Beards in the Old Crystal Empire

Beards in the Old Crystal Empire
A one-shot taking place before the main story arc of Beards in Time
Bare with me, I'm not very satisfied with this. But it had to be done.

Main story arc begins here: http://pastebin.com/XtQkMjTr

>Today was just another day, couped up in this old wizard's tower that you called home
>Your mentor, Star Swirl, was practicing some equations and theories while monitoring various time-lines for temporal disturbances
>No matter what he worked on, he would always be observing the flow of time
>And not just your own, but the others you've discovered over the years
>These disturbances were fairly rare, thankfully
>Some times you would see them a few times in a month, other times they would be spaced more than a month apart, or even longer
>They could be dangerous, in fact they usually were, but you didn't care so much any more
>Those scarce discrepancies in time brought excitement into your otherwise rather boring life, and you weren't about to complain about that
>Lucky for you, this was going to be one of those days
>As if on queue, something grabs your mentors' attention
>"Hmm, what have we here?"
>You immediately perk up when you notice him begin to channel some magic into his time apparatus, that would allow him to further see where the disturbance is
>Said apparatus was really just a rectangular metal object that had been carefully enchanted
>Steams of magic energy would flow within the object, varying in color and intensity
>Of course it was much more complex than that, but you knew next to nothing about it compared to Star Swirl

>He could gaze into the thing like a magic mirror or scrying pool and look into specific moments in the past that were out of place
"Well? What is it?"
>"Hmm..." he hums as he continues to focus "It's... the Crystal Empire incident..."
"Crystal Empire? That place was cursed right, just up and vanished after Celestia and Luna wrecked that King's collective shit?"
>"Precisely, my apprentice."
"So what's wrong then? Did the Princesses lose?"
>"No, it- seems like there simply is no conflict. At all."
"No conflict? Well... Why should we even bother checking it out then?"
>"Because we have a sacred duty to uphold." he says, turning his gaze to you "It doesn't matter if the sudden change in history seems like it would make things better, we have to preserve the flow of time, make sure everything that is supposed to happen, happens. What could be good at first could turn out to be disastrous later on. Come on, how many times do I have to say this?"
"Yeah yeah, I hear ya. So are we both going on this one?"
>"Yes. The Crystal Empire is large, and I cannot see where the issue lies. Anyway, get ready, we'll leave right away."
"Sounds good!"
>With a spring in your step, you make your way to the cabinet in the room that housed your adventuring pack
>It mostly contained a few provisions, tools, and magical implements for self-defense and basic conjurations

>When you're ready, you join Star Swirl on an elevated platform in the room that was surrounded by enchanted objects and other strange devices
>After you take position, Star Swirl's horn begins to glow, and the devices around you begin to come to life
>Soon, a magical energy begins to form, swirling in a counter-clockwise motion around you
>As the seconds pass, it intensifies, the energy getting brighter, and eventually dense to the point where you couldn't see past it
>When you're both completely encompassed in the swirling energy, you look up, preparing for the next phase
>Right on time, the vortex opens up above you, pulling you both in
>Moments later, the energy begins to dissipate, and you notice you're standing on freshly-cut grass
>When the event is over, you take in your surroundings
"Oh, wow."
>"Magnificent, isn't it?"
>You've only seen crude drawings in books, and one semi-detailed image that Celestia had in her castle
>They gave no credit to the beauty of this place
>Most of the buildings look like they were carved straight out of giant crystals
>The colors weren't quite what you expected though
>The buildings were either varying shades of blue and ice, or faded pinks
>Before you stood a massive tower, which looked to be the center of this civilization
>It was mostly white with strands of light blues here and there, plus the whole thing sparkled like the damn sun was shining on every inch of it

