Grenadine was blasted from her place in the jaws of the dark shadow surrounding her. Her body was thrown to the ground, quickly followed by Goldie being released. Mirror swooped down to grab them with her magic, slowly placing them both on the ground. Golden Rays held herself up, catching her breath after leaving the deadly grasp of her daughter's conscience.
"Grenadine!" Snow exclaimed, running over to join Mirror in gazing upon their friend's unconscious body.
"She's gone. She blacked out," Mirror said. Goldie trotted over and sighed sadly, her face drooping into a frown. Citizens gathered around their Empress, the Unicorn who started it all grinning deviously from the balcony of her own home.
"Is she going to wake up the same?" Golden Rays asked the pink Alicorn. Her large hair blocking the sight of many.
"I don't know."
"They stopped me," The shadow grumbled angrily. "How could she stop me? She was a puny little princess! I'm akin to a God in this form! How could she stop me?" The silhouette turned to Grenadine in the dark space that was her conscience once more.
The Umbrum was simply standing there, head down. She felt drops of water fall from her eyes as the stared down. "I don't know," She whispered.
"Speak up, insolent host!" The silhouette demanded.
"I said, I don't know!" Grenadine lifted her head up, her hair flying around. "I didn't want this. You're not me! I've lost my mind and Mirror just blasted me out of it! Please, leave me alone!" She ducked her head again, crouching slightly in defence.
"You're weak. She knocked you out because you couldn't keep me in your control just like they said you could. You disappointed her. You're stuck like this, with me taunting you forevermore because you can't accept that you're scared of yourself."
Grenadine began crying harder. She shook as she collapsed on the ground, scared of what her own self was saying. It was true; her friends expected more of her and she couldn't do it. She was weak.
"... okay. We'll get her... this..."
Grenadine looked up, her vision was blurry from the tears. Was there another voice in here? The Umbrum did her best to hear it better. Would it make another noise? She squeezed her eyes shut and willed her ears to listen.
"Wake... please, sweet... art."
"What are you doing?" The shadow frantically created a fog around Grenadine, trying to block whatever her plan was.
"I can hear someone."
"Hear someone? Oh, that's rich. You want to be better so bad that you're tricking your own ears to hear your friends act as if they care about you!"
"Shut up! I can hear them!" The mare angrily glared at her own shadowy reflection. "You're being a pessimistic pest."
"A pest? You realize you're calling yourself a pest by saying that's what I am?" A creepy chuckle rose from the throat of the silhouette. "You're not waking up. Even if you do, I'll follow you again. Take further control of your body and mind. Your little girl and boyfriend won't be able to stop me next time."
"Oh, please... up, Grena... need you."
"There it is again! That was Snow!" Grenadine was standing up, her tears forgotten and her ears perked up higher than ever. "You're a dirty liar. You're just my own self-doubt," The Umbrum declared, looking at the silhouette. It looked back her, thoroughly unimpressed. "If I don't doubt myself, you'll disappear."
"Oh, I'm so much more than that. I'm your own magic. I said it before! Do you not listen?" The shadow said through unimpressed laughter. "You wake up and I'll still be here. I was here even when you didn't know. I existed the moment you blasted that good-for-nothing princess with those crystals!"
Grenadine rolled her eyes, trying to hear more words from the conscious world.
"I was there when King Sombra was the leader of this Empire and now I'm with you. I'll follow whoever gains Dark Crystal Magic for as long as it exists, Grenadine! All you can do is try to control me!"
"Then that's what I'll do! My family and friends believe in me! They can help me!" Grenadine's horn began to glow, matching the glow of the shadow's eyes. It grinned when it noticed.
"I'm sure that's what they let you- HEY!" A blast of magic was sent directly at the chest of the silhouette, catching it off-guard while it spoke. "Playing dirty, are you? Fine!"
A matching blast was sent towards Grenadine, the mare narrowly avoiding it. In seconds the two were blasting each other with forms of magic, each trying to defeat the other for the total power of the mind.
"How cute! Do you think you can defeat the representation of your own magic with magic? How naive," The shadow taunted, avoiding blast after blast of magic. Voices were still heard from above. They both ignored them in favour of blasting each other.
"I know my magic better than anyone!" Grenadine shouted through heavy breathing. "I know that I'm not in control of my temper-" Blast. "I know that I can trap people with the crystals I make-" Larger blast. "And that I don't want the people I love to get hurt!" Crystals grew from all angles, trapping the silhouette in a makeshift cage.
"You're a disgrace to Umbrums. They accepted the Dark Crystal Magic. You're trying to tame it," The shadow struggled but to no avail. "It won't work, you know. You'll fall back into a relapse and come begging me for mercy once I finally take over your mind."
Grenadine stepped up to her own shadow, looking down on it. Her eyes still glowing, her horn bright with magic. She shook her head as she listened for another voice from above.
"...lease! We need you!"
