Chapter 139: The Crystal Empire Part 2: The Crystal Fair
In the Frozen Wasteland, the Inquisitor had reached the remains of his ship, finding it was crushed and there were flames all around it, staggering over hoping to find medical supplies, but as he searched, all he could find were some bandages and a single syringe, but nothing to heal his wounds, hissing in agony as he lied there, feeling his very life slip away as his vision was getting darker and darker, knowing he was soon going to die. However, he felt a disturbance in the Force, lifting himself up and reaching for his saber, but then remembered Spyro took it with him after he defeated him, looking up to see what it would be that would end his misery, but to his surprise, it was a dark cloud with the same red and green eyes slowly approaching him, looking down at him as he saw the dying Inquisitor, slowly approaching him before stopping just a few feet away, the Inquisitor snarling at him.
"Do it then." The Inquisitor said. "Finish me off. Do what the Jedi could not."
However, Sombra did not do what was asked of him, for he did not lung towards the Inquisitor, but instead his shadows reached out, touching the ground in front of the Inquisitor and from it, a hilt made out of black crystals was created, confusing him at first, but he then reached out, taking the hilt in his hoof and before he knew it, he activated the blade, revealing it was a lightsaber, but the blade itself was black, amazing the Inquisitor of the very weapon itself. However, as he held it, he felt something go up his foreleg, gasping in pain as he suddenly felt something sharp stab his leg, looking at it and finding the same black crystals growing from his arm before they shattered, tendrils of dark magic flowing into his body as he yelled in pain, feeling like his body was being torn apart until his screaming stopped, getting up as his mane was now emitting a large amount of dark energy from it, flickering like a flame as the same dark flames were on his hooves, his eyes glowing as the same dark purple flames were smoking from his helmet, the armor remaining while the fabric was burned off and replaces by pure dark armor, standing before Sombra as he circled him.
"You are reborn as my servant, little pony." Sombra said, approaching him. "The power I give to you, you shall use to help me conquer the Crystal Empire and serve me for what remains of your dwindling life."
"Yes, Lord Sombra." The Inquisitor said.
The Inquisitor knelt before Sombra, making the tyrant king laugh as he was ready to enact his plan as he turned to the Crystal Empire. In the Crystal Empire, everyone was walking around, looking at the city made of pure crystals, everyone finding it to be a beautiful sight for the entire group.
"It's gorgeous!" Rarity said. "Absolutely gorgeous! I... I have... I have no-"
"Focus Rarity." Applejack said. "We're here to help Twilight, not admire the scenery."
"Doesn't look all that special to me." Rainbow Dash said. "Just another old castle to me."
"Just another old castle!?" Rarity asked in disbelief. "It's more than just an old castle! Look at how magnificent it is! Why-"
"Wait, look." Twilight said.
They all looked to the door and saw more writings on the frame of the door, confusing them.
"More of that writing." Shining Armor said. "Odd. Why are these words appearing now and not when we arrived?"
"Beats me." Rainbow Dash said, everyone walking in. "But the question I have is who the heck was that guy that attacked you Spyro? He seemed to really hate you."
"Because he was trained to hate beings like myself." Spyro replied, walking into the palace and following Shining Armor. "That was an Imperial Inquisitor from the Star Wars universe."
"Wait, you mean he came here from another universe!?" Pinkie asked excitedly, rushing off and getting her party cannon. "We gotta throw him a 'Welcome to our world' party!"
"He won't be in the mood for partying." Spyro replied. "Inquisitors are trained to kill Jedi, even though they were Jedi once."
"Wait, he was a Jedi like you!?" Applejack asked. "How the heck did he go from bein' a Jedi to an Inquisitor?"
"You can thank Emperor Palpatine for that." Spyro replied. "He took surviving Jedi and forced them to fight one another, making them draw on their anger and hatred and kill their fellow Jedi. Whoever survived became an Inquisitor."
"That... that's just... wrong." Shining Armor said. "How the heck can someone do that?"
"Someone with a sick, twisted mind, that's who." Spyro replied.
"So, will he bring his friends here?" Fluttershy asked, shaking at the thought.
"He would, if I didn't destroy his ship." Spyro replied, smiling. "His ship had a tracking beacon that would have brought the Empire here, but since it's destroyed, they won't be coming."
"Well that's a relief." Applejack said. "But, what about that Inquisitor fella? He might be trouble in the future."
