Chapter 1: Twisted Statue
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The orange hooves of the newest guard that was still in training at the Crystal Empire clicked against the smooth crystal of the castle. The underground of the castle was never explored. Stairs, why did the castle have so many stairs? His flashlight illuminate the blue and purple walls and he started his journey down the stairs. The temperature seems to sink with every step, to the point where the guard could see his breath. Debating whether to turn back or not, he swallowed his fears and kept going down. His hooves hit the bottom of the stairs, and the sights before his made is breath catch in his throat. Statues lined the lone corridor, mostly broken and depressing. There was one with what looked like to be and queen and king, the king a Pegasus, and queen a unicorn. The King had his hooves placed on the Queen's shoulders, and was hovering above her. Both had happy expressions on their muzzles, and the crystal heart was grasped in the magic of the queen.
The next one was of the queen, her face twisted in fear and looks as if she was looking up to something horrifying. The stone looked black instead of the normal grey color. An unsettling feeling settled upon the guard as he kept walking. He gasped at the sight of another statue, sitting on a crumbled away pedestal. She had long hair that almost touched the floor, mouth open with fangs seeming to gleam. Her eyes seemed to follow the guard, and her horn was seeming to emit a purple glow. Her wings, her wings made him shutter. There where little stumps at the place her wings should be. Her hoof stood above a crown that seemed she was ready to smash it. Her cutie mark was a sun, engulfed in a type of smoke.
He stumbled backwards, the feeling of fear overwhelming him to the point where he could barely move. He found the strength to move, then galloped back through the corridor and up the stairs. He calmed his breathing, straightened him self out, and continued on his duties, still slightly shaking. After his rounds, he headed to his room. Pepper Crown was laying on her bed, her fiery red hair pulled into a pony tail. Her salmon hooves held the book she was reading down, and her emerald eyes scanned the white pages.
"Hey Flash~!" she hums happily, not bothering to look up from her book.
"Hey." he says, taking off his armor and placing it on his armor stand.
"I got done with my rounds early, you on the other hoof.." she started.
"Yea, yea I know." he says with the wave of an hoof. He grabs his guitar leaving against the wall, and gently strums along the strings.
"So how's it going with Princess Twilight?" Pepper asks.
Flash chocked on nothing, but quickly cleared his breath; he was unable to keep the faint blush on his face hidden though. "S-Swell. But we are just friends." he says.
Pepper smirks. "Oh, I'm sure! I've seen that look you give each other. Your both head over heels for each other." she says, looking up from her book.
"W-We're just good friends, that's all!" he says.
"Yea, good friends that tend to spend all their time together. Dude, you visit her whenever you have a few days off." she points out.
"...Well, still, we are just good friends." he says.
"Make sure Prince Shinning Armor doesn't find out, you'll be screwed if he does."
"Nothing is going on between us!" at this point, Flash's face was as red as Pepper's mane, and he had stopped playing his guitar.
"Well, I personally think you guys would be cute together. Her and her friends are coming to visit tomorrow, It's castle cleaning day.....Hurrah!!!" she says.
Flash couldn't help but smile to himself. "Stop smiling to yourself, it's creepy and it proves my point." she says. "Anyways, we need to get to bed." she slides into her sheets, her crystal coat reflecting the light as she reached to blow out her lantern.
"Night Pepper." Flash says, putting his guitar back against the wall and getting into his own bed. He had much trouble getting to sleep though, the statue seemed to be watching him. Something wasn't right about it, and no, it wasn't because her wings were cut off. (though that very well could be contributing to his disturbance) He finally fell asleep, but was still haunt by the broken statue.....
Chapter 2: Castle Cleaning
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"I can't wait to see Flurry Heart again!!!" Pinke Pie squealed next to Twilight, whom was scanning over the pages of a book called, 'The steps to cleaning a castle.' Rarity smiled at Pinkie as she put the finishing touches on another blanket she was working on for the now 3 year old princess. Starlight Shimmer was smiling out the window, she was going to be able to see Sunburst again. Rainbow dash was sleeping, along with Fluttershy, whom had fallen asleep on a seat near the back. Applejack was watching the now teenage CMC as they played on the train. They had insisted that they come to see their friend, and the newest member of the CMC.
"So Twi? How is it going with that Flash guy?" Applejack questions Twilight.
Twilight looked up from her book, trying to keep from blushing.
"Fine, why do you ask?" she says, but Spike starts to laugh as her face gradually turns redder.
"They've already kissed!" Spike says.
"Really? Sugarcube when where you gonna tell us?" AJ folds her hooves.
"It was just one kiss."
"Mhmmm." Starlight says with a smirk.
"Not you too."
