The Elements of the Crystal Empire

by GalaxyGirl0917

Rating: teen
Tags: Violence, Death, Alternate Universe, Sunny Flare, Sad, Lemon Zest, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure, Indigo Zap, Sunset Shimmer, Profanity, Sugarcoat
Length: 8980

It's been 1000 years since Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon were banished, and now Sunset has been tasked to organize the Crystal Faire.

All credits for cover art go to xebck
Original story idea was Alphamon_Ouryuken's.

Long ago in the magical land of Equestria, the righteous King Sombra ruled the Crystal Empire in peace, but there was a time when three others also ruled along side him. Chrysalis, his beloved - who went into hiding because of a curse placed on her - along with Celestia and Luna - who sadly became drunk on their own power, and he was forced to banish.

A thousand years later, his prized student Sunset Shimmer is given the task of make sure the Crystal Faire goes as it should, as well become more social with the citizens, but sadly that task is derailed by the disappearance of the Crystal Heart, and the return of Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon!

Now Sunset must find a way to stop the two tyrannical Queens before they bring the Empire to ruin! But she might need a little help . . . from the most unexpected sources . . .

Published 2018-12-26 02:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-01-12 02:05:29 UTC

Chapter One: The Crystal Faire

Sunset closed the book she had been reading, blowing a stray lock of reddish hair out of her face. The Great War was so fascinating! The sheer idea of an alicorn having enough power to go up against the world's armies was so ludicrous that a few modern scholars had completely discredited it, calling it King Sombra simply vying for attention so that he could keep his throne. Sunset had been enraged when they had come to her for proof, being his personal student and all, but King Sombra said the majority of the populace didn't agree, and as long as it was the majority he would keep his throne.

She levitated the book back onto the shelf and pondered for a minute. It had said that the alicorn sisters would return after a thousand years, and the thousandth Crystal Faire was today. It had been established as an anniversary of the defeat of the sisters, and while normally Sunset discredited prophecies as a bunch of fanciful nonsense, the sisters were powerful, and crashing the thousandth Faire seemed like exactly the type of thing that they would do.

Hmm.

She decided to consult with King Sombra on it; he had always welcomed questions of any kind. He would be in the Remembrance Hall right now, where the lives given in the War were celebrated. Presumably at Queen Chrysalis's plaque, as she had been very noble in her efforts to subdue the sisters before the curse.

"Your Majesty?"

King Sombra turned and gave her that smiled that could light up a room. "Sunset! How many times have I told you to refer to me as Sombra?"

"Many times," she admitted, "but I feel more comfortable calling you your majesty." She came to sit beside him at Chrysalis's plaque. "I have a question. Is it possible that Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker will return? The prophecy, the magic, and the dates all line up."

Sombra's gaze suddenly turned very intense. "Sunset, my dear student. You know that as my prodigy I trust you completely, but you simply must stop reading those dusty old books!"

He burst out laughing at Sunset's expression. "I have a job for you: you are now Official Organizer for the Crystal Faire. But you must also make some friends! You will become miserable later in life when you don't have any acquaintances, at the very least."

"Yes, King Sombra," Sunset said, resigned - but she also noted that Sombra had refrained from answering the question. "I shall start on my task immediately."

She trotted off.

Sunset was in the town square with her dragon friend, Flame. She was a red dragon with orange spikes, and the underside of her wings were also orange. She was only a baby dragon, but she was Sunset's number one assistant. "Sunset, you should really take His Majesty's advice. I mean, he of all people should know what's good for you!"

"As a citizen of the Crystal Empire, I will do my duty, but that does not include making friends, Flame."

Flame deflated. Sunset could be very stubborn and hotheaded at times; it took a lot to change her mind about something. "Sure, Sunny. First on the list: food. Someone named Sugarcoat should be taking care of that."

Sunset pointed her hoof towards a booth called Sugarcoat's Café. "I think that's where we need to go."

Sugarcoat had a great sense of marketing. Her shop was located near the light show, which would occur just before lunch and last for an hour. When the hungry ponies flooded out, the first thing they would see was her bakery.

Sunset and Flame walked in, triggering a little bell just above the doorway. A purple pegasus with light blue mane and tail (and glasses) was behind the counter. "Hi, welcome to Sugarcoat's Café! I'm Sugarcoat, how may I help you?"

"Hello, my name is Sunset Shimmer. I am the organizer for the Crystal Faire this year, and I understand you're the main provider of food."

Sugarcoat smiled. "Yup, that's me!"

"Great! Can I inquire about . . ."

Sunset had been pleasantly surprised by Sugarcoat. She was professional, polite, and clean, which she had not expected a café owner to be; then again, she didn't really go to cafés, so she didn't know much. Sunset had never really had mutual respect for anypony, even her younger brother Sunburst, but then she had met Sugarcoat.

It was a weird feeling.

"There's supposed to be somepony named Indigo Zap clearing the clouds," Flame reported, startling Sunset out of her reverie.

Sunset glanced up at the spotless sky. "Well, she's doing a great job," she said, grinning.

"Did somepony say my name?" A pegasus inquired. She had a peach coat with a blue mane, and her goggles where settled on her forehead.

"Are you Indigo Zap?" Sunset asked.

"The one and only!" Indigo exclaimed, grinning. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Sunset Shimmer, Official Faire Organizer, and I understand you're the head of the weather team?" Indigo nodded. "Great! We're there any complications?"

"Nope," Indigo said. "Just a few storms headed our way that we had to ward off, but other than that it's been fine."

Sunset acknowledged her with a nod of her head. "Great. It seems everything is in order here, so I'll be on my way."

