Phantom Mane

When Phantom Mane awoke the sun had yet to rise but the colors along the horizon indicated it wasn’t far away. Since it was still a little cold Phantom Mane grabbed his mother’s scarf from atop a pile of books and bolted out the door. He raced for the main entrance and threw it open. The horizon glowed a dazzling array of oranges and purples but still the sun had yet to rise. A brisk breeze was blowing and Phantom Mane knew he ought to feel cold but he did not. He trotted over to and placed his hooves on the base of one of the great crystal griffin statues guarding the door before he scrambled up onto it’s back, then it’s head. Just as he settled himself, the first rays of sunlight stretched their golden fingers over the horizon. They illuminated everything they touched, the light refracting through the crystals that made up the city, scattering rainbows and flooding the world with colour. Phantom Mane felt something wet sliding across his cheeks, being blown sideways by the wind. Oh, how he had waited for this for so long! None of the windows in his old house offered a view of the horizon so this was to be his first sunrise. He thought of his parents, of how much they had never been able to do together. Of how King Sombra had treated them but also of how He, too, was a victim of another tragedy and he wept. It felt so good! He remained there for some time as the sun rose with his eyes closed and relief written on his face, tears flowing freely. *** It was mid-morning when Phantom Mane came back inside. Amethyst stared at him, then back to his room, then back to him. “Where did you canter off to?” she asked, perplexed. “I just had something I needed to do,” was all he said. Amethyst noticed he was smiling, he hadn’t smiled since he had been found at one of the gates to the Empire. He seemed lighter as well, like he had been carrying a crippling burden that had only just now been lifted. She didn’t know what to make of it, so she just smiled in return. “The ambassadors from Ponyville are coming today, aren’t they?” asked Phantom Mane. “Well yes, I think that’s what those guards were saying,” answered Amethyst. “Perhaps we ought to do something to welcome them. Any ideas?” Phantom Mane suggested. “I think it might be best if we just let them go about their business and pitch in if need be. We could finish cleaning up this place, though. They’re bound to want to use it at some point,” replied Amethyst. Phantom Mane looked slightly disappointed but whatever had him in such a good mood seemed to prevail and they both got to work. *** Some time later, around mid-morning, as Phantom Mane was cleaning near one of the windows, he heard a commotion outside. He looked out the window to see an orange earth pony knocking on doors and generally looking very out of place. That must be one of the ambassadors, he thought. He stopped what he was doing, trotted quickly to the door and headed outside. As he approached the mare, he noticed she wore an old fedora and that her cutie mark was of three red apples. She was talking to a crystal pony and seemed to be growing ever more frustrated the longer she talked. The conversation ended abruptly as she threw her hat to the ground and cried out, “Oh for the love of Celestia! Can’t any of y’all give me a straight answer?!” Phantom Mane took a step back as she stooped to pick up her hat before turning around and nearly bowling him over. “Sorry but I ain’t got time to waste if you ain’t got nothin’ to say,” she said as she made to move around him. “Wait!” He exclaimed. “What is it you need to know? Maybe I can help?” The mare sighed, “I don’t suppose you would happen to know how the Crystal Empire protected itself from danger back in the day, would’ya?” Phantom Mane looked troubled, “I’m not really sure-” The mare buried her face in her hoof. “B-But if there’s anywhere that might have the information you’re looking for, I bet it’s the library!” he hastily finished. The mare looked up, seeming hopeful. “Now we’re gettin’ somewhere! Where abouts is this library?” Phantom Mane pointed back across the street to the building he had just come from. “Right, then,” she said, “I’ll go grab Twilight and the others and be back in a jiffy!” Phantom Mane waved as she galloped off before heading back inside to tell Amethyst the good news. *** It really was only a very short while later when the mare returned bringing with her 2 unicorns, 2 pegasi, another earth pony, and… was that a dragon?! They were looking for a book on how the Crystal Empire used to protect itself so Amethyst suggested they try searching for a history book. The ambassadors decided they would look for it on their own and Phantom Mane kept his distance but he wanted to keep an eye on that dragon. He’d never encountered one before but he had heard they could breathe fire and he would hate to see it do that in the library. Phantom had many questions he was dying to ask them about Canterlot or “Ponyville” (wherever that was) but the ambassadors for the most part seemed far too busy. Phantom’s eyes drifted over to the dragon. It was searching through a pile of books the blue pegasus had dumped there. He still worried it might set the books alight so he got a little closer to where he could see it better. As he moved towards it, the dragon seemed to notice him and turned to face his direction. Phantom froze midstep, eyes widening. It took a step towards him. He took a small step back. It gave him a funny look, waved and said, “Hiya!” Phantom stumbled back and let out a small gasp, “Y-You can talk?!” “Well, of course!” it said. “I’m Spike. Spike the Dragon! Pleased to meet you!” It held out a… claw? Hand? What were dragon appendages called again? He wasn’t sure what it would do but it seemed rude for him to do nothing