Black Smoke in the Blizzard

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This is awful... Studying that is...like...I have no time! For anything! Damn I just want to laze around and read/write Fanfiction, play games, eat, sleep, and maybe have some fun with a girl or my hand at least. Is that too much to ask?...But I guess that's how it is when the academic year ends. Exams, and the likes... Sigh. Well.. I at least finally got to write a chapter while driving a bus for three hours so I hope you like it and like always EEEENJOY!

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"That's... Are you sure Tia? I understand the reason, but..." Starfall said unsure as he looked at the projection of the Crystal Empire spread before them.

"I'm not saying she is to go alone. I'm sure Everypony is going to join her no matter how much she tries to dissuade them, but while that Is the case, I hope that you'll give her the chance to show of her own worth." Celestia said while Starfall smiled.

"No, I understand that Tia. I just wish to make sure you won't stop me from overseeing the situation. I also wouldn't mind having a look at this King Sombra. See what we're dealing with and etcetera." He said with a small glint of excitement in his eye which Celestia failed to notice.

"That is fine dear. Despite how I seem to be treating it all like a test for Twilight, the situation is indeed very serious, and I wouldn't have entrusted it to her if I didn't have my utmost trust in her capabilities." Said the Princess with a fond expression which made Starfall suddenly have the idea of having a threesome with the two. after everything was said and done, the two mares still acted more like a teacher and her student instead of friends and fellow herd members...

Though Celestia seemed to notice his slight loss of focus and narrowed her eyes.

"Equestria to Starfall. Did you just think something rude?" She half-stated half-asked, as Starfall felt a shudder go down his spine.

Maybe he should leave it for later... Preferably after this entire Crystal Empire problem is dealt with...

___________

Twilight left the Castle in a slight daze. She was to save a kingdom...no...an entire Empire! She...She wasn't ready! It was too much...And...And she couldn't ask Starfall for help....

Twilight felt worried. Fearful even. This was a lot to take In and she wasn't sure if she was going to-

*Slap*

She shook her head as the slight pain of someone slapping her on the back of her head registered suddenly. Then she realised that it was none other than Phoebe, Starfall's Phoenix and the closest thing they had for a daughter, sitting on her back and looking at her as if telling her to get herself together.

Yes, she was right. She needed to calm down. she wasn't alone. Celestia didn't forbade her from asking for help altogether. She still had...Them...

Her eyes sweeped over the small group, and a small smile rose on her expression.

That's right she was not alone. She never were. She had her friends. Her family. And they were all there for her when she needed them.

They were going to do this. And they were going to succeed.

Be ready Crystal Empire, because we're coming for you. She mused as she relayed the information to everyone on their way to the train...

___________

"Ugh!.." Starfall grunted in pain as the beam of corrupted magic impacted him leaving a slight burn mark on his coat.

It has been a few hours since he was called by Celestia, and he was currently back at his training room, preparing himself for what was to come soon enough.

Twilight and the girls, alongside Spike, Phoebe and Philip were on their way to the Crystal Empire, intended to help Cadence and Shining Armour in stopping Sombra from taking over the Kingdom.

And he was here, for one last time rehearsing his training.

A sizzling sound reached his ear as the tainted magic got vaporised by his own inner magic while the burned fur returned back to normal as the same magic completely recovered any wounds he might have sustained.

He closed his eyes and then opened them, a slight twinkle of purple energy passing over his pupils as he analysed the oncoming attack.

It was big. way bigger than anything he had faced so far. A literal car sized ball of tainted magic made by the training systems of his "completely original" magical danger room.

It was impossible to dodge, at least not without teleportation or running with the speed of Flash...

But why would he even dodge it?

He smirked as the magic in his body stirred, the familiar magical hiccup making itself known, but not taking control, as Starfall pushed on it, guiding it.

The attack came...and...his magic burst open. Mixing with itself the magic of friendship as the tainted magic failed to affect even a strand of his hair before getting completely purified and released into the environment.

Starfall breathed heavily as a grin formed on his face, the magic in the runic canon that he used to shoot in his direction completely exhausted from this single attack.

He was ready... Now only one thing remained to be done...

_________

It was...weird...

Starfall mused as his gaze swept over the Red Crystal leading to the prison of the Umbrum.

Now that he thought about it...Why didn't he encounter Sombra while looking for this thing? He was banished to the Frozen North so it would make sense for him to be nearby the only form of communication with his own kind...Or maybe he was banished through time alongside the Crystal Empire?...

Well...whatever the case, as he looked at the Glowing Crystal currently speaking to him, trying to pry who he was and what he was doing with the huge box floating behind him from out of the portal, He couldn't help but fell slightly embarrassed. He should have placed the portal in a separate chamber so that such a situation couldn't happen.

"I'm just passing by, don't mind me." He said completely unashamed of his action as he left the flabbergasted monster on the other side of the crystal and went in the direction of the Crystal Empire. He really should have made more than a single portal around these parts, but nooo, he had to leave the only portal, standing right beside a huge potentially dangerous Crystal which could at any moment turn any passerby into a frozen statue... Good thing he managed to leave before the Umbrum speaking through the Crystal realised that he made a fool out of it...

Sigh...It would have been so much easier if he didn't have to drag this huge box, but he would waste way too much magic if he were to just teleport with it directly. Thankfully The Crystal Empire wasn't so far from here. He could see the Highest tower ot the castle as soon as he got out from the icy outpost holding the Red Crystal. now it was just getting there in time...

He looked at the blizzard on the nearby horizon and the dark smoke permeating it as it closed on the Empire... Right...He still needed to get past That...

________

Twilight was worried sick...

Everything was going well...too well...The Crystal Ponies were slowly regaining their memories and the Crystal Fair looked better by the minute, spreading happines and joy through the gloomy crowds. That is, until the news came.

Apparently none of it really mattered when there was no Crystal Heart to protect the Kingdom! It was clearly some kind of Powerful artifact that...

Twilight's eye widened as she facehoofed. How did she not put the two and two together!? She read about it in Starfall's journals! The Crystal Heart. One of the most powerful magical artifacts of the previous millennia. It had the power to gather the joy and happiness of ponies and condense it to repell any kind of dark forces, effectively forming the most powerful magical protection that easily repelled any darkness.

She should have realised it the moment she heard them speak of a Crystal Hearts, yet seeing no mention of it in the history book about the Crystal Empire, she foolishly assumed it was just some statue.

She quickly opened the book again and groaned. There was a page missing, clearly ripped out by somepony a long time ago. She should have noticed it sooner.

Now they needed to find it quick or else...

Her eyes looked towards the horizon, where a mass of darkness constantly pushed on the barrier made by Cadence and Shining Armour.

Why Armour couldn't actually help her maintaining it, was a mystery to her, but from what she could gather, he did not have the magic of love that powered the barier and repelled the Monster hiding in the blizzard...

They didn't have much time...