"Bye!"

"Bye."

"Lemon Zest is supposed to be in charge of the music," Flame said as they walked.

Sunset hummed. "You know, Flame, everyone I've met so far seems pretty cool. I didn't think I would ever meet someone that I would say that about."

Flame smirked. "Sunset Shimmer, are you making friends?"

"Wha-no!" she defended, trying to save her reputation. "I am doing no such thing."

Flame shrugged. "Whatever you say. Anyway, this is supposed to be her house," she said, gesturing to a yellow crystal one, "and she's most likely going to be inside composing."

Even from outside, Sunset could hear traces of a catchy tune from one of the latest Countess Coloratura albums. She raised a hoof and knocked.

"Heya!" Lemon Zest popped her head out the door. "What can I do for you?"

Sunset was getting tired of repeating the same thing over and over. "I'm the official festival organizer, and you're supposed to be the music person, so can I come inside to listen to some of the things you've picked out?"

"Sure!"

Sunset wasn't sure how Lemon did it, but she was an absolute god at composing. Every time she felt herself getting tired and bored, the music swelled back up again with some new, unique beat. Lemon Zest herself was a funny, bubbly person and was a unicorn just like Sunset. She even volunteered to be the stand up comedian, and Sunset had no doubt that she would play the part perfectly.

In this same fashion, Sunset met Sunny Flare, who decorated the Grand Hall of the castle with stunning paintings of weather. She depicted sunshine perfectly, and Sunset felt like she was actually in a thunderstorm when she looked at Sunny's painting of said weather. She was extremely generous and even sold one of her paintings to Sunset at half price!

She also met Sour Sweet, who wasn't doing anything in particular but was just an all-around helper. She was famed for selling the best fruits, but escpecially crystal kiwis and strawberries, in town. Sunset sampled one, and her mouth almost exploded with flavor. It was just so . . . delicious!

Sunset was certain nothing could go wrong; it was a perfect day.

But life's like that. It lures you into thinking everything is fine so you're not on your guard and as slow as honey . . .

. . . and that's when it strikes.

Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I have completed another chapter, and I'm just gonna give you the rundown of who's which element in this AU. If you don't want spoilers, then this is where we part :fluttercry:

Sour Sweet: Kindness
Sunset Shimmer: Magic
Lemon Zest: Laughter
Indigo Zap: Loyalty
Sugarcoat: Honesty
Sunny Flare: Generosity

Also, I just realized how short this is, but it feels longer! I don't know how those authors that make literally 5,000 word chapter do it.

I didn't do a fully fleshed out meeting for Sunny Flare and Sour Sweet because I'm lazy, but I'll go more into their character in this AU in later chapters. Bye! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter Two: Legends, Laughter, and Honesty

Sunset was a bit in shock.

When reviewing her papers after visiting the mares for the Faire, she had found that King Sombra had named her . . . Crown Regent. If anything were to happen to him, she would take the throne until he returned or until she herself produced a heir, if he died.

She was essentially a royal, though her official title was Your Excellency, not Your Highness or Your Majesty.

Naturally, this raised a lot of questions. Sombra had had plenty of time to name her Crown Regent, so why now? Why on the eve of the eclipse that marked the thousandth year of peace?

Did it have anything to do with the prophecy?

Probably not, but there was still a chance. He had never directly answered the question, and one of the tricks of being a royal he had taught her a long time ago was to not answer the question, but give off the air of a certain answer or opinion and then turning around and surprising everyone. Being royalty in this day and age had a lot more to do with politics than you might think.

On the plus side, she got a box seat in the Great Hall, where she would have a great view of the eclipse, scheduled to happen at midnight. There were whispers that it would be even more grand this year, and Sombra had certainly seemed a lot more busy than usual these past months. For what, it was anypony's guess.

On another note, Sunset had carefully reveiwed the pros and cons of making friends with the five mares she had met earlier, but had decided that they best remained acquaintences. After all, with her new political position as a variable, they could be used against her: a great weakness. Sunset herself wasn't sure she was ready to enter the world of international espionage, with all the secrets she would be let in on.

Shoving all these thoughts out of her mind, Sunset readied herself for the eclipse. Great magical power would be expelled during it, and she wanted to see if she could harness it.

Five minutes.

She readied the matrix in her mind, at a hairline trigger.

Four minutes.

She informed the guards outside her box that something could go wrong, and if the unicorn guard noticed anything wrong on the magical plane, he was to fetch a doctor immediately.

Three minutes.

She reviewed the matrix for errors, and spied the mare sitting together in the audience. They all seemed to be good friends. She felt a pang shoot through her, then reminded herself that it was for the best.

Two minutes.

"Presenting the good, the wise, the harbringer of the sun and moon, King Sombra!"

One minute.

No one was there.

Sunset glanced up and saw the Mare in the Moon disappear.

Buck.

Blue mist coupled with fire rose onto the balcony, creating two distinct alicorn figures. One was pitch-black with a blue outline, her hair the sparkly blue mist and her eyes terrifyingly draconian. Her teeth were sharp as she smiled, wearing pastel blue armor. The other was white with an orange tint, her mane of fire writhing around her. Her eyes, too, were draconian, her teeth sharp, her armor orange and a spiky crown adorning her brow with some gold circling the ruby set in the center.

Nightmare Moon.

Daybreaker.

Buck squared, Sunset thought wryly.

"Ah, our beautiful subjects," Nightmare Moon said in what could only be described as a purr. Flame whimpered and burrowed closer to Sunset's side. She put a comforting hoof over her back.