so he tentatively held out a hoof in return. Suddenly the dragon grabbed his hoof and began shaking it up and down. Phantom had no idea what it’s intentions were so he screwed up his face and braced for the worst. Just as suddenly the dragon stopped shaking his hoof, “What? Not into shaking hooves?” It… Spike... looked up at Phantom curiously. He swallowed, “W-Why would you shake my hoof?” Spike wore a bemused expression, “It’s polite! I was just trying to be friendly. Sheesh.” Phantom Mane looked sheepish. He should have guessed they might have different customs in Canterlot or Ponyville or wherever this dragon came from. He took a deep breath, “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting… well, we don’t really do that here. I’m Phantom Mane.” He did his best to put on a smile. “Well, what do you do, then?” asked the dragon, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. Phantom Mane began to sweat. Come to think of it, he had no idea. Other than Amethyst, he’d never properly ‘met’ anypony. He raised one hoof slowly, his mind racing. The dragon lowered his arms, the bemused expression returning. “We… um, well we sorta… uh, hold out your hoof. Hand! Thing! And uh…” he began. Before he could finish the dragon closed it’s claw into a fist and punched the bottom of his hoof. “Oh, so you’re into hoof-bumps! Noted…” he said grabbing a scroll and quill off a nearby table and writing something down. “Twilight will want to know all of this,” he explained. “Which one’s Twilight?” asked Phantom. Spike pointed towards the purple unicorn enthusiastically levitating a chain of books into a nearby pile. “She uh, likes research. A lot,” he said, a tired expression on his face. As he watched, the unicorn in question let out a resounding “YES!!” and clutched a large leather tome to her chest. She levitated it in front of her as the other ambassadors gathered around. “I think this might be the one,” said Spike. “Mind if we borrow it?” “No, sure! Go ahead!” Phantom replied, “Anything for the Princesses!” Spike smiled as he walked over to join the others and a few minutes later they left for the castle. *** Some time later they heard the strained notes of what sounded like a flugelhorn. The sound was unfamiliar to Phantom but Amethyst seemed to recognise it. “Whatever could that be?” she said to herself, wandering outside. Phantom followed close behind. As they crossed the threshold Phantom heard the voice of the purple unicorn from before reverberating across the Empire, “Hear ye! Hear ye! Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armour do cordially invite you to attend the Crystal Faire!” Amethyst’s face lit up, “The Crystal Faire! I remember! Not all of it, but oh! Such sweet, sweet memories! Come on, Phantom Mane!” With that she took off at a gallop many mares half her age would have struggled to match. “Wait!” called out Phantom as he ran back inside to grab his scarf. By the time he returned, Amethyst was long gone.

The first few days were the hardest. Phantom Mane barely knew the Crystal Empire before the 1000 Year gap and now he had to try and understand it without his parents. He would have been lost if it weren’t for the librarian, Amethyst Maresbury. Today was the third day after his ordeal, this is where the story continues. *** Phantom Mane blinked his eyes open. Light streamed in through the window across his bed illuminating a swarm of dust particles as it inched it’s way up the covers towards his nose. In a few moments it would be in his eyes anyway so he lazily pushed the duvet aside and rolled out of the old, disused bed. The librarian, Amethyst, had put him up in a small storage room at the end of one of the rows of books. The room wasn’t particularly large and was filled with spare copies of books from the library but it did have a window at least. The librarian had found the bed in one of the lower storage rooms and Phantom had moved it up here the previous day. Phantom hadn’t wanted to stay but the librarian quickly convinced him of the folly of leaving right away to find his parents. They were up most of the night talking about what Phantom Mane had written in the letter he had been going to give her, so he was still very tired. The tired stallion moved groggily to the door and used his magic to open it, frowning as it frosted over. Glancing around at the bandages on his flank, he frowned with disdain. What had the Windigo done to him? As he walked down the rows of shelves he found himself in the magic section. This was purely coincidental but Phantom was glad, he had so much to catch up on. After making a mental note of where it was, he walked around to the front desk and knocked politely on Amethyst’s office door behind it. He was surprised when nopony answered, perhaps she was still asleep? Abruptly he heard a rustling coming from behind him and turned around to find Amethyst standing behind him balancing a pile of books on one hoof. “Well, look who finally decided to get up!” she said cheerily. “Do you normally sleep in this late?” “Well, you did keep me up half the night, to be fair,” Phantom Mane said sleepily. “Oh yes, well. Sorry about that, I… I just…” Amethyst responded, looking downcast. Phantom levitated the books to the floor from her hoof (quickly to avoid freezing them) and trotted over to give her a hug. “Thank you for taking me in. I still miss them but... “ he trailed off, turning his head to hide the tears. “Thanks to you, I have somepony to talk to.” She gave him a sad smile. “Come on, let’s go get some brunch,” she said. *** It was well and truly lunch time by the time they left the library. Amethyst took them to what must once have been a lovely cafe but since King Sombra’s rule had fallen into disrepair. Some ponies who may or may not have actually