Chapter 1 *The Relic*
"How goes the Crystal Fair preparations?" asked King Diamante, watching a mare approach him. The clopping of her hooves against the floor resonated throughout the nearly empty crystal throne room. She stopped and waited for the two guards standing beside the throne to nod their heads and approve her approach. She did not speak until she reached a talking distance between the king and her so as not to disturb the silence.
"Quite well, my king." she said bowing her head before Diamante. "We have begun to set up stalls and decorations, and are in the process of setting up the jousting arena."
"Will everything be ready by the end of this week?" Diamante asked as he stood up and began walking towards great windows behind the throne. The mare quickly followed and so too did one guard who kept his distance, allowing them to converse.
"There is no such thing as too much preparation; but yes, my king, I believe it will." said the mare, gazing at the king's radiant coat as he looked out of the window and down over the fairgrounds, watching as his citizens busily put up tents and prepared for the fair. At the center of all the activity, the Crystal Heart stood, silently gathering power. The mid-morning sun refracted from Diamante's almost transparent coat, creating dazzling colors. His shining silver armor, crown, and deep red cape stood out from the rest of his body.
He turned his head back towards her and began to speak. "You are doing a great job. Tell this to the others too. Thank you, madam."
"Oh, I do not deserve such compliments from the king. I am only doing my job." she said bowing her head once more.
"But you do, without your and the other citizens aid our kingdom could not survive." Diamante said with a smile.
"Thank you, I don't know if that's true but I would not argue with a king. There is one more thing I must ask before I return to the preparations if it is not a bother." said the mare quietly.
"Of course, what do you want to know?" the king asked.
"The dark spirits have been taking more and more of our territory each and every day. I know it is much worse than it has been for many years. Will the Crystal Heart be able to defend us?" she said shuttering.
“I will not lie to you, we are losing more land than ever before and many lives. The situation is not good, but this empire was founded when the dark spirits ruled over all of the Arctic North, back when they and the unforgiving cold controlled and stole many of our lives. Look how much we have accomplished since then and how far we have come. You must stay confident, with citizens like you to power the Heart we will be a force to reckon with."
"Thank you my king, it means a lot coming from you." said the mare as she turned and began walking towards the exit. King Diamante noticed an armored stallion, light blue in color with amber eyes, quickly pass by the mare.
"My king, I have news from the archaeologists up north...” said the stallion but he was quickly interrupted.
"Topaz my friend, I thought we spoke of this before, we have known one another for many years now and I trust you with my life. There is no need for such formalities. Now what have the archaeologists discovered?" said Diamante patting his hoof on Topaz's shoulder."
“Something very important, they've found a relic. Although the two are very different it may be related to the Crystal Heart, it could aid us greatly." Topaz said with urgency.
"If the Crystal Heart is unable to stop the dark spirits assault, this could be our only hope." said the king "Where is it?"
"That's the problem, the relic seems to be using its powers to lock itself to the ground. It said that it can only aid us if you wield it."
"It said this?" asked Diamante confused.
"That's what the archaeologist who spoke to me said. You may ask him if you'd like but I am telling the truth." said Topaz shaking his head.
"I believe you. This is just....unusual to say the least. How long will it take to reach this relic's location?" asked Diamante.
Topaz paused for a moment of thought and spoke "If we leave as soon as possible and gallop at a steady pace, I believe we can reach it by nightfall."
"Let me say my goodbyes to the queen and prince first, it is not good to leave unannounced even if we are in a hurry." said the king beginning to turn.
"Very good, I will ready a small party and retrieve rations." said Topaz walking away.
"No, heading that far north is too dangerous I will not risk so many lives but yes, you can come. I will not argue that with you again for I will not win." Diamante said making Topaz stop mid step. He turned around once more.
"Diamante, a king needs protection and I cannot provide enough on my own. If something happens to you it may risk more lives than that of a small party of guards." Topaz said with anger.