>The tower narrowed near the center yet still rose high above everything else
>The tower stood on four large legs, and the area between them and under the tower itself was open
>On it's four edges, above the legs, were smaller spires that stuck out independently
>In the center of the opening below, there was a heart-shaped crystal, being held in-place by two large crystal spikes; one from the ground, one sticking down from the bottom of the tower
>Yep, sure is a lot of crystal around here
>"Ah, the Crystal Heart. That's a good sign at least."
"What's the deal with that thing anyway?"
>"No time for a history lesson. Long story short, it's purpose is to keep evil, or negative magic, out of the empire. Come, let's proceed into the castle."
>You oblige and follow Star Swirl into a set of doors inside one of the towers' four legs
>Not ten seconds inside, after you begin to ascend the spiral stairs, you instantly hate this place
"Why the hell did they think this was a good idea? The first floor to this place is like ten stories up!"
>"To give p0nies a good workout perhaps?" Star Swirl jokes
"Yeah, I doubt that. Easy for you to say anyway, you could just levitate yourself up there."
>"Hmm, I could, couldn't I?"
>Taking your advice, his horn glows and he begins to levitate up the stairs ahead of you
"God dammit..."
>He smirks at you as he continues to pull ahead
>Whatever, not like you couldn't use the exercise

>Hopefully you'll only have to come up here once though
>Finally, the stairs reach a set of double-doors
>Star Swirl was waiting for you at the top; he proceeds to open the doors when you arrive
>Beyond the other side was a very large open room
>At the other end of the room was a single throne, fit for a king
>From the throne, there was a wide faded red-velvet carpet along the floor all the way across the room and out to a balcony
>Sitting upon the throne was a rather unusual looking unicorn
>"King Sombra?" Star Swirl whispers "What in the name of my beard is he doing here on the throne!?"
"Wait. Sombra? Wasn't he the evil king that cursed this empire?"
>"The very same. Come, we must speak with him."
"Wha- are you crazy!?"
>"Look at him. He's... normal. And that's just not normal! He's supposed to be trying to take over this empire by now!"
>Star Swirl begins to walk across the room when a couple guards spot the two of you and trot in your direction
>"Halt citizens!"
>"Excuse us, we wish to speak with the king."
>"King Sombra's not in a good mood, and he's had enough un-supporting visitors for the day." the guard responds angrily "I'll have to ask you to leave immediately."
"You call that a bad mood? I have a feeling you haven't seen anything yet."
>The guard cocks an eyebrow, as Star Swirl raises a hoof in front of you
>"But of course, our apologies. We'll be on our way then."
>Your mentor turns around and pulls you with him

>Soon the two of you are walking back down the stairs
"What's the deal huh?"
>"Let's not push our luck with them just yet. I have a hunch the core of the problem here doesn't lie with Sombra at all."
"Really? What makes you think that?"
>"Just get your tracking implement ready. Hopefully that will lead us to the source."
>After you and Star Swirl exit the tower, that's exactly what you do
>Opening your bag, you retrieve a simple enchanted object
>Really it was just a large two-pronged fork
>You stick it in your beard and slowly comb it down, as you see and feel them come to life
>As you pull the object back out, you can see that it has activated
>There's a single current of magical energy between the tips of the fork, switching colors and bouncing around as you move it about
>As much as you've learned from Star Swirl over the years, these things still manage to boggle your mind
>But you've given up trying to wrap your head around any of it
>It was satisfying enough to have an enchanted beard that could activate other enchanted objects like this
>That way you could take care of basic things whenever Star Swirl wasn't around
>This implement, when activated, could bring you to the source of almost any temporal disturbance
>It would know what is most out of place during an event like this, and could lead you to it
>Oh the wonders of magic
>You slowly move around in a circle, scanning the area

>The magical energy was a light-yellow in color, which meant the source wasn't very far
>Eventually, the energy spiked just slightly, but it was enough to show you the direction you needed to go
"Alright, got it. Shall we?"
>With that, you and Star Swirl began walking into what looked like a commercial district
>The two of you take your time strolling down the main road, many businesses lined up on either side of you in what's likely the most lively part of the city
>There's an opening ahead where the road splits into a few directions
>In the center of the opening was a large fountain, where a pegasus was standing up on it's edge, shouting at various p0nies walking by, with a stack of what looked like newspapers sitting next to him
"Hmm. Town crier maybe?"
>"Yes, perhaps he could give us some more information."
"But we have this-" you say, holding up your implement "So why bother?"
>"It never hurts to have more information, Anonymous."
>As you approach the pegasus, he notices that you're coming up to him
>"Ah, welcome weary travelers! Might I be able to assist you with anything?" he asks enthusiastically
>"As a matter of fact you can! I'm curious what you could tell me about your king, specifically if there's been anything unusual happening with him as of late."
>The pegasus looks around, possibly ensuring no guards or officials are nearby

