By A Renegade Time Lord
Prologue
The Arctic Circle, seventy-five miles outside the Crystal Empire Citadel's protective dome
It was just another bright, shiny day in the Crystal Empire, and everypony was happy and pleasant, all getting along with one another. All, except, that is, two Earth colts, one red, the other blue, who had found something rather intriguing.
"Oh, cool! Um... Is it a horn?" The blue one was saying.
"I don't know, check its collar or somethin'. Touch it." the red one retorted.
"I'm not gonna touch it! You touch it."
"What, are you scared?" The red colt asked in the way boys are wont to do, poking his blue brother with a hoof.
"No! I'm not scared. But I don't wanna touch it."
"If you're not scared, then touch it."
"Touching it was your idea. You touch it."
"You found it."
“So?”
The two young colts bickered on, not noticing that the horn (for it was indeed a horn, and a smooth red one at that) flickered twice.
“Okay fine! I’ll touch the bucking thing! Okay?!” Blue shouted out, angry at his brother.
“Well. Okay then, if you want to.” Red said nonchalantly, scuffing his hoof against the tundra.
Blue just stared at his brother, then snorted angrily, his hot breath making clouds in the crisp air, but not saying a word. Then, he turned around and tentatively put a hoof towards the horn, then another, and another. After five steps, his shadow landed on the horn and he stopped.
“What are you waiting for? Touch it!” Red called out to his brother.
This is stupid, thought the blue colt, and roughly poked it with his right hoof. The horn shifted position when the hoof touched it, but that was because the hoof had moved it. No darkness enveloped the young, innocent, vulnerable colt, no evil laugh resounded throughout the area, no huge, dark ominous thunderclouds suddenly appeared, nothing happened.
The same time and at the train station,
A blue Earth stallion stepped off the train at the Crystal Empire station. The frigid air kissed his face and rolled through his black mane as he looked towards the Citadel. His destination was the great spire that served as the Crystal Empire Palace, and the lovely Princess Cadance. He shivered and began the walk towards the Palace, stopping by one of the many vendor stalls offering provender to hungry and weary travelers. Sipping the Crystal Empire Nectar and munching on the funnel cake he purchased, all traces of weariness disappeared behind a small sugar rush. It was the best funnel cake he had ever tasted.