The spark of redemption

"Well anything?"

"No, sorry your highness, but i'm afraid this matter is out of my league. I'm a doctor, not a wizard, and i'm afraid that Celestia has been hit by a powerful memory spell."

"I understand, but who did this, and why?" Luna turned her attention to the four solar guards who brought the completely clueless princess back to Canterlot from Ponyville.

"Um, well, we don't know for sure. Everything at the wedding seemed to be going smoothely."

"And then?.." Luna interrupted, she wanted to get to the bottom of this, now.

"Then their was a big flash, and we all went unconscious for a second. Once we were back up on our hooves, they were gone, and Celestia was passed out on one of the tables." The guards tried to explain to the best of their abilities, trying to remember exactly what happened.

"They were gone, who was gone?" BOOOOM....... The table Celestia was resting on shook under the power of the yet another crash. More and more crashes were coming from the Crystal Empire, they were getting louder and louder. Luna knew she would need to go up their, or something even worse could happen elsewhere.

"As you were saying solider?"

"Oh yes, sorry. Princess Twilight, and some of her friends are missing, and also....we have no idea where Princess Cadance or Princes Shining is either."

"So you mean to tell me that every single member of the royal family has been captured, and we have no idea who captured them?!! Are you guys stupid??!" Luna couldn't take it anymore, first the eleven pony hostages, then Celestia's mind completely erased, then Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor gone? Something big has happened. Not to mention the Crystal Empire in flames.

"Call in the guard, I want half of our force to stay here in Canterlot and look after Celestia, the other half will march with me to the Crystal Empire. Get a wizard or witch that can cure Celestia." Luna really took point, commanding ponies left and right.

"Yes your highness."

"Yes your highness."

"And send a letter to Captain Brave Heart, tell him of the situation."

"Yes your highness." Coming from all ponies, guards, doctors, and maids alike. Luna marched here way out of the hospital wing and met with the only captain left in Canterlot, Royal shield.

"Your highness, I received your orders, are your sure we should dispatch this much of our force to the Crystal Empire? It could be wiser to stay and defined Canterlot." The two walked in a fast pace down the hallways of the castle.

"No, we need to get to the bottom of this. She already has taken so much, any more she practically controls Equestria. I have experts tending to Celestia as we speak." Luna didn't even look at the poor captain, who was overwhelmed with instructions.

"Wait your highness? She took? Who took?" Royal shield had noticed that Luna was implying she knew who was doing this, already.

"Come on captain, open your eyes! Who was attacking Equestria before? Who used the same weapon that attacked the castle at the wedding in Ponyville?

.............Queen Chrysalis."

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"How many?"

"124 strong your highness. They are the toughest, most skilled in combat, and bravest soldiers amongst us." They walked down the rows or ranks, each stallion guard looking stronger and even more presentable than the next.

"Get ready captain, it's a long walk to the Crystal Empire. Is their still no confirmation on Cadance, or Twilight?"

"Im afraid not your highness, but we have found a cure for the memory spell on Celestia." Captain shield tried his best to make the most of the situation.

"How long will it take?"

"Five days your highness."

"Then their is no time, we most go to the Crystal Empire without her." They walked threw the streets of Canterlot. The entire city was empty. Windows were closed, doors were locked, and you could still hear the loud crashes coming from the Crystal Empire. Everypony was terrified, they had never seen a level of destruction like this before. Even the guards had their worries, but Luna didn't.

Thirty minutes after leaving Canterlot, Luna and her army of solar and night guards started to grow weary of the walk. Luna only had her regalia and crown, but the soldiers had their armor, spears, swords, supplies, medical kits, and rations. It was hard on their backs, but they were trained for this. In boot camp they would walk to Ponyville and back to Canterlot six times while carrying saddlebags filled with bricks. Not to mention they were timed, and every minute they went over their time limit, was another brick add to tomorrows saddlebag, and they did this again, again, and again.

Then they reached the snow, it was blowing hard against them. The snow on the ground was at least a foot deep. The closer and closer they got to the Crystal Empire, the more smoke came into view. Finally they had reached their destination, the Crystal Empire, and to their surprise, it was perfectly fine.

