Hurricane and Clover ran through the hallway of the Crystal Palace with one crystal hippogriff and one crystal griffon flanking them. The whole empire was in chaos as the Crystal Imperial guards evacuated any and all civilians from soon to be contested areas.

After weaving through the crowds of guard and the hallways of the palace, the doors of the throne room came up quickly. Around the two doors, the guards were setting up defences such as barricades as the most of the servants and civilians were gathered inside for their safety. Hurricane, Clover and the two crystal guards were granted entrance without any delays as they were led in into the throne room, spotting Princess Amore, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor talking to several lieutenants, determined looks of steel on their faces.

"Both the southern west and the southern east districts have been heavily breached, there is massively fighting." One of the lieutenants reported to the three ponies. "There were lots of umbrum ponies attacking us, not sure if the districts can being hold for long though."

"Try to do your best, and take what soldiers you need to get it done before the districts get overwhelm." The prince ordered.

"Yes, your highness!" The lieutenant saluted before bolting off to carry out his order.

"Hurricane! Clover!" Amore addressed the two as they came in her view. "What is going on out there? Me and my family saw the shield go down before hearing screams of terror."

"We have a traitor working with King Sombra, goes by Radiant Hope. She stole the Crystal Heart, bringing down the shield before giving it to him. He then proceeded to corrupt the heart before raising the umbrum army." Clover reported.

"He corrupted the Crystal Heart? The fact that there was a traitor working with that tyrant is very disturbing, not to mention that I knew the traitor before."

The Princess of Love arched an eyebrow at her mother. "You knew this Radiant Hope pony, mom?"

Amore sighed, her voice heavy with regret. "Yes. She was once a resident of the empire during my reign. Back then, Sombra was just an ordinary pony—her best friend. But when he turned to dark magic and fled, Radiant wanted to follow him. I tried to dissuade her, to make her see the danger he posed, but she wouldn’t listen. She ran after him, and when Sombra returned with his army, I thought she had perished. Clearly, I was wrong."

Cadance and Shining looked at Amore in shock. "That's not good. If this Radiant Hope is really working with King Sombra, then we might be in really big trouble." The prince responded.

Amore nodded her head before turning to Hurricane. "What of the civilians and the guards stationed at the west and east district of the empire?"

"Most of the guards there have already been dispatched to evacuate remaining civilians. The few who stayed behind are doing their best to hold back the umbrum forces, but I don’t know how long they can last." Hurricane reported.

Amore grimaced. "We are going to be spread thin, but do what you must do."

Several servants screamed as an explosion exploded at one of the crystal building, shaking the palace as chunks of ceiling clattered to the ground.

"What was that?!" The Princess of Love shouted.

"Damn! That came from the west district!" Shining exclaimed.

Just then, a bruised and battered crystal changeling flied through a window that had been broken by misfired spell casted by a umbrum unicorn. "Your highnesses!" Maxilla saluted. The western district's defences had been breached, the umbrum ponies are getting in and none of us could stop them! They are attacking the civilians as I speak. There are still hundreds of civilians we haven't evacuated yet and we are taking heavy casualties!"

Before any of the three ponies could respond, Strawberry Dusk came running toward them with fear in her face. "Your highnesses! There is a large umbrum ponies at the northwest district and the northeast district is barely holding back the attacks." She reported.

The crystal changeling looked at the crystal unicorn with wide eyes as he remembered that she was the one who knocked him out of consciousness. But before he could do anything, Clover intervened. "Wait! That pony who you thought to be Strawberry was the traitor named Radiant Hope. She disguised herself as Strawberry to get the Crystal Heart and gave it to King Sombra for him to corrupt it."

Maxilla relaxed after hearing what Clover said before trotting up to his companion and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't realised that you were replaced by a traitor."

Strawberry hugged her friend back. "It's alright, Maxilla. You didn't know."

While the guards were hugging, Amore grimaced as more screams of terror and explosions continued. The Crystal Imperial guards were being pushed back rapidly, things were not looking great.

