Ray of Dawn

   Sunset awoke to a headache. She reached for her temple when she made contact with a horn, with her hoof. Sunset gasped as she remembered what had happened. My friends are on the other side of the portal...but at least they have my journal. Equestria must've changed quite a bit  since I left. I've missed this place. Sunset got on her hoofs and trotted around. There's no one here? There's a note here... Sunset walked over to the desk in the library and read the note.

Dear Royal Guard,

Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and I have travelled to the Crystal Empire in hopes of receiving the magical spell for restoring artifacts from StarBurst, the new Crystaller. We will be back on the earliest train tomorrow, so do not worry about us. Stay diligent and brave! I have sent Starlight to the empire ahead of me, so she could send word of my arrival.

From,

Princess Twilight Sparkle

   After reading this, Sunset decided she needed to meet her friends there, so she ventured to the train station. On the way to the train station Sunset began thinking to herself. What happened to me? Why do I have a raging headache? I guess it's because of the mirror, but I feel as though I'm forgetting something. Upon reaching the train station, she looked at a mirror and noticed a bump on her head. She then remembered about King Sombra. Oh no! Sombra probably knocked me out and is probably on his way to the Crystal Empire now! I have to warn them! Sunset was fidgeting as she waited for the train, rather impatiently. Hopefully they are okay...

                 ...

   Sombra got up and looked back at the crack on the mirror. My son must've truly been good at magic if in my weakened state, only armed with his magic, that I will eventually get rid of, that I could single handedly rip a hole through dimensions. Sombra felt an odd feeling in his chest. What is this feeling? Is it... PRIDE? FOR THAT WORTHLESS PONY OF MY SEED! HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE MY POWERS OF SHADOW! I DON'T EVEN THINK HE HAS MY PEOPLE'S BLOOD! WHY WOULD I BE PROUD OF HIM!? Sombra mentally screamed at himself. He would never let his heart have pride for anypony, but himself. Sombra was about to trot out, there was no need to run, but then heard moans coming from a flame haired pony. She groaned and looked at Sombra.

    "Why are you doing this to your own son?" Sunset asked Sombra. She looked at him, expectant of an answer. She instead received a hoof stomp to the head which knocked her out.

    "I am doing this because I loved somepony, only to have her taken away from me! BY MY OWN SON!" DarkDawn yelled to the heavens. "I told myself not to love anymore, but I so foolishly did. Now, I am going to take everything FROM HIM! AND FROM THAT BLASTED TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND HER DRAGON FRIEND! THEN, I WILL TAKE BACK THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT! THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!" Sombra started to shake from rage and tried to dissipate into shadows, but could not. "BLASTED CHILD!" Sombra started to walk away from the mare when he noticed a letter on a desk. He read it and smiled devilishly. Foolish Sparkle. You will never be able to beat me in my home, in my castle, and with this new body. This body will survive the Heart's powers, but I will get hurt on the inside. I will most likely just get a headache. Sombra shrugged it off and looked at his black demon wings. Sombra shot through the roof and headed to his new kingdom - to - be, with a smirk on his face.

         ...

   "All is set, Princess." Flash Sentry spoke to Princess Cadence. "Is...Twilight on her way here?" Flash blushed. Cadence saw this and chuckled.

   "Yes, Flash." Cadence stared off into space. "Be safe..." Just then, Starlight arrived into the room. "What is your news?" Cadence was willing to give Starlight a second chance, but was still a little sceptical.

   With obvious awkwardness in the air Starlight spoke up. "Princess Twilight is here." Starlight then left to meet her mentor.

    Cadence watched her leave and followed suit. After crossing multiple corridors she met Twilight in the Crystal Heart's area. It is still working just fine, but is weak due to my daughter's accident. Luckily, Shining Armor is not having trouble with Flurry Heart. Cadence smiled as she saw Twilight in the area. "Sister! How are you? With all the recent...events...I hope you are okay."

   "It still hurts, but we can't mope forever. Also, some strange things are occurring." Twilight looked like a train wreck, but considerably better than when at the funeral.

   "What kind of things are happening?" Starlight lifted an eyebrow. In her rush, Twilight never told Starlight about RayDawn. Starlight had been away from Ponyville for a while before RayDawn died and had come back to be told to go to the Crystal Empire.

   "First, we get a new friend, named RayDawn, then he dies, and lastly we find out the Crystal Mirror is broken and there is a RayDawn from Equestria in the other world! So naturally, I have to fix the mirror and go investigate." Twilight spoke without energy.

   "Oh. That...sounds...Who is that galloping over here?" Twilight turned around to where Starlight pointed and saw a pony with a mane of crimson and yellow galloping over, but what stood out was a bump on her head.

   "Sunset! What are you doing here?! Are you okay?!" Twilight was shocked.