"I can provide enough protection for myself and I am confident in your skills too. There is no time for arguing, we must ready ourselves." the king said in a calm tone.
"...yes, my king." Topaz said reluctantly and left at a canter. The king made his way up the stairs to his quarters, then through a door which led out to a large balcony were the Alicorn queen sat in the sun reading.
"Alma my dear, I must leave, a relic has been discovered up north that may be vital to our survival." Diamante said as he approached her and then continued to explain.
"Be careful and return quickly, I'm going to miss you." Alma said after he finished and began caressing her light pink head against his neck.
"I will miss you too and there is no need to worry, I'll be fine. Now where is the little prince?" asked the king.
"I believe he is helping with the fair and no I didn't force him to. He went on his own." Alma said with a laugh.
"He is growing into a great prince and one day will be a great king." said Diamante with a grin.
"Yes he is just like his father. Now leave before I begin to cry." she said tears forming in her eyes. He rubbed his head upon hers one last time.
"Are you ready?" asked Topaz walking out upon the balcony.
" Almost, I must say goodbye to my son." said Diamante approaching the door. The two stallions made their way down the long spiraling stairway gleaming from the sun.
"I must ask, why so many stairs, couldn't you have made it a bit less exhausting?" questioned Topaz.
"The towers height makes it look much more powerful and...I just like stairs, they are quite wonderful." said the king trying to hide his smile.
"I will admit this stairway is quite beautiful but in no way practical, oh well." said Topaz shrugging off the subject. After finishing the trek the two exited the palace and began making their way through the busy fairgrounds looking through crowds of ponies trying to spot the purple coat of the prince. Many stopped what they were doing and bowed their head to greet Diamante. He smiled and said good morning to them. Then the king spotted him, the young colt pushed himself into the air with his wings and began using his magic to raise a large striped tent.
"Ritmo, come here!" Diamante yelled. The prince quickly finished raising the tent and landed in front of his father. "You are a great son, helping everypony on your own accord. I'm going to be leaving for a short while. I will be back by morning."
"What for father, where are you going?" Ritmo asked.
"I'm heading up north. I'll explain why when I return. I must get going." the king said.
"Please be careful…" Ritmo said jumping into his father's arms. "you too Topaz."
"Oh I will be. You are a strange colt you know that, you should be out playing or something not doing this. I'll see you later." Topaz said with a smirk.
"Take care of your mother for me." said Diamante setting down the young prince.
After exiting the city the two galloped off towards the relic. The clear and sunny skies began to fill with more and more clouds as they moved farther north. The green grass beneath their feet became covered with snow and eventually could no longer be seen and all was white. The stallions' hooves left deep imprints in the snow as they galloped along. Both of them looked around cautiously for any sign of the evil which plagued the land around them. Topaz came to a halt and so to did the king, the sun was now nearly gone. The white wall of a fierce winter storm stood before them spanning in either direction as far as they could see. "No, this isn't right. The archaeologists were set up far from the edge of the darkness's reach." Topaz said in astonishment.
"This is not good. It can only mean one thing. We are losing territory faster than ever before. We need to find the relic and the archaeologists, if they still live." said the king lowering his head. Topaz galloped forward into the storm. "Wait!" Diamante yelled catching up. "The storm is dangerous enough as it is. We are even more likely to get lost or run into trouble without preparation if we go fast. It will take longer but going slowly is much safer."
"Your right we need to stay close too." Topaz said as they began walking into the whiteness. "I cannot see a thing. I'm not sure if I can find it."
"Do not worry my magic will lead the way." the king said preforming a spell. Topaz watched as a bright purple glow came from Diamante's transparent horn. It formed into an orb and slowly levitated in front of them, leading the way. "I'm worried Topaz. This is the fastest it has ever spread, that means the spirits have become much stronger. If we fail, it will not only be our Empire which is lost but Equestria too. We are connected in a much greater way then I am able to understand." he said, the purple glow reflecting from his coat as they followed behind the orb.