"It has been far too long since we have seen your precious little shadow-loving faces," Daybreaker spat. She said the words like poison, and seemed far more blunt than Nightmare Moon.

There was something about them that seemed unmistakably evil.

"WHERE IS KING SOMBRA?!" Indigo Zap yelled. "WE ARE LOYAL TO OUR TRUE KING!"

Sunset winced. While she was sure that was true of all the ponies in the room, it was a very stupid thing to say.

"The king?" Nightmare Moon asked. "I don't remember a king - oh, that king!" Her face twisted maliciously. "The Alicorn of Shadows, stealer of our birthright! Tell me, what did we do with him, Day?"

"Why, Moon, we made him dissolve like salt in water into the shadows," said Daybreaker with a mock-sympathetic look. "I guess you're stuck with us now."

Buck cubed, cursed Sunset. She went through a list of possible plans in her head and settled on one, but before she could go through with it, the corrupted alicorns disappeared in a flash of fire and mist.

The Great Hall erupted.

Ponies were screaming bloody murder and trying to break down the locked doors, and some were frantically pawing at their own shadows like the could fish King Sombra out of them.

Sunset teleported herself to the podium and screamed, "PONIES, CALM DOWN!"

Everyone froze.

"And who are you with the right to tell us that?!" a panicked mare screamed right back.

"I am Sunset Shimmer, Crown Regent of the Crystal Empire! You will answer to me!"

Sugarcoat, Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest all gaped at her, while everypony else nervously calmed down.

"Now, I need someone to bring me all the books they can find on the Elements of Harmony. They may be the only force in the world that can stop Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker!"

A unicorn that could teleport procured a few books from the library. "I don't know if they will be sufficent, Your Excellency, but it seems all the other books in that section have been removed."

Sunset cursed. "Call me Sunset, we have no time for formalities right now." She flipped open the books, and quickly started taking notes in the margins, cross referencing, circling important points, and eventually narrowed down the location of the Elements to the deepest vault in the Crystal Castle. A fairly predictable place, but Sunset had wanted to be sure and the fact that it was predictable made her worried that Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker had already reached them.

"Okay," she breathed, and turned to face the crowd. "The Elements are probably in the deepest vault here. I will try to find them, and if I don't make it back, well . . . the Crystal Empire is doomed. You could go in after me, but it would be stupid and fatal and pointless and I highly recommend you don't do it. Thank you." She turned to address the guards. "Evacuate all civilians and make sure that they don't panic again. If I fall, I name . . ." her eyes landed on a pastel blue mare in the crowd. She was calm and collected, and she seemed smart enough. "You, come up."

The mare swallowed and came. "Yes, Your Excellency?"

Sunset sighed. "Enough with the formalities! Call me Sunset. I name you my successor in the likely event that I fall. Do not take this responsibility lightly."

The mare's eyes widened. "Yes, Your- uh, Sunset."

"Great."

Everyone left the Great Hall, including Flame. She had put up a fight, but in the end she had agreed to go so that Sunset wouldn't worry about her.

"If you die, I'll burn those two creeps to the ground," she had said, a fierce light in her eyes.

"Wait!"

It was Indigo Zap. "We're not letting you go it alone! We want to come with you!"

Behind her, Sugarcoat, Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, and Lemon Zest all gave nods of acknowledgement. Inside, Sunset melted. Outside, she hardened. "Girls, I appreciate the thought, but it is just too dangerous-"

"We didn't give you a choice," Sugarcoat interrupted, flashing her a smile.

Sunset cursed.

"Keep an eye out," she warned as they descended. "It's likely that the castle is booby trapped. If you guys die, it'll be your fault because you insisted to come!"

Sugarcoat rolled her eyes.

She sighed.

"Tut-tut-tut!" a voice said, like the walls themselves were talking. "Can't have you ruining our plans, can we?"

Sunset and the girls were pitched into darkness.

Sunset woke in a dark room; it was pitch-black all around her. She conjured a light, a soft turquoise glow on the end of her horn. "H-hello?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Hello?"

No one answered.

"You failed, Sunset Shimmer," a voice said.

"King Sombra?" she asked, hardly daring to hope. He materialized in front of her, and she suddenly found herself in the throne room. A bunch of ponies were watching her.

"This was a test, and you failed."

"I - what?"

"You failed. You failed to save me. You are nothing. Worthless. You are not my student anymore. A disappointment. Disgrace."

The ponies in the audience jeered.

Surrounded by laughter on one side and hardness on the other, Sunset broke down. She lay on the floor and sobbed as the pony closest to her turned his back.

Her worst fear.

"Sunset! You must laugh!"

"H-huh?" she sniffed and looked around her. "W-who are you?"

The ponies, King Sombra, the throne room itself disintegrated around her. She saw a light that was not her own.

"Laugh!" the voice urged. "You must laugh!"

Sunset sniffed again. "Why? Even if I wanted to, I can't. I am a disappointment. Disgrace."

The voice sighed. I am a disappointment to her too.

"Why did the skeleton cross the road?"

Taken off guard, Sunset asked, "Why?

"Because he had no guts!"

Sunset laughed at the sheer stupidity of it - oh, it felt so good to laugh! Suddenly, she remembered that this wasn't real. None of it was real. The darkness faded to reveal a grinning Lemon Zest. "Hey - OOF!"

Sunset barreled into her at top speed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she sobbed. After she calmed down - that was far from her normal personality - she asked, "How did you escape the illusion?"

"My philosophy is to always laugh in the face of danger. Laughing just makes you . . . feel good, know what I mean? My friend Vinyl Scratch - some ponies know her as DJ PON-3 - taught it to me."