"Cadenza. Shining." Amore started. "Can Celestia and Luna, along with their guards and the guards from the outpost cities, make it in time with Sombra and his army's rate of progression?"

The royal couple did the mental math in their head before grim faces set on their faces. "No. They wouldn't make it in time."

Amore silently cursed to herself before sighing. "I see... Alright. Here's the plan. We are going to evacuate the empire. Abandon all other districts, order the guards to coordinate the civilians solely on the currently clear northern district. There is a secret door that leads to outside the empire, it is between the cyan crystal building and the dark blue crystal building, you can't miss it. Cadenza and Shining, you two, Hurricane and Clover see to it that your daughter and as many of civilians get out as possible. Make a break for Equestria, hopefully we’ll meet up with the reinforcements on the way."

"Got it!" Cadance nodded. She quickly teleported a scroll, a quill and ink and began to write the messages for help to Princess Celetsia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, the leaders and the outpost cities. After she sent the messages through her magic, she and her husband stared to move, before she stopped and turned to face her mother. "Wait, what about you?"

Amore looked and examined the many scared faces of the servants and the determined faces of the Crystal Imperial guards. "Me and a few guards will buy you as much time as I can. Don't worry about me, I will follow you out."

"Are you sure? The last time you fought with Sombra, it ended badly for you." The prince asked in concern.

"Yes, it's true. But I am ready to face him again, and I won't fail." Amore responded.

The Princess of Love walked back up to her mother, and hugged her tightly. "Just be careful, alright?"

"I promise, Cadenza." Amore replied while nuzzling her daughter's head. "Now go."

Cadance nodded as she stepped away from her mother and joined her husband. She took one last look at her before ordering the guards.

"Guards! We are evacuating the empire! There is a hidden door between the cyan crystal building and the dark blue crystal building in the northern district that leads outside the empire! I need every available guards to go secure the northern district and assist the evacuation efforts! Me and my husband will help out if we can!" The Princess of Love shouted.

A round of affirmatives came back to the royal couple, and Cadance and Shining nodded to Hurricane and Clover for them to follow her and her husband as all servants and most of the guards began to depart.

"Stay close. Stay alert." The prince shouted as he and his wife fell into step with the group.

Amore watched her family leave with a proud smile on her face before turning to one of the lieutenants who stayed behind with her along with a few more others. "Lietuenant, get me my armor and my sword."

The lieutenant saluted before gesturing one of the guards to follow him and went to get Amore's armor and sword.

Just then, a heavily injured crystal pegasus flew through the broken window before collapsing onto the floor. His left wing was almost gone, with only a few feathers left, and a black crystal shard was embedded in him.

The remaining Crystal Imperial guards moved to aid him, though they knew that with that kind of injury, he wouldn't make it. Amore followed them and kneeled down to the injured crystal pegasus.

"Your... Your highness..." The crystal pegasus stuttered as blood spilled from his mouth.

"What is it, private?" Amore gently speak.

"King... King Sombra is waiting... for you at... the marketplace... in the south district..." The crystal pegasus said before going limp, blood pooling beneath him.

< < < < < < < < < 💙 > > > > > > > > >

King Sombra stood there, watching the chaos while holding onto the corrupted Crystal Heart, his army were storming the Crystal Empire with murderous intent, and all resistance was quickly being quashed under hoof.

The umbrum pony couldn't help but smiled sinisterly as he finally realised that the empire would fall into his hoof once again.

Sombra's eyes were drawn to one of the crystal building as he saw several Crystal Imperial guards desperately defending their position against the overwhelming number of umbrum ponies, forcing them to retreat further into the empire while dragging injured guards and civilians along with them.

The umbrum pony ignited his horn for teleportation before he teleported himself further into the empire where he met several Crystal Imperial guards preparing themselves to defend the empire who noticed him.

"It's King Sombra! Attack at will!" A crystal kirin shouted.

Several arrows, magic bolts and spears came flying toward Sombra. He simply blocked all magic bolts while he caught the arrows and spears before hurling them back to his attackers with deadly precision and twice the force.