"Don't worry we have you, Alma, a young but aspiring prince, the Crystal Heart, and many cheerful citizens full of hope to power it. If we can use this new relic to our advantage then we can stop all of this." Topaz reassured his king.
"I hope your right." Diamante said and they continued on through the blizzard in silence, the wind howling in their ears.
"It’s getting colder, I can barely feel my legs." said Topaz shaking. The wind began to swirl around in front of him. The falling snow was caught in the wind storm and formed the outline of a galloping horse, it's eyes began to glow an icy blue. He could feel the air around him getting even colder.
"A Windigo." said the King "Do not worry, the friendship between us will keep us safe for now. We cannot defeat it by fighting, just ignore it."
"I'll try my hardest." Topaz mumbled watching the snowy spirits every move as it circled around them. "Wait, is that one of the archaeologists." he said squinting and pointing his hoof towards the outline of what looked to be a mare.
"It could be, if it is, she will not be able to survive this Windigo's presence for long. We must save her, but be cautious and stay close to my side. The darkness is very strong here." Diamante said. As they approached the mare she screamed and began galloping into the distance nearly disappearing in the blinding whiteness.
"No, hold on, it is the king. He is here for the relic, we mean you no harm!" yelled Topaz. "She must believe that we too are spirits."
"Something is not right, be careful." said the king galloping towards the distant mare. Then through the snow, the stallions noticed the outline of three Pegasi. As they got closer they could see the large fang-like teeth jutting from their mouths. Their manes and coats were mangled like the jagged ice crystals in the distance. The mare they had followed turned her head and revealed her hideous face and black lifeless eyes. "Brace yourself." Diamante said turning to Topaz. The four creatures charged towards them but they were ready. The king hit one of the Pegasi with a bolt of magic sending it crashing to the snowy ground. The mare jumped upon Topaz but he easily threw her off, but a Pegasus had already reached him. It threw him to the ground and sunk its fangs deep into his shoulder. He screamed in pain as dark red blood began running down his coat. He tried his best to throw the creature from his back but it fed from his pain making it even stronger. Diamante used his magic to crystallize the Pegasi he had struck down. The crystal figure quickly shattered releasing a dark haze. He then formed another crystal and thrust it through the mare's chest as she pushed him down. He looked up and noticed the mare's now beautiful face, her eyes filling with tears. Blood poured from her mouth and fell upon him. He closed his eyes knowing this was not real and when he reopened them, saw the hideous creature disintegrate forming the same black haze. As he stood up he heard the screams of his companion and quickly rushed to his aid. The tip of his horn began to glow with power but before he could use it the final Pegasus spiraled down from the air smashing his head to the ground. The king rose up as the Pegasus used its teeth to penetrate his skull. He quickly concentrated his magic to form a hard crystal covering around his head and neck. With the creature locked to his back he charged towards Topaz knocking the Pegasus away. Topaz smashed his armored hoof into the creature's head and then used his hind legs to kick the other from Diamante's back. The king turned around and thrust his horn into the creature's stomach. As the black haze of the two creatures dissipated Diamante rushed to Topaz's side, "Are you alright." he asked.
"Yes, I'll be fine but what about you." Topaz replied gesturing towards the streaks of blood on the king's head.
"They are not deep." he said "Now let me patch your wound. He used his magic to open the satchel at Topaz's side and cut a large strip of cloth from a role. "Are you sure you're alright?" he then asked staring at the jagged wound still gushing blood.
"Yes, you know me. I'll be fine. Good fight by the way." Topaz said as Diamante began wrapping the cloth through his armpit and across the wounded shoulder. "What were those things?"
"They all were Spirits of the Darkness. The fanged Pegasi are Keres, spirits that feed off pain, violence, and death. What we believed an archaeologist was a Siren, a spirit of deception." He wrapped the cloth around Topaz's shoulder once more and saw the blood already beginning to soak through. He tightened it as much as he could to try to halt the bleeding. "That is the best I can do, we must find that relic quickly and get you back home for medical attention." The king once again let his magic lead the way.
