//------------------------------// // Ch. 01; The Shadow Rises // Story: The Shadow in the North // by Dorath //------------------------------// It may have been spring elsewhere, but in the northern reaches of Epona the ice was just beginning to break-up as temperatures started to rise above freezing at night. The bright artic sun shone down on a wide plain, shaded by groves of spruce and pine and awash in heather, cottongrass and wildflowers newly awakened from their icy sleep for a few brief weeks before winter returned. There was no one to gaze upon the grassland’s beauty, or trudge the nearby hills seeking their bounty of ore, lumber, or herbs, for ponies considered Epona’s northlands to be cursed and haunted. Even the hardy griffins and reindeer of Aine and the stubborn yaks of Hippeia avoided these lands, as they had done for over a thousand years. There was a flicker, almost as if the sun had gone out for a moment, and then a city sat upon the plain, the crystalline walls of its buildings glittering dully in the glow of the dome that covered the metropolis, while a blizzard howled outside the barrier. Dark laughter rode on the winds as monstrous shapes began to move through the flying snow. The sound of irate hooves stamping on stone floors echoed throughout the manse, causing HellCaller, demonic voivode exiled into a semi-retirement in Equestria, to look up from the book she was reading in amused annoyance. “I guess Trixie’s date vith Twilight didn’t go so vell,” Kragor sighed, the soulblade’s metallic voice chiming through the library. “I suppose I should go check on her,” ‘Caller grumbled as she rose from her seat. “Trixie is your apprentice,” Kragor replied, “Hey, don’t forget me! I vant to hear vhat happened too!” Heading into the main hall, the pair found Trixie slumped into a chair, her muzzle buried in a goblet of wine, a picnic basket and blanket dumped on the table, and her star-spangled hat and cloak, the pride of the unicorn’s wardrobe, flung carelessly over another chair. Dropping into a seat of her own, ‘Caller simply affixed her glowing eyes upon her apprentice and waited for the weight of her silent gaze to drive the generally voluble illusionist to explain what had happened. Halfway through her second goblet, Trixie finally broke, “It was the divinesdamned deer again!” the showmare exclaimed, slamming her chalice down, wine sloshing over the rim. At her master’s gesture, the mare continued, “Trixie took Twilight Sparkle to the glade next to the triple-oak, not so far into the Everfree Forest as to be truly dangerous, but enough to give our tryst a little thrill … the dell was hock-deep in sweet clover and wildflowers, the Considerate and Adoring Trixie had brough a picnic, we were talking about books and magic … it was all going so well,” she wailed, “And then those fluffy-tailed assassins of joy showed up and ruined everything!” ‘Caller frowned slightly, “I thought relations vith deer had improved?” “Apparently these deer didn’t get the notice,” Trixie grumbled, “They kept going on about how Trixie was a ‘minion of the abomination’ and a ‘despoiler of the Forest’ and … and …,” she collapsed back into her seat with a despairing moan as her teacher reached over and awkwardly patted her shoulder. The next morning saw a still depressed Trixie forcing herself to focus on her training, “Austratir Cayosini,” she incanted, sending her rapier whipping through the air to impale the stump that ‘Caller had chosen as today’s target, “What is the purpose of this invocation?” she asked, Trixie’s curiosity briefly overwhelming her dejection, “Trixie already knows combat spells.” “And this vill give you another,” the demoness replied dryly, “There are times, and opponents, vhere cold steel serves better than spellfire, my apprentice. Besides, vith training you can hit multiple enemies vith a single casting, and even call your blade back to your hand,” she raised an eyebrow at the unicorn, “I thought you, of all ponies, vould appreciate potential for showmanship.” Trixie pursed her lips, but whatever reply she might have made was cut off as, with a thunder of wings, Rainbow Dash dropped from the sky, “Hey, grab your stuff! The Princesses need to see all of us at the Palace right away for a mission, they’re sending a pair of air chariots and everything!” The motely band; seven ponies, one demon accompanied by a sentient sword, and a juvenile dragon, where led into a drawing room, where the solar and lunar alicorns were leaning over a table, examining a map alongside Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, “Welcome,” Celestia smiled at the group, “Although I wish we were meeting under better circumstances,” her smile dropped away as the Princess continued, “The Crystal Empire has returned.” Twilight, Trixie, and, oddly, Fluttershy stared in shock, while Spike and the other ponies exchanged confused glances, only for the moment to be interrupted by Kragor, “So … vho is Crystal Empire, and vhere did it go?” “The Crystal Empire was founded long ago by one of the separatist groups that refused to join the Equestrian Republic after the events of the first Hearth’s Warming and Unification of the Three Tribes,” Twilight explained, “It vanished more than a thousand years ago.” “There was a war,” murmured Fluttershy, “One of my ancestors wrote about in her diary; Equestria invaded the Crystal Empire to liberate it from the evil warlock that had enslaved the populace. It … wasn’t going well for the King, then the capital city and all of the villages that weren’t under Equestrian control just … disappeared.” ‘Caller cocked an eyebrow at the timid pegasus, “‘Evil varlock’, vas he?” “Perhaps your Imperium would be more tolerant of such a stallion as a neighbor,” Celestia admitted, “But I believe even you would object to a ruler who reduces his own subjects to slavery, mind-controls his entire military to ensure their loyalty, works whole families to death in his mines, and disappears others into his laboratories.” Rarity frowned slightly, “What about the Empire’s other cities? Did they vanish as well?” “There were none,” Luna replied, “By the time of Sombra’s wicked reign, the Crystal 'Empire' had dwindled to a mere city-state.” Shining looked up from the map at his