"Well, I sorta stabbed him four times in the chest." Spyro replied, shocking them.
"Um, did you forget about Dark Gaia and how he kept getting back up?" Twilight asked.
"Eh, if he does get back up, I'll put him back down." Spyro said with a smile. "But right now, our primary focus is saving this empire from tall, dark, and creepy."
They continued to walk along the corridors of the palace, but as they continued to walk I, more of the unknown words appeared, glowing as Spyro walked along, causing some serious confusion for everyone, but especially for Spyro as he knew the language, but couldn't read it, infuriating him as he wanted to know what was written. They soon reached the throne room and when they entered, they saw that Cadence was sitting on the throne, looking exhausted as her horn was glowing, using her own magic to create the barrier. She looked like she was on the verge of collapse, but as soon as Shining Armor walked in with their guests, her spirits immediately rising up as she ran to them.
"Cadence!" Twilight exclaimed happily.
"Twilight!" Cadence exclaimed, running up to them.
[Twilight and Cadence]
Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!
Clap your hooves and do a little shake!
The two fo them laughed when they did that, but a moment later, she got a headache and made the shield flicker, making them worry until Cadence refocused her mind, reactivating the shield.
"We've really got to stop meeting when the fate of Equestria hangs in the balance." Cadence said, rubbing her head
"Are you alright Cadence?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, you look... exhausted." Spyro said.
"She's been using a large majority of her magic to spread love and light, creating this dome to keep Sombra out." Shining Armor replied. "But it's draining her. She hasn't slept since we got here and has barely eaten."
"Well let's have Spyro use some of his magic and create a barrier, giving the princess a break!" Twilight suggested.
"I think even Spyro's magic might prove to be of little effect in stopping him." Shining Armor said. "King Sombra's darkness is too powerful as he can shatter my own magic since we got here."
"You kidding, Spyro's power is far stronger than Sombra's." Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah, no scary cloudy-shadowy monster thingy can beat him!" Pinkie said. "He can vaporize that guy in an instant!"
"I'm afraid it's not as simple as that." Spyro said, looking out and seeing the barrier. "My power is capable of many things, even creating a shield, but something else is keeping him at bay."
"What else is keeping it at bay!?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Your magic should be more than powerful enough to keep him out."
"Yes, but I think that Sombra's darkness matches my light." Spyro replied.
"Ugh, seriously!?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I thought light could just defeat darkness?"
"Yeah, but the same can be said in reverse." Spyro replied. "Light and darkness are basically two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other, thus they are in eternal conflict with one another. Whichever side wins is the superior side. Take Cadence's light, for there is no darkness in her, meaning her light is superior to her darkness, but Sombra's darkness was stronger than his light, thus vanquishing it."
"But, there is still light in his heart, right?" Twilight asked.
Spyro was silent when she asked that question, not sure how to answer that when Sombra hit the shield again, making everyone look to the shield and seeing that he was trying to get in again, roaring in anger as he left again, making them all worry.
"Cadence can't go on like this for much longer." Shining Armor said. "Spyro, if you can, can you create the shield?"
"I think so, but I think it won't matter." Spyro replied. "His darkness is far superior to what I have faced thus far. His darkness if over a thousand years old, and my light doesn't come close to that amount of pure, uncontrollable darkness. I doubt I have the needed strength to face such darkness."
"Then it's a good thing we're here then!" Twilight said. "That we're all here."
"How can we help then?" Spyro asked.
"Well, with Cadence putting all her focus into keeping her spell going and myself patrolling the frozen wasteland, we haven't been able to gather much information from the crystal ponies." Shining Armor said.
"Crystal Ponies!?" Rarity asked, instantly oogling over the fact there were Crystal ponies, which everyone looked at her, giving her a funny look. "Heh, sorry."
"We need to believe one of them knows how to protect the empire." Shining Armor said. "Hopefully without the use of Cadence's magic."
"A research paper!" Twilight exclaimed, confusing her brother. "It must be part of my test. To gather information and bring it to you!"
"I think that's part of it Twilight." Spyro replied. "Don't worry Shining Armor, we'll find something."
"Don't worry big brother, I'm great with this sort of thing!" Twilight said. "Come on everypony! Let's see what we can find out from the Crystal Ponies!"