Shouts of pain and death arose as the umbrum pony strolled toward the guards and into the marketplace. There had been fifteen guards standing, and now ten guards lay dead with arrows and spears protruding from their bodies.

The remaining five guards, the crystal unicorn and the crystal changeling launched more spells at him while the crystal hippogriff, the crystal griffon and the crystal pegasus charged with sword and spear drawn. Sombra deflected one spell back at its caster with his magic shield, killing the unicorn through his head , while the other deflected bolt went wide. Sombra then created several black crystal shards and sent them toward the three charging Crystal Imperial guards. The crystal hippogriff and the crystal griffon got hit several times by the shards, killing them, while the crystal pegasus got a crystal shard impaled in his body but he continued charging. Sombra then grabbed onto the pegasus, lifting him into the air by the neck while snatching away his spear and flinging it towards the changeling. The changeling only has time to widen her eyes before the spear impaled through her neck, killing her immediately as she fell to the ground lifeless.

The umbrum pony examined his work before turning to look at the last guard he was holding in his grasp.

"You. Go find Amore and tell her that I will be waiting for her at the marketplace." Sombra said.

"Over my dead body." The crystal pegasus snapped at the umbrum pony.

The umbrum pony’s smile turned cruel. "That can be arranged."

With a flick of his magic, Sombra grabbed the pegasus’s wing, ripping out feathers in a brutal display of dominance. The pegasus screamed, blood pouring from the mangled wing.

"Alright! Alright! I’ll go!" The guard cried out in agony. "Just stop!"

Satisfied, the umbrum pony released his grip, tossing the pegasus to the ground like a broken toy. The injured guard staggered to his hooves, his movements shaky as he flapped his remaining wing and took to the air, flying toward the Crystal Palace.

< < < < < < < < < 💙 > > > > > > > > >

Klugetown

The meeting room in embassy was filled with several individuals. They included Princess Twilight Sparkle, Lieutenant / Prince Flash Sentry, Spike the dragon, Captain Tempest Shadow, Mayor Capper, Ambassador Silver Quill and several Royal Guards.

The Princess of Friendship glanced up from the parchment before her, addressing the mayor and ambassador with her signature poise. "So, is that everything on the scroll, Mayor Capper?"

"Indeed, Princess. All that’s left is your signature to seal the alliance between Klugetown and Equestria." Capper replied with a gentle smile as he adjusted his tie.

Twilight smiled as Silver levitated a quill and inkstand toward the princess, placing them neatly on the table, the former taking the quill and dipping it into the ink. She then proceeded to sign the scroll of alliance between Equestria and Klugetown. therefore finalising the alliance.

"It's official. Klugetown has been allied themself to Equestria." The Princess of Friendship addressed before stretching out her hoof to shake the mayor's paw, to which the latter returned it. They shook for a while before letting go.

"A new chapter of friendship." Capper said before bowing down.

Twilight nodded as she began to levitate the quill and inkstand up int the air. "And one we’re proud to share together."

The Princess of Friendship turned to her number one assistant. "Spike, send a letter to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that the alliance between Equestria and Klugetown has been finalised."

The dragon gave her a thumb up. "No problem, Twi. Let me just-"

Suddenly, Spike's cheek puffed as he placed both his claws on his stomach before he aimed his head to the sky and belched out a green fire and a scroll with the seal of Crystal Empire emblazoned onto it appeared in mid-air.

"A letter?" The captain asked. "From the Crystal Empire?"

Twilight picked up the scroll with her magic while still levitating the quill and inkstand in the air. "I guess so."

The lieutenant stared at the scroll. "Hasn't been a few days already. Maybe the summit about finalising the alliance between Equestra & Crystal Empire and Mount Aris & Seaquestria just ended? Your sister-in-law and your brother might be telling you how it went."

The Princess of Friendship wanted to agree with her husband, but for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad happened.

"Maybe... let's find out." Twilight said as she opened up the scroll and read it.

