Twilight goes on vacation.
It’s been almost three years since Twilight became the sole ruler of Equestria, three years of meeting with delegations from other nations can really take a toll on a princess.
Twilight was sitting in her throne room in her castle, with Spike by her side, as friendship ambassador.
“Spike, I need a vacation, is my schedule clear?” The alicorn asked.
The dragon checked over his to do list and shook his head.
“No, your schedule is not clear,” Spike answered.
“Please clear my schedule for the rest of the week, we are going to the Crystal Empire for a much-needed vacation, please send a letter to my friends in Ponyville.” Twilight got up from her throne.
Spike nodded, as he produced a scroll and a quill.
“My dearest friends, I have taken the day off today, meet me in Canterlot castle.” Twilight dictated for Spike, then she used her magic to duplicate the letter.
Then Spike used his fire breath to send each letter individually.
“There.” Spike heaved a sigh of relief.
Twilight walked to the door of the Throne room and opened it.
“Come on, Spike, we’d tell Flash Sentry, where we’re going.” Twilight said as she walked out of the door and down the hall.
Spike followed her, as he wondered what they were going to do in the Crystal Empire.
Reaching the guard barracks, Spike knocked on the door twice.
“Yeah.” a voice from inside asked.
“Princess Twilight is going on vacation to the Crystal Empire, I will stay here to watch over the castle for her.” Spike answered.
“Vacation?” The door opened to reveal an older Flash Sentry, his coat was almost completely gray save for a few spots where his yellow the coat came through.
“Yes, is there an issue?” Twilight asked.
“As a matter of fact, yes there is, you are the ruler of Equestria, you don’t get time off.” Flash pointed a hoof at Twilight.
“But, I need this vacation.” Twilight insisted.
“Have it your way then, why should I care.” Flash angrily slammed the door.
Twilight let out a sigh, and walked back to her throne room.
Meanwhile, in Ponyville, each of her friends got Twilight’s message.
Rainbow Dash was up in her cloud home with her boyfriend, Soren, when she received the scroll.
She opened the scroll and read it out loud.
“My dearest friends, I have taken the day off, meet me in Canterlot castle.” Rainbow read the letter.
“I won’t be seeing you for a few days.” Soren spoke once his girlfriend was done reading the letter.
“Yeah, but not sure what it’s about.” Rainbow shrugged.
Across town, Pinkie had also received her letter and was reading it, at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was doing the same.
Rarity and Fluttershy were at the spa when they received their letters.
“I wonder what this is about.” Rarity said, as she was soaking in a hot tub, and opened the letter with her magic.
“Looks like Twilight wants us to meet her in Canterlot.” Fluttershy said, sitting under a hair dryer.
“Well, then we must go at once.” Rarity spoke as she stepped out of the hot tub and took a towel and dried herself off.
When Rarity and Fluttershy were done at the spa, they walked into town Square where the others were waiting.
“Come on girls, we wouldn’t want to be late for the train.” Fluttershy spoke, trading off in the direction of the train station, with the others following her.
Once arriving at the train station, each of the former carriers of the elements of harmony got their tickets, and waited on the platform for the train to arrive.
A few minutes later, the train arrived and ponies and other creatures of all different races filed out of the train cars.
“All aboard for Canterlot.” The conductor called as the train’s whistle whistled.
Fluttershy and the rest of her friends made their way onto the train and found seats, as the train left the station, Rainbow couldn’t help but wonder why Twilight needed them in Canterlot, was something wrong? Rainbow hoped not.
Arriving in Canterlot, Fluttershy and her friends got off of the train.
Flash was waiting for them on the platform.
“Hey girls, I’m here to take you directly to the castle.” He spoke, as they started walking toward the castle.
“Well, howdy, Flash, how’s everythin’ going?” Applejack asked, as she walked next to him.
“It’s fine.” Flash answered with a bit of a smile.
They continued walking, when they got to the gate, the yellow stallion opened it for them and they went through.
“It’s nice to be back here.” Rainbow announced as she flew beside Fluttershy.
“Yeah, it really is, I can’t wait to see Twilight again.” The yellow Pegasus smiled at the memory.
Once they had reached the end of the hallway, Flash used his magic to open one of the big blue double doors.
“Your highness, your friends are here!” Flash bowed.
