Star Sparkle sighed and sat down again.

"Fine Crystal, one more chapter."  She said.  Her sister, Crystal Beauty was reading her a book about the Queens.  Crystal was a unicorn with a creamy pink coat, a red mane in a similar style to their mom's childhood friend, Apple Bloom, blue eyes with blue eyeshadow, and a big blue bow in her mane.  She also had to polygon highlighted eyes of a Crystal Pony.  But, being only half Crystal Pony, she did not have the signature crystalline coat.  However, when she was very happy, she would flash crystalline, and when the Crystal Heart was powered she would be crystal for longer than normal ponies.  Crystal's Cutie Mark was a bow, signifying a talent for, well bows.  She had a hat shop called Marvelous Hats, and most of them had bows on them.  She was also a bookworm.  Star Sparkle had a white coat, a blue and pink mane that looked like a fancier version of her mother's, pink eyes, and three red sparkles as her Cutie Mark, signifying her talent for magic.  She had a shop that sold odds and ends from spells gone wrong.  She also had green ribbons in her mane.  Crystal cleared her throat.

"Queen Luna is younger than Queen Celestia though nopony knows by how much.  However, she appears to be the same size--"

"Why are we reading this?  Everypony knows what the Queens look like!"  Star ran out of Marvelous Hats, breaking the doorbell for the five-hundredth time.  Crystal sighed, and got to work fixing it.

Star ran to her shop and home, Odds and Ends.  She wasn't actually angry at Crystal, but was deeply disturbed at some thing else she had read.  The Dark Lord was rumored to be making his way to the Crystal Empire.  Strange decay had been spotted by ponies on the edge.  That was his sign.  Maybe she should tell Princess Cadence.  She took a deep breath, and ran out her door, going to the Crystal Castle.  When she reached the Castle, she ran in the door.  She didn't even stop to say hi to Glowing Shield, her favorite guard.  She ran towards the throne room.  Here she stopped.  The was already a pony in there.  He looked scared.

"What happened?"  Asked Cadence.

"It happened."  Replied the pony.

"Oh no!  Where?"

"Near my house.  Really bad."

"Shining!"

"Yes dear?"  Shining Armor ran into the room, right past Star.

"It happened again."

"Oh.  I'll alert the guard."

"Good."  Cadence turned towards the Crystal Pony.  "You should stay here until we can find a way to fix it.  I hope this isn't an inconvenience."

"Oh it'll be fine." He left.  Star left with him.  She had to find Crystal.  She broke into a run.  She ran all the way back to Marvelous Hats, where Crystal had just finished repairing the doorbell.

"All done!"  Crystal Cried.  Star bursted into the shop, breaking the doorbell again.

"I was at the Castle!  Princess Cadence was talking to a pony.  Something's wrong.  And I think that something is Eresar!"

"Whatever shall we do!"  Said Crystal dramatically.  Then she resumed her normal tone.  "What are we going to do about it?"

"Crystal, we have to leave the Empire and find a way to stop it.  And I know just where to go."

"Why Ponyville?"  Asked Crystal.  They were on the train.

"Because Mom says that's where Scootaloo lives.  I think she can help us."

"Scootaloo?"

"Yes."

"Okay..."  The train pulled into the station.

"Ponyville!"  Called the conductor.  The two sisters got off the train.

"So where does Scootaloo live?"  Asked Crystal.

"She has a house up in the clouds."

"But were not Pegasi!"

"We will be."  Said Star.  Her horn lit up.  "You first?"

"Uh, sure."  Star closed her eyes and concentrated.  A red glow circled around Crystal.  There was a bright flash.  When it cleared Crystal had beautiful butterfly wings.

"My turn." Said Star.  She did the spell again.  She had pink dragonfly wings.  "Here we go!"  The two of them took off.

"There!" I think that's it!"  Cried Star.  They had been flying around for a while.

"La la la-lala la, la la-lala la la!"  Came a voice, singing.  "La la la la-lala la, la la la la la la!"

"Cloudy, stop!"  Said another.  "I'm reading Daring Do!"

"Daring who?"  Asked Cloudy.  Then she broke out laughing.  "Daring Do, Daring Who!"  She stopped laughing.  "Clear Skies, if you want to stop me, come on out and try."

"Cloudy!"

"Bet you can't catch me!"  A yellow Pegasus with an orange spiky mane and a cloud Cutie Mark zoomed out from behind the cloud, closely followed by a green Pegasus with a red, yellow and purple mane, and a Cutie Mark of a yellow lightning bolt with blue wings.  The green one quickly caught up with the yellow one.

"Having any second thoughts, Cloudy?"  She asked.

"Clear Skies!" Called a brown Pegasus with a darker brown mane.  "I need you to help with the clouds."

Clear Skies, the green one, let go of Cloudy and flew after him.  "See ya, Clouds."  She called.

"Hello!"  Said Cloudy.  "I'm Cloudy, Ponyville's resident cloudpony.  I also love to meet new ponies.  I'd even throw you a party if I wasn't too busy."

"Hi.  I'm Star Sparkle and I am looking for Scootaloo."

"Oh.  Mom's off watching a performance of The Wondercolts--I mean Wonderbolts."

"Scootaloo's your Mother?"

"Eeyup!"  Cloudy laughed.  "Who are you?"  She asked Crystal.

"I am Crystal Beauty, Hatmaker Extraordinaire."  She replied.  "And niece of the late Princess Rarity."

"So you're Sweetie Belle's daughters?"

"Exactly!" Said Star.  "We were hoping you could help us with something."

"What?"

"Were from the Crystal Empire, and Lord Eresar is trying to get in."

"Wow!  And you want us to help you?"

"Yes, dear."  Said Crystal.  At that moment Clear Skies Barged in.

"Can I help?!"  She asked.

"Clear, were you eavesdropping?"  Asked Cloudy.

"Yes-I mean no-I mean maybe."

"Of course you can help."  Said Crystal.

"We should go to Canterlot."  Said Clear.  "I think there may be somepony there who can help us."

"Who?"  Chorused the other three.

"Apple Bloom."