worked there were manning the till and had obviously done their best to clean everything up. Even so, there were still cobwebs in some of the corners and somepony had forgotten to finish sweeping up the dust under one of the tables. Most of what was on the menu was out of stock as well, except for a few supplies brought in with the Canterlot guards. That was okay, though. Phantom wouldn’t have known what to order anyway, having only grown up eating oats and grains. Amethyst, realising this, ordered Hay fries and cupcakes for both of them. While Phantom found the fries a little strange, he had never heard of hay being used for anything but bedding, he tried them anyway. The flavour wasn’t dissimilar to most of the grains he was used to eating, it was just the texture, it was quite… odd. It was pretty much what he imaged eating his bed would be like and he wasn’t quite sure if he liked it yet. Still, he finished them and moved onto the cupcake. The first thing he noticed was the flavour, it was so sweet. It made him completely forget about the texture for a moment and he almost gagged. Not wanting to be rude, he hid it as best as he could and made what he hoped were appreciative sounds. Amethyst seemed satisfied so he politely declined the rest of his cupcake and they left to see some more of the Crystal Empire. *** It still amazed Phantom how much brighter it was now. The storm that raged outside the Crystal Heart’s shield during King Sombra’s reign seemed to have dissipated, which was just as well since at the moment there was no shield and he wondered how he hadn’t noticed before. He had been about to turn to Amethyst and ask her about it when a Canterlot guard appeared ahead of them and bellowed, “Make Way! Make Way for the Princess!” Phantom’s heart ached. How he wished his parents could have been here to see this! With a heavy heart he moved to the side of the road and bowed low, along with everypony else. Though his eyes were focused downwards he heard an approaching carriage, which slowed to a stop somewhere further up the road. He heard a voice, he supposed it must be Celestia’s, call out in a gentle but authoritative tone: “Citizens of the Crystal Empire. I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, here on behalf of Princess Celestia and Luna of Canterlot.” Phantom Mane’s mind whirled. Okay, he thought, that’s a little odd but I suppose the other Princesses must still be coming. Then he heard another voice. It was not the Princess’s voice. It was a deep, commanding tone belonging to a stallion. His head snapped up and to the left, eyes wide and pupils dilated. To his horror, he saw a male unicorn sitting atop the chariot next to the Princess. “Sombra!” was all he managed to choke out before his vision went dark. *** Phantom’s eyes snapped open as he awoke to find himself drenched in sweat slumped on the side of the street. His breath was rapid and he was seeing stars. A Canterlot guard stood over him next to Amethyst, both of whom were looking very concerned. Everypony else had moved on, save a few who stood nearby whispering in excited tones. It was a few minutes before he could speak. “S-Sombra! H-He was here! With that Princess!” he gasped. Amethyst visibly recoiled at the mention of his name, while the guard just looked confused. Amethyst’s eyes were wide, “Are you sure?” she asked. She looked terrified at the thought. She might not remember much, but King Sombra had left a strong impression on everypony. The guard gave the petrified pony a funny look. “No, that was Shining Armour, the Princess’s husband,” he stated. Phantom was not even slightly convinced. “He matches everything I’ve ever been told. He’s come back for us!!” His breath sped up and he felt darkness creeping at the corners of his vision again. “Woah, woah, calm down. You’re gonna pass out again,” said the guard. Phantom did his best to slow his breathing. The darkness edged back. He tried to swallow but his mouth was dry. This was a nightmare. It had to be. The Princesses defeated Sombra… right? He forced himself to take deep breaths. “Y-Yeah, of course. How silly of me… S-Sombra is gone, r-right?” He was shaking so hard his teeth were chattering. “Shining Armour was Captain of the Royal Guard for years before he married the Princess. I even trained under him at one point. I’m sure if you met him…” the guard began, though he trailed off when he saw the young stallion’s ears flatten, eyes wide with terror, “Nevermind.” Amethyst, too was looking rather nervous. She seemed more convinced than Phantom Mane but there was still doubt in her eyes. “I think we better go,” said Amethyst, half-carrying Phantom as they stumbled off back towards the library. *** When they arrived back at the library Phantom was able to stand on his own again but was still visibly shaken, as was Amethyst. “It can’t be Him,” Amethyst was saying, “the Princesses defeated him!” “I want to believe that,” Phantom replied, “but how can we be sure? Nopony else can remember Him and I’ve never seen him. What if it is Him?!” Amethyst looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, this is a library. We must have a book about Him or something…” She shuddered at the thought. “Oh! I can’t even remember if I work here or not. How are we going to find anything in here?” They both sat in silence, thinking for a few moments. “There must be some logical order to the library. Things aren’t just put in here at random, are they? By my room is mostly magic books, for example!” exclaimed Phantom. “Everything must be grouped by topic! There must be a section for, hmm… I dunno, maybe Crystal Empire royalty? If that’s the case, we just need to find one book related to the topic and we’ll be able to find the rest!” Amethyst perked up at this, “Well, it’s worth