>"Well, he's been losing a lot of support lately from the residents. P0nies all around say he's paying less and less attention to them, enacting stricter laws for no apparent reason, even being extra greedy. Some still believe in him, others are convinced he's cursed. Some p0nies are publicly acting out against him, and it almost seems like he's holding back an increasing pool of rage. I bet he could snap at any time!"
"I- wow, wasn't expecting that much of a response."
>"You said cursed. Any idea why anyp0ny would consider that?" your mentor inquires
>"There's been a rumor that the king had past experiences with dark magic, and that it might be trying to consume him again. Sounds a little far-fetched to me."
>"Y-yeah, sure does. Well, we thank you very much, you've been most helpful." Star Swirl says, giving a quick bow to the pegasus as he turns and begins walking away
>"Anytime strangers!" the pegasus shouts, waving a hoof
>You wave at him and turn to follow Star Swirl
>"See what I mean by it never hurts to have more information? I'll bet you that when we find the source we'll know exactly what to do."
"A bet huh? Well I- ..hmm, actually, you might be right, come to think of it. Dammit."
>"Ha! Come now, let's follow that trail."
>Holding out the forked implement once more, you continue down the same road
>The color of the magic flowing between the two prongs grows a deeper orange, signaling that you were narrowing in on your target

>Eventually, you pin-point the building it's in
>A medical clinic
>You and Star Swirl share a glance at each-other before you proceed in through the front door
>The implement was glowing red now
>The two of you ignore the greeting from a mare at the front desk as you walk down a hallway, until you're directed into a patient room
>Peering into the room, you spot a male unicorn being looked at by a doctor and a couple nurses
>He had some black crystal-like rocks all over his horn, which apparently prevented him from using any magic
>Star Swirl walks past you and into the room
>The doctor turns to him and glares
>"Whoa, just who are you and what do you think you're doing in here!?" he asks sternly
>"Please, allow me. I've seen this before, I know how to remove it."
>"Excuse me? I'm the doctor here-"
>"Have you ever seen this before? Do you have any idea what to do?" your mentor interrupts
>The doctor stutters, unable to find the correct response
>"That's what I thought. Please, a quick spell will cure this."
>Without waiting for a response, Star Swirl's horn begins to glow
>The unicorn doesn't resist at all, but he is curious
>"So what is this then? How do you know what it is and how to get rid of it?" he asks
>"Dark magic. No doubt a result of Sombra's influence." Star Swirl responds, still focusing on his spell
>"Sombra did this!? I knew it! Something told me he was evil, and I was going to prove it today until this happened."

>As Star Swirl casts his spell, the black crystals on the unicorns' horn begin to break off
>When it's done, he attempts to conjure up some magic, and is successful
>"Aha! Wow, thanks a lot!" he says to Star Swirl
>"Don't mention it my boy! Now what are you going to do?"
>"Shit all over Sombra's day, that's what!" the unicorn says as he hops off the bed he was sitting on and trots out of the room
>The doctor and nurse p0nies just look dumbfounded, you just let out a chuckle
>This was gonna be good
>Star Swirl leaves the room after the unicorn
"No need to thank us folks, just doin' our jobs. That unicorn has a date with destiny after all!"
>After that you exit the room as well, catching up to the other two as they're leaving the clinic
>That unicorn is obviously sour about something, he clearly hates the king
"Hey Star Swirl, you should check the time flow again, see if it's got any better yet."
>"Hmm, good idea."
>As the two of you follow the unicorn up the road toward the tower, Star Swirl grabs the rectangle-shaped apparatus from his saddle-bag under his robe
>His horn and beard begin to glow, as a couple small orbs on either side of the object begin to fill with energy
>Before long, he finishes, and streams of magical energy begin to flow freely within the apparatus in-between the orbs
>There is a small spike in the middle of the stream where the energy gets out of line, which tells you things aren't back to normal just yet

