Ghost of the Crystal Empire

It took less than a minute for them to reach the end of the tunnel, leading to a small chamber with a crystal pedestal standing in the center of the room and a mirror opposite to them which seemed to be made out of ice.

“Shining…what’s going on?” Cadance spoke with worry in her voice.

“We’re, uh…in a room with a mirror across from us and what looks like some kind of pedestal in the center…it’s beautiful.”

“I’m going to examine that pedestal a bit more closely, you two stay right where you are-this place may appear safe-but, it could all be just a trap to lure escaped slaves into a false sense of security back when he ruled the empire.” The Doctor spoke before giving Shining Armor a look.

He took a deep breath; The Doctor was giving them a moment to discuss what they’d talked about in the TARDIS earlier.

As The Doctor approached the pedestal when a large black unicorn face came into view from the mirror with a curved red horn, an even darker mane that seemed to belong to a lion rather than an equine, as well as those familiar red and green eyes that seemed to emit a purple mist.

Both stallions on the other side of the mirror flinched the moment they saw activity in the mirror.

“Shining…what’s wrong?” asked Cadance, feeling her husband’s sudden movement.

However, a low growl seemed to answer for him.

“Sombra.” The Doctor spat with disgust.

“The ‘protectors’ of the Crystal Ponies,” he snorted. “What a pathetic excuse for a royal-a couple of teenagers-one niece to the mule who imprisoned me, and the other sibling to her student; the one responsible for my death.”

The tyrant then returned to the stallion before him.

“You were foolish to bring them here.”

There was a sound reminiscent of ice cracking when The Doctor turned around to see the large, jagged green crystal fell from the ceiling directly above Cadance.

“NO!”

The Doctor reached towards her as he began running, but the force gravity would have been too fast for him to reach her in time.

It seconds from impaling her as The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut, having the all too familiar sensation of guilt building up inside him.

Sombra was right; it was stupid of him to let them go along with him and put their lives in danger.

He should have been more assertive.

‘Stupid! Stupid! Doctor!’ he mentally berated himself before hearing what sounded like glass shatter.

Daring to open his eyes for even the briefest of moments, he could barely believe what he saw.

There was some type of large, purple, magical shield above the royal couple protecting them from the falling object as crystal shards rained down as the two collided.

Beneath it, he noted that Shining Armor had cast the spell and seemed to be having trouble sustaining it against something so large and heavy.

He reached for his Sonic Screwriver, but by the time he’d gotten to it, the emergency seemed to be over as Shining let down his shield, looking a bit tired and Cadance who seemed to be slightly shaken, but otherwise alright.

“How is it possible for him to still alive?” asked Cadance.

“He isn’t alive,” The Doctor replied. “Not technically.”

“What do you mean?” pressed Shining Armor. “He’s some kind of ghost?”

“I told you already, I don’t believe in ghosts…this is just a memory, an echo of his consciousness…he must have tried to cling desperately to life in order to form it from his knowledge of forbidden magic.” He explained.

“But, he’s fading…getting weaker.” He turned back to face Sombra. “That’s why he needs to spread fear and anxiety throughout the empire…he needs those negative emotions to recharge his magic, until he either has enough power to reconstruct a body on his own…”

His head snapped back towards Cadance.

“Or he can take the body of another…” he finished, as they stood mouths agape, horrified at The Doctor’s conclusion.”

“But, why Cadance?” Shining demanded, glaring at Sombra. “ANSWER ME!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” The Doctor asked rhetorically. “It’s all for revenge against those who he believed wronged him, Cadance…the Crystal Princess herself will be used to destroy the very empire she’s worked so hard to protect; you, Twilight, and Celestia each have a special connection to her…if push came to shove do you really think any of you could find it within yourselves to destroy her?”

Once again, Cadance and Shining Armor could only stand there, completely stunned.

“That’s why she’s the perfect weapon.” Sombra added smugly.

“Shining Armor, Cadance, I want you two to summon whatever magical energy you have left and transport yourselves back to the castle-it’s too dangerous for either of you to stay here any longer.”

“But-” Shining began to protest.

“If he gains control of her body, then he wins and Equestria is forever plunged into darkess, and then there’s nothing I can do about it…NOW DO AS I SAY!”

Shining Armor shot one last dirty look at the evil king with his heart seething with hatred for him before reluctantly obeying The Doctor’s orders while holding his wife closely.

And in a flash they were gone.