a try, I suppose. I wonder how many books we have on Crystal Empire Royalty, I’ll have a look to see if we have a list somewhere while you get started!” With that she trotted off to her office. *** The search went on for hours. It was made slower because Phantom was doing his best to avoid using his magic and freezing the books. This meant he had to pick up each one with his mouth and try to flip through its pages with his hooves. How did Amethyst do this?! Finally, he found a book which seemed to be relevant. He made a mental note of where he got it from before setting off at a gallop for Amethyst’s office with it. “Amethyst! I think I’ve found something!” he said as he beat rapidly on the door with his hoof. The door flew open and Amethyst stumbled out, covered in paper. “For Celestia’s sake! Give me a heart attack, would ya?” she said as she shook papers out of her mane. “Sorry but take a look at this!” Phantom said as he thrust the book out, almost dropping it as he tried to balance it on one hoof. The librarian gave him a funny look staring up at his horn, then back at the book several times before taking it from him. “‘A Somber Hope.’ You know this is a story-book, right? For foals?” she said. “Oh,” replied Phantom Mane, looking downcast and having had no idea. It wasn’t one he’d had the pleasure of reading. Amethyst seemed to consider the book for a moment. “I suppose we might find something of use. We’ll just have to take it with a grain of salt. It is a work of fiction that was merely based on reality, after all.” A shadow passed over her face, “You know, I think I remember something! The King was never very fond of this particular story. Kept ordering it be destroyed, then changing His mind. I wonder if that means something?” She shook her head, “Don’t mind my rambling. It’s a side-effect of aging.” She opened the book to the first page and began to read: “There once lived a colt in the Crystal Empire who was a little different from the others. His name was Sombra. The other foals would tease him because of his dark gray coat and the way he would talk. All but one. She was a pretty little filly, she inspired courage in Sombra as much as her namesake, Hope. They faced the world together. One day they decided to go to the Crystal Faire to see their futures in the Crystal Heart. They saved up all their gems in preparation for going. The little foals couldn’t wait for the Faire, however, so they decided to go and see the Crystal Heart early where it rested at the base of the Castle. When they gazed into their reflections in the Crystal Heart, Hope saw herself becoming a beautiful Princess. Sombra on the other hand saw a shadow bearing his face and was afraid. Suddenly the ruler of the Empire at the time, a Princess named Amore, appeared behind them both. She told them the Crystal Heart reflects what is in your own heart but that a heart can change. Hope rejoiced but Sombra felt only despair. Sombra never told anypony what he saw, not even Hope or the Princess. Days passed and it was finally time for the Crystal Faire. It ought to have been a time for joy and celebration but Sombra was struck with a terrible illness. He was wracked with pain but Hope refused to leave his side. They were both saddened, Hope because she could not see the Crystal Faire, Sombra because he was the reason why. The illness stayed with Sombra until late that night, long after the festivities had ended. The illness repeated every year on the day of the Faire and so neither pony ever got to see it. But they were together. Though the years went on, the hardship drew them together. Just like they always had, they faced it together. There was something between them, something powerful that nopony could ever break: Friendship.” Phantom Mane and Amethyst looked at each other, tears in their eyes. “You know, it’s been so long since I read that… I had forgotten how it went,” Amethyst said, her voice breaking slightly. “After everything He’s done… is it wrong that I feel sorry for Him?” Phantom Mane asked, his voice quaking. He could immediately tell who it was based on, not least of all because His name had been used. Amethyst managed a small smile. “No, Phantom, that is true compassion.” *** By this point it was late afternoon, almost time for dinner. Amethyst took the book back to her study for safekeeping, then they both left the library to find someplace to eat. As they trotted down the street they ran into another Canterlot guard. Since they weren’t in any great hurry anyway, they stopped him to ask a few more questions about the Princess and Shining Armour, “So, this Princess, I know her name but who is she, exactly?” Phantom began. “That’s a pretty big question. You sure you don’t wanna be a little more specific?” asked the guard pony. “Well I guess what I’m trying to ask... and I don’t mean to be rude but... what right does Princess Cadence have to the throne of the Crystal Empire? I mean, I’ve never even heard of her before…” he replied swallowing hard. He had done his best to be tactful but he wasn’t sure how else to ask what he needed to and it hadn’t sounded great. If the guard found this offensive, thought, he didn’t show it. The guard replied, “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is a distant relative of Princess Amore, former ruler of the Crystal Empire. As it happens, there is nopony more closely related so the Princess is next in line.” Phantom Mane looked relieved. King Sombra destroyed Princess Amore so he couldn’t imagine Him associating with anypony related to her, even as cover. He still had his doubts but they carried a little less weight than before. Phantom thanked the guard before he and Amethyst continued on towards the marketplace. *** They settled on a small, relatively tidy-looking