Later that afternoon, Sam, Aurora and Scarlet had finally named their pet dragons. Sam called his dragons Inferno, Bolder and Ivy, Aurora called hers Shade, Steel and Zap and Scarlet called hers, Angelica, Marina and Blizzard. A few days later, Princess Celestia learns of the return of the Crystal Empire, which had disappeared over a thousand years ago as the last act of the evil King Sombra before his banishment; Celestia fears Sombra will return and use the power of the empire to take over Equestria. She summons Twilight and directs her to join her friends, Princess Cadence, and Shining Armour at the empire to help protect it as a test of her abilities.

At the empire, Cadence attempts to maintain a spell to prevent the shadowy form of King Sombra from entering. Twilight and her friends talk with the residents of the empire, the Crystal Ponies, and learn of a Crystal Fair which used to enlighten the hearts of the empire and protect it from the king. But then, Twilight realize that the missing Crystal Heart is the centrepiece of the fair and a necessary artefact to protect the city.

With Cadence’s magic weakening, Twilight instructs her friends to continue the fair to raise the spirits of the crystal ponies while she goes to look for the Crystal Heart by herself, assured this is the test Princess Celestia alluded to; however, she allows Spike to come long. The pair pass several traps King Sombra had placed in the castle and eventually come to the Crystal Heart, just as Cadence’s magic gives out and Sombra races to reclaim the empire. Twilight moves to recover the heart but walks into a trap, telling Spike to take the heart in her place.

On his way down, Spike falls, but before Sombra could grab the Heart, Sam jumps out of nowhere and turns into Red King and punches him away as Spike and the heart are saved at the last moment by Cadence and Shining Armour. The Crystal Ponies pour their emotions into the heart, recreating the protective spell on the empire and obliterating King Sombra. Celestia and Luna teleported to the Crystal Empire to congratulate everyone, Twilight was convinced she has failed her test, but the princesses tells her that she has passed, knowing when to give up her personal goals for the greater good.
Now Sam, Twilight, Sunset, Aurora, Scarlet and Spike were staying behind at the Crystal Empire and going on the next morning. And right now they were all (Dragons including) a nice lunch together.

“Mmm!” Sam said after swallowing a bite of his lunch, “This crystal corn on the cob is delicious!”

Cadence’s servants had brought in a pretty big lunch. These were special foods that were made and grown in the Crystal Empire. There was crystal corn on the cob, Crystal Empire nectar, Crystal Empire fritters, and a Crystal Empire berry pie for desert.

“The castle’s servants always do a wonderful job with our meals,” Cadence said to him.

“Wow!” Sam said, as he continued with his lunch.

“How do you dragons like the food?” Cadence asked.

The nine dragons all gave her a cheerful growl as they when back to eating.

“Now then, when you’ll all finished, how about we take you on a proper tour around the empire?” Cadence asked.
“I’d like that Cadence,” they all replied.

Twilight used her magic to lift Sam onto her back and they walked out of the castle.

For the next hours, Cadence and Shining showed us around the Crystal Empire. First, we went to the spa. Twilight, Sunset and Aurora took a dip in the crystal mud bath. Spike were sitting on chairs with pieces of cucumber over their eyes and their arms behind their heads. Shining gave Cadence a massage and two of the crystal spa ponies gave Sam and Scarlet a massage too. It felt really nice. Later they went out in the fields behind the castle and picked crystal berries. Sam, Aurora, Scarlet and their dragons snuck a few in their mouths while picking. They were really good. Next, Shining Armour showed them a stadium that was under construction where the Equestria Games were going to be held. The dragons had a race while they were there, and Inferno won and Steel lost. After that they went back in, had dinner, and played some board games. Twilight told Sam they were going to be sleeping in the castle tonight and going back to Ponyville tomorrow morning.

They were going to the room where Cadence said they could sleep, with Sam and Aurora on Twilight’s back, very tired, and Spike walking next to them. Sunset had Scarlet already asleep on her back and the dragons were struggling to keep their eyes open.

“Did you have fun today everyone?” Twilight asked Sam as they went to their room.

“I sure did,” he said with a yawn.

“It sure was a fun day,” Aurora said.

“You said it sister,” Spike added with a yawn.

“Well, we’ve all had a long day, and we’ll need a good night sleep before we head back to Ponyville tomorrow,” Sunset said, “Just so you know Sam, school will be starting up the day after tomorrow for you and Aura.”

“School?” he asked nervously.

“Don’t worry Sam,” Aurora said rubbing his back, “The other crusaders will be there, so you’ll know others there besides me.”

“And you should try and make some other friends while you’re there too,” Twilight said, “Aura knows a few colts there around your age.”

“I’ll try,” Sam said as they entered their room.

After Sam put his pyjamas on, and brushed his teeth, he went to sleep next to Aurora. He had just closed his eyes, when he found himself back in Ponyville, except it looked destroyed and he was Gomora. The sky was red with black clouds, there were fires all over the place, and a meaner and powerfuller Gomora standing in front of him.

“Oh no,” Sam thought, “Not again!” Just like before, I tried to fight the evil Gomora. But he wasn’t strong enough as after blow after blow, Sam couldn’t lay a single hit. He then fell to the ground, too weak to keep fighting as the Omnitrix timed out. The evil Gomora was charging up It’s finisher attack. “No! Please not again!” Sam yelled as he knew what was going to happen next. Just as the evil Gomora fired its EX Super Oscillatory Wave, Sam turned and saw a Twilight had jumped in and sacrificed herself. “NOOOO!!!!”

