Chapter 1, The Frozen Daemon
The Crystal Empire, a gleaming beacon of hope in the tundra of the north, It's distinctive architecture known worldwide. At the top of the chain of commend where Prince Shining Armour, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. It was a Saturday, which means it was their day off and annual picnic at the thawing boarder.
"Shining, dear. Do you have everything?" Cadence asked kindly to her husband in the kitchen of the royal chambers.
"Yes Cadence, plates, sheet and all!" Shining chirped happily, trotting out of the kitchen, a picking basket held in his magic grip.
"And the sandwiches?" His wife asked.
"Yeah, and the hay fries." He replied, waving the stuffed basket in her general direction. "Also sweetie, I thought maybe this time we could have our lunch by that old ice hill by the eastern boarder?" He continued, walking towards the door.
Cadence walked in front of shining,
"Yes, why? Do you have a surprise for me?" Cadenza teased, "Perkins, can you get the chariot ready, please?" She said loudly through the door.
"Yes, m'lady!" A guard with a thick Eagleish accent boomed, the sound of galloping hooves following.Shining Armour's eyebrows raised,
"Perkins? Isn't he the new guard from Eagleland?" Shining asked, walking through the crystal hallway to the grand staircase.
"Yes, along with André from Prance. There are also three guards leaving tomorrow. Which I assume you already now about that." Cadence concluded, reaching the crossway where the four sets of stairs to the castle legs where.
They continued their conversations for a good three minutes before reaching the ground floor where a large crystal carriage was stationed. At the front there where five armoured guards where tugging on the reins, there were several flags on top and two large windows with curtains as well. In front of the royal carriage was Perkins. He was an Earth Pony from Great Griffon who used to be a farmer. His coat red, with blue and white stripped hair, and his cutie mark was a flag in a shield.
"Thank you, Perkins" the royal couple said, entering the carriage.
"No problem m'lord and lady" he said happily, closing the door behind them.
"Where to this time?" A guard said flatly through the open front of the carriage.
"The ice hill on the eastern boarder, thanks" Cadenza stated, sitting down on the red velvet-padded seats, prepared for the 15 minute drive to the boarder.
Quarter of an hour later
The crystal carriage slightly bumped along the grassy hills to the snow mounds of the tundra. It was a beautiful day, and the ice of the hills looked amazing on a warm day like today.
"Well, 'ere we are!" Said the driver, opening the doors to the carriage, "I'll be back in half an hour, like usual." He said, trotting back into the carriage, and buzzing off back into the crystal city.
Shining Armour walked towards the ice hill whilst Cadence set up lunch on a flat, dry patch of grass, quite rare with all the hills and rain up in the Crystal Empire.
"Do you want lunch or not?" Cadence asked, selecting which sandwich she would claim.
"Im a minute honey, I'm just going up the hill to view the sights" Shining replied, taking a large breath in. Cadence chuckled,
"You life in one of the largest structures in Equestria, and have a balcony to view the entire empire." She said happily as her husbands antics.
"That may be so, bu- WOOOAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Shining tried to say as the ice broke beneath his hooves.
"Shining!" Cadence gasped, teleporting to the safe part of the hill, "are you alright?" She continued
"…Yea!" Shining shouted after what seemed like an eternity to Cadence, "I landed on something metal. M…may have broken a rib though! But at least… at least I get a few days of work!" He joked, trying to stand on his hooves.
Cadence teleported to the bottom of the six meter drop to the metal object.
"What do you think it is" she asked nervously, almost to herself.
"I don't know. It can't be an ore vein, it's too flat and this hill has been here for eons! We should get an excavation team here to see what we can find" Shining said as Cadence took in her surroundings. It was definetly a vehicle of some sort. It looked like she was standing on the front and part of the roof and side. There where treds to indicate it was support to traverse the snow. And it had strange runes and small scratches and craters etched into the faded blue chassis. The supposed front door was also different. It was larger than Celestia, and had a strange jigsaw-like pattern. On the top of the armoured vehicle where broken bars of unknown metal and spikes jutting out of the edges of the roof, sending a chill down Cadenza's spine.
"…I've got a bad feeling about this thing, Shining. Maybe we should leave and get a crew to help tomorrow." Cadence said, putting her head against her husband's neck.
"Yea… maybe we could put it in the museum. An old relic like this could be a great tourist attraction!" Shining exclaimed, his and Cadences horn flaring with magic.
Three hours later in the Golden Oaks Library
It was going to be night soon in Ponyville. Everypony was indoors, getting prepared for bed… except for Twilight Sparkle. She had spent the most of her afternoon reading old tomes from the castle of the royal pony sisters in the Everfree. It was quiet for most of the day so the library was closed earlier today. After finishing the thirteenth chapter she closed the book, declaring she had enough for the night. As she climbed into her old, oak bed, a knock was heard at her door, and an amethyst and emerald drake entered the room,
"Ugh, what is it Spike?" Twilight yawned, "it's six past ten in the evening" she continued, rubbing her sore eyes.
"It's a letter from Shining and Cadence, and it looks important!" The drake exclaimed, jogging on his stubby legs towards the lavender mare.
"Why didn't you say so!" The princess said, losing all signs of drowsiness. Twilight picked up the parchment with her telekesis and read it out loud,
Dear Twily,
Earlier today, me and Cadence discovered an ancient armoured snow vehicle beneath the Crystal Empire. It's design is beyond anything we've ever seen, and it looks extremely technologically advanced. We'd both love you and your friends' to visit the Crystal Empire in two days for the grand reveal in the museum.
Send us a reply when you can.
Your BBBFF,
-Shining Armour
Twilight read, and re-read countless times to check if this was real or just a cruel hoax by her subconscious.
"AWESOME!" Spike cheered, "I havnt been to the crystal empire since… forever!"
"Well there was that time a few months ago… and since it takes six hours to get to the crystal empire, and…" Twilight said, her mumbling no longer audible, "us and the girls should leave in twelve hours!" She concluded, trotting up the stairs.
"What are you doing, Twilight?" Spike asked curiously. Twilight turned to her assistant,
"Spike, I'm going to make a list!"
Author's Note
This took longer than expected. Mainly because I made this idea up in the hotel in London… which is about six hours away from where I live, so I forgot most of it after I got home so I had to remember most of what I thought up in London at school!
So, tell me what you thought so far I'm the comment section!
Also, sorry guys if it is a bit short and rushed, but I will make for it the next chapter!
-Lightning [T]/