restaurant near the edge of the square for dinner and Amethyst ordered them both burgers and hay-fries. Phantom was still unsure about the hay-fries so he attempted to pick up the burger with his hooves. Unfortunately, he grabbed it by the top bun and the remainder of it plopped back onto the plate. Luckily Amethyst didn’t seem to notice (or chose not to) so he quickly placed the top bun back and tried again. He carefully positioned his hooves on either side of the burger, applied gentle pressure, and slowly lifted them off the plate. His hooves were shaking from trying to keep the burger upright. Suddenly his right hoof dipped a little too far. He tried to correct this but overcompensated. His burger flew out of his hooves and disappeared under a table somewhere off to his left. Phantom’s eyes darted around but fortunately there were hardly any ponies in this particular restaurant and Amethyst had taken off her glasses to eat, so he hastily began munching his hay-fries. When they had both finished they stood up, Amethyst thanked the pony at the cashier and they both left before they discovered the mess Phantom had left behind. *** As they were leaving, a brilliant blue beam of magic shot up out of the Crystal Castle. It went up even higher than the highest spire before flattening out and spilling downwards, encapsulating the Empire in a magical dome. Everypony stopped what they were doing and stared in awe. “W-Was that the Crystal Heart?” exclaimed Phantom Mane. “It must be! It was first used well before my time and since then it’s power has only been replenished. How lucky we are to be able to witness it’s return!” replied Amethyst. Phantom felt a little better. There was no way King Sombra would have allowed the Crystal Heart to be returned. If he were the King, he would have gone on pretending the Crystal Heart was missing rather than giving it back. How he wished his parents had been here… He wiped away a few tears and Amethyst placed her hoof around his shoulders. They stood there for a long time, staring up at the dome in wonder.

My name is Phantom Mane, and this is my story. I was born and raised in the Crystal Empire near the end of King Sombra’s reign, several years before it disappeared. My father was a blue Unicorn, and my mother a golden Pegasus. All foals born in the Crystal Empire at the time were recorded in a census to make sure they were put to work as soon as possible. I was different. When my parents had me, they kept me hidden at home. I existed, but was never seen by anypony but them, like a phantom. I was their little phantom, and the name stuck. At the time King Sombra was planning to repurpose the Crystal Heart, and without it the Crystal Empire would need some other way to protect itself from the vicious cold outside its shield. The King thus had every available pony, not just the Pegasi but Unicorns as well, begin training for the eventual life we would face controlling the weather without the Crystal Heart. This included my parents. Dad began teaching me all he could in the precious few hours he had off about weather control. As he put it, “These spells may be the only thing that save you. Well, them and your mother.” He smiled when he said this, but I could tell he was scared. Without the Crystal Heart we would have to rely on shifts of ponies to control the weather, and there was no way it would be anywhere near as effective. I was only young. Foals don’t do so well in the cold. Food in the Crystal Empire was strictly controlled, all we had to eat were dry grains and oats. We lived in a small, bear-bones house near what used to be the marketplace so there was never much that needed taking care of, either. As you can imagine that left a lot of free time in my day with nothing to do and little to eat. I was young, I got bored. I was supposed to stay away from the windows, my parents were afraid somepony would see me and I would be taken away to work. I knew this, but my curiosity was too strong. When my parents weren’t there I loved to look out the window at the world I would never know. I was usually pretty careful, but I still remember that one day I wasn’t. There was one window I liked best overlooking the old marketplace. I would peek up over the windowsill, just under the curtains so as little of me was showing as possible. One day I must have zoned out because it was like I blinked and there was this old mare looking back at me. I was so shocked I froze, but she didn’t say anything. She just gave me a small, sad smile and her eyes shone with kindness. We both stood there for few moments before the mare slowly turned around and trotted away. I got a pretty good look at her, and judging by her appearance she matched the description of one of the mares Dad had seen working at the library. Dad said she seemed nice, but he always warned me nopony could truly be trusted anymore. Under King Sombra’s rule, everypony was equal. Except those that were “More Equal.” You became “More Equal” by turning on your neighbours. Turning somepony in for possessing something illegal would get you food, a better job, better hours. It only cost you your soul. I think the King allowed it so there would be just enough love directed towards Him to power the Crystal Heart. Truth be told, while Mom and Dad hated this upper class of ponies, I never could bring myself to. At least some of them had to have foals just like me that they were trying to feed. Trying to love. Others were separated from theirs as soon as they were old enough to work. Not many of those broken families ever saw each other again. Knowing that, I can’t help but pity them. They were betrayed by a King who didn’t treat them as a King ought to, and in turn they perpetuate the betrayal. They barely got to experience the love all ponies