The train screeched to a halt as it pulled into the station, they had arrived at the Crystal Empire. The palace gleamed in the distance like a burning candle in the darkness. The princesses and the mane 5 exited the train (spike was left to look after the castle), where they were met by Shining Armour and Flash Sentry, along with a small compliment of royal guards.

Cadance spoke first "Shining, Flash, I thought we told you no royal guards would be accompanying us to the castle".

"All due respect Cadance that's my sister being held captive, and I'm sure not letting you go in there without an escort!", objected Shining Armour.

Flash Sentry added "Besides your highness, what sort of royal guards would we be if we let you go into an obvious trap alone".

"No" calmly stated Celestia, "Whoever this pony is clearly stated that if you wanted Twilight back only we and Princess Twilights friends were to come to the castle, doing otherwise puts her at risk before we even enter the gates".

"But I highly doubt she will give back Twiley willingly, she will instead likely try to capture you to!" Shining stated on the edge of panic.

"I am aware of this" said Celestia, "And we don't intend to stay long enough for that to happen, we encounter her for just long enough to find out who she is, and then strike first, she likely won't be expecting that due to her holding Twilight captive, with the element of surprise we rescue Twilight and get out of there, we will work out our next move afterwards".

Shining Armor sighed "Very well, I just hope you are right about this your highness"

"As do I" Celestia responded.

"Ohh we're like super spies!" Stated Pinkie, Pinkie rushed back onto the train and remerged wearing a tux and holding a glass of cider, "Special agent Pink reporting, I have my cider shaken, not stirred" Pinkie says, with a little squee.

Applejack face-palmed "Oh for the love of, Pinkie we don't have time for this, we gotta move faster than a stampeding herd of buffalo if we are going to rescue Twi in time!".

"Fine" sighs Pinkie, "But I am totally holding a 'most awesome spy team ever' party after!" she states excitedly, with yet another squee.

---

As they approached the castle the air seemed to get colder. "Um, does anyone else feel that?" asked Rainbow Dash nervously.

Luna looked around, seemingly scanning the surroundings, "This whole area reeks of dark magic, we must trot carefully everypony".

The castle looked similar to Twilights castle back in Ponyville, but the crystals were black as night, with the odd splash of grey or a very dark purple, in the windows shadowy figures could be glimpsed.

"We must be careful, those ponies in the window aren't actually living ponies, they are just lifeless creatures made of dark magic and shadow, controlled by the so called 'queen' presumably" observed Luna.

Fluttershy cowered behind Cadance "I don't want to be here anymore".

Cadance reassured Fluttershy "You have to be brave for Twilight, besides as long as you have your friends nothing will happen to you", Cadance smiled at Fluttershy and Fluttershy smiled shyly back.

They reached the castle doors, and they opened with a slow creek revealing a main hall that looked eerily like the one, again, from the castle in Ponyville. "This place could use a tad more cheery décor, what a drab it looks right now, honestly how hard is it to put effort in decorating you home" said a bemused Rarity.

A distorted, but obviously female voice sounds throughout the castle, "Ah Rarity, thinking only about the aesthetics as always, how shallow of you".

Rarity, annoyed, responded "Ah, the nerve, I'm not the one kidnapping princesses and placing them in dingy castles".

Dash mimicked the voice "Sorry, your princess is in another castle"

"Don't jinx it Rainbow" said Rarity.

Celestia addressed the voice demandingly "Where is Princess Twilight? We came, now you return her and we can settle this like reasonable ponies"

The voice responded "Oh, straight to the point, i was wondering if you were going to keep me delayed while agents snuck round back, but my minions report no such deception, good girls" the voice chuckled, "I am in the throne room, don't keep me waiting".

---

Celestia turned to the others as the they reached the throne room door, "Remember the plan, when i stamp my hoof Luna, Cadance and myself will distract the 'queen', you all will grab Twilight and get her out of the castle, once you're clear we will make a tactical retreat and join you, understood?".

Everyone collectively said "Right". Celestia's horn glowed a bright yellow as she opened the door with her magic, they all walked into the throne room in silence and in formation, up front was Celestia in the centre, Cadance flanked her left while Luna flanked her right, the mane 5 walked behind them in a line from left to right. This room, unlike the rest of the castle, had a vastly different layout compared to Twilights castle, it was triangular in shape, the room thinning out leading up to a throne. The throne was not large or flamboyant and surprisingly not designed to show off any sort of power, it was just a pony sized practical chair with dark purple padding and a black frame with dark crystals poking out here and there, at least that's what they could make out anyway, the throne was covered in shadow as black as the heart of a corrupted king, a pony, of slightly above average height was clearly sitting there but the darkness made identification impossible. The group stopped shortly before the small staircase that led up to the throne, Celestia looked around, but there was no sign of Princess Twilight.

"Where is Twilight Sparkle, if she isn't here where are you keeping her?" Stated Celestia while staying calm.

The figure let out a small sinister giggle, two purple wings shot out from the figure and leaned either side of the throne, she opened her eyes, which glowed a bright green similar to that of King Sombra, a horn glowed with an also green magical aura, dark magic. An all too familiar voice chillingly spoke out "I said I'd be here didn't I?".

With that the darkness lifted and the both the princesses and mane 5 gasped in horror as the so called 'queen' was finally revealed. Dressed in several black armour pieces and with an even blacker crown all made from the same dark crystal, there sat...

Twilight Sparkle

stayed tuned for chapter three!