They all ran out of the room, but Spyro remained behind, looking to Cadence and walking over to her as Shining Armor supported her, seeing how exhausted she was. He knew they needed to be quick and figure out what they could from the Crystal Ponies, running down the hall and towards the exit to catch up with his friends. Outside, everyone was already outside and asking around, Spyro getting a late start as he ran out and looked around for someone to ask, but stopped, finding a few Crystal Ponies, but they seemed to be dull and depressed instead of being crystal, making him wonder.
"Wow, those are the Crystal Ponies?" Spyro asked. "They seem... well, I was expecting them to be more crystally and sparkling, not dull and depressed."
"This is the result of King Sombra's reign." A voice said.
Spyro turned around to see a red mare with a red and pink mane with a Cutie Mark that had crystal and some musical notes in the middle of the crystal, looking about as depressed as the others.
"And, who are you?" Spyro asked.
"I'm Crystal Tune." She replied. "I use to be enslaved by Sombra to sing for him whenever he wanted." She then looked at Spyro, unsure of what to make of him when she looked down and saw the glowing words from the unknown language, her eyes lighting up when she looked at him. "Wait, are you... are you... you're the... you're the Prince of Light and Darkness!"
"How do you know what I am?" Spyro asked.
However, when he asked the question, she smiled and a moment later, she got a crystal aura, surprising him as he staggered backwards.
"EEEEY, I KNEW IT!" Crystal Tune screeched, making Spyro cover his ears. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!"
"Ow, my ears." Spyro said, but was then caught in a bear hug, his eyes popping out as she gave him a crushingly strong hug. "And that's my spine, again."
"I knew you'd return your highness!" Crustal Tune said. "I just knew you'd return!"
"Wait, back up there." Spyro said, breaking free. "What do you mean you knew I'd return? I've only just got here."
"Oh, sorry, I got ahead of myself." Crystal Tune said. "My grandmother would tell me stories of the Prince of Light and Darkness. Stories passed down from generation to generation about the Prince. She told me I'd know him by the Elven words around him glowing in his presence."
"Elven!?" Spyro asked, looking down at the letters. "So the language is Elven. Tell me, do you remember anything about the Crystal Empire and how best to protect it?"
But as soon as he asked, her coat became dull again, looking depressed as soon as he asked the question.
"It's not something I'd like to think about." She replied, shivering at the thought. "It's not exactly something I'd care to talk about."
"Please, it's very important." Spyro said, lifting his hoof and placing it on her shoulder. "If there's a way to save the Crystal Empire, we need to know."
Crystal Tune looked at Spyro, still remembering what Sombra did t the Crystal Empire and not wanting to remember it, but she somehow felt safe around Spyro, looking into his eyes and feeling warmth coming from them, feeling an aura around him that made her feel calm and happy, so she took in a deep breath.
"I can't remember much, I was young when Sombra enslaved us." Crystal Tune replied. "But I think you might be able to learn something from the library. It might have something for you."
"Thank you!" Spyro said happily, hugging her, which caught her off guard before he ran off.
As he was running, Crystal Tune looked in the direction he was running in, feeling her own heart beating against her chest as she smiled, regaining her crystal aura as she walked away, feeling something she never felt before as she walked away. Back at the palace, everyone had gathered around to share what they learned, which Rainbow Dash and Rarity both had nothing while Spyro walked up to Twilight, but reaching for the back of her head and unzipped a zipper, revealing it was Pinkie Pie wearing a disguise.
"My cover's been blown!" She said. "I repeat, my cover's been blown!"
As she scampered away, Fluttershy walked up as did Spyro, who saw the strange suit and didn't even bother to ask, but he did feel like someone was watching him, so he looked behind and saw a couple more Crystal Ponies were watching him, but ducked behind a building, finding the behavior pretty odd.
"Sorry Twilight, but we couldn't find anything." Applejack said. "These crystal ponies seem to have some kinda collective Amnesia or something. All I could get out of them was there's some kind of Library."
"I got the same info." Spyro replied. "But more importantly, I learned that-"
"A library!?" Twilight added excitedly. "Well why didn't you say so!?"
"Uh, thought I just did?" Applejack replied.
"Come on everypony, let's get going!" Twilight said.
The whole group ran in a random direction, running after Twilight as she ran to find the library, but along the way, more of the Crystal Ponies were looking at them, or more precisely, they were looking at Spyro, seeing the Elvish language appear around him and freezing. Some smiled and turned crystal again, happy to see him while others were more confused than anything, including Spyro as he has no clue why looked happy to see him. They soon came to the local library, finding it had two crystal griffons in front of the large blue building, amazing them and as the doors opened, they saw a near endless sea of books, everyone amazed by the sheer number of books, but it was Twilight that was at a loss for words, her jaw open as she smiled, looking around as she was at a loss for words.
