CANTERLOT

Days before...

In Canterlot the weather was beautiful, Celestia's sun was more radiant than ever, while small constellations made by Luna could be seen everywhere. A guard narrowed his eyes as he noticed a burst of light coming from the sun itself. A pegasus carried on her hips a backpack with crumpled papers, she seemed in a hurry. The guard allowed her to pass.

The pegasus trotted in quickly, her yellow wings spread as she flew until she reached the kitchen. The pegasus dropped pieces of bread in front of the dining room window, unseen, took the papers out of the backpack and held them out to a bird lying in the corner watching curiously.

The bird was about to catch the papers in its mouth, when both were rudely interrupted by the sound of the door.

"You, pegasus, who are you?" asked a voice, terribly angry.

The yellow pegasus suddenly trembled. "F-Fluttershy" he whispered, a barely audible whisper.

The unicorn took a few steps forward, looking at the pegasus with utmost attention. She looked familiar. From where?

"You're Twilight's friend, aren't you?" she asked, Fluttershy nodded shyly. As she locked her hair in her mane. The bird squeezed the papers with her mouth, but only one was taken, spread her wings and flew out the window.

"What are you doing in Canterlot?" the unicorn asked again, raising her eyebrow. Fluttershy stirred uncomfortably.

"I-I was just visiting my bird friends" she muttered, hiding even more. Until she got stuck in the wall, and felt her hooves climb up the wall.

"Ah, of course, your bird friends" she exclaimed. Fluttershy nodded, calming down a bit, seeing how the unicorn understood. Until she burst out in anger. "You think I believe me that you come just for your 'bird friends'?! I know you have Celestia's papers! Give them to me!

Fluttershy shrieked in horror as she was lifted into the air, the unicorn's aura charged her and shook her, and the papers fell to the scattered ground. Fluttershy felt nauseous, to the point of letting out a few tears.

She pulled Fluttershy close to her face, and smiled as she watched the pegasus trembling in reverse.

"Tell Celestia and Twilight for me, that Sunset Shimmer is back."

NOW

Cadance woke up feeling that annoying noise in her ear, it had been weeks of being locked up. She had not even seen the light. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach was anxious with hunger. No one had come to give her any food, no one had come through the door since King Sombra had walked through it. Cadance lost count of the days she lay in that darkness, perhaps she was in a room, or even a dungeon, she could never see beyond the door.

Her horn stopped hurting, as she made no more effort to fight.

Cadance wondered what was going on outside, in the Crystal Empire. Had the Sombra King conquered it? Couldn't the princesses of the sun and moon defeat Sombra? The only friends Cadance had so far were her thoughts.

Cadance sobbed, she was tired of crying. She missed the warmth, the silk and the food. She felt the weight of the chain on her leg, she imagined it was no longer there, and she could fly free.

From the princess's cheek a tear came out, it fell to the ground, rumbling in a melancholy melody.

Had Sombra abandoned her? He was so capable of doing so, he was treacherous, selfish, a liar and a manipulator without ups and downs. But she thought of that unicorn, the tyrant's accomplice.

How could a crystal pony have betrayed Cadance? Even though her face was unfamiliar to him.

"KING SOMBRA!!!" shrieked Cadance, she knew no one would come, but she undid a lump in her throat that tormented her for days.

She spread her wings, used one of her hooves to lift herself up. Cadance was weak, limp. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for weeks. But a burning flame inside her whispered to her to get up, to fight the ambrune, the pain and the loneliness. Cadance had to stand up for her ponies, for her family, for her friends. Using her horn was as painful as falling off a mountain, but she endured the pain. She used a magic trick Celestia had taught her, teleportation.

Dark magic prevented him from using it, but he fought.

Cadance broke free.

As he freed his helmet no longer hurt, he saw the chain turn to rust. It was too easy.

He took a helmet to his horn, he felt no pain at all.

Had it been a miracle? Cadance stood up and proceeded to the door, the door handle opened with Cadance's aura. His eyes widened as he saw what was behind the door.

The crystal throne.

She walked a few muzzle, bounced forward as the door evaporated leaving ashes on the floor.

Cadance was back in the Empire again, she galloped up to her throne, sliding her hoof on it sweetly. She let out a gasp of horror as a dark mist transformed into a stallion.

Cadance gritted her teeth leaning back, nearly slipping on a step.

Sombra watched her from below, slowly approaching. Until he stood just inches away which was torturing to Cadance. "Princess, I see you've gotten off easy," he rambled, Cadance looked up at him.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, looking around, seeing how the place was too quiet and empty of ponies.

Sombra smiled, "I don't know, probably looking for you" he replied simply. Cadance frowned trying to understand.