“I’m sorry. You felt that something wasn't right and I should have heeded your warning." said Topaz as he limped along through the snow.
"I should have heeded my own, we were both fooled. You shouldn't put the blame upon yourself." Diamante said steadying the limping stallion. The purple orb began to glow brighter and brighter. Finally in front of them, they saw a large cavern in a wall of ice towering far above their heads.
"This is it." said Topaz. A mare wearing a heavy coat exited the cavern rushing towards them.
"My king, I'm so glad you made it." she said
"You survived." Diamante said in astonishment
"We all did. The relic, it protected us." She said smiling, her eyes flashed red but quickly returned to normal and the smile turned to a frown. "You must hurry. Go now and take it."
"My king, if I may have a word with you." Topaz said motioning the king away. "I know something isn't right this time, did you see her eyes?"
"Yes I know but we need the relic, follow close." Diamante whispered.
"The relic wants the king and only the king." said the mare her shiny coat slowly fading. Diamante paused and turned his head motioning for Topaz to stop. He shook his head but obeyed the order. Diamante followed the mare into the cavern, the other archaeologists stood and watched as he walked by muttering "My king" and bowing their heads. He noticed that their coats too were fading. The mare stopped ahead of him and turned revealing a strange glowing object. It looked like a spearhead with a jagged crescent on the opposite end. It was made of a strange metallic black material and had an aura of red light surrounding it. As he came closer he could see strange inscriptions covering the entire object.
"King Diamante, you have come at last. Wield me and I will save your Empire." A voice said as if it came from inside of the king's body.
"What are you?" Diamante asked
"I am but a piece of an even greater object like that of the Crystal Heart. But there is no time for this, wield me and I can give you and your citizens great power." It said
"No, something isn't right, what have you done to these ponies?" the king questioned.
"They have already received my gift. They would not have survived without it."
"Why do they act the way they do?"
"I have shown them what will happen if they do not act, they are now determined to change this. If you do not wield me their determination will be for nothing."
"No...You’ve done something more, I can feel the evil within you." the King stuttered. The world around him began to turn red and then black. He saw the Crystal Heart pumping it's power out into the skies during the Crystal Fair but something was not right. Snow began filling the skies as the dark spirits poured into the city. The Crystal ponies ran and screamed in fear as the spirits began their slaughter. The aurora created by the Heart quickly faded. He then returned to his own body. He and Topaz stood in his chambers shielding Alma who held a crying Ritmo in her arms. Hundreds of creatures bust through the door and poured into the room. Topaz charged forward but was quickly brought down by the vengeful Keres. Diamante quickly turned away, feeling his friends blood splatter upon his face. He was then pushed to the ground unable to move. He turned his head towards his wife and son watching as they were engulfed by the creatures. Then he saw the thousands of dead bodies lying in the fairgrounds covered with snow. Then he saw the wave of darkness charging towards Equestria. Everything went black once more. Looking through the tears in his eyes he could see that he was once again beside the relic.
"This can only be stopped if you wield me." the voice said. Diamante paused wiping the tears from his eyes. He noticed that his coat did not sparkle any longer and was fading to a light grey.
"I do not trust you...but I must do it. I will not allow the darkness to overtake us." he said grabbing the relic. His eyes began to glow the same red as it did and he could feel power pulsating through his body. The wounds on his head quickly healed and only a small scar was left.
"You see, I am here to help you." the voice said. Diamante placed the relic in his satchel and began walking towards the exit in silence. Topaz watched as the king exited the building the archaeologists behind him. Diamante looked up and noticed that more Windago's had appeared while he was in the cavern. An urge of power came over him and his horn shot out a deep red bolt. The Windago's withered away and the whirlwind around them came to a stop. The king's horn was still glowing red from the powerful spell.
