzled his snout into it and breathed in the scent of wheat and sugar.  A secret smile crossed his hidden lips.  It smelled like her.

"Well, then, thank you for the scarf, though..."  He inclined his head to look at the bright, sunny sky.  "It does not snow in the Crystal Empire, you know."

She rolled her eyes.  "You're always so short-sighted."  She trotted past him.  "After tomorrow, you'll be free to leave the castle!"  A small, excited skip interrupted her pace.  "You'll be able to go anywhere you want, so, thus, the scarf."

He followed after her.  "But why would I want to go somewhere cold?"

"Because I made you a scarf."

He chuckled and shook his head.  "I suppose now I am obligated, yes."

"Exactly."  She took a turn to enter their favorite room, the meeting room they had played in so often as foals.  "You'll have to write often so I don't get too lonely."

This gave him a moment of pause.  He watched her sparkling purple tail as it disappeared around the corner.

Servants were already setting out their lunch, which consisted of little bite-sized daisy sandwiches and apple cider.  Once the servants left, Autumn picked up one of the sandwiches and looked at Sombra with a frown.

"Why do royalty always eat such tiny portions?  How are you supposed to stay strong and healthy on this?"  She dropped the sandwich back down and set her saddlebags on the table.

Carefully packaged, full-sized sandwiches and assorted baked goods from the shop tumbled out.

"There, now that's more like it."  She grinned at him.

He raised one eyebrow as he took the seat across from her.  "You know the servants will be offended if they see this."

"Then we'll have to eat it fast before they see."  She slid a sandwich and a muffin over to him.  "Besides, if you don't eat it, I'll be offended."

He glanced between the sandwich and her.  "That is a compelling argument."  He sighed.  His magic unwrapped the sandwich before him and lifted it up so he could eat.

"So, are you excited?"  She beamed at him.

"I suppose," he said, his tone anything but.

She sighed and lifted her own sandwich.  "You're being awfully boring, you know."

"I-!"  He nearly choked and stared at her.  "I know we're friends, Autumn Gem, but I am still a prince!  You shouldn't speak to me like this."

He regretted the words as soon as he said them.  She looked at him with a strange mix of confusion and hurt.

"That never meant anything before, except for when we were little..."  She lowered her sandwich and slid out of her chair.  "Well, I guess you have a lot on your mind.  We shouldn't have scheduled lunch before such an important day."  She turned away from him just before the tears hit her eyes and hurried out of the room.

"Autumn, wait!"  He stumbled over his own hooves trying to get out of the chair to stop her, but she was already out of sight.  He clenched his teeth and slammed his forehoof against the floor.

He stared at the scarf still wrapped around his neck with sad eyes.

"Curse me."  He sighed as he stood up.  "Why would I say that?"

He paused when he saw her saddlebags still lying on the table and a glimmer of hope sparked in his chest.  He could bring the saddlebags to her and apologize then!  However, he hardly made it out of the room with them before his mother and father approached him.

"Dear, I saw little Autumn running out of the castle.  Is everything all right?"  The queen looked at him with concern.

Sombra shook his head.  "I said something rude, Mother.  I need to go apologize to her."

The king raised a hoof.  "Certainly not!  We'll have a servant dispatch your message."

He frowned up at his father.  "It was my mistake, and she is my friend, not a commoner to be dealt with through servants.  I will apologize to her in person!"

"You will do no such thing.  Now more than ever we must be diligent to not allow the King of Nightmares to wreak havoc on you or our kingdom."

Sombra took a deep breath.  He understood his parents' concerns, but...  He shook his head.  "Don't send a servant.  I will apologize to her myself when I am free."

He bowed before he turned and headed for the stairs leading up to his room, ears folded back.  He set down the saddlebags by his door and collapsed on the bed, burying his face into the red scarf.

"My dear, beauty rare, color of amethyst in her hair, eyes that shame the rare blue rose..."  He sighed and rolled onto his back to gaze up at the ceiling.  "She'll walk in springtime wherever she goes..."

At the wheat field, Autumn tossed her head back and forth to slice the sickle she held in her mouth.  Stalks of wheat fell in small bushels on either side of the rows as she worked furiously.

"Stupid Sombra," she grumbled after dropping the sickle at her feet and looking at the fallen wheat.  "I'll show him!  Prince or not, I'll make him apologize!"  She sighed and bent down to pick up some of the wheat, then paused.  "Oh...  Shoot!"  She looked at her bare back.  "I left my saddlebags at the castle.  Really?"

With a frustrated groan, she gathered the wheat up in a pile and did her best to carry as much of it as she could to the small mill near their house.  She plopped down on the bank by the river and watched the current push the mill's wheel into rotation.

"Oh, don't be such a silly filly, Autumn."  Her ears fell flat to either side of her head.  "It had to end sooner or later."

Her watery reflection peered back at her with an expression that did not match what was in her heart.  She felt angry, but looking into her own eyes she saw sadness.  For some reason, it angered her more to see such a sad look on her own face and she stood.