Suddenly, Cadance took the opportunity to throw a blast at the king, he, bowed and the magic impacted on the throne. Cadance spread his wings, launching himself towards the tyrant without thinking. He fell to the ground, feeling nervous as he ghosted like a ghost to the king's body, Sombra let out a diabolical laugh.

"What...?" muttered Cadance, rising from the ground. Her magic was useless, or at least she thought so.

"Deluded princess, did you really think you would break free from my chains easily?" exclaimed Sombra, Cadance swallowed spit uncomfortably, her wings drooped at her sides, Sombra continued. "Imagine you're the mouse, and I'm the trap.

"I've fallen into the trap..." muttered Cadance.

Sombra arched an eyebrow, lifting Cadance's chin. She jerked away sharply with her helmet, striking Sombra's helmet in disgust. He grinned.

"Why fall into the trap when you were already in it? No, you haven't fallen into the trap yet. I just wanted you to meet my family" he uttered, passing by Cadance's side.

"Your family?!" the princess startled, as she felt a burst of light pass through her eyes. The king disappeared, or the illusion of him at any rate. King Sombra himself had family..., and he still wanted to introduce her to her? Cadance shook her head, walking off into nothingness. She saw only white and more white.

Until a figure materialized. Cadance opened her eyes to find herself lying on her back in the night, the stars not too bright. She finally opened them to find a worried unicorn.

"Are you all right, princess?" asked the mare.

Cadance stood up quickly, startling the unicorn. Her wings spread, while her mane returned to its former elegance. She looked around, seeing how they were outside a ruined castle, and how in one of its windows someone was staring down, Cadance hesitated.

She turned to the unicorn, who she could now see well who it was, his mane was light blue, while his body was pink. It was a crystal pony, but all the same, Cadance didn't know who it was.

"Who are you?" she asked, the mare looked down.

"My name is Radiant Hope, princess," she answered, in a whisper.

Cadance looked at her carefully, she had never heard of someone called: 'Radiant Hope'. But she was sure she was an accomplice of the Sombra King, in taking Crystal's heart....

"I'm sorry for what I did, princess, I had no choice..." she lamented, sitting down on the ground with her eyes on the floor. Cadance lifted her chin gently.

"We all have a choice, join me and fight the Sombra King, Radiant, he's only going to use you" Cadance pleaded.

Radiant stared at her turning away from the confused princess.

"No."

Cadance turned away.

"No?" she repeated.

"I already betrayed him once, I won't do it again!" she shouted, running away from Cadance.

Cadance was startled as she made the unicorn burst with emotion, she furrowed her brows sadly, she felt guilty as she felt footsteps behind her warning her that someone was there.

Cadance's eyes remained fixed on the figure of Radiant Hope, watching her disappear somewhere. He turned around to meet the cold presence of the stallion, stumbled over his armor and fell awkwardly to the ground.

"I don't think I can let that go, princess" he warned, Cadance looked up at him from her spot, the size was too different. Cadance imagined Sombra as a voiced iceberg.

"I...I can't believe this is happening..." muttered Cadance, looking at the ground, then looking into those empathy-less eyes. "What did you do with Crystal's heart."

Sombra walked up to the gate of the ruined castle, Cadance couldn't identify the place, though she could see the flags. Cadance on an impulse followed the tyrant keeping a distance, he pierced the place with his gaze a couple of times, glancing at it out of innocent curiosity. Sombra turned around, looking bitterly at the princess, Cadance slowed her hooves: so as not to crash again.

Cadance glanced a couple of times at the tyrant king, not knowing what they were doing there. He with his magic opened a curtain, showing the heart of Cristal, Cadance, without a second thought, ran to him. But she crashed.

He caressed the invisible glass that prevented touching the crystal heart, the heart was flying in the air, still, it seemed that an unusual magic kept it in the air, one similar to that of the Crystal Empire. Cadance gritted her teeth as she leaned into the invisible glass, trying to figure out how to get past it. "Don't even try, princess of my empire, it's dark magic." Sombra interjected from behind.

Cadance moved towards Sombra, readying her wings, ready to strike. She walked towards him, defiantly, hearing his warning growl Cadance kept her distance. "Princess of your empire?! It has NEVER been yours! And it never will be!

Sombra leaned toward Cadance, attacking her. She moved to the side, impacting a wall, he cornered her. Cadance readied her horn, ready to cast blasts of magic, Sombra conjured his dark magic, she shrieked in horror. In all the years Cadance had spent in The Crystal Empire, she had never been so close to the tyrant, only when Twilight and Spike saved the empire from Sombra's clutches, when Cadance sacrificed herself by launching herself into the air.

And on that day, Cadance became what she is now, an alicorn.

The princess let out a gasp of terror, as she felt the dark magic on her hoof. Sombra looked at her, then smiled and arched an eyebrow. "My family, my legacy, my life. All is lost, except for the Crystal Empire. Do you think the curse of the Empire will ever go away? Never. Only I will ever be able to undo that event, and I never will.