"I... I just... I can't... Spyro, I think I've died and gone to heaven." Twilight said, her eyes lighting up. "I have no words for how happy I am right now."
"You said quite a few words actually." Spyro said, Pinkie snickering at his joke.
"Is there something I can help you with?" An old mare asked, everyone looking to see she was probably the local librarian.
"Yes, we're looking for a book!" Twilight replied.
"We have plenty of those." The Librarian replied, making both Spyro and Pinkie laugh.
"You do." Twilight said, spinning around. "You really do."
"Twilight, will ya stop spinning for a second?" Spyro asked. "You're gonna make yourself sick. Anyway miss, we're looking for a book that can give us information on the history of the Crystal Empire."
"Ah yes... a history book." The librarian replied, scratching her chin. "Uh, sorry, I can;t remember where that section is. Heck, i can't even remember if I work here or not."
Rainbow Dash ended up face smacking herself, groaning in annoyance.
"I like her!" Pinkie said.
"Well, looks like it's up to us to find the book." Spyro said. "We better split up and look around, see what we can find."
"He's right." Twilight said. "We need to start searching for whatever we can about the Crystal Empire and what protected."
Everyone then ran in separate directions to see what they could find, however, Spyro had something else in mind, looking for information about how Sombra fell into darkness and if there was any chance of saving him. While the girls went through every book they could find that might have the information they need to protect the empire, but Spyro went through everything he could, but found there was nothing, starting to allow his own frustrations to get the better of him.
"Ugh, it's hopeless." Spyro said to himself. "How am I supposed to find information to save both the Crystal Empire and Sombra in all of this? I need an answer! How do I protect the empire and save Sombra at the same time!?" He didn't get the time to think as he saw something glowing, looking to the shelf and seeing a phrase on it, catching his attention as he looked at it. "Tirith: Guide." The light then moved down the shelf and across the floor until he reached Twilight, who was using her magic to sift through all the books to find something, Spyro looking back down, it saw the word was changing, separating into two separate words in the same language. "In aphed. The answer?"
"YES!" Twilight exclaimed, spooking him and looking to the lavender mare.
"You got something?" Spyro asked.
"I do indeed." Twilight replied, everyone walking to her as she laid the book down. "The History of the Crystal Empire. I just hope it has the answers we need."
"I do as well." Spyro replied, looking back to the floor, but the words mixed in with the rest of the sea of Elvish words that surrounded him, giving him a headache.
"The Crystal Fair." Twilight read. "According to this book, it was first established by their first queen and... the Prince?"
"Prince?" Spyro asked.
"According to this, the Crystal Fair became a tradition founded by their queen and this First Prince." Twilight said. "According to this, it was held to restore the spirit of love and unity, using the energy to protect the Crystal Empire from harm."
"Hey, we can put on the fair and protect the Crystal Empire!" Pinkie said, getting her Party Cannon out. "We'll throw one of the biggest parties EVER!"
"I think Pinkie's onto something." Spyro said, scratching his chin. "If we put on the fair like they did all those years ago, it might be enough to protect the Crystal Empire and defeat Sombra!"
"Aw yeah, go us!" Rainbow Dash said.
"And all we need is in the book!" Twilight said, picking it up. "I'll see if I can get this to my brother and to Cadence and get their input on it!"
"Then let's make haste." Spyro said. "Cadence is getting weaker and I doubt she can hold out for much longer."
Everyone ran out of the library with the book, running down the streets towards the palace to give Shining Armor and Princess Cadnece the good news.
"Daur!" A females voice said, making Spyro stop and look around. He didn't know why he stopped, looking around and wondering who it was that said that and where it was coming from when he saw a small white orb floating in the middle of the street, dancing around as if enticing him to follow. "Aphada-ni."
The orb then flew off down the street, confusing Spyro as to why a glowing orb would want him to follow it, looking to the girls and seeing he was standing there, not following them.
"You go ahead, I'll catch up." Spyro said. "I need to check on something."
"Don't take too long Spyro." Twilight said. "We need to get this fair started as soon as possible and we need all the help we can get."