She smiled bittersweetly as the silhouette tried creeping through the cracks of the crystal prison. "People up there can always help. I won't be alone with your torment, you know." Grenadine shut her eyes and sat down in front of the shadow. "You're just something lurking in the back of my mind. The moment I wake up, I'll make sure I keep you away from my friends."
"You can't stop that. I'm your own magic."
"Then I'll make sure you only exist as magic. You don't get to decide how in control I am of my own mind." Satisfied with her argument, Grenadine charged her magic one last time and blasted the shadow. The darkness changed to a light pink before growing to surround everything around the Umbrum mare.
With a gasp, Grenadine's eyes shot open and she stared up at Mirror Glaze, Snow Spellcaster, and Golden Rays. Her family. They were there for her.
"You're awake!" Goldie cried, wrapping her arms around the mare to the best of her ability. Tears streaked her face as she relished in the awakening of her only child.
There was a small ache in the back of Grenadine's head but she ignored it. She pushed the feeling to the back of her mind, focusing instead on the people in front of her. "Yeah," Was all she could manage.
"I thought I killed you, you idiot!" Mirror shouted, eyes frantically jumping around Grenadine's figure, making sure this was her real, safe, perfectly okay friend.
"Ha, you wish!" Grenadine slowly got up, taking in the scenery around her. People who had been cowering in their houses had peeked their heads out their windows. Doors were open. A few kids were in the streets again. The Umbrum inhaled, closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply. "I want to make an announcement," She started. Heads turned her way if they weren't already. "I do plan to take over as the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire. However, I don't see how that would be fair when Mirror Glaze was such a good Princess in the first place! That's why I'm planning to rule right by her side.
"Mirror will be your Princess, I will be your Empress," Grenadine looked to her right and jerked her head forward to gesture Snow to walk closer to her. His red eyes widened when he realized what the Umbrum was getting at. "And Snow, the wonderful Zebra right here, will be our royal adviser, as he does not possess royal blood. I hope you all can accept my terms as the leader of your Empire."
It was quiet for a moment. Not silent, just uncomfortably quiet. "How do we know you won't become a shadow demon again?" Someone called out. It was a young Pegasus colt. What seemed to be his parents were nervously standing behind him.
Grenadine sighed and decided to answer as truthfully as she could. "You don't," A couple of gasps sounded. "The only reason it happened this time was that a certain Unicorn decided to curse me. That will not happen again. I can assure you that." The gasps stopped existing and murmurs overtook them. "I do have a temper but I can keep that in check. As long as no one attacks the progress I've put into controlling my ancestral magic, I won't lash out again. If I do, I give you all the right to kick me out of the Empire for good."
Mirror gaped at Grenadine, obviously upset about her decision. Her wings were ruffled, the pink-to-magenta fade on her feathers was murky in the puff of the appendages. "You can't be serious," She breathed. Grenadine shrugged in response. "No. No, you will not be exiled if you have an issue with your magic again. I won't allow it." Confusion was coming from the Umbrum. This was her decision, right? Her Empire now? "It's in the rules of monarchy that the spouse of the leader of a kingdom can not be exiled. This being the case, I suggest we be married. Immediately."
"What?" Snow nearly yelled. The light blue Zebra walked up to the Princess and did his best to reason with her. "You're, like, sixteen! You can't get married," He said. The Alicorn laughed softly.
"Does that mean you'd refuse my proposal if I said the three of us all be married?" Snow was silent as Mirror explained her plan. "I thought I was being clear throughout the experience of you all being here that I was interested in both of you?" Mirror brought her wings around both Grenadine and Snow in a makeshift hug.
"Really?" Grenadine asked, green eyes wide.
"Of course! There are no laws against it. We can rule happily as a trio while avoiding any exile that you seem to crave." They laughed.
Goldie finally made her presence known again, walking up behind the three teens and smiling happily. "I'm hoping this means I'll be the best mare at the wedding?" She chuckled.
"What about the Unicorn who cursed you in the first place?" The young Pegasus called out again. "What are you going to do with her?"
"She will be under house arrest until we can speak with the leaders of Ponyville, where we will banish her to. If she does not obey the banishment, she will be imprisoned," Mirror announced. The Pegasus was satisfied, nodding and returning to his family.
The trio continued to answer questions from the crowd, accepting condolences, reassuring them that Grenadine would not revert to the shadowy figure she had been only an hour ago. Mirror Glaze, Snow Spellcaster, and Grenadine Grim would soon go down in history as the first married set of three rulers to serve the ponies of the Crystal Empire.
Grenadine was, in fact, able to tame her own magic, utilizing the silhouette of herself to carry larger items with her magic, performing puppet shows for the citizens, and forming crystal statues after a long amount of training with a descendant from the infamous Sunburst.
Snow spoke to his Nana once more. He told her about Grenadine and Mirror and how her visions had been wrong. Nana assured him that she was never wrong. She simply couldn't see the entire picture.
Mirror happily prepared the wedding with the help of Golden Rays. A wedding planner from Ponyville was brought out to the Empire, providing two suits and a dress for the wedding. It was scheduled for the thirtieth of the next month.