"Says who?  Why does it have to end?"  She stomped a hoof.  "I'll show him tomorrow at the celebration."  Turning on her hind legs, she ran into town.

Reaching her friend's house, she knocked on the door.  "Honey!"  she called.  "Honey, I need your help!"

The door opened.  The pink pony named Honey Tone looked at her with a wide smile.  "Autumn!  What are you doing here at this hour?"

Autumn shoved her face in her friend's, a wicked grin on her lips.  "Make me beautiful for the celebration tomorrow!"

There was a moment of pause before Honey returned the grin.  "I thought you'd never ask!"

Back in the castle, Sombra was wandering the halls, his mind filled with dread.  He couldn't stand the thought of leaving things as they were with Autumn.  She had a good reason to be mad - normally, he never brought up his status as a prince.  It didn't actually matter or mean anything to him.  However, he was under so much stress lately to be on his guard that the constant drilling of his royal duty had filled his mind.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of purple that caught his attention.

"Hm?"  He tilted his head.  "Is somepony there?"

The purple light flickered and disappeared around a corner.  Unwittingly, he followed it, having no reason to suspect anything within the castle's walls.

He didn't notice that as he walked, black tendrils of darkness reached for his hooves.

He quickened his pace.  "Who is that?"

A smile crossed his lips at a passing thought.

"Autumn, is this a game?"

He hurried, now desperate to catch up to the light until it suddenly faded and he skidded to a halt.  He looked around.

"Hm, the throne room?"  He began to pace around the room.  "Autumn, I'm sorry.  Please come out?"

The sound of stone grinding on stone came from behind him and he turned around to see the floor descending into darkness, stairs appearing where there were none before.

His smile fell.

"H-hello?"

The purple hues flickered in the darkness below.  Somehow, it seemed to be calling him and his legs began to move of their accord down the stairs.  He followed them for what seemed like forever until he reached the bottom.

The colors turned from purple to blue as his eyes fell upon the Crystal Heart, hovering in mid-air before him.  It shone from an unknown source within it, shining on the crystalline walls and filling the small, circular room with radiant light.

"So... beautiful..."  He stepped forward and raised one hoof.  The blue reflected in his red eyes and filled his vision, the same color as the sparkling blue gaze he adored.  "... Autumn..."

Just as the name passed his lips, he touched the crystal.  His hoof found the sharp edges with unfortunate ease.  A crack shot through the hard outer wall of his hoof and a single drop of blood fell from the tiny opening.  It landed on the Crystal Heart, the red contrasting greatly with the brilliant blue.

When the blue and red mixed, his eyes rolled back and he fell forward.  His vision went completely black and the last thing he heard was a menacing cackle echoing throughout the chamber.  The darkness spilled forth from the throne room, encasing every room inside the castle.  The guards, servants, and royalty fell to the ground in a sudden sleep.

The next day, the whole kingdom was filled with the cheerful laughter of the crystal ponies.  They had all gathered beneath the castle, waiting for the sun to set so that their prince was safe and their Crystal Heart would return.

Autumn fidgeted in her gown, kicking her hind leg.  "Have you seen Sombra?"

Honey shook her head.  "I haven't seen anyone from the royal family yet.  I guess they're playing it safe?"

"Well, too bad for them."  She trotted forward toward the stairs.

"Autumn, wait!"  Honey reached for her, but she was walking at a quick, determined pace.  "You can't just go in the castle, especially not today!"

"Of course I can.  I've been doing it since I was young."  With a toss of her dolled-up hair, she marched up the stairs.  When she reached the top, she looked at the guards with one brow raised.  "Let me in."

The royal guard looked at her, a little startled.  "Miss Gem, that is not an option today.  You do not have an appointment."

"My meeting yesterday was cut short, so I'd like to get the rest of my time with Prince Sombra today."

"The royal family are very busy, Miss Gem."

She lowered her chin and looked up at him through her eyelashes.  Her bottom lip stuck out in a small pout.  "But I wanna see my best friend on his big special day..."

The guard's heart began to melt.  He looked at the other guard for help, but he was steadfastly trying to not look at the pouting mare.  "I..."  He sighed and drummed his spear against the floor.  "Let her in."

Autumn threw her forelegs around his neck.  "Oh, you're the best!"  She giggled and hurried inside.

However, when the doors shut behind her, everything was different.  She could no longer hear the laughter outside, and there were no sounds or light inside the castle.

"Hello?" she called.  "Your majesties?  Prince Sombra?"

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.  For silence and darkness on such a glorious and wondrous, something had to be wrong.  Her suspicions were confirmed when a voice hissed in her ear.

"Behold, in the Cryssstal Cassstle, dreaming of hisss true love, the princsse Sssombra."

Autumn whirled to face the voice, but saw nothing there.

"But sssee the gracssiousss whim of fate!  Why, 'tisss the same peasant maid."