They all ran towards the castle while Spyro went after the orb, following it as it always stayed ahead of him, but just close enough to let him see it as he followed the glowing ball of light, running by some of the Crystal Ponies, which some of them smiled and got their crystal auras back as he ran by, waving to them, which he nodded, acknowledging them as he ran by. A moment later, the orb led him outside of the city and back to the crystal archway, the orb disappearing right in front of him as he looked around, wondering why it would lead him back there.
"Ok, so now what?" Spyro asked. "Why'd you bring me here?"
"An-ana de lorn aphed." The voice replied.
"What do you mean to give me an answer?" Spyro asked, shocking himself. "And how the heck did I understand that?"
"You were always capable of understanding." A female voice said. A second later, a blue orb appeared before him, floating there as he backed away. Seconds later, the orb grew bigger and bigger until it revealed a cream colored unicorn with a red and purple mane and tail, wearing bands around her legs, her Cutie Mark a crystal snowflake with a heart in the middle of it. "You just need to listen."
"Who... or what, are you?" Spyro asked.
"I am the first of the Crystal Empire, I am Amore, Princess of the Crystal Empire." The unicorn replied.
"The first Queen." Spyro said, bowing to her. "I can;t believe I am meeting you."
"Please rise Spyro, Prince of Light and Darkness." Amore said.
"You know who I am?" Spyro asked.
"I do." She replied. "And I know you have the strength to defeat Sombra, just like the Prince."
"The Prince?" Spyro asked. "Who was the Prince?"
"The Prince was known as Eclipse Dawn." Amore replied. "He was my husband, and the Fifteenth Prince of Light and Darkness."
"WHAT!?" Spyro exclaimed, taken by surprise. "But... but, but, but...!"
"I know, surprising isn't it?" Amore asked, sitting down. "The Fifteenth Prince was Equestrian. And he was born here in the Crystal Empire."
"I have so many questions." Spyro said.
"And yet, we have very little time." Amore pointed out. "Your Princess Cadence is running out of strength. The barrier is about to collapse and Sombra will reclaim the Crystal Empire. You need to put on the Crystal Fair in order to protect this kingdom."
"Way ahead of you Amore." Spyro said. "We're taking the book to Shining Armor and Princess Cadence to see what they think. Once they agree, we'll set up the fair."
"Then all I can do now is wish you luck." Amore said. "And before I leave, there's one piece of advice I need to give you." Spyro tilted his head as she started to glow again, making him wonder what she was going to say. "The Crystal Heart is the key to saving the Crystal Empire. Find the heart and it will save the Empire."
Before Spyro could ask any questions about the Crystal Heart, she turned into a small blue orb, flying back towards the empire while leaving him alone at the archway, wondering what the Crystal Heart was. He didn't have time to wonder as he looked to the barrier, seeing it was flickering a bit, indicating that it was about to collapse, so he rushed back to the castle to see what he could do to help, reaching the caste and running up the stairs and into the hallway to get into the thrown room when Twilight walked out with Spike, who was carrying the book to another room.
"Twilight!" Spyro exclaimed, getting her attention as he ran up. "Did I miss it?"
"No, you're right on time." Twilight replied. "Shining Armor agreed to the fair, but we need to be quick. Cadence is growing weaker."
The three of them walked into another room where their other friends were at, who were waiting for them as music started to play in the room, a song coming.
[Twilight Sparkle]
Princess Cadance needs our help,
Her magic will not last forever.
I think we can do it,
But we need to work together!
We have to get this right,
Yes, we have to make them see,
We can save the Crystal Ponies with their history!
Twilight took the book from Spike and put it in the middle of the table, opening it for everyone to see.
[Rainbow Dash]
It says that they liked jousting!
Rainbow Dash then put on armor that the Crystal Ponies used for protection and for the jousting events, excited for the event.
[Rarity]
They flew a flag of many hues!
Rarity got busy making the flag, hoping to make it perfect to make the Crystal Ponies happy.
[Applejack]
Made sweets of crystal berries!
Applejack and Pinkie got busy picking the berries from the book, Spyro helping out with picking the berries, but couldn't;t resist trying one, licking his lips at how good it was while feeling something stir inside of him, as if it was something he always loved to eat.
[Fluttershy]
They had a petting zoo with tiny ewes!
Fluttershy then got the ewes for the petting zoo, getting them ready for the fair as they all gathered in the center of the castle outside.
[All]
Oh, we have to get this right!
Yes, we have to make them see,
We can save the Crystal Ponies with their history!
[Pinkie Pie]
There was a crystal flugelhorn,
That every pony liked to play!