   "King...Sombra is...coming and he is mad! Also, he...he...he took RayDawn's body, so the Heart can't stop him from entering!" Sunset cried out to her mentor.

   "How can this be?! Sombra is in pieces! This is not possible!" Twilight said this and started towards the Heart, but a voice stopped her in her tracks.

   "Hello there...Princess." Twilight turned around to see her dead friend standing there. "Is this your friend?" Sombra held up a purple baby dragon who was asleep and wrapped in a dark red magic. "I saw him walking around by himself, so I decided to give him a lift." Sombra grin maliciously.

   "Let him go!" Twilight cried out. She couldn't lose Spike, she couldn't. "Stop!"

   "NO! I will take everypony you love from you! Starting with him!" DarkDawn shouted and woke Spike. "Little dragon...TIME TO MEET YOUR-"  Sombra something surround him, but lifted himself into sky. Sombra got away, but Spike was caught in the darkness. Spike cried out for Twilight, but he was enveloped.

   "NO!" All of the ponies shot forward to Spike and Sombra saw his chance. He swooped down and grabbed the Crystal Heart.

   "MINE!" Sombra gleefully shouted as he grabbed the Heart and swooped upwards. "Now this empire will fall to me again!"

   "Not if I have anything to say about it!" A voice shouted. Then a pillar of black smoke appeared before them. "Not this time..." the pillar of smoke evaporated to reveal Spike, undamaged and clean, but what got everypony's attention was the gray unicorn with blue hair, one glowing purple eye with both eyes having red irises, and wisps of shadows escaping from his fur. "DAD!"

   "What!?" Erupted from most of the ponies around.

   "Did I forget to mention King Sombra is RayDawn's father?" Sunset spoke, but nopony answered.

   "And what will you do?" Sombra laughed.

   "I'm done with you. I will end your reign right now." RayDawn said back.

   "Then get ready!" Sombra shot a beam of darkness at the group of ponies behind him. Cadence and Twilight both shot a shield up together, but Sombra broke the shield and the beam hit them, cancelling the ponies' flying and magic abilities. Also, he caused them to be stuck like statues.

   "How are you this strong?!" Twilight asked him with disbelief on her face.

   "With the power of my old amulet. The Alicorn Amulet." Sombra stared at Twilight. "Not even the two alicorn sisters could beat me!"

   "That was a cheap shot!" RayDawn looked at his father with hateful eyes. "Leave them out of this!"

   "You will fight me alone! Let's see how you do against me!" Sombra charged up his magic beam, abandoning DarkDawn's body. Sombra rose as a pillar of shadow. He shot the beam of magic at RayDawn, who instinctively shot his own beam back. "Look at you! Trembling!" Sombra laughed. RayDawn was getting worried, the beam was getting closer to him at a slow rate. "You may be strong, stronger than me even, but this amulet makes me stronger! You could never have beaten me at full power!"

No! I can't lose like this! My friends! I'm gonna let them down. RayDawn was pulled from his trance by his friends encouraging shouts. "You can do it! Beat him! Please make it through this!" RayDawn smiled as he heard the shouts of his friends. He felt himself get stronger as a black and silver gem came out of his shadows. All of his friends were wrapped in a light colored to them. I can do this!

   Sombra knew he was gonna lose and he couldn't let that happen. "I won't let you beat me! If you won't give up I will get you to!" Sombra shot a second beam of magic at RayDawn's friends.

   "NO!!" RayDawn teleported in front of the magic beam. They all stopped glowing and Sombra's beam reached RayDawn in an explosion. After it exploded all that was left was shards of the gem RayDawn had and burn marks.

   "NO! How could you do that?!" Twilight said while everypony was in shock. Sombra laughed at the mares.

   "Foolish son of mine! Giving his life up to save his friends! What a joke I helped make! Shadow ponies are meant to be evil and hated, not heroes. If you decide to change what you are, then you will meet a terrible fate. Let this be a lesson to you and your friends, Sparkle! Now watch as I cement my rule here and destroy the Crystal Heart!" Sombra raised his hoof and Twilight and her friends cried out, but their cries were not heard by King Sombra. In a few mere seconds all would be lost, but fate had other plans. A shadow rose from the ground and grabbed the Crystal Heart.

   "Got it!" RayDawn said as he lunged to the Heart's place.

   "RayDawn!" The mares, and Spike, all exclaimed in unison. Sombra had pure terror on his face.

   "NO! STOP! STOP...PLEASE!" Sombra cried out. RayDawn reached the pedestal and placed the heart. A brilliant light coursed through the Crystal Empire. Sombra and DarkDawn's abandoned body broke apart. The mares turned around to celebrate. Then they saw RayDawn on the floor having convulsions and breaking apart. The shadow parts of his body disappeared and the glow in his eyes disappeared.