She flinched when she felt something brush against her flank and she kicked out with both legs.  Behind her, however, were only curling wisps of darkness that retreated from her attack.

"Where is Prince Sombra?!"  She ran after the darkness.  "What have you done with him?"

"Ssshe isss indeed mosst wondrousss fair.  Purple of amethyssst in her hair, eyesss that shame the rare blue rossse..."  The voice laughed.  "In agelessss sssleep she findsss her princsse."

As she turned a corner, she skidded to a halt.  Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened.

Sombra lay on the floor.  A light fell from above, shining on him, illuminating his sleeping features.  His chest just barely rose and fell with his gentle breathing, reminding her that she wasn't.

She took a sharp intake of air and started to run forward, but was suddenly pushed aside.

"I'll save you!"  A mare, dressed in the finest of silk and lace, ran forward.  "Oh, poor Prince Sombra!"

"What?"  Autumn watched in both confusion and surprise as the mare knelt down beside him.

The mare looked over at her.  "Who are you?"  She frowned.  "A peasant?  Did you think a peasant like you could save a prince?"  She smirked, one hoof resting on Sombra's shoulder.  "A prince needs a princess."  Slowly, she leaned down.

Autumn could only stare.  The mare put her lips to Sombra's and his eyes fluttered open.

"A... princess?"  He smiled up at her.  "You... saved me."  He sat up.  "I owe you my life."

Slowly, Autumn blinked.  In the fraction of a moment her eyes were closed, her surroundings completely changed.  She was sitting in a crowd of happy crystal ponies all staring in one direction.  Her gaze followed theirs and a throb of pain shot through her chest.  Sombra was standing at an altar with the very same mare, now dressed in a long white gown.

Though she fought against it, tears pricked her eyes and her lip trembled.

"Why?"  She shook her head furiously and kicked the seat under her away, startling the ponies around her.  "Why are you showing me this?!"

The nearest pony to her turned to her with green and red eyes.  A purple mist emanated from the corners.

"How do you know it isssn't true?  He isss a princsse, and she isss a princssesss.  They belong together."

Autumn's head fell and she stared at the ground.  The grass changed back to the palace floors.  "Be...because..."  She looked back up.

Sombra's body remained where it had been before.  There was no princess and no wedding, just her and a dimly lit room.

Tentatively, she walked toward him.

"I know him,

I've known him since we were young.

I love him,

This feeling in my heart never before sung."

She sat down by him and stroked his cheek with her hoof.  A smile crossed her lips.

"Yes, I know it's true

That with me he does not belong,

But if I know him, I know what he'll do...

He'll love me the same,

The way he did once when we were young."

The green and red eyes appeared in the darkness.

"You cannot know that.  How can you be cssertain!"

The darkness began to close in on them at a rapid, desperate speed.

"Wait!  Ssstop!"

She paid the voice no heed and lowered her face to his.  As their lips touched, a light burst forth and drove back the darkness.

"What?  No... No!"

Once all the darkness was gone, the sounds of the ponies outside and beneath the castle could be heard once again, at a distance.  The other ponies within the castle, servants and nobility alike, awoke from a strange slumber that had overcome them.

Sombra's eyes slowly opened.  His groggy vision tried to focus on the pony above him.  "A... princess?"

Autumn choked.  She raised a hoof to touch her hair.  "N-no, I'm just... Autumn..."

He smiled and put his hoof on hers.  "I know."

She returned his smile with a frown.  "Then you know I'm not a princess."

"Mm."  His hoof slid from hers to her neck and he pulled her down closer to him.  "You're my princess, though."

A flush spread across her cheeks, but before she could think of a witty retort, he pulled her into a second kiss, this one he was able to return.

The king and queen, panicked by the unexplained sleep they had woken from, burst into the throne room at that moment.  They stopped, however, when they saw their son alive and well, and backed out of the room to give the two a moment of privacy.

The king shut the door.  "Well..."

The queen smiled.  "We knew it would happen eventually."

"I suppose he apologized, then."  He nodded, rubbing his chin with his hoof.

"I doubt that, dear.  I know our son, and I know Autumn."  She laughed as she began to walk down the corridor.  "She forgave him before he could.  I think they will do well together."

He sighed, following after her, though he took one moment to glance at the doors behind him.  "Then, perhaps, there will be three reasons to celebrate tonight.  Speaking of..."

That night, after the sun set, the crystal ponies cheered as the Crystal Heart was returned to its proper place.  Sombra was then brought out for the announcement for both his eighteenth birthday as well as his engagement to Autumn Gem.  In the crowd, Crystal Varado nearly fainted when the latter was spoken, but he recovered quickly to celebrate for his beloved daughter.

The entire Crystal Empire sparkled brighter than it had in the past eighteen years and during the wedding of Autumn and Sombra, their happiness radiated across all of Equestria in a brilliant display of blue, yellow, and pink lights in the skies.