I do not own MLP. This is the new first chapter so enjoy... there might be new changes in the future.
Chapter One: The Heart and The Mirror
"The Crystal Heart?" asked the two ponies at the same time. They were talking to an elderly pony who seemed to be made of Crystal. He was brown in color with red eyes and a dark mane.
"Why yes! I was just on my way there to pay my respects but these old bones won't move as fast as they could." spoke the old stallion his voice horse and slow. "Perhaps you can go in my stead?"
"We would be honored to see this artifact." spoke the mare her bright blue diamond eyes glittering with interest. The stallion glanced over at her as the pony pulled out a map. He took it and put it into his saddle bag. As the elderly stallion passed them the dark grey unicorn looked to his traveling companion.
"It is probably a hoax Aqua Star." he spoke his voice sharp and cold. "Why else would he just share about his people's secret so easily?"
"Perhaps he is just friendly, Midnight Sun." replied the periwinkle mare taking the map from the bag and studying. "He is a different species after all."
"That is what worries me." scoffed Midnight Sun as he looked at the map. "Though it would be interesting to investigate."
"And you were the one telling me it was a hoax." Aqua Star said before looking ahead. "It seems to be in a cave nearby. We have been heading North for quite sometime, perhaps fate had led us here."
"Perhaps." the red eye stallion mumbled before the followed the map not noticing the strange pony from before vanishing in a bright light.
"Oh how fun this is tricking ponies." laughed Discord as he watched from the hill. "Once I can corrupt the two of them I can easily slip inside of Equestria. Such a small land with ponies who are still new to, friendship. What could possibly be better than chaos?"
"I suppose you will never find out." a voice spoke in his mind causing the Draconequus to groan saying. "Go away. You were the one who chose not to take a side and got us trapped here."
"You are using me in your plans. How can I not interfere?" questioned the voice causing the Spirit of Chaos to roll his eyes. "Let me warn you Discord, there will be consequences to the road you are heading down."
"Consequences do not effect me." scoffed Discord watching them.
"You are forgetting who is being raised by the Tree of Harmony." the voice told him before going silent. The Spirit of Chaos waited a while before going back to his mission of turning ponies against their better nature. His eyes focused on the dark grey stallion with the black mane. He was closer than his companion to the darkness. Grinning the spirit vanished before going to manipulate the two to his plan.
Midnight Sun was taking the first watch staring into the dark looking for demons and other creatures. He was unsure of why the pony told them of the Crystal Heart. Perhaps they would allow the two to bring it back to Equestria to study.
"Oh I doubt that very much." a voice chuckled causing the stallion to stand up and look around. "You see this is their precious artifact. They tricked you, you can see its power but you can not take it from them. They are selfish and cruel."
"How can I trust your words?" snapped the red eyed unicorn looking into the darkness. Soon a flash of light appeared and images appeared of different ponies.
"We cannot let outsiders find it."
"Too important to be taken."
"It is ours."
"No one else could have it!"
"Foolish outsiders! You will not be able to gain its powers!"
"They will take it to us then leave."
"It belongs to the Crystal Empire!"
Midnight Sun growled feeling hatred growing inside of him. They were being used and he hated being used.
Deep inside the cave below the surface sat a mirror. As the hatred and darkness sank into the ground six red eyes opened as a dragon face appeared in the mirror.
"Yessss. He will be the one to release me." chuckled a female's voice before releasing a surge of power.
Midnight Sun felt a surge of darkness over take him causing him to scream. He didn't fight it though, he needed this power to make them pay. All of them who looked down on him and Aqua Star. All of Equestria and this Empire will fall to him.
"They will all pay." he growled as he opened his eyes, the sclera bright green. "And they will all bow to me!"
Aqua Star bolted from the tent. She had awoken in the middle of the night to whispers and overheard the conversation. She had grown increasingly worried as it went on but when Midnight Sun screamed did she look out. That was when she saw the darkness consuming him. She decided to see how powerful this artifact was and went straight for the cave. Bright blue crystals lined the walls. Her talent to read and translate ancient runes and writings were vastly helpful at this point.