Pinkie played the flugelhorn, but the way she was playing it made some bad notes, Spyro covering his ears.
[Spyro]
That's not how you play it Pinkie!
Spyro took the horn from her and blew in it, making a perfect tune that got the Crystal ponies attention, looking to the group as the tune sounded so familiar.
[Twilight Sparkle]
And the Crystal Kingdom anthem
Can you learn it in a day?
[Spyro]
Anything is possible my friends,
if only you give it your all!
Everyone was finishing up the fair, setting up tents and stands, Spyro using the Force to help set the tents up while also lifting up some food the cloth, putting it over the posts while everyone else finished up what they were doing, though when Pinkie tried the horn again, it made him cover his ears, looking at the party pony.
Again, not how you play it Pinkie.
Nyel.
As he said the word, a green light flew out from the storm of Elvish words swirling around him, traveling towards Pinkie until it leapt up, hitting the horn and playing a beautiful tune, Pinkie looking at it as she stopped blowing into the horn, but it kept playing, confusing her.
[All]
Oh, we have to get this right!
Yes, we have to make them see,
We can save the Crystal Ponies with their history!
The entire fair perfect, tents set up and ready to go, vendors, decorations, even a few games that Pinkie helped to pick for everyone to enjoy.
"It looks amazing." Twilight said, looking at the entire set up. "I don't know what I would have done without all of you? We just need to do one last check to make sure everything is perfect."
"Uh, what's this?" Applejack asked.
They all looked at what Applejack was referring to, seeing a statue with a heart made of crystal standing in the middle of the courtyard underneath the palace.
"The last piece of information from the book says that the center piece of the entire fair is the Crystal Heart." Twilight said, getting his attention.
"Nice going Twi." Applejack said. "Ah think we're ready to get this fair up and running."
They went to get the entire fair started, heading out to announce the beginning of the fair when Spyro felt something warm go up his leg, looking down to see what it was when he saw the Elven words move up his foreleg, wanting to remove it, but the his body wouldn't respond, making him fear for the worse when the words reached his head, making his eyes glow white as he saw what was going on, understanding what was missing. At the balcony, Twilight was coming out with her brother and her sister-in-law, Pinkie blowing the horn again and the tune was still a sweet melody, getting the entire towns attention.
"Hear ye, hear ye!" Twilight announced. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor cordially invites you to attend the Crystal Fair!"
As soon as she announced the Crystal Fair, everyone in the Crystal Empire brightened up, no longer dull colored ponies, everyone approaching the fair grounds.
"It's working!" Twilight said. "Everypony is coming to the fair! Now all we need to do is make sure it's a success and that will defeat Sombra!"
"Ala, e del aba." Spyro said. Everyone looked back to see what Spyro was saying when their mouths dropped, seeing the Elven words surrounding him as his eyes were glowing, the words covering his body as he approached. "I ivren alima ëa han dur-ye erthad.
"Uh, what's he saying?" Shining Armor asked.
"I... have no idea." Twilight said. Spyro then held up his hoof and a white light appeared from it, an image of the Crystal Heart appearing in the light, surprising them. "The Crystal Heart?"
"E-ië-ma haura mirë en yava-i bal-inen calben." Spyro continued. "Sombra anaië nurtalë-s imbë i tarminas an a húmë yén."
"Um, yeah, we don't speak that." Shining Armor said. "Can you speak in something we can understand?"
Spyro then looked to Twilight, who seemed to be a bit concerned as she didn't understand what was happening, preparing for a fight, through she knew she wouldn't last long against Spyro.
"You will find it, Twilight Sparkle." Spyro said, his voice mixed with many more voices, catching her off guard. "Your greatest challenge will come, but it will not be what happens around you, in you. Only when your mind is clear can you understand what you need to do."
As he said those words, the Elvish language that was on his body disappeared, dropping him to the ground and making everyone rush to him, helping him up as he rubbed his head right as Rainbow Dash flew up, crashing inside as she rushed to them.
"Twilight, we've got a big problem!" Rainbow Dash said.
"That goes double for me." Spyro said, wobbling, but able to stand. "We need the Crystal Heart."
"Find the Crystal Heart?" Twilight asked. "But we already got it."
"The Crystal Heart is not something you can craft from any old crystal." Spyro replied. "The Crystal Heart is an ancient relic that contains an ancient for of light."