"Um...I thought we couldn't defeat them by fighting." Topaz said his jaw hanging wide open.
"We can now. Come here." Diamante said levitating the relic from his satchel. As Topaz approached Diamante touched the relic against the wound on his shoulder.
"That's amazing." Topaz said after he unwrapped the cloth. "Only a few small cuts are left."
"Yes, it is. This relic has great power but I believe it uses some form of dark magic. Although it may be dangerous, you have seen that it has already helped....Also, it showed me the horrors that would come if I were not to wield it."
"I trust you Diamante." Topaz said rubbing his hoof against his head as his eyes flashed red. "Are you okay? You don't look well."
"As I said before, I saw what might happen if we fail. I just want to stop this before it is too late."
"I understand that. Follow us?" he said gesturing to the archaeologists.
"Yes, there is nothing more for us here." said the mare they had spoken to earlier. "We will follow you."
"Not to mention how dangerous it is. Well we better be going then." Topaz said staring up at the sun barely piercing through the clouds. "We are already late."
Chapter 2 *The Beginning of the End*
Topaz watched as the King, his best friend whom he would protect with his life, die in front of him. The spirits engulfed him and he could do nothing as the dark creatures held him back. He had failed, the King he was supposed to protect was now dead and soon after, his family. He had failed his entire Empire; the Darkness had taken over the palace and the city. He let his body fall limp and the creatures end his life. There was nothing left to live for. Everything went black then Topaz shook his head back and forth. When he opened his eyes he realized that he had almost reached the gates of the city. He could tell by the sun that it was already getting late. He looked down at his legs and realized that his coat had faded just like the others. "I don't like this, it feels like the relic is...inside of me but we have to use it. It showed me what would happen if we did not." he said turning to the king.
"Now you understand what I feel. Once we get into the city, I do not want the relic to come close to anypony. It must not show them what it showed us." Diamante said. Once they entered the city, the archaeologists disappeared into the streets not saying a word. "We must get to the tower where there is privacy." he whispered turning his head towards Topaz. The citizens stared in confusion and silence at the king's faded coat as he passed.
"Father, Father!" came a yell startling Diamante. He watched as he son approached from the crowd. "Mother was so worried but you're back. It will be okay now...You look so different, is everything alright."
"Son, please don't come any closer. I am still very busy, we can talk later. I'm sorry." Diamante said sadly.
"But father please..." Ritmo cried.
"No son!" the King shouted but realizing what he had done, apologized once more. He began walking away in silence, Topaz close at his side.
Finally the two reached the tower and made their way up the crystal staircase. Diamante slowly opened the door to his quarters making sure his wife was not there. He quickly closed the door and placed the relic on the floor below him. The two stallions gazed at the glowing object. "I hope this works." Topaz said.
"Yes, if it does not then all will be lost. What do we do now?" the king asked.
"Get rid of the Crystal Heart; hide it from your citizens. Its power dilutes my own and I can only stop the coming invasion with full power." said the voice reappearing in his head.
"But, the Crystal Heart, it is will save us."
"You saw the Crystal Heart; it will fail and if you do not act then everything will be lost because of your choice. I need as much power as possible to save your kind. Do what I ask!" the voice yelled. Diamante shook his head as the voice disappeared.
"You talked to it. What happened?" Topaz asked, only hearing one side of the conversation.
"We must take the Crystal Heart from the fairgrounds. It cannot be active any longer. I know how it sounds but the Crystal Heart will fail, I saw it happen, we both did. The relic must have full power." the King said
"This doesn't sound right but as I said before, I trust you and after what I’ve seen... How are we going to do it?"
"I do not know. They will all know something is wrong."
"Use my powers. Show your guards the truth and they will aid you without question."
Diamante shook his head once more "I know now, follow me." he said to Topaz
The king approached a small group of guards. "I'm sorry but I need your help." he said taking the Relic from his satchel. A burst of red came from the relic, engulfing the guards. They stood at his attention like lifeless husks, eyes glowing red. "What did you do? This is not what you did to me." Diamante said to himself.