Starlight cracks a smile, turning back to the window. The CMC started talking about all the cute colts at school, and Pinkie would occasionally join in.
"And there we go!" Rarity says, holding the blanket out in front of her.
"It's looks lovely Rarity." Starlight says.
"Why thank you Starlight!" she says, a proud smile stretching across her muzzle.
The shimmering light of the crystal Empire bounced off the snow surrounding the borders. It created tiny bits of lights, shinning in all directions. The sight was breathtaking, and as the train entered the empire, and overwhelming about of hope spread through each and every pony on the train. After all, the joy of Flurry Hearts birthday was floating through the crystal streets of the empire. The train slowly screeched to a stop, and the main 7, including spike, trotted onto the platform.
"Twilly!" A voice shouted, before two white and blue hooves trapped The Princess of Friendship in a hug. Prince Shinning Armor had come to greet his little sister and friends at the train station. He had two guards behind him, one Twilight knew all to well. The orange Pegasus made eyes contact with her, before turning away. The crystal guard standing next to him, rolled her eyes and and focusing back on the group of ponies in front of them.
Starlight quietly left the group, heading to the home of her best friend's house. The lights were on, and ponies were walking in and out of the home. Sunburst had become a well known wizard in the crystal empire, some even called him the next Starswirl. His eyes widen as the pink pony broke out into a gallop, and ran straight into his arms.
"H-Hello Starlight." Sunburst said, wrapping his hooves around the mare and kissing her forehead.
"I missed you."
"Me too."
Starlight pulled out of the hug, smiling at the colt, then walked into his house.
"I was just going to the castle to meet you guys." he says, his golden magic wrapping around a couple books and placing them back on the shelf.
"Well come on then." Starlight says, helping him put the last few books away.
"Thanks Starlight." Sunburst says, giving her a peck on the cheek. She smiled, and followed him towards the crystal towers. They joined up with the rest of the ponies as they entered the castle. Cadence was in the throne room, watching Flurry Heart play around her pink hooves. Twilight and Cadence's faces lit up at the sight of each other, and Twilight ran up to her.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Twilight and Cadence laughed, giving each other a hug. Flurry Heat maneuvered herself between the two, making them laugh.
"Auntie Twilight!" Flurry laughs, wrapping her hooves around the purple alicorn's hooves.
"Hey Flurry! Happy birthday!" Twilight says, hugging the filly back.
"Thanks Auntie!" she says with a smile. The castle workers were already working on cleaning the polishing the castle. The crystal guards had taken off their armor, which in turn took off the spell that made them look all the same, and were helping with cleaning the windows. Their families had come to join them, which resulted is a loving glow that filled the empire. Today was a day of happiness, a day where the empire could take a breath, and ponies were welcome to come in and out of the castle. Of course they still had to be wary, only the guards and their families were allowed in the throne room, where the royal family and friends now stood.
Laughs of the royal family soon joined with the laughter of everypony else as they pitched in to clean the castle. "Oh my this is fun." Fluttershy comments, her wings gently fluttering as she moved a white rag across a window.
"I know right!? I was like, 'I never liked cleaning' but now it's like, 'WOW THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!!!'....whoops." The pink pony shouts as she steps into a water bucket that Rainbow had place near her back hooves. Unfortunately the bucket tipped over, splashing the 4 members of the CMC.
"Hey!" Scootaloo says, but luckily Sweetiebell had cast a small shield to save most of their fur from getting wet.
"Sorry girls!" Pinkie says, before zipping off to help Fluttershy. Over the laughter and love that was filling the castle, no pony had noticed that the Princess Of Friendship had wandered off with one of the guards. They walk next to each other, not sure what to say.
"Okay, when can we tell my brother we are dating?" Twilight asks.
"Well.....I honestly do want to tell him. But I don't want to be fired from the guard, or not be allowed to see you." Flash says, looking at her. Twilight nods, and they keep walking.
"Twily, there is something I need to tell you." Flash says. Twilight, being Twilight, jump to conclusion.
Oh my Celestia is going to propose to me?! We have only been dating fo-
"Twilight, there is a place in this castle that I think you have to see." Flash says, while looking around and unknowinlgy putting Twilight's anxiety to rest.
"What place?" Twilight asks.
"I...I don't know. While I was on patrol last night I stumbled upon it. It was a room full of statues. There was this one in particular that seemed to emit a sort of dark magic." Flash says, causing Twilight's eyes to widen.
"I read somewhere that Sombra would turn ponies who didn't listen to him to crystal, but we could never find where they where." Twilight taps a hoof to her muzzle. "Come on, let's tell the other's about the room. If I know my brother, he will want to see this room right away."