    "NO! We can't let this happen! There has to be something we can do!" Rainbow Dash said. "He saved us and I for one will not let this happen to a friend!" Rainbow Dash started crying, which was rare.

   "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do, my little pony." Said the voice of the Sun Princess, who was beside the Moon Princess as they landed.

   "Celestia! You have to help him!" Rainbow yelled.

   "There is nothing we can do." Luna said.

   "It's...okay...I...I...really think...that this is...my destiny...to help my only friends." RayDawn coughed and black liquid came from his mouth. By this point, almost everypony was in tears. "I can...at least...see my family again. Except for my dad. I don't want to see him again."

    "RayDawn. You shouldn't pass on with hate in your heart. Forgive your father and you will not regret it. I know what it is like, to have hate, but you will do yourself a favor if you let it go. Pass on peacefully, RayDawn, and let love fill your heart.." Luna said.

   "You're right...I must let love enter my heart...only then...can I be different than my father." RayDawn looked at the crystal forms of his friends. "You know...Sombra didn't take away my family...he...he gave me a new one." RayDawn smiled at the tearful faces of his friends. "Thank you...Sombra. For teaching me to move on." RayDawn's body was almost gone, only his head was left. The Crystal Ponies surrounded the son of their most hated enemy and lowered their heads.

   "Bye...RayDawn." Fluttershy cried. All of the mares felt the finality of her words. Then, the harmony stone shards and RayDawn were lifted into the air and they were wrapped in the light blue light of The Crystal Heart.

   RayDawn felt a warmth fill his heart. He was crying and smiling at the same time. This feels...great.. I never thought I would feel like I belong. This is amazing. It feels like...like...like destiny...like...a transformation. A good one, not like the darkness that filled my body. A blinding light filled the area and a warmth radiated from the light. The light died down to a dim as the transformation stopped. RayDawn smiled and saw that his friends were now short, really short, and they were staring at him in shock. "What?" RayDawn was confused.

   "Well...you're really tall now...and...well...you're shining like a crystal pony, but you...you should probably look in a mirror, darling." Rarity spoke to RayDawn.

Something bad happened, didn't it? I'm probably some...kind...of... RayDawn jaw dropped as he looked into a crystal. Looking back at him was a really tall crystal pony, but this crystal pony was shattered, with darkness in between each crack in the crystal. His mane was blue, pure sky blue, but his tail was dark blue. His horn was glowing as it was a bright light. He had two wings made from the darkness in between his body. RayDawn started sobbing as he noticed his flank. On it was a cutie mark. It was a ying-yang sun with gray flames in between a half moon and half sun circle and surrounding it was 2 white stars over it and 1 black star under it. My goodness. What happened to me? What does my mark mean? RayDawn voiced his thoughts. "What happened?" RayDawn looked back at the mares and Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie group hugged him, to be followed suit by the rest of their friends. I love you mares. RayDawn smiled back at the mares.

   "Are you a royal now?" Pinkie asked. RayDawn looked confused as they let him go.

   "What?" RayDawn answered Pinkie's question with another

   "Yes, but no. He hasn't ascended. His shadows are just leaking out of his body in the form of wings because there is not enough space on the inside of him." Celestia said. "He really isn't even an alicorn, he is something even rarer, half crystal pony and half shadow pony. I guess your cutie mark reflects that, you are the balance between light and darkness and the stars must be your family. He is royalty because of King Sombra. It makes you a prince."

   "Whatever it means, I love it. I finally have a place in life, but I doubt that my place is ruling the Crystal Empire. I don't want to end up like my dad." RayDawn looked at the two sisters.

   "Well, you can choose your place in life, if you wish to." Luna added.

   "Royalty isn't my place. My studies have been my place for a long time. I guess I will go live in Ponyville, since I have friends there." RayDawn looked at the mares. "If you will have me..."

   "Well, shoot. O' course we would! Yah can stay with Big Mac." Applejack said.

   "Why wouldn't we want one of the most awesome ponies ever living in Ponyville. You risked your life for us!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, literally radiating admiration, but then calmed down. "I mean, yeah! We would be cool with that."

   Everypony laughed. I think I am gonna like living in Ponyville. RayDawn thought. They started walking away, but RayDawn heard familiar voices in his head.

You've made your mother so proud.

Move on past our deaths, brother. RayDawn knew these voices as his sister and mom, but a third voice came up and surprised him.

Son, you deserve a long and happy life. Now go live it. His dad had spoken to him. RayDawn started to year up.

   "Thank you." RayDawn whispered to his dad, wherever he was. RayDawn and his new friends walked off, but RayDawn felt as though he had forgotten something.

        ...

   "Those idiots forgot to take the amulet. Now with this I can resurrect the Shadow King. All thanks to them." A mysterious cloaked figure said and started laughing.

        THE...END?