"Do not worry; they are fine and ready to serve. Command them." the voice said.
"We must retrieve the Crystal heart, I need you to keep the citizens away and if suspicion arises, tell them it is imperial business and they must not interfere. If they are persistent, threaten and push them away but try not to harm them." the king commanded. "Topaz, you do the same." Diamante pushed his way through the crowds at the bottom of the tower followed by the guards, the setting sun casting their long shadows against the ground. Many citizens stood and watched wondering what their king was doing. Diamante approached the Heart which levitated in its rightful place. The guards circled around, making sure nopony could approach.
"What are you doing with the Crystal Heart." said a frightened crystal pony peering over the guards' shoulders. "...and what is wrong with you." she said staring at the guards non-crystalline coats. As the king took the Heart, the stalactite and stalagmite which held it in place quickly retracted. The increasingly large crowd began to grow frightened and restless.
"That is our only protection!" one yelled. "Is something wrong?" asked another "What is happening?" Diamante began slowly walking away, the Crystal Heart in hoof and the guards surrounding him. "Why are you keeping secrets from us? We have the right to know!" yelled an angered pony approaching the guards.
"Stand back!" yelled a guard pushing her back causing her to fall to the ground. "Do not interfere with Imperial business."
"Why did you do that?" a young stallion asked stomping towards them.
"Official Imperial business… STAND BACK!" the guard yelled even louder.
"..and what if I don't!" the stallion taunted pushing his body against the guard. The guard's eyes flashed red and he slammed his helmeted head into the stallion. He stumbled backwards and another guard pinned him to the ground.
"Remember, do not harm civilians." Topaz said pushing the guard off the stallion. His eyes too, flashed red "Do not interfere and no harm will come to you." he said as he pushed his hoof deep into the stallion’s chest. The crowd quickly raised the stallion from the ground, gasping and muttering in fear. The crystal ponies kept their distance now, but still followed. Once Diamante entered the tower, the guards stayed making sure the crowd could not follow.
Diamante entered the dining hall as if nothing had happened and the Heart was still where it always was. "I apologize for returning so late. We ran into many unexpected difficulties." He said as he approached his wife.
"I heard about what just happened!" she yelled. "You should tell me what’s going on and your citizens deserve to know too. Why are you keeping things secret?"
"Not now." the king said watching Ritmo and the staff stare at him.
"I don't understand, you're not acting like yourself... nor do you look it." Alma said tears beginning to drip from her eyes and onto the floor. "Please, just tell me!"
"Okay, okay, just follow me." Diamante said looking back over his shoulder. "We cannot talk here." The two exited the dining hall and went into the hallway. While the sun made its way behind the horizon, Diamante explained everything. He told her of the relic, what it had shown him, why he had changed, why he was keeping it a secret, and why he took the Crystal Heart.
"I understand this and I know you want to protect them but we all have a right to know." Alma said pointing her hoof at the window. "Look at them, they are still waiting in fear and wondering what has happened." The king looked out of the window and down at the crowd now barely lit by the moon, barely able to see the fear and confusion on their faces.
"I cannot, this relic is not like the Crystal Heart. It is much more sinister. It changes something inside of you, I am not the same and do not believe I will ever return to normal. I feel as if it is taking over my entire body, I feel as if I am becoming a slave, it advises what choices I can make and leans me towards the one it wants. I have no choice but to do what it asks. Yes it will save us but I cannot let its control run rampant. I will only sacrifice myself and as few others as possible to do it. If you can see what it did to those guards outside you would know. They act as if they are just machines waiting to be controlled, what if it does the same to everypony else? If so, then there is no point in saving our empire because we have already lost."
“Maybe you're right but the relic does not have to show them the truth. If you could just explain it to them..." Alma said
"They would not understand. All that would do is instill more fear and confusion. What we need is hope." Diamante said turning from the window.