"Why, who are you really?" asked Cadance, nudging the king with his magic, Sombra leaned back, clenching his fangs.

Suddenly, dark figures began to emerge behind Sombra, slowly they began to take a shape, dark eyes lay in them. There were three in all, three evil shadows....

"An Umbrum" replied King Sombra.

Cadance stiffened, seeing the figures that-now they had taken shape-were in front of her, behind Sombra. One appeared to be a mare, with hair as jet as the king's, even the three figures had a familiar touch in appearance to the tyrant. Then there were two more mares, one appeared to be younger than her youthful eyes, but then there was she....

The most terrifying.

With the same temperament as the king, there was the tallest and even malignant one. Her eyes were red, her hair was jet with red highlights. Crimson. Her armor was made by rubies, of the oldest and brightest. Cadance fixed his eyes on her, wanting to see her no more.... Who were they?

Family...

"I feel the love in her, it's too cloying, sister" commented one of them, the youngest.

"W-who are you?" asked Cadance, her voice came out clipped. She backed away from the wall a little, only to press herself against the wall as she noticed a grunt coming from the middle one of them. "What are they...?" she whispered.

Sombra's smile appeared, he turned into a shadow and walked away from the set of mares. To appear near the Crystal Heart, slipping her hoof into it, Cadance gritted her teeth. The heart began to turn to a different color, seemed in one part to rust, Cadance's chest ached.

"Stop it! I won't let you pollute the heart's love! Never!!!" Cadance's warning came true, she cast a spell of magic that was immediately done in a flurry, it impacted near the Sombra King, while the mare figures leaned towards Cadance wanting to catch her.

The princess of love teleported, appeared in the air, her wings outstretched. She had an advantage, being an alicorn. The figure of Radiant Hope came into view near Sombra, squeezing the king's shoulder in fear. Cadance tried not to cast any aggressive spells, as he was not yet accustomed to using his horn at all.

How long had it been since Celestia picked her up from her foster home? Cadance seemed to have forgotten, but she knew it hadn't been long. Then to be Twilight's nanny by order of the princess, Cadance grew fond of the filly right away, then to disappear from her sight a few years. Until Celestia called her to be ruler of a certain 'Crystal Empire' that had disappeared from the map for years. And then came the curse, and Twilight; with her new friends. Even the Elements of Harmony appeared, a curious story.

Cadance felt that sound in her ear, she paid attention, it was like words, she looked at the unconscious Crystal's heart.

And suddenly, Cadance was awakened from her thought bubble when one of the unknown mares cast a spell with dark magic on Cadance's hind hoof. The princess grunted, flapping her wings to the side.

"The Crystal Empire will belong to the Umbrums once more, what do you think, Amore, you won't get away with this once more" stated a voice, it came from the Darkness. A new figure appeared, even more terrifying than the others, it seemed to be a queen. An evil queen.

She had the same horn as Sombra, but hers had another red one, a darker one. From her eyes a crimson mist gushed forth, while her armor was similar to Sombra's, maybe it was his...

"Mother?" exclaimed King Sombra, holding to Radiant Hope at his side, Cadance looked away from him as Sombra gave her a glare.

The queen let out a laugh that echoed everywhere in an echo, Cadance frowned.

"I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, heiress and ruler of the Crystal Empire by order of Princess Celestia. And today, I will end the evil reign of the Sombra King, the Crystal Empire will never again feel its darkness at its gates" Cadance exclaimed firmly. She glanced sideways at the Sombra King, raised an eyebrow and scowled at the princess. Cadance hesitated to continue speaking, seeing the mocking faces, she steeled herself and opened her lips. "There may even be a pardon..." it was too late when she uttered those words, Cadance did not want to see their mocking faces, a pardon? Forgiveness was difficult.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh, silly princess. You have something in common with Amore, you want to know what?" interrupted the queen, Cadance hesitated to go down to the ground or stay in the air. Unconsciously her curiosity led her to nod slowly." That they were both destroyed. "

Cadance didn't have time to react, a dark light interposed with her vision, only to end up on the ground. Cadance rose and flew, until she was at a defiant height, she had something of an advantage, being an alicorn.

Sombra trapped Radiant Hope with her body when suddenly dark magic and love magic exchanged combat. Cadance conjured a bubble of protection, stretched her hooves as three more figures joined in taking down the princess, Cadance resisted.

The four figures cast dark magic toward Cadance. Even she was still resisting, her bubble began to crack. Cadance's eyes widened when the dark magic caught her, dark rays pierced the bubble, shattering it completely, the princess shrieked. She felt pain, then cold. Her eyes were tinged with darkness, the last thing she felt was to fall to the ground, and see the Umbrums approaching, had they won?

Cadance was destroyed?