Sunset's mouth fell open. "You're friends with DJ PON-3?! I'm a huge fan of her music!"

"It's cool, right? I met her when she was just starting out. I'll have to remember to thank her after this. Anyway, you're the first person I've managed to wake up, so let's get to work."

Sunset and Lemon slowly but surely woke up the other mares, and they moved farther down the castle, each of them casting nervous glances around every once in a while.

At the third sublevel of the castle, they stumbled upon a door. It was an ordinary door, but everyone paused in front of it. One: they had to catch their breath, and two: the door gave off a sense of foreboding.

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea," Sugarcoat said, who had so far been the most vocal of her opinions.

"Same," Sunset agreed. "Let me just perform a quick magical scan."

No . . .

Those equations made no sense.

Unless . . .

Sunset cursed loudly. The events of the past few hours seemed to have made her a bit more foul-mouthed than usual. "It's a ******* pocket dimension! Why is King Sombra keeping a pocket dimension in his basement? And why is it the only way to move forward?"

"Maybe it's a way to deem who's worthy to move onward," Sour Sweet offered.

"That could be it . . ." Sunset mused to herself. "Well, the only way to get to the Elements is to open it. Brace yourselves, girls." She opened the door.

Many, many thestrals swarmed out of the door, surrounding the mares in a heartbeat. Sunset lowered her horn, concocting an offensive matrix on the fly, but Sugarcoat put a calming hoof on her shoulder. "How may we help you, good sirs?" she asked, all dignity and grace.

Everypony else looked at her like she was crazy.

"Where is Princess Luna?" one of them hissed. The others parted way for him, so Sunset assumed that he was the leader.

Sugarcoat looked surprised, as was Sunset. Did these ponies not know what had happened? "She was corrupted by dark magic a thousand years ago. Now, she has returned, and we are on a quest to stop her."

"You lie," the thestral hissed. "And even if you were telling the truth, we are honor-bound to stop you, as servants of Her Divine Highness."

Sugarcoat didn't even bat an eye. "I am telling the truth, good sir. We do not wish to destroy her, merely subdue her and perhaps rid her of the dark forces in her soul. We wish no harm to the Princess of the Night."

The thestral regarded her. "Starshine?"

"She is telling the truth, sir," a thestral mare - Starshine - said. "At least, she believes she is."

The thestral sighed. "You may pass," he said. "It has been a long time since a pony has told me the truth, and I'm sure most of my people can attest to that. We will guide you through our dimension."

"I have so many questions for you!" Sunset burst out. "How did you come to be? How did you make a pocket dimension? How did . . ."

The thestral looked amused and resigned all at once.

Author's Note

Hello everyone, and here is the third chapter! Next one will hopefully come tomorrow. Happy New Year!

Chapter Three: Kindness and Generosity

It turned out that the thestrals had been imprisoned by King Sombra after Luna's mysterious disappearance. They had thought that he had had something to do with it, and so rebelled and caused havoc after the war while the Empire was trying to recover. The last thing the Empire had needed was a kick while it was already down, so King Sombra had offered them the pocket dimension as a win-win: a home for the thestrals, and extra security for King Sombra.

The thestrals had had no choice, as at the time, their kind was dying, but they resented King Sombra because they thought that he was responsible for the disappearance of their mistress. While they weren't wrong, the entire truth made them regard the king in a new light.

Sunset pondered all this and more as they made their way through the pocket dimension. It was very beautiful, currently bathed in darkness with flowing streams, lush forests, and a vibrant, bustling village of thestrals in the middle of it all. Their culture vaugely reminded Sunset of Zebrica.

"Here is the door to the other side," the head thestral - Evening Light, his name was - boomed, startling Sunset out of her thoughts.

It was plain and wooden, but its presence on the magical plane was akin to Sombra himself, which was a given considering he had made it.

"Thank you, sir," Sour Sweet said, smiling. "We're very grateful for your assistance."

"You are welcome, little pony," Evening Star said. "Perhaps when Luna and Celestia are restored we will be reintroduced to pony society. It is our greatest wish. While crafted by a master, this dimension in artificial, and it feels as much." He looked to me expectantly.

"I shall inform the rulers of your great assistance, and do everything in my power to return you to the real world," Sunset promised. She knew what he meant; it was akin to magical projections. Almost real, but not quite.

"Thank you." He swept a bat wing towards the door, and Sunset opened it with her magic, reveling the rush it gave her to intertwine such ancient power with her own. The door swept open, and then they were on the other side.

"Wow," Lemon breathed, and she and Sunset exchanged knowing looks, continuing on their way.

"Sunset?" Sour Sweet asked, coming up beside her. It gave Sunset mild surprise; Sour Sweet seemed the quietest of the group. "What are the Elements, exactly? What do they look like? What do they do?"

"Well, there are six elements: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Honesty. The sixth is unknown, but it is what binds them together and links the power to be used. It is also - supposedly - the most powerful. I don't know what they do, exactly, but they're supposed to be big spheres made of marble with and engraving made to look like gemstone on them. Remember, this is all specluation, hypothesis, and inference, so I may be totally off the mark."

Sour Sweet nodded. "Okay."

In one hallway, the mares came across a foal.

A foal!

"Stay back, guys," Sunset warned. "This could be a trap."

"Oh, pish-posh," Sour Sweet said. "It's obviously a foal, and it needs help!"

"Sour's always been a big softie," Indigo whispered to her.

Sour cleared her throat. "Excuse me? What are you doing all the way down here? You are in grave danger."

The foal sniffled, looked up, and squeaked. Before our eyes, it transformed into a potted plant, with a flash of green flame.

