Prologue- Moth by the Moonshine

The night was cold and dark, fading echos filled the sweet air. Gentle snowflakes fluttered towards the ground overlapping each other and slowly building a large pile of snow in the town square. The winds did a graceful twirl in the fresh air as the leaves followed them. Crystal Ponies ran to their homes ready to call it a good-night but nopony in the Crystal Castle was ready to call it a day. In fact, young Princess Flurry Heart was up and awake. She was told that today her mentor, Sunburst and her parents, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were going to teach her a very important lesson tonight. She was very hyped about this lesson, though she still wonders what is it going to be about. Curiosity made the grown mare canter faster and faster.

The young princess raced across the breathtaking crystal halls, the lights of the crystals' made the mare's eyes gracefully glow. She could not wait to get to the balcony where they were waiting. She almost bumped into many guards and waitresses as she galloped. "Sorry! Coming through!" She called out to them feeling a bit embarrassed. Flurry Heart took one final leap when she got to her parents, "I'm here for the lesson, what are we doing here anyway? " she questions as she glanced over at her mother who was looking at the stars. she looked up as well, Furry smiled as she looked at the beautiful stars glowing in the sky. They looked like little fireflies living in the skies creating a shiny beam of light for all to see.

After a long time of silence somepony finally spoke, "We are here today to talk about a danger that might soon hit the empire." Shining Armor announced to the twenty-one-year-old mare walking next to her and sitting down.

Flurry's eyes widened in shock, she turned to her father's direction pricking her ears up in alarm. "What do you mean 'a danger'?" she asked her eyes shining with pure fear. "Is it that bad? What is it? Does it have to do with a natural disaster? Wait, is it a bad snowstorm that can destroy all of Equestria and beyond?" she stammered fearfully folding her large wings.

Cadence laughed, "We are here to talk about a very dangerous pony who has been vanished for many moons." the princess started turning her head back to the stars, "His name is King Sombra. He has once ruled the Crystal Empire but with hate." she added her eye clouding as she looked down at her empire.

"King Sombra?" Flurry shot out confused as her ears pricked up with curiosity. "How can he be a threat to the empire if he has vanished?" she asked quietly.

Sunburst looked at her, "Ponies are saying that he has formed a large group of rouges a few years ago. He might use them against the empire." Sunburst spoke out, "The rouges include snow ponies, snow wolves, snow lynx, and snow dragons. Many of the royal guards also spotted rouges hanging around in the Crystal Empire boundary. " he added putting down his book.

"Wow, that does sound bad," she stammered quietly. " Snow wolves, snow cats, rouge ponies, lynxes! I bet they can kill a pony in a heartbeat! What are we going to do? Does this mean a war is going to occur soon?" She stammered her voice showing more fear. She looked at the snowflakes dancing in the sky and gracefully falling onto the crystal ground. One landed on her muzzle but she quickly shook it off. "If a war did occur...would we win?"

Cadence looked at her daughter then lowered her head sadly and unsure if they would win if there ever was a war. The ruler of the empire shook her head in terror as she squinted her eyes shut painfully thinking about what might happen if there was a war.

Blood staining the coats of the fallen soldiers. Scars getting inflamed while blood spilled from their mouths. Very deep wounds getting badly infected while there are barely any treatments to sooth it with...

"Mom...mom!" Flurry Heart shot out to her mother who was imagining that dreadful image in her head. Princess Cadence gasped when she finally woke up from her vision, her eyes glowing brightly in relief. She looked up to her daughter who was staring at her with a concerned look on her face.

Sighing she placed a hoof on Flurry's shoulder and spoke softly and calmly her voice showing a bit of pain and sorrow, "Maybe, Flurry." she told her with a small smile. "You must promise us that you will not go beyond the Crystal Mountains. That's where Sombra's kingdom is located. It's called the Winter Wastelands. Also, don't trust any rogue who gets in your way. Even if they act kind."

"Yes, mom...", she responded with a small grin, she slowly looked behind the crystal mountains. He eyes filled with a look as she sadly sighed, "Um, what if one of the rouges are really kind and there is no hate in him or her whatsoever."

Sunburst trotted towards the princess then spoke, "Flurry Heart, those rouges are completely wicked. There's no way that a rouge could be nice. Don't trust any of them. There were many crystal ponies that had trusted those rouges already and no one has ever seen them ever since."

Flurry bit her lip and turned to her father. "I agree," Shining Armor affirmed with a nod, "There is no way. But if there was a nice rouge, I'd still recommend you do not trust it. Anyway...Flurry Heart, your aunt Twilight is coming tomorrow so you better get some rest." he said changing the subject and looking at Flurry.

Flurry Heart's eyes lit up with excitement, "OK, then! I can't wait!" she beamed walking halfway out. "Goodnight!" she said flying to her room quickly. It has been many moons since her aunt Twilight and her friends had visited the Crystal Empire. But why were they coming? Are they coming to visit? Are they going to have a meeting? Are they going to talk about King Sombra coming back? She sighed as she opened the door to her room and trotted inside slowly, she shut the door carefully.

Only the three ponies remained on top of the balcony. Cadence sighed looking at the Crystal Mountains, she flinched when her eyes opened in terror. A vision appeared in her head in a heartbeat!

Tons of rouges climbing upwards to the top of the mountains and sliding downwards to the bottom. Snow lynxes and snowcats crawling and angrily hissing, snow wolves and rouge dragons running like the wind and growling loudly. The rouges cantering swiftly through the snow and killing any type of small creatures that get in their way, they were heading towards the empire. Just behind them, a dark misty shadow with razor-sharp fangs. King Sombra! Blood stained the land quickly and in a heartbeat...the Crystal Empire turned dark red and not a sound was heard.

The alicorn looked down quickly as she stood horrified about what she saw, her eyes filled with pure terror. She took a step back with a sorrowful sigh. "Cadence? Are you okay?" Shinning Armor asked trotting next to his wife.

She gasped as she turned to him, she nodded sadly. "I'm fine...I'm just thinking about what Flurry Heart said. Would we even win the war? I don't know?"

"War may not happen...but it might happen, though. I'm not sure but I am sure that we will win. We have many allies, Cadence." Shinning said kissing Cadence gently on the cheek. She smiled in response. He turned to Sunburst and spoke, "Sunburst, I'll need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia. Tell her about the problems occurring in the empire, we might need more ponies to patrol in the empire"

The stallion simply nodded as the wind started to get colder and colder. A shiver ran down Cadence's spine, she lifted her head to see a beautiful crystal moth flutter over her head gracefully. Her eyes shone like sapphires as the wonderful creature flew away into the moonshine. The bright moon was in between the snowy mountains that had very deep aqua glens that shone like crystals in the dawn.

The Crystal Empire is in grave danger...my citizens that I adore so much. I might not see them ever again.

Cadence glanced at her empire and sighed. Her empire refracted the light from the stars and moonlight, the buildings reflected from the icy blue crystal floor. Looking up, she saw an aurora borealis showing it's misty colors off, the green, the aqua, then it fades to purple and blue. Cadence, Shining Armor, and Sunburst slowly walked into the castle ready to discuss more about the deadly and dangerous threats that the Crystal Empire might have in the near future.

A moth? An aurora borealis? Its a sign...but what could it possibly mean? The alicorn thought to herself looking back then sighing.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Uh, hi...
This is my second story and I'm pretty proud of it...I think. I didn't really like how my first story was written, though. I'm not the best at writing stories but I hope you like it. My grammar skills are crap. This chapter totally did take me five days to finish...yay.

Goodbye and Make Good Choices!