"I understand and I still have hope, they will too." the queen said putting her hoof on his back.
"I will think about it." the king said walking away.
Alma was quite intrigued by the relic that Diamante had told her about and wanted to see it for herself, but she knew he would not willingly show her. She lied in bed waiting, wide awake but as still as possible, her back facing Diamante. Alma waited until she heard the familiar sound of slow, heavy breathing and knew that he was asleep. She pushed the covers away from her body and quietly got to her feet. She cast a small light with her horn and made her way towards the door. She slowly closed the door behind her and relaxed her tense body. Then she began making her way towards the staircase. She knew exactly where Diamante hid it, the place that he hid everything he wanted nopony to find. It was at the top of the tower. Alma began laughing at how silly this was, making her way up the staircase. It was true though that almost nopony ever attempted to take the exhausting climb upwards and if they did, Diamante had magical security measures.
The cool night breeze brushed against Alma's face making her shiver. At the center of top floor were both the relic and the Crystal Heart. The Heart although levitating in the air looked weaker than ever before. Alma shook her head at this slowly approaching the relic. Diamante had made it so her magic could disable the security measures, so she was easily able to make her way.
"She was right; you must let me show them the truth. If they have not seen what is to come then they will not be able to prepare for it. If I cannot show your citizens, then the fate of your Empire will stay the same. Let me become the heart of your city." The voice quickly dissipated and the King realized he was being shaken. He opened his eyes to see Alma staring at him with urgency and fear, her hooves still shaking him back and forth.
"You're right, the relic...it's horrid, evil and nothing like the Crystal Heart. It's even worse than you think. Do not let this thing's "grasp" reach anypony else!"
"But, what you said was right, they must see the truth. They must be prepared." he said, astonished by her change of heart.
"That thing is evil, you just don’t understand. It's not showing you the future, only lying and tapping into your greatest fears. Look at yourself, you're even worse off than yesterday and you don't even act like the king I know and love." Alma said staring at his dull grey coat. I was able to resist it and you can too, don't listen to it and let go."
"It must be done!" Diamante said, shoving her aside.
"Please, you mustn't do it" she pleaded but he paid no attention. Alma stood in silence knowing she could not stop him.
As King Diamante exited the tower, some ponies still stood waiting for their answer but the guards easily pushed them away. “You’ll see soon enough.” The King said. The city streets were nearly barren in the early morning as King Diamante walked across them, the relic in his satchel. A few early risers and ponies just heading home, stopped to greet him, all grimacing as they saw his strange new look. Others glared at him the events of the night before still fresh in their minds. He passed by barely giving any of them a glance, headed straight for his destination. As he pulled the relic from his satchel, the few ponies in the streets stood still, watching his every move. As he placed the relic in position, the stalactite and stalagmite returned to their original position. They were quickly reached by the relic’s power and began to turn black. The ponies broke from their frozen silence and turned to run as the wave of black headed towards them engulfing everything in its path; but they froze once more. Diamante knew that it was showing them what he had seen and shook his head hoping he was doing the right thing. He heard the voice in his head once more. "They are ready to do anything you ask them and will do so with unwavering dedication. We must build up the defenses and prepare these Crystal ponies for war."
"Will this work?" the king asked, staring across the blackened crystal city and up into the foggy brown sky.
"It will."
"What's happening?" Topaz asked rushing to the Kings side.
"Now they all know the truth and the relic is using its powers to aid us. It had to be done. We must prepare for war. You have stood by me for a long time now, but in this time of war your new position is Grand General of the army. Our army is already strong and organized but we need as many troops as possible. Recruit as many fighters as you need, they are all willing to join after seeing what is to come. Organize them into units with the help of the other officers and prepare for the invasion. Do not worry, I will be fine on my own; our Empire is what needs protection now.
"As you wish, it is an honor." Topaz said with a salute. "I will get to it at once."