diarchs, “Do we know what exactly happened to the Empire?” “It was Sombra’s final curse, after ‘Tia and I invaded his sanctum,” the Princes of the Night said, a disgusted frown curling her lips, “Unwilling to accept his defeat, Sombra dragged his nation into the netherworld alongside him.” “And now he has returned?” Trixie asked, “How?” “We don’t know,” admitted Celestia, “All we know for sure is that Sombra and the Crystal Empire have returned, and that he has already taken steps to prevent Luna or I from directly interfering with him again.” Rainbow grinned and threw a few punches, “So, you want us to go and deal with him, right?” “In essence,” Celestia nodded, “We ask that the six of you go to the Crystal Empire and confront Sombra, while Luna and I ready the Royal Guard in case Sombra attacks before you have dealt with him. The Elements of Harmony are already prepared,” she added, setting a small wooden chest on the table, and opening it to reveal six jeweled amulets. Turning to face the others, the white alicorn continued, “Spike, Trixie, HellCaller, we need you to go with them, both to provide additional support and as a ‘wild card’ factor. Sombra relies on mind control and binding spells to ensure obedience, I doubt he is prepared for the inventiveness and ingenuity of those who are actually willing.” “And you vant some extra muscle around to help face someone vho can seal out a pair of godlings?” ‘Caller smirked, “Is that vhat he did last time, use summonings, bindings and compulsions to control his forces?” “Yes,” Luna confirmed, “In addition to the mind-controlled Crystal Legion, he also fielded hosts of summoned demons, snow golems, ensorcelled monsters of the artic and even a pair of spell-bound frost drakes,” she glanced up from the reports she was reading, “And that is just what we know of. He also did … something … to encase the Crystal Empire in a permanent blizzard that not even flights of pegasi could disperse.” “Hay River suffering a blizzard in spring was our first sign that the Crystal Empire had returned, actually,” Celestia added. Rarity leaned over to look at the maps, “You said something about you not being able to interfere?” “Yes,” Celestia replied, “Our scrying has revealed that Sombra has altered the shield around the Crystal Empire so that only a member of the royal bloodline can open it, and I and Luna cannot pass through it at all.” “Fortunately, Sombra forgot, or ignored, that just because he is now king, it doesn’t mean that the descendants of the previous dynasty are not of royal blood,” Luna smirked, “And we hath found such a descendant in a most fortuitous place.” The door opened as Princess Cadance entered, “The train is loading – oh! Twilight!” “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake … clap your hands and do a little shake!” the two mares sang together, while Trixie blushed deeply as she stared at the happily bouncing and wiggling librarian. “Thank you, Cadance,” Celestia said, “I was just about to tell everyone that you and Captain Armor would be accompanying them.” “Vait, you’re of Crystal Empire royal lineage?” ‘Caller ‘Caller asked, her voice heavy with suspicion, “Isn’t that rather convenient?” “I found it unlikely as well,” admitted the pink alicorn, “It’s been several dozen generations since the Empire disappeared, and yet I, of all ponies, share the royal blood? Enough to get past Sombra’s magic? But Aunties ‘Tia and Luna assure me that it’s true.” The demoness shrugged, “Having a pretext for invasion does usually make things go over smoother vith neighboring nations,” she conceded. “Hey, wait just one second, what’s this about us bein’ a darn invasion?” Applejack protested, as Spike and most of the other ponies stared at ‘Caller in shock. ‘Caller gave them all a fanged grin, “Ve’re going into a sovereign nation to overthrow its ruler and put Equestrian princess on throne … vhat vould you call it?” “Thou art mistaken, HellCaller,” Luna disagreed, “With Sombra’s defeat all those centuries ago, the Crystal Empire became part of Equestria by right of conquest. If anything, he is now a usurper and rebel against Our rightful rule.” “This is more than just a military action,” Celestia said sternly, interrupting 'Caller's derisive sneer, “The crystal ponies have been displaced over a millennium from anything they once knew, as well as suffering only Faust knows what abuses under Sombra’s reign. They will need somepony strong in love and compassion to help them through their recovery and the difficult days ahead,” she gave Cadance a warm smile, full of faith in her niece, “Now, the weather disruptions caused by Sombra’s tempest are already making going north by airship inadvisable, so you’ll be taking a high-speed Guard train. Once you reach Hay River, you will have to proceed from there on hoof.” “We don’t know how much worse the storms will get,” Shining added, “But I hope we’ll reach Hay River in four days. Once we resupply … according to these old maps, Hay River was only two days’ journey from the capital, but with a constant blizzard to fight through, it could easily take twice as long, if not more.” “Once you breach Sombra’s barrier, you will still have another task before you can face him,” Luna warned, drawing a frustrated groan from Rainbow. Cadance’s brown wrinkled in confusion, “What task, Auntie?” “Unlike during our last confrontation, this time we hath the benefit of remnants of lore the crystal ponies had long kept secret, as well as some initial scrying before Sombra fully sealed his barrier against us,” the Princess of the Night explained, “Somewhere within the city, Sombra has hidden the Crystal Heart, an artifact that magnifies and spreads both emotions and magic, and once served as the spiritual center of the Crystal Empire. It is likely that he corrupted its purpose to strengthen his vile hold over the Empire, but if you can combine it with the Elements of Harmony, ‘Tia and I believe you will be able to free the Crystal Empire from Sombra’s hold and end his threat forever.” “Now, you should go and finish any preparations you might have, if the train crews are already loading, then they should be ready to leave within the hour,” Celestia instructed, “And may Faust and all the divines go with you.”