>That was about as much as you could tell from the thing anyway, but it was good enough
"Damn, not done yet huh?"
>"It's much lower than it was before we left. Perhaps if we just wait for this unicorn to make his move, that will seal the deal."
"You really think this random unicorn is the one responsible for this whole incident?"
>"Not at all. Based on what the crier told us, there's many other factors in play here. This unicorn is simply the device to set it all into motion."
>The two of you continue to follow the unicorn into a large opening in front of the tower in which the balcony from the throne room overlooks
>The unicorn takes position in the open area and begins to conjure some magic
>He's focusing really hard, as his horn glows brighter and brighter
>Obviously he had this planned out, he knew exactly what he was doing
>Above him, a gigantic transparent silhouette begins to form
>Seconds pass before you're able to identify it as King Sombra
>As this is happening, many p0nies in the area notice it and walk in closer to watch
>A guard standing on the balcony pokes his head into the door for a moment then comes back out to watch
>Moments later, Kind Sombra himself steps out to see what's going on
>At first he almost looks humbled at the magic display, but that soon changes
>When it seems like the conjuration is complete, the unicorn speaks
>"Hey, King Sombra! The Crystal Empire has a suggestion for you!" he shouts

>Focusing more magic, the conjuration of Sombra begins to open it's mouth
>As it does, a giant dick forms in front of him and enters the mouth, soon motioning back and forth
>Many p0nies in the area lose it and begin laughing uncontrollably
>You let out shriek of laughter yourself before Star Swirl quickly quieted you down
>"Hold your composure Anonymous."
>He was right, but damn was it hard
>This was by far the most graphic thing you've ever seen in this world, and it was hysterical
>Needless to say, Sombra looked furious
>The unicorn stared at Sombra with a smug look on his face, still conjuring his magic
>It looked like Sombra was trying desperately to hold back his rage, he was noticeably having a hard time up there
>You look up to the conjuration again, and it was now wearing a sombrero
>Okay, that made you chuckle some more
>Sombra takes another look, and you spot his eyes widen
>You notice his horn beginning to glow as a black cloud starts to form all around him
>At the same time, his eyes were glowing green
>He lets out a blood-curdling scream, sending out a shockwave of energy across the region
>Every p0ny around you falls silent
>The unicorn had stopped the conjuration
>"Anonymous, we have to go. Now!"
>As soon as Star Swirl speaks, he turns and runs away from the unicorn, grabbing you in the process
>You run along side him until you approach some buildings a hundred feet away or so

>Turning back around, you see Sombra fly down from the balcony in a cloud of black smoke to the ground in front of the unicorn
"Hey, how's the time-line looking?"
>Star Swirl takes a glance at it
>"Almost perfect. I think we're done here!"
"Can we watch this? I'm kinda curious to see how this goes down."
>"No, he could cast his curse at any time. In fact-"
>Star Swirl is cut off as Sombra releases a massive blast of magic into the sky that begins to encompass the entire city
>"Shit. Yeah, it's happening. Look, he's going to take control of the entire empire, and enslave all of it's inhabitants. I think it's safe to say we shouldn't stick around, especially once Celestia and Luna eventually show up. You know we can't allow them to discover us."
"Damn, yeah you're right. Well then, let's get the hell out of dodge."
>Your mentors' horn begins to glow fiercely before the familiar magical energy begins to swirl around you both
>Eventually, it surrounds you completely and you're sucked into the vortex
>When the energy subsides, you find yourself on the raised platform in the top floor of your tower
>"Alright, time to check up on things, make sure all went well enough."
"Man, I can't help but think that if we left it alone, Sombra might never have snapped, and the Crystal Empire might never have vanished."

>"We can't afford to think like that. Sure, we may now be the ones responsible for the whole thing, but these things need to happen. It may have seemed like a better option at first to just leave it alone, but it could have had terrible long-term effects neither of us could have predicted."
"Yeah, I guess. Well, let me know what you find in the history books, I'm taking a nap."