should and in doing what they did, they ensured they never would again. I considered myself lucky to have my parents, when so many others didn’t. My dad used to joke about how if there was ever a Changeling invasion, we would be the first to go (much to Mom’s disapproval). With the Empire in the state it was it was highly unlikely the Changelings would have any interest in coming here anyway, though. In spite of this, rumours of Changelings still cropped up from time to time and spread like wildfire. From everything I had heard, Changelings were vicious, savage creatures who struck quickly and without remorse yet nopony had ever heard of an attack. Still the rumours spread. I used to wonder if they were started by King Sombra to keep us all in line. It was a hard time for us all, made a little more bearable by each other. Mom and Dad would work while I stayed at home and when Dad got back he would teach me what he had learned that day. Life went on like this for several years. It was one fateful day while I was practising weather magic that I got my cutie mark. Mom was also there, it was one of the few occasions where both my parents’ schedules lined up just right so that they could be home together. It should have been a proud moment and there was pride in my Father’s eyes as I looked over at him. But as I looked I could also see despair. My cutie mark was a tornado, a weather cutie mark. On a Unicorn. He was so proud, but it killed him to know I had gotten a cutie mark that was so unnatural. I looked over at Mom. She wore the same expression. Nopony knew what to say, so we just held each other. I felt their tears sliding down my neck. Me getting my cutie mark sparked a fire in my parents. Indignation pure and bright as Celestia’s sun. King Sombra might not have given me my cutie mark but He was the reason I got the one I did. It was so wrong and they knew then we could not stay here any longer. We planned an escape but it was not a selfish bid to save ourselves, we were going to Yakyakistan. We would ask the Yaks, beg them if need be, to come to the Crystal Empire’s aid. This was for all of us. This was for freedom, a concept I still had yet to grasp. To get there though we had to cross The Pale. A barren waste of snow and ice, devoid of life, engulfed in a perpetual storm. It was impossible but it was our only chance. It took weeks but we finally saved up enough food for the trip. Dad estimated it would take about 4 or 5 days to reach Yakyakistan by my pace. They didn’t want to take me but to leave me here would condemn me to the workforce and I might never see them again. As Dad grimly put it “We might not see you again anyway.” There were tears in both my parents eyes as he said this. Nopony survived The Pale, though many tried. Some were trying to escape. Their punishment? King Sombra gave them what they wanted. He sent them out into The Pale without any supplies. Nopony ever saw them again. We were ready to go but we still delayed leaving by a couple of days. Dad had pulled a few strings by calling in a favour with one of the librarians (I think I know which one) which allowed him and Mom to work the same shift at the library. It allowed him to do more research on Yakyakistan and for him and Mom to be together for our escape. We had a real reason for staying but I also think we were looking for an excuse to stay a little longer, steeling ourselves for what was to come. The plan was to leave just before dawn. We wouldn’t last long out on The Pale at night, but we couldn’t be seen leaving either so we planned our escape for changing of the guard. In truth there weren’t many guards patrolling our border anyway. Nopony was foolish enough to try to leave and nopony could survive the trek to the Crystal Empire from beyond The Pale. The only safe ways in or out were via train but they were heavily guarded. It was so quiet when we left. All I could hear was the sound of our hooves crunching in the dead grass and weeds that had grown up among the cobbles of the once-proud street. It was a glorious moment for me, my first time outside. Oh how I longed to explore and see all the things until then I had only heard about or glimpsed from my window, but we had to keep going. This would be the first and last time I would see it like this. I remember vividly as we approached the magical barrier how the temperature dropped the closer we got. It was the first time I had experienced such cold. It seeped through the blankets we had bundled around ourselves and the cold stung my eyes, but it was nothing compared to what was to come. As soon as we pushed our way through the barrier, we were nearly swept off our hooves by a howling gale. Snowflakes shot past my face like daggers. The cold was breathtaking. I couldn’t hear either of my parents, I only knew they were still there because they pressed themselves up against me on either side, keeping me steady. Dad tried his best to direct the worst of the wind away from us, but one pony can do little against all of nature. The word “nature” doesn’t really seem appropriate to describe it. There was nothing natural about this storm. If the sun was rising it was impossible to tell, the sky was filled with snow. It was so dark Dad lit up his horn. I could tell even this small act on top of what he was already doing cost him greatly. We pressed on. It was a terrifying moment when only a few feet from the barrier, we lost sight of it altogether and were engulfed by the blizzard. We stumbled on for hours; the sky never lightened, the wind never lessened, and we could only hope we stayed straight. Dad borrowed a compass from the library before we left but whenever we didn’t have it out, it felt like we were drifting farther and farther off course. We were all freezing and we had nothing