Her expression darkened almost instantly. Without warning, the quill and inkstand snapped in midair with an audible crack, sending shards of glass and splatters of ink across the table. Silver Quill and the guards recoiled in shock, their eyes wide with alarm. The Princess of Friendship's eyes promptly darkened into aqua blue for a moment before returning back to normal.

"T-Twilight?" The dragon asked in alarm.

"Get the army from the military base – NOW! Tell them to get on the Friendship Express immediately, Cadance, Shining and Flurry are in danger!" Twilight ordered Tempest.

"What?!" Flash shouted in shock. "What happened?"

"It's King Sombra. He somehow returned back to living. The Crystal Empire is under attack at this very moment, and Cadance said that they won’t survive without our and Princess Celestia & Princess Luna's help!" The Princess of Friendship shouted as she shot up from her seat and made her way toward the doors.

"Twilight." Spike was quick to stop her. "Are you actually going to the Crystal Empire?"

Twilight looked at the dragon as if he had gone momentarily crazy. "Of course I am! Cadance, Shining and Flurry are in danger, I will not stay idle here." She insisted.

"But Twilight, you're pregnant! If you go and attack Sombra, who to say he will harm you and the baby?" The lieutenant quickly stated.

The Princess of Friendship froze and looked down at her belly. "Damn it."

"How about this? You can come with us, but you wouldn't be joining the battle with us." The captain suggested.

Twilight thought about it. "Alright, that's reasonable."

"How fast can the army from this military base be organised? Also, which military base is nearest to the Crystal Empire?" Tempest enquired one of the guards.

"As fast as they can once they are told about the situation in the Crystal Empire. And the nearest military base would be Fort Glimmer, my father was stationed there briefly before he retired." The guard answered.

The Princess of Friendship nodded. "Have them mobilise and head towards the Crystal Empire without us, we’ll catch up."

The captain saluted before she, Flash and the guards walked out through the doors, with Twilight and Spike briskly
following them.

'I will not lose them. King Sombra will pay.' The Princess of Friendship thought to herself.

< < < < < < < < < 💙 > > > > > > > > >

Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor, Commander Hurricane and Clover the Clever were at the head of the group making their way towards the northern district of the empire. Masses of crystal civilians followed behind as the guards did their best to keep them organised and safe.

"Keep up!" The prince shouted to those shortly behind the group.

A door of Sunburst's house to their left burst open and Sunburst and Flurry Heart came out in hurry. However, they were not expecting to be face to face with the Princess of Love and her husband.

"Mom! Dad!" The filly alicorn rushed toward her parents and hugged both of them. "What's going on out there?! Uncle Sunburst was teaching me how to use advanced magic spell when we heard screaming and explosions!" She shouted as she let go of her parents.

Before the royal couple could answer their daughter's question, several umbrum pegasi flew down and landed a few feet in front of them and the group, causing Flurry and several of civilians to scream in terror and fear as the three pegasi charged toward them.

Immediately, Cadance let loose a magic bolt at one of the pegasi, killing him through his head. Shining produced a shield in front of the flying pegasus, causing the pegasus to hit the shield before he stabbed his sword into the pegasus, while Hurricane slashed the last pegasus's right wing, causing the pegasus to scream in pain as he fell onto the ground before Clover finished him off with a magic bolt to his head.

After killing the three umbrum pegasi, the four ponies took a breather before the royal couple quickly check on their daughter, who was huddling with the Royal Crystaller in fear.

"Flurry! Are you alright?!" The Princess of Love quickly asked her daughter. She enveloped the trembling filly in a protective hug, her voice trembling with maternal concern.

The prince knelt beside them, wrapping a comforting hoof around his daughter. "It’s alright, sweetheart. You’re safe now." He assured her, his voice steady despite the turmoil around them.

Y-y-yeah... I’m okay…" Flurry shakenly answered as she hugged and clung onto her parent.

Sunburst placed a reassuring hoof on the filly alicorn's shoulder. The group lingered for a moment to recover, but a massive explosion shook the ground, causing some of the civilians to lose their balance and fall to the floor.