Their was not a single fire, no smoke, and no damage at all. It was perfectly fine. Everypony including Luna was beyond confused. Not thirty seconds earlier the city was on fire, and you could hear the crashes and see the smoke from miles and miles away, but once they got their, it was perfectly intact. But, their was not a single pony in sight.

Not one citizen, it was completely empty. It was quiet, no sound, nothing.

"Cadance? Shining Armor? Anypony? Search the city captain, look everywhere. If you see anything do not engage, report back to me." Luna turned towards captain Shield, and the many other stallion guards behind him.

"Understood your highness." Captain Shield stayed with the princess for her personal safety.

"It must have been an illusion spell, set by Chrysalis." Luna told the captain, they started walking towards the city center, were they would hope to still see the crystal heart in one piece.

"Yes that would make sense your highness." The two almost made it to the center until captain Shield came to realize something.

"But wait, why would Chrysalis do this?" Captain shield was confused, but his remark made Luna's eyes widened, she had suddenly realized the mistake she had just made.

"To lure us in, ITS A TRAP! WE MUST LEAVE THE CITY AND RETURN TO CANTERLOT!" Luna heaved in her royal Canterlot voice. Captain Shield immediately called the guards back in, but their was no response. Every single one of the 124 solar guards were no where to be found.

"What have I done! This is all my doing, the princesses, and now half of our royal guard? So many ponies are going to die because of me!" Luna put her hoof on her head, realizing that she should have listened to Captain Shield's suggestion of staying in Canterlot.

"Come your highness, we can still save them but we must leave the city! Your safety is more important then anything else right now!" Captain Shield tried his best to get her moving again.

"But wait, the crystal heart!" Luna suddenly realized about the crystal heart. She rushed for the city center again, with captain Shield right at her back.

They had made it to the city center, the crystal heart was not their, but replaced by a unusual red stone.

"We must go princess Luna, we must go know!" Captain Shield begged her to go, it was so important that she stayed safe.

"No captain, I can't let Chrysalis take any more pony lives, I....I...need to fix this now!" Luna was determined, at this point she thought it was all or nothing.

"Please your highness please, do not worry. We will fix it together, but only if you come with me back to Canterlot. The others their are at risk! Including what remains of Celestia!" Captain Shield knew what was at stake.

"Fine captain, but lower your tone." Luna was finally beat.

"Forgive me, now lets go!" The two ran threw the empty streets of the Crystal Empire. At this point, Chrysalis had thousands of ponies kidnapped, with no traces as to how or why. Something bigger was at plan though, Luna felt it, and so did captain Shield. Luna was still thinking of the strange stone in place of the crystal heart, but didn't worry to much about it then.

Finally they got to the city limits, in their view was the snow, miles and miles of it. They knew somewhere in that dark and cruel horizon their was home, their destination. Most ponies hated the cold. They could take a few snow days for fun here and their in the winter, but as far as long term, it gets on their nerves. Most ponies prefer the warm and comfortable season of spring. But Luna liked the snow, and the cold. Because every time she was in snow, it reminded her of Sombra, before all this, but she had to ignore that, and stay focused.

Before they could step out of the city and into the snow, Luna suddenly felt a hard smack on her left side. at first she though it was just an accidental bump from captain Shield, but when she turned to look to see what it was, she saw it. It was on her, it was red, and dripping from her side and onto the cold ground that separated the miles of snow from the empty city of Crystal Empire.

"Oh my god! Luna! Your hurt!" Captain Shield noticed Luna was bleeding, not bleeding, but blood was gushing from her side. Luna was hit from the side by a magical blast. It came out of nowhere. Captain Shield turns and draws his sword, ready to defend himself, but more importantly to protect Luna, who was bleeding heavily on her knees.

He stood their over Luna, looking all directions for anything, but their was nothing. Once he was convinced they were safe enough to move, he quickly dragged Luna who was moaning, back into the city and into the first alleyway he saw. He laid Luna down on the cold ground were she was completely hidden and out of the open. He then pulled out his medical kit, and started treating her wound. Luna was still bleeding. As more and more blood came gushing from her side wound, the more and more she moaned in pain. He wrapped her to try to stop the bleeding. He then applied pressure. The pain was getting worse and worse, especially because Royal Shield is pressing hard on Luna's deep open wound, but Royal Shield knew that it was the only was to stop the bleeding.

