//------------------------------//
// The Black Crystal 
// Story: Moonlight Knight 
// by brandsca123 
//------------------------------//

The black crystal, a small gem of unimaginable power that is said to grant the user unlimited power. It is a feared gem, or at least it would be if it wasn't sealed away.

Legend has it a great hero rose up and trapped the evils of the land inside the gem.

Another legend has it that if the gem were to fall into the wrong hands, it would spell disaster for us all.

But these legends didn't stop one earth pony from searching for it.

The famed archaeologist Dr. Cristo was in the badlands with a group of five other ponies. Two were pegasi, and two were earth ponies. The odd one out was a unicorn that Dr. Cristo picked up on his way here.

Dr. Cristo was a well built stallion, with jet black hair and a hard brown body. His cutie mark was a hourglass. The two other earth ponies were natives of this harsh desert, Shmee a light sand colored stallion with blonde hair and a cutie mark of the setting sun, and his brother Hookjaw a dark mud colored stallion with red hair and a cutie mark of a small tent. They had agreed to lead the group to the hidden cave of shadow, a temple that most ponies tend to stay away from.

The pegasi were Dr. Cristo's students, Cloudrunner and Stormsurge, Both were identical in every aspect. Both had white hair, were a sky-blue color and had a cutie mark that looked like a bunch of clouds.

As for the unicon, He didn't tell them his name. He had evil looking eyes and always stayed silent. He covered his flank in leather armor hiding his cutie mark. His sharp black horn matched his color, and his hair was a thick grey. Not much was known about him and he always avoided any questions directed at him. He only agreed to come so he could look at this fabled dark crystal.

The group got to the cave entrance and stepped inside. It was a small cave, but at the end of it was a chest that was chained up. It looked like it was made to keep something inside, and others out. Dr. Cristo and his students shivered, they had a bad feeling about this.

The two earth ponies brought the chest to them and dropped it on the ground.

"Amazing, such design and elegance. It's a wonder how the ancients made such wonderful creations." Dr. Cristo said. He eyed the chest with wonder. He motioned for the unicorn to blast the lock of the chains and for his students to remove them.

Now was the moment of truth, the doctor opened the chest and he felt an evil energy leave the chest. Inside was a small purple crystal that radeated a black mist around it.

Just then the unicorn made a grab for it and bolted. He shot a blast of energy at the top of the cave, causing it to fall around the group that was left behind. They tried to escape but were crushed by the falling rocks.

Outside the cave the unicorn started to shimmer and change. A black changling stood and held the crystal in its mouth. He took off and disappeared into the distance to give his queen the dark object. He let out a chuckle as he flew through the desert.

"With this power, my queen will be able to get her revenge on those cursed ponies." He laughed some more as he flew off into the distance.