"What in Equestria was that?!" The Royal Crystaller shouted as he got up and adjusted his eyeglasses.

The royal couple, Flurry, Sunburst, Hurricane and Clover turned to see a towering column of fresh black smoke rose ominously into the sky, merging with the already darkened horizon.

"That came from the southern west district." Clover responded, just as a crystal kirin rushed out through the the alleyway between two crystal building with a crystal earth pony and a crystal yak following behind him while levitating a crystal changeling nymph.

"Private! What was that huge explosion?!" Shining shouted at the crystal kirin who slowly put the crystal changeling nymph before the nymph rushed toward her parents in tears.

The crystal kirin saluted before reporting. "That huge explosion came from the southern west district. The umbrum army managed to overrun the defences set up there by casting a huge amount of magic bolts and letting loose of it, destroying the barricades and killing and injuring several Crystal Imperial guards and civilians."

The group stood silent for a moment, the weight of the kirin’s words sinking in.

"Oh Celestia..." Cadance felt sick. All those civilians and guards...

Suddenly, screams of terror and panic filled the air. "Your highness, more of them are coming!" Clover yelled, trying to shake the Princess of Love out of her stupor just as more umbrum ponies arrived behind the group. Without any hesitation, she flew up in the air with bright eyes and flared her horn before unleashing a powerful magic bolt at the new foes.

The umbrum ponies only had time to change their expressions into looks of horror before the spell detonated in front of them and engulfed them all. The magic blast was big to wipe all of them out, and made a huge crater.

Cadance looked at the others, who were staring at her wide eyed. "We need to get everypony out of here. Now."

The prince recovered first. "Right. Amore said that the hidden passage leading outside the empire was between the cyan and dark blue crystal buildings." He responded.

The group nodded and led the group of civilians toward the hidden passage. Down the corridors and alleyways they traversed, they encountered more umbrum pegasi flying down and trying to kill them. The umbrum pegasi were swiftly dealt with before the group continued to make their way to their destination.

Before long they made it to the hidden door, just as another group of civilians and guards led by Captain Tourmaline arrived.

"Your highnesses! Commander!" The captain saluted on seeing them emerge. "Glad to see you are safe."

"You too, captain." Hurricane replied. "Any problems?"

"Only a few umbrum ponies, but nothing we couldn’t handled with." Tourmaline reported.

"That's good to know. Now, get the hidden door open before more of them arrives!" The Princess of Love ordered.

Several Crystal Imperial guards quickly moved up and together opened the hidden door leading outside the empire.

"Alright! Everypony move up!" Cadance ordered while Shining gestured the group to move up with his hoof.

The royal couple took point with Hurricane and Clover at their sides and the filly alicorn sat on her mother's back clinging while the captain moved in front of them to ensure the area was safe as the civilians began to spill out into the open daylight and into the Frozen North.

Both the Princess of Love and the prince and their daughter stood aside as the evacuating civilians moved on up and began to move away from the empire while the Crystal Imperial guards guarded the civilians and gestured them to move faster.

"Come on! Keep moving!" Tourmaline urged the civilians, gesturing them to keep moving no matter what.

The royal couple and their daughter watched as the civilians began to pour out of the empire and into the Frozen North. For some of them it was their first ever time outside the empire.

As Cadance briefly pondered about the freezing situation while comforting her daughter, she was knocked out of her thoughts as a spear missed her and her family by mere inches.

"More umbrum ponies!" Hurricane shouted in alarm as more spears and magic bolts began to fly toward the group.

All the Crystal Imperial guards outside the empire immediately moved to defend the increasingly panicked civilians, with crystal unicorns, crystal kirins and crystal changeling firing back with their own magic while others threw spears at the enemies. However, they were outnumbered, with most of the guards still inside the empire with most of the civilians.