Sunset gasped, along with everyone else. Sour looked on the verge of fainting, but held her ground. "You are in grave danger," she repeated, and held out a hoof.

The plant's flower looked up, and transformed into what Sunset assumed to be its natural form. Her stomach almost revolted in disgust.

It appeared to be and alicorn of normal size, but . . . buggified. It was all black with holes in what the functional part of Sunset's brain assumed to be chitin, with huge turquoise eyes. Its wings were clear and also had holes in them, appearing to be a tattered joke of a bee's wings.

Sour Sweet still held her ground.

"Are you mad?!" Sunset hissed to her. "It's disgusting!"

"Kindness is universal," she said firmly. "It needs help, so we help it. If it betrays us, we are more than equipped to destroy it."

Sunset couldn't help but admire Sour Sweet's strict moral compass. She was sure even Sombra wouldn't be this accomadating - which was exactly why it was a stupid idea.

"Fine."

The thing took Sour Sweet's limb with a trembling hoof and got up. "Thank you," it whispered. "I am Thorax. Thank you so, so much."

"What are you doing down here, Thorax?" Sour Sweet asked, putting a kind hoof over his back.

Thorax gulped. "My division got wiped out," he said. "With the return of Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker, we figured we could align ourselves with them to take over Equestria - don't look at me like that, we were taught from grade school that ponies were monsters and not to be trusted. There's a small part of me that's screaming at me to kill you and run, but with all the emotions rolling off you, you're probably genuine."

"Emotions?" I butted in.

"We feed on emotions. Love is the most filling, but we can eat pretty much anything. We can also sense them. Anyway, my division was searching this hall for the queens when something shot out of the walls, killed all of my division, and took the bodies with it." He shivered. "I am the only survivor."

The group's eyes were wide with horror. "I can't imagine what you've been through," Sour Sweet said hoarsely.

Thorax gulped. "I'd been lying there for the past hour, trying to convince myself to get up, but each division has a strong mental link, always buzzing with chatter. It's a way to scare our enemies - movements perfectly coordinated but no sound from any of us. That link was still established when they got killed. You don't know . . . you don't know how it felt to hear that link go silent. The last words Pantala said to me were that she loved me, even though it was forbidden. I kept on wondering where that extra food had come from, and I loved her too."

A tear rolled down his cheek.

"And Pharnyx . . . I never got to tell him that he was the was the best brother anyone could ask for."

Silence, and suddenly everyone started hugging him, Sunset included. No monstrosities like that had ever been committed during Sombra's rule, and none of them had ever heard such a horrifying story before. Thorax blinked. "You ponies literally vomit love all over the place."

"We're sorry, Thorax," Sour Sweet said sincerely.

"Thanks. Anyway, what are you doing down here?"

Sunset filled him in. "We want to go to the deepest vault here, but I'm not sure we're going the right way. The pocket dimension kind of turned me around."

"We memorized a blueprint of the castle before we came. I could take you."

Sunset smiled gratefully at him, and took a deep, shuddering breath. She had been on the verge of crying herself. "Lead the way."

"Why were you nice to him, even after the rest of us told you not to be?" Sunset asked Sour Sweet.

Sour Sweet shrugged. "It was just a feeling I had, in my heart of hearts, and that's where I look when making a big decision: not my mind, not my instinct, my heart. I find that's where the best decision is often located. Everyone deserves a little kindness. Besides, what goes around comes around."

Sunset smiled.

They stopped at another door, and Sunset started to use her magic to pull it open when she realized that it was stuck. She pulled harder, and it still wouldn't open.

Then, a mist seeped out from under it, forming a pony figure.

"This was not in the blueprint," Thorax muttered to himself.

Sunset wasn't scared; she was just exasperated. The night had given her too much crap for her to really care anymore - or was it day? The sky seemed to be stuck in the eclipse, so she really didn't know.

So, as was her reaction to many things the night had thrown at her, she cursed.

The spirit chuckled. "Such spirit! I like you. Unfortunately, I am not here to make small talk. To pass this doorway, I must claim a sacrifice. A life would be good, or maybe eternal servitude, to perhaps just a little old-fashioned torture-"

Here her smile went slightly off-kilter.

Now Sunset was really scared.

Sunny Flare stepped up. "I'll do it."

"Well, I've gone with the life choice. Do you still want to be my sacrifice?"

"NO!" everyone cried, and Sour Sweet downright burst into tears. Sunset had grown to respect everyone in the group, too.

"Yes," said Sunny, casting an annoyed glance at all of them. "Though, I'm not too keen on the dying part. Perhaps we could make a trade?"

The spirit looked intrigued. "What do you have to offer me?"

Sunny lifted her hoof - there was a priceless bracelet on there, the beads all perfectly round amethysts that matched her mane. It was beautiful. "This is a family heirloom, passed down since the Great War. It's very dear to me. Is it a worthy trade?"

The spirit smiled. Again, slightly off-kilter, but this time no one cared. "I'll take it!"

"Are you sure, Sunny?" Indigo asked urgently.

"Anything. Besides, it would look good on her!" She smiled encouragingly. "After all this is over, I could procure more accessories for you!"

The ghost smiled, a real one this time. "Thank you," she whispered, reverently slipping the bracelet on her hoof. Then she disappeared.

"Are you crazy, Sunny?" Indigo asked.

"Of course not! Plus, look at it this way: that ghost probably hasn't had a single nice visitor to her in a thousand years. Anyone would go a little insane after that. I don't really want to see her again, but who knows? Maybe I could be her friend, bring a psychologist down to look at her. It would do wonders."