to make fire with and nowhere to do it. The faint point of light from the sun, when it did finally rise, did nothing to warm us. Dad decided then we could go no further. We still had no idea how much progress we had made but we needed to get out of the wind. Since it was all he could do to keep the wind from flattening us, Mom and me began digging a small cave into the snow at our feet. Sometimes we hit ice and had to dig around but eventually we hollowed out enough of a space for us all to fit. It was tight, but while it wasn’t warm by any stretch of the imagination, it was still less cold than outside. Since we weren’t in as much danger of frostbite, and we were out of the wind, Mom pulled out our supplies of food. We both had some grain, and I remember wondering if King Sombra gave us food like this deliberately because He knew how hard it would be to eat it out here. Dad was too tired to even eat, using so much magic had drained him and he soon fell asleep. I soon followed. I think it was the next day when I awoke, it was still so dark. Mom must have dozed off as well. Both Mom and Dad were used to working hard, but nopony could last long doing what they already had. It took some effort to wake them, but soon we were all ready to carry on. The snow was a little thinner and we could make out the sun just above the horizon but we still could not see the sky through the snow. The wind had not lessened at all. I remember feeling hungry but we had already eaten the meal we planned for today. We made better progress that day, but it was still only mid-afternoon before we could go no further. We made another snow-cave and climbed into it. I would later learn that it was around this time the two Princesses Luna and Celestia began their assault on the Crystal Empire. That night while we slept was the night the Princesses banished our King deep into The Pale but not before He could commit one final act. One last spell, full of hatred, to spite all of Equestria and rob them of their victory. He cast a curse over the Crystal Empire. Not just the Kingdom, but all its’ inhabitants, everypony who had ever belonged to Him. The worst was done to those still in the Crystal Empire. He might as well have killed them. He erased their memories. He erased who they were. The Princesses might have saved the ponies of the Crystal Empire but the mares, colts, stallions and fillies they used to be are long gone. The ponies that wander the streets today are not the same as the ones who used to sweat and bleed under King Sombra’s rule. The ponies we knew, however fleetingly. The Pegasi and Unicorns that worked alongside my parents and the Earth ponies they both knew. The mare from the library who smiled at me from the marketplace. All of them gone, leaving nothing but hollow shells wearing their faces. They say our King was compassionate once. That He used to love somepony. That He used to care about His subjects. I cannot believe that. How could anypony who has known love do something so vile? They tell me we were gone a thousand years but for us it was like no time had passed. When we awoke, the winds had lessened. It only took a millennium. We were able to see the sky for the first time since leaving the Crystal Empire. It even seemed a little less cold. Being unaware of what happened back home we pressed on for Yakyakistan. We seemed to be making good progress but just when things seemed to get better, they got infinitely worse. On the horizon we saw a dark shape protruding out of the ground like a dagger. It stretched high into the sky and as we approached, it blotted out the sun. I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, a feeling I’m sure my parents shared. Still we made for the tower anyway since it was the only thing we’d seen besides ice and snow since we left the Crystal Empire. I guess we hoped it might be Yakyakistan. Nopony we knew had ever been there or knew much about it. Dad couldn’t read very well, he was self-taught but he read what he could on Yakyakistan before we left. We knew they built imposing fortresses out of wood to keep out the wind and while we couldn’t tell what the tower was made of, what else could it be? My feelings of unease grew as we approached. Whoever built this tower was no friend to us. We were about to turn around and carry on further Northwest when a door at the base of the tower began to open. I hadn’t noticed it at first because it blended in so well with the rest of the tower. Then they came streaming out of the doorway. Windigoes. Dozens of them. I knew what they were from stories I’d been told. The temperature plummeted as they glided silently towards us, they knew we had nowhere to go so they took their time. I was still a little behind Mom. They had definitely seen my parents. I don’t think they’d seen me yet. Mom turned to me with a look of determination in her eyes. She took the scarf from around her neck and wrapped it around mine. She was breathing heavily and looking back, I think she was preparing to die. Dad was in front of her gathering all the magic he had left to make one last stand. I still remember Mom’s last words to me: “Run. Get as far away from here as you can and don’t come back for us! We both love you very much… we’ll always be with you.” She gave me one last kiss on my forehead before she shoved me around in the opposite direction from the tower. I was so shocked, I just ran. But not before I saw what happened. I couldn’t help it. They encircled Mom and Dad, whirling around them faster and faster. As I watched ice began to form on my parents’ hooves spreading up their legs. They tried their best to fight back but nothing they did had any effect on the Windigoes. Dad’s spells shot straight through them, Mom’s kicks hit nothing but air. The ice