"Wait, it's an actual relic!?" Twilight asked, taking the book out. "But... the book didn't say anything about it being a relic, nor that the Crystal Ponies power the Heart!"
Spyro reached out and used the Force to flip all the pages to the final page, which was torn out, shocking them.
"Looks like the final page held the information we needed." Spyro said.
"Oh no, the last page was missing!" Twilight said. "How did I not notice!?"
"It's alright Twilight." Cadence said.
However, it wasn't;t alright as Cadence passed out, her magic fading and the barrier started to collapse, everyone hearing Sombra's roar and looking out to watch the barrier collapse and the dark clouds approach, threatening to swallow everything.
"Oh no, we're too late!" Twilight said.
"Not yet!" Spyro exclaimed. He ran up and reached into his bag and pulled out a vial of golden liquid, looking to the princess as he prayed this would work. "Cadence!"
Spyro tossed the vial into the air and over the princess and it exploded into dozens of golden lights, falling over the princess and giving her the strength she needed, getting up and making her horn glow again, recreating the shield and pushing Sombra back, making him growl in rage as his horn was cut off, making him screech in rage as he tried to destroy the barrier again.
"Wow, that was too close." Cadence said.
"What the heck was that?" Shining Armor asked. "What was that vial?"
"It was an Elixir." Spyro replied. "Sora and I use them to restore our health and mana when we need to. But since I can heal myself and my mana is near limitless, I never needed them. So I keep them handy just incase."
"Well, they certainly did come in handy." Cadence said. "I feel rejuvenated and better than ever." However, as soon as she said it, she got an instant headache, rubbing her head as she felt drained again. "I guess I spoke too soon."
"The effects of the Elixir are only temporary." Spyro said. "Its effects will only last for a short time. Hopefully long enough for us to find the Crystal Heart."
"That must be my true test." Twilight said. "To find the Crystal Heart."
"And you won't do it alone." Spyro said, walking to her. "I will help you as much as I can."
"I'll help too." Shining Armor said.
"Meet too!? Rainbow Dash said.
"While it is good to have some help, you both have other things that need to be done." Spyro said.
"Spyro's right." Twilight said. "Shining Armor, you need to be with Cadence to keep her strong. And Rainbow Dash, we need you to keep the Crystal Fair going and keep Crystal Ponies from figuring out the Crystal Heart we have is a fake, otherwise they'll loose hope and panic."
"You can count on me!" Rainbow Dash said, saluting before flying off.
"Please hurry Twiley." Shining Armor said, supporting his weakened wife. "Cadence is loosing strength and she can't last much longer."
The two of them ran into the castle to see what they could find, hopping that they could find the heart before everything goes completely wrong.
"I hope our friends can keep the fair going." Spyro said, running around a corner with Twilight. "With King Sombra outside, they need the fair to lift their spirits. Other wise the empire will fall into darkness again."
"I know." Twilight replied. "The whole point of the fair is to lift their spirits so they can activate the Crystal Heart. If they found out Sombra was outside, their spirits will be anything but lifted." They then rounded a corner, running down the stairs to see what they could find. "Incidentally, how do you know the Crystal heart is even here?"
"Yeah, how do you know?" Spike asked, walking to them.
"I... I don't know." Spyro replied. "I was told it was here. Weren't you told?"
"I'm not sure." Twilight replied. "You started speaking some weird language and none of us can understand it."
"That's because the language itself is Elvish." Spyro replied. "It's a very ancient language. Rarely spoken anymore. Only those with an Elvish dictionary or who grew up learning about it can speak or read it."
"And how the heck can you speak it?" Twilight asked. "You don't even understand it yourself?"
"Actually, I did understand it." Spyro replied, confusing her. "When did I speak Elvish to you?"
"A few minutes ago." Twilight answered. "Before Cadence fainted, you said... something."
"Yes, I remember now." Spyro said. "I think I said that Sombra took the Crystal Heart and hid it in the castle a thousand years ago. He hid it somewhere here in the castle. Probably the one place no one would think to come look for it because they feared him."
"That's... actually a good idea." Twilight said. "So, where do we start searching?"
"Anywhere." Spyro replied. "Any and everywhere we can look."
They went together the entire palace, looking in every room, under every carpet and piece of furniture, even behind the tapestries to find something until they came tot he same room, both thinking the same room and looking around it, trying to find the the heart.
"You sure it's in here?" Spike asked.