"That's really generous of you," Sunset said.

Sunny shrugged. "Anyone would do it."

Author's Note

Hi everyone! Another chapter done. I know that this one was kinda dark, so I updated the tags and rating. :ajsmug:

I'm sorry, I just don't know what my mind comes up with sometimes. Stay tuned - nest week, the last chapter, Loyalty and Magic, and the epilogue! I may make this into an AU, so keep a lookout for other stories set in this universe. Bye! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter Four: Loyalty and Magic

Sunset had cast a spell to muffle all sounds of hoofsteps, so the hallway was eerily quiet as she searched for something - anything - to break the silence. The problem was, no one else seemed up for conversation. Thorax was lost in thought, a tragic expression on his face. Sugarcoat's glasses kept slipping down, and she kept pushing them up in annoyance. Her nerves must have been thin, because she cast nervous looks around and jumped at sighs. Sunny was looking at Indigo's wings and Lemon's horn with an expression of longing - no doubt she was one of those ponies who wanted to be another. Sour Sweet was muttering something to herself, which sounded like one of those gardening rhymes that earth ponies passed down through the generations. Lemon Zest was probably focusing on keeping the spell matrix for her light spell in mind.

That was the thing with spells. The matrix must be fed a constant supply of energy, and you must constantly think about it. That was why many unicorns failed with more advanced and powerful spells - either they failed to remember the matrix, or the amounts of energy taken to maintain it was too much. It was pretty much instinctive for most, but Lemon looked nervous.

"You know," Indigo said suddenly, "these goggles are a family heirloom. Dad was a Shadowbolt, his mom was, her dad was, and so on and so forth since, I dunno, the Great War. When I became one, our captain - Lightning Dust - was being a bitch, so I painted my goggles orange, just to spite her." She smiled fondly. "They've become my signature piece."

"And why are you telling us this?" Sunset asked. Even though she had warmed up considerably to the girls, she refused to give up the awesome power of the snark.

"I needed something good to hold on to," said Indigo simply. "It reminds me that I would never abandon the people I care for: Emperor Sombra, Mom, Dad, the Empire."

Sunset started and looked around. Sure enough, most of the mares - and poor Thorax - seemed on the verge of losing it. It had just now occurred to her that her faith in the Elements might not be fully reciprocated, and these mares - and Thorax - were just with her to take a final stand, that they thought they would come out of this ordeal dead.

Right then and there, she made it her personal goal to prove them wrong.

Of course, this thought and pretty much all others got obliterated when a huge glass cage fell on top of them, trapping everypony but Indigo Zap.

"Well, Indigo," a duet of voices purred, "let's see just how much you're willing to lose, dear Ms. Zap."

The goggles flew out of Indigo's hooves, and a vial of green mist dropped in the middle of the cage: the breath of a corrupted dragon, which obliterates everthing it touches. Though only Sunset and Thorax recognized it, everypony got the hint and edged away from it.

"Your heritage, or your kingdom?" asked a voice that seemed like Nightmare Moon's. "Your heritage, we get to kill your friends."

The death of a corrupted dragon's breath was excrutiatingly slow. Sunset didn't particulary want to get ripped apart molecule by molecule, but she still felt a sense of selfishness - one that she had never experienced berfore - when she chanted in her head, Pick us! Pick us!

"Your friends, and your goggles get destroyed. Obliterated. No trace of them left."

The pain on Indigo's face was heartbreaking, but she lifted her head up and said, "Any movement I make will not be my final decision unless I say so."

"Deal," the voices chorused, sounding bored.

Indigo walked towards the goggles, and bent her head. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad."

Oooooh.

Suddenly, Sunset felt very, very selfish.

Indigo looked up to the roof, though technically she could have looked anywhere, because the magical siganture was EVERYWHERE. Sunset suspected it was a mask to hide their true location, but that wasn't the thing to focus on right now.

"I choose my friends."

Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker sounded disappointed as the cage dissipated and everyone hugged Indigo. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to be a general of Our army after all this is over? We have never experienced loyalty like that before. Besides, you've seen that We keep Our promises."

Sunset recognized the royal We, even though King Sombra technically didn't have anyone to share it with.

Indigo's eyes hardened, and she fixed a soul-chilling glare at the wall.

"Never."

Sunset had been trying to keep the conversation going as they walked, and for the most part she seemed to be successful. She had just been laughing about Indigo slacking off on duty in the Shadowbolt Academy with Sugarcoat (who had been a fellow trainee), when Thorax turned around and said, "We're almost there."

Everyone went silent, and Sunset couldn't help but be mildly pissed as all her work to get the others to warm up went down the drain - but that was a tiny, tiny part of her mind.

They walked on.

"Here we are," Thorax announced as they stared at a huge safe door, made completely out of metal. She had heard that even a minotaur couldn't break through it.

"Well, let's go in, then," Sunset said, trying to keep her voice nonchalant. She intertwined her magic with the lock, and was shocked when it worked. The door swung open without a sound, like it was regularly oiled.

What she saw made her gasp.

Five perfectly round stones, smooth as a foal's coat and made of pure white marble, sat in a perfect circle with the engraving facing in. That wasn't what made her gasp, though. It was their presence on the magical plane.

It was enormous.

Even bigger than King Sombra's, it felt like if she used the magic to simply levitate, she could obliterate the entire castle above her and the better part of the capital. Even pegasi and earth ponies could feel it, and it felt like the world was paper that she could crumple.

She needed to harness this?

The very thought terrified her.

He mind showed her all the ways that it could go wrong. Picking her head (and jaw) up, she took a deep breath and reminded herself what - and who - she was doing this for.