began forming faster and faster and within moments they were both frozen solid. I had stopped. I sobbed harder than I ever had before. The Windigoes began streaming back inside, save one, smaller than the others and trailing towards the back. To this day I don’t know what made it notice me when all the others left me alone but it did. I saw it through bleary eyes turn it’s deformed and elongated head towards me and snarl. It was on me in a heartbeat, I scarcely had time to react before it had knocked me to the ground. One of it’s talons left a long curling cut along my right flank. It burned like frostbite but a hundred times worse. The blood that oozed from it quickly froze and it felt like the cold was spreading out underneath my skin. By reflex I cast a spell Dad had taught me, a simple breeze to push it away from me but this time it felt different. For Unicorns magic is used as a way of expressing yourself. Every piece of magic we perform is like casting a piece of yourself for everypony to see, Dad used to say. This was nothing like that. If magic is an expression, it felt like I was expressing somepony else. It left me feeling sick but I did cast it. It didn’t do what I was expecting either. The wind was much stronger than I intended and laced with ice and a magical energy I didn’t recognize. The blast caught caught the Windigo full in the face. I had never seen a Windigo before that day but I got a good look at it then. It looked like a young filly. At first it seemed shocked and we both remained perfectly still, staring at each other. Then it did the most surprising thing of all. It smiled. As it did, it faded slowly away into nothing. I stood there, mouth agape for a few moments. Eventually, with shaking legs and frozen tears I limped away as fast as I could. I have no memory of travelling the next couple of days. I just remember a constant, gnawing hunger. The burning sensation from my cut had changed to numbness and spread out under my skin across my entire body. The wind died down until it was but a whisper, the sun providing significant warmth for the first time since leaving the Empire. I think it was only because of this that I made it back to the Crystal Empire alive. The next thing I remembered was collapsing just inside one of the city gates too tired to care if anypony saw me. Then I knew no more. Somepony must have found me and taken me to the library because I woke up in a bed there and the first thing I remember thinking was “This isn’t our house.” In fact, at the time I didn’t know where I was and that terrified me. Then the memories came flooding back: the escape, the Windigoes, my parents… I began to cry. I couldn’t stop the tears. As it turned out, I was in the Imperial Library and of the librarians must have heard me because the next thing I knew one was beside me, doing her best to comfort me. It was none other than the mare I had seen in the marketplace all those years ago. I think that was the only reason I didn’t bolt when I saw her. I was still shocked to be sure but just like before, something in her eyes said I could trust her. In my head I knew I should run but my heart hurt too much and it was all I could do to stay upright as all the emotions I had been unable to show for the past few days came pouring out. It was a long time before I was able to do anything else but cry terrible, bitter tears. Some time later, it must have been hours, my emotions were finally spent. The librarian stayed with me throughout my ordeal and when I finished she brought me some soup. At first I actually didn’t know what it was. I had only ever eaten oats or grains. I think the mare was as confused by my reaction as I was about the soup. I guess she thought I was waiting for her to feed me? Anyway, that’s just what she did. It didn’t take me long to figure out everypony had lost their memories. I was scared to leave the room I had woken up in at first, fearing somepony would snatch me up and put me to work. With some encouragement though, the librarian managed to convince me to follow her out. I’m still not sure why I trusted her so much but I felt like wherever I went, if she was there, I would be alright. As I left the room I noticed some Pegasi in armour over by the entrance to the library. I shied away from them, fearing they might be higher-class, but they took no interest in me. Nopony really did. I asked the librarian what was going on, and she tried to answer, but she seemed confused. She said her memories were a little fuzzy. When I finally worked up the courage to ask some of the other ponies they said the same thing. In fact the only ponies who seemed to know anything at all were the ponies in golden armour I had seen by the entrance. I realized when I talked to them that they couldn’t be higher-class because although King Sombra’s patrols sometimes wore armour, it was never gold. They told me they were from Canterlot, the city of the Princesses! That was when I found out that they had come to save us. The royal guards gave me a brief run-down on what happened and at first I couldn’t believe that a thousand years had passed. It didn’t matter, though. The soldiers were just the advance party. Not far behind them were ambassadors from Ponyville (wherever that was) to prepare the way for Their Majesties Luna and Celestia! I know what I have to do now, and there isn’t much time. Mom and Dad should be here for the Princesses’ arrival. They of all ponies should get to see them coming to save us! I am writing this for the librarian who took care of me. Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t have the heart to tell you all this myself. I know you’d try to stop me anyway, and I have to do this. My parents need me. I need them. I can’t leave them. I’m sorry. -Signed Phantom Mane