"Next stop- Crystal Empire!" shouted the conductor of the Friendship Express.
Sky Drift could hardly wait! The Crystal Empire had just reawakened after so many years, although it was under attack by King Sombra,who was soon defeated by some ponies who lived in Ponyville like her. She knew three of those ponies; her mother, of course, Applejack, and the unicorn who lived at the library, and Pinkie Pie, who knew everypony in town.
Sky was thrown out of her thoughts when the train screeched to a halt. She looked out of her window and gasped. "The Crystal Empire!" Sky Drift thought happily. "It's even more beautiful than I'd imagined!" She gently grabbed her panda plush, Mizuzu, and tucked him away in her suitcase. Sky looked around self-consciously, and sighed in relief that nopony had seen her, a full-grown, cool pony, with a plushie.
Sky grabbed her suitcase and rushed out of the train. Wow, was this place beautiful! Everything shimmered and shined under the sunlight, even the ponies! Sky Drift set down her luggage on the train station platform and took off into the sky. It felt good to be off the ground after a long train ride, and she closed her eyes and relaxed.
After a while, Sky opened her eyes, only to see empty fields and hills all around her. "Wait, what?" Sky Drift thought in alarm. "Where is the Crystal Empire?!" She spun around frantically, but the shimmering towers were nowhere in sight. She was lost!
"Ok, um," Sky Drift said to herself. "Just come the way I came, and I'll reach the Empire in no time!" Sky started tracing her steps- well, flaps?- and soon she saw the Crystal Empire shining brightly on the horizon.
Sweat popped up on Sky Drift's forehead. Her wings were getting really tired; she needed to rest for a while. Sky flew downward to the green grass and laid down on it. Her wings already felt a bit better.
Sky Drift's eyes caught a slight shine over on a hill. She tilted her head. What was that? Sky decided to investigate, so she silently approached the gleam.
As she came nearer, she realized it was a pony... Only it wasn't a pony. It's coat was gray and it wore a silver crown, shoes, and armor. She finally realized it looked a whole lot like... No, it couldn't be. This creature was much to small- about Sky's size- and she was too innocent looking... To be related to King Sombra?!
Sky Drift closed her eyes and gathered up all of her bravery. " He- hello?" she called out to the pony-creature.
The gray pony whipped her head around to look at Sky Drift, fear filling her eyes. "Please! Don't hurt me!" The pony creature bawled. "I'm nothing like my parents!"
So she was related to Sombra! But who was her mother? Sky observed the crying fearful pony. She soon realized she had holes in her legs, mane and tail, just like Queen Chrysalis!
The gray pony didn't seem to be dangerous like her parents. "Uh, what's your name?" Sky asked timidly.
The pony trembled and looked up at Sky Drift. "D- Duchess Hex."
What was Hex so upset about? Sky gently put her hoof on Hex's shoulder. "I won't hurt you, I promise." Sky thought she saw Hex give the slightest little smile. "What's wrong?
Hex sighed, then looked at the sky, her eyes filled with a sad rage. "Mom and- No, they aren't my parents! Not anymore. As Sombra tried to take over the Crystal Empire, I wanted to help, but he said I was too weak. I ignored him and went ahead anyway. When he found out, he lashed out at me and I blacked out. When I woke up, he was gone, and my horn lost all of its power. I can feel the magic returning though, slowly." Hex wiped a tear and shook her head. "I just- I can't believe he'd do that to me! But after this, I don't ever want to see him again! I don't want to be anything like him!"
Sky Drift didn't know what to say. Hex had endured so much from Sombra! "Hex... I'm so sorry." Sky said.
Hex looked at Sky, her tears starting to dry. Sky Drift saw a glimmer of hope in the hopeless pony's eyes. A glimmer of hope that would start an amazing friendship.