But moments later, Sam was teleported away. Ponyville was replaced by the place the princesses called the Realm. Sam looked around for Twilight, Spike, and Aurora, but he couldn’t find them. He was starting to get scared again, but then he felt a wing across his back. He looked up and saw that it was...

“P-Princess Luna?”

“Shhh,” she said rubbing her wing on his back, “It’s alright Samuel.” Sam reached his arms up and around her neck and she held him close.

“What happened to Ponyville?” Sam asked her.

“Ponyville is alright Samuel,” Luna said, “it was just a bad dream.”

“How are you here? Aren’t you in Canterlot with Princess Celestia?”

“I’m the Princess of the Night Samuel. It is my duty to come into your dreams.”

“I’m still dreaming?” he asked confused.

“Yes, you are. And if I’m not mistaken, you had the exact same dream last night, correct?” he nodded his head sadly. “It is nothing to be ashamed about Samuel. It’s just a dream.”

‘But I fear that wasn’t just a dream, but also a vision,’ she thought.

“I know,” Sam said sadly, “but I still miss Mum, Dad and my siblings.”

“I know you do, dear one,” Luna said, “but your family wouldn’t want you to be sad all the time, would they?”

“No,” Sam said shaking his head, “They wouldn’t.”

“Just remember Samuel, your old parents may be gone, but as long as you remember that your parents loved you, that love will never leave you.”

“Thank you Princess Luna,” Sam said.

“You’re welcome Samuel, and you can just call me Luna,” she said. She then took her wing off his back and walked away with her horn glowing. “Sleep well Samuel. I’ll see you again soon.” She then disappeared.

Sam opened his eyes and saw he was still in the bed in the Crystal Empire with Aurora fast asleep next to him. He climbed out of bed, walked over to the balcony, and sat down looking at the night sky. Sam was thinking about what Luna told him in his dream. Sam also thought about how Aurora and Scarlet wanted to be his sisters, and how Twilight was Aurora’s mother. He really wanted a mother again, and Twilight was taking care of him. Sam thought maybe she could be his second mother. Sam then pulled out the photo of him and his family before he left his old home. He looked at it and tears were build up.

“What do I do?” he asked himself, “I almost called Twilight ‘Mum’ when she was trapped. Do I want her to be my second mum? But I don’t want her to replace my old mum.” Just then, he heard a voice in his head.

“Remember Sam,” the voice said.

“Mum?” Sam asked looking around but seeing no one.

“I’m always with you,” the voice of his mother said, “I’ll always love you no matter what you do”.

“Mummy?!” Sam asked again.

“As long as you remember how much I loved you, I’ll never leave you. And remember, no one can replace me.” Everything went quiet after that. Sam then realized the voice were coming from his heart. She really were with me, just like she said.

Twilight woke up after feeling the bed shift slightly. She opened her eyes and looked over at the balcony and saw Sam sitting there. ‘What was he doing there sitting awake in the middle of the night?’ She thought. Twilight looked over at a clock and saw that it was getting close to the time Celestia rose the sun every day. She slipped out of bed and walked over to him.

“Sam?” Twilight said when she was close enough to him. He turned his head to her. “What are you doing up in the middle of the night?”

“I had that bad dream again,” he replied, “but Luna came to help me. After that, I woke up and couldn’t fall asleep again.” Twilight stopped next to him, tucked her legs in underneath, and laid an arm over his back.

“I’m sorry you had that bad dream again,” she said leaning her head down to nuzzle his cheek, “But remember, it was just a dream.”

“I know,” he replied. After Twilight finished nuzzling his cheek, they turned to look out on the horizon. Celestia would soon raise the sun.

“Twilight?” Sam said pulling her gaze away from the sky. It looked as though he was hesitating. “Can... Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” she said pulling him closer to her side with arm, “You can ask me anything.”

“Well,” he began, “When Aura took me to see the Crusaders’ clubhouse, she asked me if I had any brothers and sisters back home. I said I did but properly never see them again, and she said that she along with Scarlet would be my big sisters. I was happy when she said that, but I was thinking. You’re Aura’s mum, right?”

“Yes,” Twilight said. She somehow knew where he was going with this.

“Does...Does that make you my mum?” he asked.

“I guess it kind of does,” she replied, “But are you sure you want me to? I don’t want to replace your parents.”

“You won’t Twilight,” he said to her, “As long as I remember how much they loved me and how much I loved them, they’ll never leave me, but could you please be my second mum?”

Twilight smiled down at him, and keeping her arm on his back, she brought a foreleg around his back and pulled him closer to her. “Of course I will,” Twilight said, “To be honest, I have been thinking about adopting you.”

“You have?” said a voice behind them. They turned their heads around and saw Aurora, Scarlet, Sunset, Spike and the dragons, rubbing their eyes. Twilight nodded her head at them. They then smiled at them and came to join in the hug. Just then, a light started shining off in the distance. They all looked and saw the sun beginning to rise. After a little bit, Sam spoke up.

“I love you all,” he said.

“So do we Sam,” Twilight replied, “So do we.”

Chapter 7 done
sorry about not including the proper events of the Crystal Empire episodes but they weren't my favourite episodes and went too slow for me
next time in Chapter 8: Sam goes to school with Aura and Scarlet