The Princess of Love immediately deposited her daughter to Sunburst before taking up into the air with a flap of her wings, forming a shield to intercept a large number of magic bolts, arrows and spears as they came in. She then redirected all the projections toward the attackers, killing majority of the umbrum ponies. One umbrum pegasus tried to strike her with his sword from behind, but she bucked him with her hindlegs before snatching the sword and impaling him with it, throwing him aside.

Meanwhile, Shining dodged a magic bolt with his shield as the umbrum unicorn fired a magic bolt at him. He then fired magic bolt at the umbrum unicorn at the head, dazing the unicorn before he used his sword and severed the umbrum unicorn's head. Hurricane flew up and knocked one of the umbrum pegasi onto the ground before snapping his head while Clover fired magic bolts repeatedly at the enemies, with some of them hitting them directly at the heads and killing them while protecting the civilians with a magic shield. Meanwhile, the Royal Crystaller carried Flurry to safety while being guarded by several Crystal Imperial guards for protection.

"Keep going!" Hurricane shouted at the group of the civilians while pointing them to the way toward Equestria as he dodged another attack from the umbrum earth pony using a spear before bucking him in the face, snatching the spear and impaling it through the umbrum earth pony's neck.

Clover's mind raged when she saw several umbrum pegasi throwing spears at the group of three crystal yaks, the spears striking directly at them and killing them.

Cadance blocked a spear with her magic shield and shot a magic bolt at the umbrum unicorn, severing his body in hlaf and spilling bloods over the ground. She took a breathe and turned to see. To her horror, several umbrum ponies were breaking through the defence at the hidden door set up by her husband and the remaining Crystal Imperial guards. The guards were trying their hardest to stop the enemies, but there were just so many of them.

Realising that the Crystal Imperial guards wouldn’t stand chance against the huge amount of the umbrum ponies and the guards along with the civilians and her family would be slaughtered, the Princess of Love flew there to deal the enemies, saving the guards with a magic shield just in time as spears, magic bolts and arrow impacted against the shield and helped the group up.

Hurricane spun himself to dodge a spear flying toward him thrown by the umbrum unicorn, aware of the fact that he wasn't wearing his armor to protect himself since he had never had time to put on since the battle. He briefly watched his wife got her left cheek cut by a sword wielded by the umbrum pegasus, leaving a bloody cut on her left cheek. But despite the injury, Clover bucked her attacker with her left hindleg before blasting the umbrum pegasus in his head.

Hurricane couldn't do anything to reach his wife though as his attacker tackled him to the ground, catching him off guard.

"Crystal pony bastard!" The umbrum earth pony yelled as he punched Hurricane in the face.

Hurricane was dazed for a moment before he kicked his attacker off him and bucked him in the face before tackling him to the ground and repeatedly punched the attacker in the face multiple times before his attacker went still. Hurricane took a few breather before he was tackled again to the ground by the umbrum pegasus wielding a spear in his hoof. He could only saw his attacker raising his spear to finish Hurricane off, leaving Hurricane powerless to mount any attack.

Only for the umbrum pegasus to be knock off flying by a charging yak, the spear clattering down next to Hurricane who was startled by the appearance of a yak.

Glancing where the yak came from, Hurricane saw more yaks and crystal yaks charging and knocking the umbrum ponies over while others moved to assist the Crystal Imperial guards and protect the civilians of the Crystal Empire.

The Princess of Love saw this too, and gawped as the yaks and the crystal yaks along with the crystal ponies and creatures broke the enemies' lines and began to push the surprised umbrum ponies away from the Crystal Imperial guards and the civilians of the Crystal Empire.

"Princess pony!" One of the yaks approached Cadance.

"You finally came!" The Princess of Love exclaimed.

"Prince Rutherford received the scroll about needing help and sent Thunderhoof and most of the yaks and crystal yaks army to help the princess up. Crystal ponies and creatures from Outpost Blizzard also came along and joined us after they also received the scroll." The yak responded.

Despite the situation happening , Cadance couldn't help but smiled and sighed a breath of relief. "Tell Rutherford and Thunderhoof that me and my husband are grateful for his help! Your timing was just in time before these umbrum ponies overrun us!"