"It has to be!" Twilight said, tearing the room apart. "This is the only place we haven't look yet. Ugh, where is it!? Where is the heart!?"
"Twilight, calm yourself." Spyro said.
"Spyro, Sombra is outside and is threatening to take the empire over and possibly destroy all of Equestria!" Twilight exclaimed. "How am I supposed to stay calm!?"
"Twilight, calm down." Spyro said. "Don't let your frustration and anger blind you. You're not just a pony or a Keyblade bearer now, but also a Jedi. A Jedi needs to remain calm and balanced. Giving into your anger leads to the dark side. Besides..." Spyro then walked out, looking to the throne room as he had an idea where to look. "Sombra needed to hide it where he can always guard it. Remember what the princess said?"
"If the Empire is filled with hope and love, then those things are reflected across Equestria." Twilight said.
"And if hatred and fear take hold... that's it!" Twilight said. "King Sombra might have lived here, but this isn't his castle! Not without all the anger and fear to corrupt it."
Twilight closed her eyes and focused, trying to use the same dark energy to use the same magic the Princess Celestia used to corrupt the crystal, her eyes going green with the same purple flames as she fired a beam of dark magic to the gem, causing it to become dark as a shadow moved down the throne and over the floor, revealing a secret path down into a dark passage way, Twilight clapping her hooves in pure excitement.
"When did Princess Celestia teach you that?" Spike asked.
"She didn't." Spyro replied. "It was something Celestia showed her."
He looked down the hole and saw a massive staircase, feeling a chill go down his spine when he saw something on the floor, stopping her from walking down the steps as he pointed it out to Twilight, both she and Spike seeing the Elvish words on the edge of the stairs.
"More of those strange words." Spike said. "I wonder what they mean."
"It's a warning." Spyro replied. "And a riddle."
"A riddle?" Twilight asked. "Why would Sombra leave a riddle here?"
"He wouldn't." Spyro replied. "At least, not his darker half."
He approached the words, looking at them to see if he could get a closer look, looking them over to see what they mean.
"Well?" Spike asked.
"It reads: When one gives darkness, one shall be in pain, enough so to make you go insane." Spyro said. "But when one is filled with light, the two will show the way, leading to what you seek on this day."
"And how in the world does that help us?" Spike asked.
"We don't have time to think about it!" Twilight said. "We need to get the Crystal heart, now!"
She then started running down the steps to search for the Crystal Heart, Spyro shaking his head as he flapped his wings, following after her as he glided down the spiral staircase to whatever it was they were hading to. Outside, Cadences barrier as starting to flicker, Sombra using his dark magic to corrupt the outside so as to give him a way in while the Inquisitor stood next to him, awaiting his new masters command when Sombra stopped, feeling that something was wrong.
"They found the passage tot he Crystal Heart." Sombra said. "We are running out of time."
"What shall you have me do my king?" The Inquisitor asked.
"Use your powers to force your way into the kingdom." Sombra said. "Once there, go to the castle and into the chamber with the Crystal Heart and stop anyone from getting it. I care not how you do it, keep the Heart from seeing the light of day again!"
"Yes my king." The Inquisitor replied.
He then approached the flickering barrier, putting his hoof on it, which it still kept him out, but he willed the Force to push back against the barrier, expanding outward and causing a ripple across the whole barrier, pushing as hard as he could until his hoof was through, pushing his way in as he used everything he had to get in. At the castle, Cadence was wobbling, feeling the pressure from using her magic continuously to keep the barrier up when her head started to hurt, making her scream as she felt a sharp pain go through her head and across her whole body, Shining Armor rushing to her as Cadence could see the Inquisitor, watching as he pushed his way through while concentrating all the darkness he had to create Dark Force Lightning, weakening the barrier until he was completely through, the pain ending for the Princess as Shining Armor arrived.
"Cadence!" Shining Armor exclaimed, helping her up. "Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not alright." Cadence replied. "Something got through the barrier. Something dark, not of this world. Shining, I think it's the Inquisitor Spyro told you about."
Shining Armor could feel his heart drop into his stomach, looking to the barrier as he saw it flicker again, feeling his own blood grow cold as he didn't;t have a clue how to handle him on his own and without his magic. At the archway, Sombra's magic had already corrupted it, the Inquisitor walking underneath the dark archway as he saw the Crystal Empire, smiling underneath his helmet as he looked at the city.
"Be ready, Jedi." The Inquisitor said, igniting his new lightsaber. "Your doom has arrived."