The Crystal Empire.

King Sombra.

Flame.

These five strange mares and Thorax, who had made her feel a kind of warmth in her heart that she had never experienced before.

Maybe even her parents, who had pushed her until her breaking point, asking for more, more, more, pushing her to her breaking point. She remembered their parting words: What have you ever done in you life that makes your existence worthwhile, that is well and truly and purely good, with no ulterior motives?

This.

She would prove to them, to everyone, that she was worth it.

She gulped and walked in. Everyone else wanted to walk in with her, but she said, "If you have to, stay near the walls. I'm going to try to replicate the spark that the sixth element brings to activate them, and that could be very dangerous. If I make a sound that even resembles something like a cry, get out."

Everyone gulped and nodded, and Sour Sweet herded them to the wall.

Sunset took a deep breath and channeled her magic, screwing her face up as sweat beaded on her brow. She would show them, show them, show them . . .

She didn't notice when a flame and a blue mist took a hold of her.

Sunset opened her eyes to find herself somewhere she was sure wasn't the vault. She was sure she had failed.

"Sunset, did you really think you would succeed?" asked Daybreaker. She and Nightmare Moon were standing a ways away from her. The Elements were behind them.

Last stand.

Sunset took a deep breath, and channeled her inner actress. Fake tears caught on her eyelashes. "I suppose you've won," she sniffed. "Well then, come and get me."

Daybreaker didn't hesitate. She rushed at her, even as Nightmare Moon called, "Day! Don't! It's a trick!"

Exactly as Sunset had suspected. Being a fiery ball of light didn't exactly leave much room for creating or hinting at lies and subtlety, did it?

She teleported behind Nightmare Moon and blasted her into Daybreaker, sending them both skidding to the ground with burn marks all over them.

She quickly eradicated a shield around her, and set to working on the Elements. She wanted to laugh at the sisters, but time was tight and she wasn't even sure this would work, much less where she was.

Her smile widened as she felt her magic finally clicking and a spark of lightning circling around each Element.

That was when the sisters teleported in front her her, blasted her with so much magic it was like being struck by lightning, and destroyed the Elements.

Sunset wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to die, before the sisters could condemn her to a worse fate - but all she could let out were pained grunts.

That was when the girls and Thorax appeared.

It all clicked like a mosaic, each individual piece she had experienced on the journey combining to make a wonderful picture, a puzzle finally solved. She paid no attention to her friends' distress and their questions, only to how she would harness the elemental magic.

She was no longer terrified of it . . .

. . . because she would not be weilding it alone.

The sisters cackled madly, reveling in their supposed victory. The said in a duet, "We shall so enjoy destroying you!"

Sunset coughed blood. "Silly . . . sisters. Do . . . you . . . really . . . think . . . that you've . . . destroyed . . . the Elements? Because they are . . . right . . . here!" She gestured weakly with a hoof. "Lemon Zest who pulled us out of the darkness with a smiled and a laugh in the face of danger." Her voice slowly gained strength. "Sugarcoat, who would not deny the thestrals the privilege of truth, even if they look different and terrifying. Sunny Flare, who gave up a priceless bracelet in order to pass. Sour Sweet, who would lend out a helping hoof to any creature, and Indigo Zap, who would give up the last memory of her parents to help others in need." She smiled. "Silly sisters. Do you really think you've destroyed the Elements?"

The shattered fragments of each stone were circling around their respective bearers' necks, as if waiting for something. Everyone was looking at Sunset in shock. She grinned.

"But you still don't have the sixth!" Daybreaker cried desperately.

"And my Element . . ." Sunset whispered. "Magic."

Light.

Everywhere.

When Magic itself descended onto Sunset Shimmer, it did not circle around her neck, but her head. Each fragment compacted onto the Bearers' necks, exactly where a necklace would be, and a beautiful rainbow of light beamed towards the terrified sisters, shocked into stillness.

Sunset opened her eyes. They were white.

Author's Note

I welcome you to the end of another chapter, dear reader! Sorry it took a little longer than intended, because I kept forgetting to save. But now that it's all here and done, I might have made some mistakes like hand instead of hoof, so please point that out. It's pretty late where I live.

See you in the epilogue! :ajsmug:

. . . they really need an AJ Tipping Her Hat emoji . . .

Epilogue: The Princesses of Equestria

Sunset wearily walked up into the Crystal Throne Room, her ears popping from the ascent. Celestia and Luna followed behind, ashamed and subdued, and King Sombra walked alongside her.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both matched the height of King Sombra. Princess Celestia still had her white coat, but there was no orangish tint to it and her cutie mark was a sun. Sunset made a mental note to herself to research similarities between cutie marks as she examined the two monarchs. Celestia had warm amethyst eyes, and her mane flowed ethereally with all the colors of a sunrise/sunset: gold, red, yellow, pink, even a shade of light purple. Her regalia had been restored, and even as she made her walk of shame her bearing was proud and kind and powerful all at once. Sunset had no doubt that she would be a great ruler.

Princess Luna still had a black coat, but there was no bluish tint to it, and her eyes were no longer draconic. Her regalia was still a pastel blue, but an extra sparkle had been added to it. The real majesty, though, was in her mane. It had shimmering galaxies in it, swirls of stars with nebulae and dark spots scattered over it. It, too, flowed in an etheral wind, and her mane well and truly reflected the realm in which she ruled. She carried herself with a little more regality than Celestia, as well as something Sunset couldn't quite put her hoof on, but she decided to leave it be.

The night was subtle, after all.