"Yak will tell Prince Rutherford and Thunderhoof." The yak replied with a smile. "Thunderhoof is on route with some more reinforcements."

"Tell him to meet us on the border of the Frozen North, we will be heading there." The Princess of Love said.

"Very well." The yak nodded.

Cadance's smile widened as she watched the Crystal Imperial guards and the yaks finishing off the umbrum attack force assaulting the group, the combined force greater than the local amount of invaders, and the civilians successfully began to escape the empire again.

"Hurricane? You good?" The prince approached the bruised Hurricane, lifting the pegasus up with his hoof.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was way too close." Hurricane replied.

Clover also approached, with a bandage on her left cheek and the Royal Crystaller holding Flurry. "This isn't over yet, there will be more umbrum ponies."

"You're right, Clover." The Princess of Love agreed. "But the civilians should be safe now. The umbrum ponies will be busy taking the empire while other Crystal Imperial guards remaining in the empire made their way to the hidden door."

"So, what do we do now?" Hurricane asked.

Cadance looked back towards the empire, black smokes raising from the place. "My mother is still in there, I won't leave her there."

"Are you looking for your mother, Princess Cadance?" A crystal hippogriff guard overheard the Princess of Love and approached her before saluting and relaxing. "Your highness. I think I know where your mother is."

"Really? Where is she?" Cadance asked.

"As I was flying toward the northern district and passing the Crystal Palace, I overheard that Amore and a huge group of guards with her were going to the marketplace." The crystal hippogriff answered.

"The marketplace? Where would she be going there?" Shining asked the crystal hippogriff.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that, Prince Armor." The crystal hippogriff sadly said.

The Princess of Love nodded her head. "It's alright and thank you. Now get moving, it's not safe here anymore."

The crystal hippogriff saluted and moved off to join the rest of the guards protecting the civilians.

Cadance turned to the other three ponies. "Shining, I need you to come with me. As for you two, you don't have to come with us."

"Like Tartarus we don’t!" Clover shouted. "Why on Equis would we ever let you two to go alone?"

"We are with you, your highnesses!" Hurricane agreed.

The royal couple smiled at the two. "Thanks." The prince said before glancing back to Sunburst. "Sunburst, get our daughter to safety and keep her close to you. We'll be back."

"Understood, your highness." The Royal Crystaller nodded his head before heading off to join the evacuation, the filly alicorn crying out to her parents.

The royal couple waved at their daughter until Sunburst and their daughter couldn't be seen.

"Alright, let's go." The Princess of Love responded, flaring her wings and taking to the air, with Hurricane doing the same. Shining and Clover followed them shortly behind.

The group encountered little resistance on their way over, as most of the umbrum ponies were deep within the Crystal Empire.

However, about half way to the marketplace, Cadance was hit by a corpse of a crystal kirin, causing her to pummel down onto the ground.

"Cady!" The prince called out to his wife as he, Hurricane and Clover made their way to her.

The Princess of Love groaned herself, slowly getting up as the other rushed toward her. Her eyes then landed onto her attacker.

The umbrum unicorn was wearing armor like the other umbrum ponies, but he has a rank of captain and wielding a sword in his magic as he slowly lifted an injured crystal bat pony by her head by his magic before slowly crushing her head with his magic, the crystal bat pony going limp before the umbrum captain dropped the corpse.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza..." The umbrum captain started just as the three ponies arrived to Cadance's side. "I never thought that Princess Amore has a offspring."

"Who the hell are you?" Shining demanded to know as he took a fighting stance while flaring his horn, while Hurricane and Clover readied themselves and glared at the umbrum captain.

The umbrum captain laughed sinisterly as he flicked his sword to get rid of the blood. "I am Dreadspire. Captain of the umbrum ponies and loyalist to King Sombra."

"If you're loyal to King Sombra, then why aren't you with him?" Clover asked with an arched eyebrow.