Royal Shield was a pegasus, and had no healing spells. Besides, the healing spells only worked on smaller less serious wounds. You would need to have all the magic in the world to completely heal Luna's wound. Finally the bleeding stopped, and Royal Shield then secured elastic bandages to Luna's side. Then he carried her to the first building he saw. It was a bakery, their were no beds, but Shield was able to find blankets and pillows on the second floor. He then laid Luna down on some pillows and blankets. He then locked the door and carefully watched out the windows, looking for anypony, one of the other guards, maybe a citizen, or more importantly, an attacker. Royal Shield knew that the safety of Luna was the most important thing right now, and he took it seriously.

Shield would need to treat Luna more. They would stay until she was well enough to walk partially. He could support her, but could not carry Luna all the way to Canterlot in the miles of snow separating the two cities. It was freezing, and the heaters were not working, so he needed to build a fire. Finding food and water wouldn't be a problem, they were in a bakery, but Luna (who was resting on blankets and pillow, half passed out in pain and agony) would eventually need better treatment than just elastic bandages. She would need pain killers, antibiotics, a probably stitches, but he couldn't do that.

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"Well? did you get him?" Chrysalis rose from her new throne. The halls of the Crystal Empire castle were much bigger than the halls of the Changeling hive, and she liked that, because it felt like more power to her.

"Well no, I...missed, and got Luna instead." A merciful Changeling struggled to pull the words from his mouth.

"YOU DID WHAT!? Is she alive!? Were is she now?!" Chrysalis got furious, he was meant to hit the solar captain, not the princess, but they were standing next to each other.

"Yes she is alive, but badly wounded, but we do think she and the solar captain are still in the city."

"Fine, because she is still alive I wont kill you, now get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Killing Luna was never part of the plan, it was actually against it, but Captain Shield had to be killed. "The solar captain wont be able to heal Luna enough, and we need her strong for my plan to work." Chrysalis turned and looked out the window onto the empty city.

"With all do respect my queen, we can't send search parties without disturbing the illusion spell on the city." A second changeling appeared from the shadows of the halls, just as scary as the last.

"You're right 567, so we will just lure Luna to us. Sombra my dear, it's your turn! Chrysalis turned and said this in a calmer and politer tone, from the shadows, a dark stallion appeared and spoke with darkness.

"It's about time my love."

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"Agh, ahhhh, uhhhh." Luna finally awoke, to a rather peaceful scene. Their was a fire, and on the other side of the fire from were she laid was Royal Shield, who was drinking from his water container. A thick and warm blanket was wrapped around her, and her rump was against the comfort of a cuddly pillow. As Luna rose, the pain started to hit her, and she laid back down.

"Princess! Finally! You're awake! You gave me quit the scare." Royal Shield rose and walked towards Luna.

"What happened?" Luna asked softly and quietly.

"You were hit by a magical blast, I don't know were it came from, or if it was dark magic or not. I gave you some pain pills, so the pain should not be as bad for the next couple of hours."

"Where are we captain"

"In the Crystal Empire, were just in one of the bakery's next to the city limits. We should camp here until you're healed enough to walk back to Canterlot, were we can find you a doctor.

Luna then rose from her resting spot and walked outside. Completely ignoring the pain and the fact the their were watchful Changeling eyes looking at her from the castle.

"Your highness, we shouldn't be out here! It's to dangerous!" Captain Shield rushed after her, he was astonished that she just stood up, and walked away in her condition.

Luna was not listening though, she was looking out in the distance, and in the distance stood a Pony, stallion by the looks of it, he was calling out.

"Who is that?" Captain Shield had no clue, but once Luna saw him, she immediately felt who he was. Her heart sensed the presence, her snout recognized the smell, and her ears remembered the sound of his voice.

"That my faithful captain, is King Sombra, my long lost lover."