Crystals Return

The sun stood, glistening over the Empire as Branded walked down the lane, but it wasn't the sun he was raised to know, it was the "Meta Sun". A sun completely made up from the energy of the Crystal Heart. The king of the Crystal Empire, Sombra, had declared it necessary as he didn't want to rely on his enemies for light. Sombra was, without a doubt, the most powerful unicorn at that time. Highly skilled in dark arts and curses, nopony wanted to catch his alluring, radioactive gaze. As evil as he may have been, Branded had looked up to him for years. In the war time a decade earlier, he lead the Crystal Empire to a victory over the Changelings attack, with minimal casualties as well. As awful and off-putting as the world made him look, Branded knew he only does what he does for the greater good of the Empire, besides, what's it matter if he enslaved the not so lucky of previous wars he thought?

Four years had passed, Four years that Branded spent moving up through the ranks, proving his strength and with to become the king's on personnel protege. When he finally got the the rank of General at the young age of 22, it was obvious the king would have difficulty teaching Branded any form of magic, he was simply an Earth pony with no direct link to the mana pool that all unicorn's have.But he knew with practice, they could get around this fault. Lots of practice.

Fast forward another 2 years, and nothing has changed much. Branded is more known by this time, they had another blunder with a rogue group of Changelings, and Branded conquered them all. His magical ability has yet to take off, but he does know some basic levitation magic, and has taken keenly to enchanting and cursing. But this won't last long, as the ever creeping Solar Empire is on there way, and it will take more than a time lock and a curse to stop them.

It is the dawn of a new day, the Empire is awoken with a loud cracking noise, it had sounded almost like thunder, but a lot closer then it naturally comes to the Empire. Opposite of the saying, the lightening had had poured in after the thunder, as hundreds upon thousands of Royal Army soldiers flooded the streets. The Crystal Guard lined up there most powerful wizards and mages, and scorned the land of Royal troops, trying to erase their presence, but there were to many of them, and not enough Crystal ponies. It wasn't long before they stormed the castle to meet the King on the top level. To their surprise, the Princess of the Sun had come to personally put an end to the reign of terror. She declared Sombra banished from that point on, but not long before turning to atoms, he had released the largest curse to date; he took the entire empire from existence. This managed to surprise even Celestia, but what shocked her more is that it took all the ponies native to the lands with it. Everything was gone, simply....non-existent. The next move wouldn't come for a thousand years.

Branded had closed his eyes when Celestia banished Sombra, afraid to to what had come of his role model. When he opened his eyes, he thought he had been killed, all he saw was white. He was none-the-less floating in white stuff. What had come of the Empire? Did they win? Was he alive? He, and many others, asked the same question, but had to stand the test of time for the answer.

Years had passed floating in Limbo. Branded had forgotten his mother face by now, he was slowly losing everything, proving that time can kill anything, even the strongest of bonds. He tried to remember being in power, the rush of joy it gave him to be looked up to, but the vanity in it had depleted, knowing those he led were either dead or suffering the same fate as he, it burned him to think of it. He remembered the last thing he ate; fish fingers and custard. Eating meats wasn't to accepted in other kingdoms, but in the Crystal Empire, they had the saying "if it don't talk, it don't have say" so fish was somewhat of a custom there. It made him happy remembering life before all this, when the smallest smile from a mare, or a wave from an elder would make him happy. Where did the simpler things in life go? In fact, what classified what he was living as "life" he lived for the moment, never for what was to come. He went through school just like everypony else, had friends, dreams even, where did those go? In the midst of his thought, he felt a rush of heat on his flank. He flailed around trying to see what was happening, and was greeted with a flash of light,and a sudden relief from the burning sensation. He let out a sigh of relief, but felt another wave of shock when he saw his bare, grey thigh. "Where has my cutie mark gone?!" He thought. He frantically screamed and wailed around, and did so for centuries, trying to remember his lost destiny as time ate his thoughts.

He felt a thud. He opened his eyes for the first time in what seemed like months. He was lying in grass, and could make out the skyline of a small town across the hills. By this time, all he knew was that his name is Branded Steel, he's 25, and he was raised in the Crystal Empire. Not much to go by. He continued to lay there, and just think, when the thought had gotten to him "I've been thinking for years!". He jetted up, and begin jumping,running, and rolling all over the grass. In one of his chaotic rolls, he felt something hit his head. He stood still for a second, before turning around and seeing what he could figure to be a tree. Wide eyed and happy to see such a simple aspect of life, he hugged the tree with all his might. In all his joy, he heard a curious "You alright sugarcube?" He turned and was met with the stare of a confused orange mare. Then was comically hit in the head with an apple. That's when he remembered something; He loved apples!

"Uhh I'm a little...lost I guess." He replied.

"Ohh well, where y'all headin'?" She asked with a smile.

"I need to find the Crystal Empire." He said eyes full of glee.

"The what now?" She asked with a head tilt.

"The Crystal Empire, you know, big tall crystal skyscrapers, crystal berries, Eu's, and King Som-" His eyes widened with what he was going to say. His eyes closed, and he passed out with the morbid thoughts of his once loved leader.