“Very well, please let them in!” Twilight spoke sitting on her throne.
Flash opened the other side of the doors to reveal Twilight’s friends.
Her friends trotted into the room and Flash bowed as he left.
“Girls, I’m glad you’re here, we’re going to the crystal empire for a much-needed vacation!” Twilight said as she got up from her throne and walked toward her friends.
“Awesome!” Pinkie squealed in delight, ruling up on her hind legs.
“When are we going?” Fluttershy asked.
No pony said anything for a long while, then Applejack spoke up.
“Twilight, are we gonna teleport there or take the train?” The Earth pony asked.
“Take the train, of course!” Twilight answered.
“Then, what are we waitin’ for, come on girls!” Applejack said as she and the others, including Twilight left the throne room, and walked out of the castle.
Arriving at the train station, the purple alicorn and her friends sat on the platform waiting for the train, once the train had arrived, the six friends walked onto the train and found their seats.
Once on the train, Twilight took her seat next to Rarity who was putting the finishing touches on a dress she was making.
Twilight wondered if her niece would be happy to see her again, over the last three years they haven’t been on the best of terms, with Flurry now ruling over the crystal empire alongside her mother Cadence, who Twilight hadn’t seen since Flurry’s coronation ceremony three years ago.
“Twilight darling, are you ok?” Rarity asked concern written in her face.
“I just don’t know how Flurry will react to seeing me again, we haven’t spoken in three years.” Twilight let out a sigh, as she looked out the window.
“Oh. Come now, darling, I’m sure that she would be happy to see you.” Rarity reassured Twilight, putting down her sewing equipment, and lifting the alicorn’s chin to meet her face.
“You’re right, as usual.” Twilight lamented.
Twilight hoped that her brother Shining was still willing to speak to her.
Author's Note
This was originally going to be a one shot, but I’ve decided to turn it into a 2 part story because there is too much that I want to write about for it to fit into one chapter
A few hours later, the train arrived in the Crystal Empire. Twilight and her friends got off and walked toward the Crystal castle. Twilight looked around and wondered why all of the ponies looked so glum.
“Hey, does anybody else notice that it doesn’t seem to be much love here?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah.” Dash answered as they continued walking.
“Maybe something happened.” Fluttershy added.
“Princess Twilight, you need to help us, the Empire is in grave danger, Princess Cadence requests your presence at once.” A guard galloped up to Twilight.
“What happened?” Twilight asked, as she galloped next to the guard.
“We don’t know, this morning the Crystal Heart was found broken.” The guard spoke as he kept running with Twilight.
“But why now?” Fluttershy yelled over the howling wind that was raging, as she and the others tried to keep up with Twilight and the guard.
“Yeah, I thought we defeated King Sombra three years ago.” Rainbow added.
As they kept running toward the crystal castle, Twilight could see that all of the lights in the castle were out, the castle was dark when they arrived. The guard who had accompanied them, bowed to Twilight as he called back over his shoulder as he ran back to his post. “You are our only hope now.”
“Well, let’s go find Cadence.” Rainbow said flying into the castle, and down the hall, followed by her friends.
As Twilight ran ahead she could see that a door was left ajar at the far end of the hallway.
Arriving at Cadence’s bed chambers, Twilight could hear soft crying coming from inside, she used her magic to push open the door and walked inside followed by her friends.
Cadence was laying on the bed sobbing uncontrollably, Twilight went over to her sister in law and put a hoof on her back.
“Cadence, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked softly.
“The Crystal Heart is gone, I..I only wanted to protect him, but I..I couldn’t even manage that.” Cadence cried into her pillow.
“Where is Shining Armor?” Fluttershy asked, coming closer.
“He..he.. went to fight the darkness and never came back.” Cadence sobbed as she sat up.
“I’m sorry, I hadn’t been there for you over the last three years.” Twilight apologized, attempting to hug her sister in law.
Three years ago king Sombra had broken out of his prison in the frozen North, and vowed to destroy the Crystal Empire, Shining Armour had defeated him with the love from the Crystal Heart, but in the process he got killed.
“I haven’t had the heart to tell Flurry that her daddy is not coming back, she still thinks that he will return one day.” Cadence cried.