Dreadspire looked at Clover. "King Sombra wanted me to be here to mop up the stragglers who somehow survived the slaughter. As for where is my king, I wouldn't tell you where he is."|

"Arrogant idiot." Hurricane muttered to himself as he rolled his eyes.

"My sword still stained with the blood of your father, Artic Spirit." The umbrum captain laughed as Cadance growled at him angrily. "I wonder how his daughter can handle me..."

Dreadspire suddenly charged, the tip of his sword scraping the ground as he dragged his sword while his horn flared before he jumped into the air with a boast of his magic, bringing his sword toward the Princess of Love.

Cadance was barely able to put up a shield in time as the sword strike against her shield.

< < < < < < < < < 💙 > > > > > > > > >

Amore, fully armored and holding her crystal sword, tossed a dead umbrum earth pony to one side as she and the group of Crystal Imperial guards strolled toward the marketplace. Her face darkened as she saw all of her, her mother and her daughter's achievements in ruins.

Amore's face darkened even more as she and the guards saw King Sombra, gutting the crystal yak with his scythe and watching the yak's life draining before he threw aside as the group umbrum ponies chuckled at the scene.

"Ah, Princess Amore." The umbrum pony noticed Amore as his soldiers took defensive stances. "Hope mentioned to me that you're alive. I didn't think that you would return back to life."

"Do you think you can get away from this? This slaughter? Even if you kill me and my guards and win, Celestia, Luna, Twilight and my daughter will put a stop to you!" Amore snapped, her guards taking fighting stances.

"Oh please." Sombra dismissed with a wave of his hoof. "Did you really think I wouldn’t have a plan to defeat them once I have learnt the true power of dark magic?"

"What? True power of dark magic?" Amore asked in confusion.

"What if I told you those stories about a Queen of umbrum who had the power of necromancy, dark magic and the use of her hivemind… were true and can be brought back to life?" The umbrum pony stated.

Amore scoffed. "You have to be kidding yourself. While the stories about the queen of umrbum were true since my mom told me about it, bring her back to life is impossible to do so."

"Oh, I'm not kidding." Sombra replied. "Why did you think I want to conquer the Crystal Empire for a thousand years ago? I had heard stories about this legendary queen from one of my soldiers and I decided to find out myself. Once I have conquered the empire and discarded, I had my soldiers searching through the empire about this time. After some times, my soldiers found something. Texts from your mother's diary and ancient texts beneath the empire detailing the Queen of umbrum, the one who controlled and led the umbrum soldiers and the undead. The one who ruled her soldiers with an iron hoof."

The umbrum pony chuckled sinisterly. "The queen may be gone, but in those two texts I found clues about a regalia. The same regalia that contained the soul of the queen. If I were to access it..."

"I thought that you were crazy. But now, I find that you are even more insane." Amore snorted.

Sombra’s eyes glinted dangerously, his scythe hovering menacingly at his side. "Believe what you will, Princess. Soon, all will witness the return of the Queen, and your precious empire will fall."

"So, what happened to these ancient texts?" Amore asked.

"Destroyed." The umbrum pony stated with a grin. "I didn’t want any princesses to see them and know about the regalia. Now the regalia’s location is only to be found up here…" He pointed his hoof to his head.

"I won't let you do that." Amore firmly stated.

Sombra chuckled sinisterly.

"If you knew where the location is, why not just take it and bring the queen back to life?" Amore asked with an arched eyebrow.

"It's simple. I couldn't risk looking for it without any princesses still alive. Once the princesses are gone, I will bring the queen back to life, and soon Equestria will be conquer. Then the Griffonstone, then Dragonland, then Yakyakistan, and then... well , you get the point." The umbrum pony responded.

"I will not let you do this!" Amore snapped as she took a fighting stance. "Let's us end this, once and for all!"

"So be it!" Sombra grinned, taking a fighting stance too.

The two sides locked eyes for a few moments, hateful glares on their faces as the soldiers on both sides readied their weapons and charged their horns.

And then they charged toward each other.

Author's Note

The battle continues...