A King's Vanity

I look out the window to see the familiar ice caps when the train stops Spike and I go back to the car just as the conductor enters from the other door.

“End of the line” he announces.

We leave the train, the snowstorm makes the seven clump together while I keep my distance despite Pinkie’s pleading and see a familiar stallion wearing a black visor and cloak.

“Shiny!-“I shout over the wind “-I was hoping never to see you again”

“That makes two of us Changeling lover” He growls

“You wound me ya blind bastard! Although I did had my eyes set on the queen, my wanting to establish borders for the changelings had nothing to do with my blind patriotism towards Equestria”

I start laughing when the ground shifts and a black mist slides over the mountains and molds into the head of a grey unicorn with a curved horn, its red eyes are engulfed in a purple mist it lets out a deep menacing chuckle and flies towards us.

“RUN!” Shining screams.

Without thinking we make a mad dash to a dome made out of energy Shining turns back and fires his magic at the ethereal unicorn, the unicorn fires back hitting Shining directly on his horn making black crystals form out of it.

“And I thought I was reckless” I mutter grabbing Shining and jumping through an energy dome.

The wind stops, the snow turns to grass I look up to see the sky looking like a painting while buildings surround a glass spire.

“That was to close” Twilight sighs.

I turn to her grab her by the back of her head and throw her to the ground.

“Who the fuck was that?” I growl through everyone’s shock.

“Let go of my sister or so help me-“Shining barely has enough time to finish when I hold my wing across Twilights throat.

“You’ll do what soldier boy? Are you going to use your incestuous big brother act to keep me from killing her? You should already know
Shiny… I DON”T BLUFF so I’ll ask again very, very calmly WHO.WAS.THAT?”

“That was Sombra-“Twilight gags “-the first ruler of the Crystal Empire, he’s the reason we’re here you’ve seen what he’s capable of so let’s all try to get along so you can go back to being alone.”

I fold my wing back and pick Twilight off the ground.

“You’re not going to apologize?” she scoffs brushing past me.

“Twilight I have been sorry since the day I was born. Lead the way Shiny” I sigh.

After walking past a few houses Twilight tells us that this place is supposed to home to ponies who’s coats shine like gems but after walking past a few of the locals none of their coats were anything like gems. Shining opens the doors to the throne room and Twilight runs towards Cadance and they carry out their childish dance when I finally notice how starved Cadence is when she clears her throat. She still manages to smile, trying her best to make me forget about the power hungry tyrant in the snow.

“Good to see you again Frostbite“she tries to hug me but I back away.

“Princess Cadenzia… even when you’re half starved and have yellow teeth, you still manage to look positively ravishing” I mutter.

“Hitting on a married mare through your teeth? I think you’ve improved” she coughs.

“I blame your sister-in-law”

“HEY!!” Shining shouts, I roll my eyes and walk out the hall. “Where are you going?” Shining shouts again, I stop at the doors and look back.

“I’m going to stall our ethereal king and may very well die in the process while you take your wife to rest and everyone else does whatever your sister tells them to do. Whatever happens will happen and I hope never to see you or your wife till you see fit to rip me out of the comforts of a blissful blackout, so fuck you Shiny and have a nice purgatory filled with endless nagging and ungrateful brats. Also if you want them to be as smart as your sister, don’t treat them like infants in the early stages.”