"Hurry." a voice spoke to her, it was gentle but the urgency was behind it. Running as fast as she could the perwinkle pony followed the crystals as they got brighter and brighter. Soon it got to the point where she nearly had to close her eyes before she found herself in a room filled with shining crystals. In the middle sat an aqua colored crystal heart floating between a crystal stalagmite and a crystal stalactite.
"Please work." she mumbled reaching out a hoof to touch it only to be knocked back by a powerful spell.
"You have no right to use it." growled Midnight Sun walking out from the shadows.
"Midnight Sun please." begged Aqua Star creating a barrier between him and the Heart. "I do not want you to fall to corruption. Look at our ancestors! See what happened to the ponies that chose to stay!"
"I have not fallen to corruption." spoke the dark grey unicorn as his horn turned red. "I have accepted it. It is not as evil as everypony thinks it is."
"And yet you are willing to take over an entire empire?" she snarled standing in front of the Crystal Heart. "Equestria?"
"They are planning on betraying us! They will not let us even study it! And Equestria has never appreciated us! They have only used our research and never once thanked us!" he fought back sending a blast of fire towards the shield. This forced the periwinkle pony back a little.
"Midnight Sun..." whispered Aqua before remembering a spell she found. Focusing on the dark grey stallion she released the barrier for a second before sending a light towards the corrupt unicorn. It shot past the flames before hitting him square in the chest. It stayed there for a moment before launching back to the pony hitting her in the chest. It stunned both of the ponies for a moment before the periwinkle mare recovered. Knowing she was not built for fighting or use of any magic outside of defense and support spells she knew she was in trouble. 'No. I will keep him off of me for a few seconds before trying a teleportation spell.' she thought before steadying herself and focusing. Summoning up a large sphere of light she waited until Midnight Sun recovered before launching it towards him. A beam of light shot out from the sphere sending pale silver etherial swords towards the stallion. He managed to dodge most of them but got cut by several. He noticed her summoning up enough energy and hit her with a curse. He did not know where he learned the curse but it would slowly corrupt her. The stallion watched until she vanished with the Heart before laughing.
"Good. Now come, I shall help you Midnight Sun." a voice whispered in his head and the corrupted unicorn felt himself drawn down a tunnel. "I shall help you become the most powerful ruler there ever was."
"I am not Midnight Sun any longer." he told the voice solemnly. "I am Sombra now."
"Even better." the voice chuckled as the former student of Star Swirl walked down the tunnel vanishing into the shadows.
A young amethyst pony walked through the streets of the Crystal Empire heading towards the palace. She was on her way to give her mother the lunch that she had forgotten when a light filled the area. When it died down she noticed a non crystal pony laying against the pillar that would contain the Crystal Heart when it chose to return. Gasping at the mare she took notice of the Heart in its place and ran to get the medics and Princess Amore.
Princess Amore paced in the throne room. She had awoken from a nightmare about the Crystal Heart shattering and behind it six red eyes. Not knowing what it meant she was soon distracted by the sound of rushing footsteps as medics ran past. One of them, an elderly mare by the name of Dawn ran in saying.
"Princess Amore a non crystal pony has appeared with the Crystal Heart!" she explained in a hurry and the Princess ran out behind Dawn. When she came to the under pass she was surprised to see the unicorn laying at the foot of the pedestal. Dark magic was coming off of her by an ancient curse.
"I am so sorry." she whispered kneeling beside the unicorn before casting a spell. "This shall slow the curse so I have time to find a cure."
The medics lifted the pony onto a stretcher before carrying her inside. Amore looked to the Crystal Heart asking. "Is there anything that can be done?"
"Not at this time." replied the Heart a light coming from it. "I have used most of my power keeping the Mirror hidden. Princess Amore, the corruption and shadows are growing and now Chaos is making its move. Send a letter to the Forest in Equestria, summon the Princesses who live to aid you."
"I will do what I can." Amore replied with a bow before turning and leaving. The two princesses always watched their people from afar so they did not know what their leaders looked like. She was curious about their hearts, she wanted to know if they were in the right place.