She saw the guards' shock and delight, as well as their weariness of the two new princesses. Sunset was sure that could be fixed in time, though. She told them that Thorax was a janitor they had encountered, as he was disguised.

When she emerged from the doors of the castle, she was met with cheers - and a roar the likes of which she had never heard before. A huge, bigger-than-the-alicorns figure barreled into her.

"Flame!" Sunset gasped, laughing. "What happened to you?"

Flame smiled sheepishly, and she wasn't a dragonet at all anymore. Her wingspan was huge, and her face was sleek, sharp and intelligent. Where there had once been baby fat, there was now lean muscle. "I grew up," she said sheepishly. "Apparently dragon growth spurts come in moments of inner danger and turmoil. I was reassuring the populace when it happened, so that cause a big surprise."

Sunset blinked, not knowing whether to laugh or burst into tears.

"Sunset."

She froze and turned around.

There they were.

Her parents.

Honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to call them that. Her father was "the sperm donor," and her mother was "the mailmare." They had done everything they could to avoid raising her, and Sunset had never experienced a true childhood until she went to live with King Sombra.

Indigo had come up with the names as she had been telling them about her parents, and Sunset thought they were hilarious.

"Father," she said tersely. "Mother."

Her parents flinched as if struck.

"Now, Sunset . . ." her father paused. "I knw that we've always been hard on you, but . . ."

Ah. The dreaded but that occured in every conversation where Sunset was sure she was about to get an apology. The reason her parents had, every time, for being disappointed in her. Was wanting to be loved too much to ask?

Now, though, she had three royals and six friends at her back.

"Father, Mother, you have nothing to do with me. You have only used my position to increase your social status. You did not even say goodbye when I left, so I would kindly appreciate it if you GOT OUT OF MY LIFE!"

They flinched again. Sour Sweet put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Sunset . . . you know how we said we thought you hadn't done anything worthwhile in your life?"

Here it comes.

"We were wrong."

Sunset almost collapsed with shock, and her brain fogged over. She had dealt with too much in the past night to add parent drama to the mix.

"We have never appreciated you for who you were, but in that moment, when you emerged with you accomplices and the royals with a crown on your head . . . we were very, very proud of you."

Sunset blinked.

Her parents walked away, her mother's final words being, "I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive us."

"Are you okay?" Sugarcoat asked.

"No," said Sunset. "No, I'm not. I just want to sleep."

"Let's get right on that," King Sombra said, with a soft smile.

Sunset had been plagued with nightmares since then; they all had. Plus, being the Bearers meant that they got unwanted attention on the streets and from reporters, as well-meaning as ponies might be. It also meant that they were expected to be the best of friends, right away.

While Sunset did feel a click with the mares, she hadn't even known the girls for twenty-four hours! And between her being Crown Regent and all the political talks between Thorax's kingdom and their own, and the princess' wanting to rule over Equestria again, it was just too much for her to handle.

When they did have sleepovers once in a while, they always talked until the words turned gummy in their mouths and their eyes drooped, and after that they all slept better.

Her answer to Sugarcoat's question still haunted her. Was she? Was she fine, now? She couldn't decide. So when Sugarcoat tentatively asked her again, she said, "No. None of us are, I think. But I'm getting there."

Author's Note

And that's a wrap.

I hope you enjoyed! I may write more stories in this universe, so stay tuned. I'm sorry that it's so short, but I couldn't think of much to put in besides this. Bye! :pinkiehappy:

. . . it's gonna feel so weird not cram writing until the next story . . . :fluttercry:

Prologue: The King of the Crystal Empire

Equestria, the Crystal Empire, and the Honey Kingdom were at peace.

Queen Chrysalis and her genetically modified pegasi provided magic-restoring honey for those instances when a foal was born without enough, or an elderly pony lost a bit doing a complicated spell, and they were in celebration, for their queen had recently confirmed the betrothal with the beloved King Sombra of the Crystal Empire.

The Crystal Empire itself was doing very well, and becoming wealthy from their trades with other nations over their surplus of gems of all kinds; and it, too, was in celebration over the marriage alliance. It was obvious the King and Queen loved each other very much, and it was recently discovered that various farm animals had been infected with the unique magic of the crystal ponies, leading to the naming of the Crystal Ewe.

And as for Equestria, it had recently pulled itself out of the Age of Chaos in which Discord ruled, with the arrivals of the most powerful alicorns yet, even beating out King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis: the alicorns of the Sun and Moon, who now reigned over the land. It was still rebuilding and recovering, but if they had the supplies they would most certainly be celebrating too.

That was, until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna became more greedy. They went mad convincing themselves that all countries would to better under their rules. The other countries, fearing the wrath of the sisters, surrendered without a fight, but after a lot of pleading on the part of King Sombra, they rose up against the sisters.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and that could not be more true in this case. Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker put up a fierce fight, even cursing Queen Chrysalis so bad that she went into hiding.

The heartbroken Sombra, alicorn of shadows, harnessed the most powerful magic known to Equus: the Elements of Harmony.

He decided to add Equestria to the Crystal Emoire as it was left without a ruler, and established the Crystal Faire with the Crystal Heart so that no pony would ever bring that much devastation again.

Using these ancient artifacts, Sombra imprisoned the corrupted alicorns in the sun and moon, and harmony has reigned ever since, but a few prophecies say Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker are destined to return, and this time it will not be Sombra to wield the Elements, but someone else . . .

. . . and that is where our story begins.

Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hello, and welcome to my first story on FIMFiction! I'll try to upload twice a week, but the count will vary. Thank you for reading! :pinkiehappy:

Bye!