My little pony:Adventure of Seresia

"Everypony, keep your spirits up! This is our first performance in the Crystal Empire, so don’t mess it up!" In the spacious open-air theater, a director sat at the center of the audience seats, barking orders at the actors on stage. Her voice reverberated loudly thanks to the unique acoustics of the venue.

"Are the magic fog, props, and lights all ready?" the director asked, scanning a clipboard that her assistant held up with magic.

"Yes, ma’am, everything is prepared."

"Good, make sure everything runs smoothly. Start your rehearsal now." With the confirmation, the director nodded and returned to her seat. At her command, the ponies on stage took their places and began the performance. At that moment, Twilight and her group happened to arrive at the theater.

"Welcome to the Crystal Amphitheatre, Ambassador Meng Yu," Shining Armor said, introducing the theater's history as he walked beside Meng Yu. Noticing the ambassador's gaze lingering on the stage, he took the opportunity to say, "This is a play set for the Empire’s festival, depicting the story of the Crystal Empire’s resistance against King Sombra’s oppressive rule, led by a hero who ultimately freed the people."

"Oh? Who is King Sombra?" Meng Yu’s tone held a trace of curiosity, as if she wanted to delve deeper into this history.

"Well, that’s a long story. If you’re interested, why don’t we find a seat? You can enjoy the performance while I fill you in on the details."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Meng Yu responded.

"It’s my pleasure. Please, take a seat." After ensuring Everypony was seated in the front row, Shining Armor approached the director and whispered a few words. The director clapped her hooves, signaling the actors on stage to halt their practice and gather backstage. Shining Armor returned to the audience area, waiting for the performance to begin.

As a spotlight illuminated the stage, the curtain rose to reveal a few ponies standing in the center. They wore simple costumes, radiating cheer, and the backdrop displayed the humble buildings seen throughout the city—a scene of peace and joy.

But suddenly, the theater dimmed, and black smoke began seeping onto the stage, swirling toward the center and engulfing the innocent ponies. Amid eerie laughter, a pair of sinister green eyes emerged from the mist. In the next moment, a stallion clad in dark metal armor with a red cape appeared. The once-joyous ponies now wore peculiar masks, with red and black crystals replacing the buildings in the background.

"That’s King Sombra—the embodiment of evil and darkness," Shining Armor pointed to the actor portraying the menacing figure on stage. "He used sinister methods to control the ponies, forcing them to serve him. Those masks represent his control over them."

"Dear princess Celestia…!" Twilight’s heart sank as she watched the performance. The figure on stage looked just like King Sombra. Her nerves tensed, and her breathing quickened as memories of her battles with him flashed through her mind. She prepared to react, but Shining Armor quickly held her back.

"Are you alright, little sis?" Twilight didn’t respond immediately, instead glancing back and forth between the stage and her brother, clearly questioning him with her eyes as to who the actor truly was.

"Hey, don’t look at me like that! I didn’t know they’d have a changeling in the cast at first time~" Shining Armor shrugged, playing innocent. "But you have to admit, they’re good actors. Even I was almost fooled."

"But… didn’t you say you set up a defensive spell? How is a changeling able to perform here?" Twilight’s tone was irritated as she forced herself to calm down and sat back in her seat.

"Speaking of which~" Shining Armor replied with a proud smile, clearing his throat dramatically before continuing, "I made a few adjustments to the spell. See that little bracelet on the changeling’s foreleg?" He gestured toward the actor dressed as King Sombra, prompting Twilight to squint and finally notice a subtle armband.

"That’s like a pass card—it lets the changeling come and go freely," he explained, crossing his hooves proudly.

"But have you considered… what if Chrysalis managed to steal one of those armbands?! If she got her hooves on one, wouldn’t she be able to cause havoc throughout the empire?!" Twilight’s voice grew anxious again as she clutched her brother’s foreleg.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, Twi. These armbands are customized—she couldn’t just snatch one and use it," Shining Armor said, pausing slightly before adding, "I personally attuned each one. Wearers can’t remove them on their own."

"Alright… I’ll trust you…."

"Relax, Twi. You’re too sensitive. Sombra has already been banished by you—he’s not coming back," he reassured her, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Speaking of which… would you be interested in joining this performance?"

"What?" Twilight blinked, momentarily thrown off by the question. Shining Armor chuckled, tilting her face gently toward the stage.

"I mean, taking part in the performance! Showcasing your talents to the audience. Everypony’s in on it—even Spike has a big role!"

"Really?!" Spike’s face lit up with excitement.

"Uh… maybe? Why did you bring this up all of a sudden?" Twilight brushed her brother’s hoof away, her curiosity only growing as she tried to understand his intentions.

"Well, you see, Shining’s original plan was to have actors play your roles because he thought you’d be too busy, but I sternly refused him." Cadance interjected with a playful smirk, cuddling Flurry Heart. "I told him it’d be more impactful if you all performed personally. After all, the audience wants to see the real heroes, don’t they?"

"Cadance! We agreed not to talk about this!" Shining Armor’s face reddened, and he gave his wife an exasperated look.

"Oops! My bad~❤," Cadance laughed, pulling a playful face before pretending to focus on the performance again, leaving Shining Armor looking mortified.

"Let’s… finish watching the show…! Then we can talk about the performance."