Aqua Star awoke with a start hold her bandaged ribs. She felt like she had been under a sleep spell for days. Groaning she climbed out of the bed and her feet touched a crystal floor. The periwinkle pony looked around for any indication of where she was. This place was unfamiliar to her. There was screaming outside causing her to rush out. Shadow creatures were attacking the crystal ponies causing their coats to dull. A dark grey unicorn walked slowly through the chaos towards the Crystal Heart where another crystal pony stood this a unicorn.
"You do not have to do this." she told Midnight Sun calmly as Aqua Star ran towards the two. "You do not have to give in to this darkness."
"You are the one who rules this Empire are you not?" the corrupt asked staring at the pink unicorn in the eyes.
"I am Princess Amore, and you are?" asked the Princess politely not backing away from the Crystal Heart as Aqua moved up next to the crystal unicorn.
"Sombra, the future King of this empire." growled the other unicorn before launching a spell at the princess only getting blocked by a barrier. Amore looked shocked at the mare next to her.
"You will not be able to protect her." Sombra sneered a smirk on his face his eyes flashing as flames hit the barrier shattering it. Shadows wrapped around the midnight blue and cream maned mare lifting her from the ground. Aqua struggled to get out but her mind was getting heavy. She felt herself relax in the shadow before a scream from Amore broke her free. Casting a barrier spell to get her out of the shadows the mare found herself staring at a black crystal statue of the unicorn.
"What have you done?!" yelled Aqua Star as the statue shattered though the pieces flew in many different directions.
"Getting rid of those who stand in my way." the corrupted unicorn replied staring at her smirk as the green began to seep into her sclera. "Join me Aqua Star. My curse is already upon you, giving you no choice."
"I have a choice." replied the pony staring at him before firing the beam from before swords slicing into the flesh. The wounds healed with black smoke as he launched his own version of the spell throwing Aqua against the pedestal. Hitting her head the unicorn rose to her feet feeling drained.
"Why do you continue to fight my friend?" he sneered summoning a scythe from his mane. "There is no point."
"I am not your friend Sombra." spoke the periwinkle pony, sadness evident her voice blood pouring from the wound. Her horned glowed in her pale silver magic as her eyes narrowed as she summoned a pale silver battle axe. The spell she had learned from the ruins to the far north worked out. Charging forward she swung the axe only for it to be blocked by the shadow scythe. Moving back as the scythe circled around her weapon and sliced towards her creating a deep cut on her shoulder. The battle axe flickered before fading away as the curse began to overtake Aqua Star. Collapsing to her knees and shadows began to swarm over her the mare remembered the spell she had found a long time ago.
"Isn't this spell dangerous?" asked Midnight Sun looking at the notes. "It requires much more power than we can access with complete and utter focus and control!"
"It can be but if done right it will protect anything and anyone." explained Star Swirl before looking at the two a serious expression on his face. "I want you two to promise me never to use it unless you are sure you can. I do not want an entire city leveled just because you are being rash."
"We promise." the two young ponies said.
"I'm sorry." whispered Aqua before the sclera of her right eye became completely bright green. "But I have to do this."
Her horn glowed as magic surrounded her and she was lifted into the air her talent mark, three circles of runes one smaller than the next, appearing in the air in front of her. The Crystal Heart glowed and she was surrounded by a green light. Her body began to dissolve and was drawn to the Heart as was the symbol. The symbol flashed before warping around the Crystal Heart and vanished as well. A single tear fell to the ground before turning to crystal. Sombra approached the Heart and reached out a hoof to touch it only to be forced back.
"How did she know that spell!" hissed the voice before composing itself. "No matter, the Heart can wait. Free my servant the shade dragon and we can begin your conquest over all of Equestria!"
Sombra didn't reply, he merely looked down at the tear before turning around and walking into the palace. If Aqua Star was there that meant her research notes as well. He could forge a powerful empire from the wisdom of the ancient ponies as well as find out a way to release the barrier. 'No spell is perfect.' he thought before the doors shut behind him.
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