Zaldia tracked through the fierce blizzard, each step bearing the weight of a thousand burdens. Back in Ponyville he had heard rumors that the mysterious Crystal Empire had been overtaken by some sort of evil tyrant. Of course it was just rumor, no use in heading up North to the middle of no where just for a rumor right…? He began to doubt himself, no pony has ever seen the Crystal Empire besides the crystal ponies themselves, what were the chances of him findin— Suddenly he tripped over a rock that sent him tumbling down a steep slope. The ice sped up his fall until he crashed into what seemed like a wall. Slowly he got up and looked in amazement. Now most people would think that he found the Crystal Empire that day, but really he just found the side of a cliff with an amazing rock formation. Nevertheless it was time to continue his quest, he traveled a bit farther, using his magic to keep him warm.
Soon he reached the edge of a cliff that was raised above a large valley. This looks like a nice place to rest, plus it gives me the high ground against any danger. He chuckled, Danger? What danger? The only danger here is frostbite, there is absolutely nothing here… He paused and thought about that last statement.
“If theres nothing here.. then why did I decide to travel out here?” He said out loud trying to force himself to understand what he had just said. Then almost as if a reply to that question, the blizzard calmed down a bit to show that there was a large gray puff of smoke coming from the distant. He grinned, then sniffed the air, which just caused his face to get hit by tiny snow flakes flying at a hundred miles per hour, but if he could smell he would have said that he smelled Adventure.
Zaldia suddenly had the urge to see what that was, and he couldn't wait, he had to see it now.
“I just need to find a quick way down…” He said to himself. Then he looked at the cliff, it was slightly slanted so that it was possible to slide down it, but it wouldn't be a smooth ride. No.. No… are you crazy?? wait am I crazy?!?! He closed his eyes and took a breath. Then as gracefully as a yak, he tripped himself down the cliff. Knowing his luck he knew that this was not going to be a easy landing, and he was correct as the first thing that happened during that fall was that he hit his head on a rock that so happened to be jutting out exactly where he landed. Then he finished the rest of the ride to the bottom unconscious. He awoke at the bottom in a pile of snow, then shook his head to get the snow off him. He looked back at the cliff as if he had just defeated some sort of mythical monster.
“I told you it would work” He said, then he blushed because he realized that he was talking to himself. He cleared his throat then pointed to the sky and shouted “Onwards!” Suddenly he paused and looked up at the moon. He had two instant thoughts, is the mare in the moon able to see me acting like this? And how long was I out? He discarded the first thought then thought about earlier when he fell down the cliff, was the moon out during then? He couldn't remember plus it hurt his head too much to think about it. He walked to the peak of a small hill and from here the source of the smoke was clearly visible.
King Sombra sat upon his throne looking down among all of his slaves, it was so easy to take over the kingdom and it only took a matter of days before he was able to enslave them all. He listened closely to the sounds of the chains dragging on the ground, the chains that ruled his subjects, it was a beautiful sound to him and so he laughed his evil laugh. Next to him stood his personal servant, Calliope. She was a pinkish crystal pony pegasus that he adored, she could play music better than anyone he had ever heard but yet she was scared of him, which was probably for the best so he could control her.
“Calliope could you play that song for me again on your steam piano thing?” He asked, but she just growled at him and shouted.
“Its called a CALLIOPE!! And music shouldn't be forced,” Then she sat down and crossed her hooves. Sombra was amused, so far she was the only one who ever talked back to him, but at the same time it angered him, no one talks back to King Sombra.
“Now now, you know I don't like it when my slaves talk back to me, it really angers me and you wouldn't want me to get mad now would you?” Calliope replied with clenched teeth
“No.. Of.. Course.. Not..” Sombra grinned then petted her mane (which of course she didn't like). She sighed and walked over to her calliope that King Sombra had brought into his castle by completely destroying her bedroom wall and forcing her to drag it the whole way. She carefully held her hooves over the keys as it was very difficult to play without fingers, then began to play. It was such a beautiful song, even Sombra couldn't keep from grinning, but then he suddenly came up with an idea.
“Stop the music!” He shouted. The music abruptly stopped, which caused Calliope to cringe. King Sombra began to piece his plan together, then he began to laugh. Suddenly he grabbed Calliope and brought her to the very top of the castle from where the whole empire was visible. He used his hoof to point to various parts of the empire. He cleared his throat then spoke in his deep raspy voice.
“Now even as ruler, there are still places of… resistance,” He winced, the word seemingly painful to him. Then pointed to a strange building near the corner of the Crystal Empire.
“Of course I always love a challenge, but sometimes things can get a bit out of hand and soon the ponies here might start to get some hope,” He paused expecting Calliope to ask what he meant, but she stood there silently. He intensified his pointing to express his anger.
“Those ponies in that single building believe they can overthrow me so easily, well they are sadly mistaken, and here is the best part— they don't know that I know what they know.. you know?”
“Uhh sure..?”
He sighed, clearly disappointed about her reactions to all this.
“You know what—“ He gritted his teeth then quickly spoke out his plan.
“Basically I just need some pony to sneak in there pretending to be one of them and then come back and report to me what their plan is so I can stop it right in its tracks…” He let that last part echo. Suddenly Calliope was alert.
“W-w.. wait you mean.. me..?”
King Sombra just grinned, and she grew angry.
“NO I will NEVER help a disgusting creature like YOU!” She shouted. He just kept grinning then spoke.
“Like you have a choice,” Then he began to laugh like it was the funniest joke he had ever told.
He gasped, because not only was this not the Crystal Empire it wasn't anything at all besides an abandoned camp site. Well I guess it is something compared to everything else out here. He went a bit closer and used his magic to pick up a sick and poke at the embers of the camp fire, they lit up a bit then slowly faded. A gentle breeze blew through his mane as he was thinking. Suddenly his eyes wandered off until it focused on a crudely made spear that was stabbed into what looked like some sort of shelter. He walked over and inspected it and used his magic to pull the spear out of the wall, then he looked at the shelter which was was barely anything really, he could hardly make out what it used to be, and he couldn't even find the way in. He peeked inside and saw a shadow moving around, quickly he ducked down. What is this??!? A horror scene?? He thought to himself, then he slowly started sweating which wasn't particularly a good thing since it just froze to his face. He gained enough courage to look inside again, but then instantly he felt a cold shiver come over him, the shadow was looking directly at him, with a pair of glowing eyes.