“Can I see her? I know I wasn’t there for you or her at the coronation, and I’m sorry for that, but maybe see me again will give her hope that everything will be fine.” Twilight asked as she sat on the bed.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Flurry hasn’t been the same since the Crystal Heart disappeared.” Cadence said, slowly, getting up and out of bed.
Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh. “Ok, Twilight what’s really going on here, I thought we were gonna go on a relaxing vacation.”
“Sorry girls, I was hoping that as well.” Twilight sighed her ears drooping.
“So now that the Crystal Heart is gone.” Fluttershy squeaked. “What are we gonna do?”
“Honestly girls, I’m not sure, we need to find a way to keep the love in the Empire.” Twilight announced getting off the bed and walking to a nearby window.
“And how are we supposed to do that?” Rainbow questioned, crossing her for legs.
Out in the Empire, the Crystal guards were trying to fight off the darkness with their spells. “It’s not working, try harder.” The sergeant shouted, he was a green stallion with a green army jacket on, and a green helmet.
All of the Crystal guards shot magical beams into the sky to create a wall so that the cold, arctic wind could not penetrate it, and get into the Empire.
“It’s working, it’s working.” One of the lower ranking officers yelled to the Sergeant.
“Keep it up, for the Empire.” The sergeant shouted over the loud wind that was threatening to overtake the Empire, even with the wall of magic the cold arctic wind still tried to get into the Empire.
As the magic wall broke, the sergeant saw a dark figure rise from the arctic snow. “Celestia help us all.” he thought, as he ran back to the Empire with his army not far behind.
“Your Majesty, your majesty, we tried everything we could, but he has returned.” The sergeant bust through the doors of Cadence’s room.
When he saw that cadence has been crying, he lowered his head. “I’m sorry, your majesty, but the Empire is under siege, we tried everything to keep him out, but it did not work, I am truly sorry.” The sergeant apologized profusely before walking out with his head still lowered.
“You see, Twilight, this is why we need your help, even though my husband sacrificed himself to save the Empire three years ago, it did not work since the Crystal Heart has been destroyed King Sombra can go and come as he pleases.” Cadence turned to her sister in law with fear in her eyes.
“How can we help?” Dash asked.
“Do you have the elements of harmony with you?” Cadence asked,
Twilight shook her head in disappointment. “No, we don’t have the elements.”
“Oh dear.” Fluttershy fretted. “I hope to go out and fight, I don’t want that.” Ringing her hooves.
“Good idea Fluttershy, let’s go out and fight him.” Dash pumped her hoof in the air.
“But first, we need to go find my niece.” Twilight spoke as she ran out of the room and down the other end of the hallway.
Her friends followed her, when they reached the end of the hallway, Twilight found that her nieces door was locked so she knocked furiously.
“Flurry Heart, are you in there?” Twilight asked, banging on the door.
When there came no answer, Twilight teleported into the room, only to find it empty, the room Twilight and her friends found themselves in was very dark and they didn’t seem to be any color to the room other than the six ponies standing in its entrance, every inch of the room was covered in dark crystals.
“Where could she be?” Twilight thought out loud.
“Looking for this.” King Sombra’s voice echoed throughout the room as he stepped forward holding up Flurry by the neck.
“Let her go” Twilight screamed charging up her horn and hitting Sombra with a blast of energy that sent him flying across the room.
Sombra back up with Flurry Heart still in his magical grip. “You really think you can defeat me, have you learned nothing.”
Rainbow flew up and kicked Sombra in the head, the punch from the Pegasus sent Flurry Heart flying as Sombra released her from his magic.
Twilight spread her wings and caught her niece in her magic, she’s very gently lowered her self and the unconscious Flurry back to the ground.
“This isn’t over, I will be back, AND THIS EMPIRE WALL BE MINE.” Sombra yelled, as he vanished in a cloud of black smoke.
When he had vanished, Flurry slowly opened her eyes, she was bruised and beaten from an apparent fight with Sombra.
“What happened?” She asked weekly.
“He just vanished, but he said he come back.” Dash explained.
Out in the Empire the storm kept on raging, deep within the ice of the Frozen North King Sombra appeared, beaten and bruised from his encounter with the six carriers of the elements of harmony.
“I will destroy you, Princess Cadence, just as I did your husband, all those moons ago.” The King snarled as he sat on his throne made of dark Crystal, the entire room he was in was entirely made of dark Crystal.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
This might need a team rating so I will change it if appropriate.
