Transcripts/The Crystal Empire - Part 1


 * Royal guard #1: News from Northern Equestria! Uh... Your Highness.
 * Princess Celestia: Yes?
 * Royal guard #1: I am simply to tell you that it has returned.
 * Princess Celestia: [gasp] Find Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.
 * Royal guard #2: Yes, Your Highness.
 * Princess Celestia: My dearest Twilight, you must come to Canterlot at once.




 * Twilight Sparkle: [deep breathing] Where are all my quills? Brbrbr. No, no, no, no, no...ugh! I need the Magical Compendium volumes 1-36! Where is it? Flash cards! I should make some flash cards. Spike, I'm gonna need you to quiz me. On everything. Everything I've ever learned. Ever. That isn't going to be enough cards.
 * Spike: Twilight, calm down. It's just a test.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Just a test? Just a test? Princess Celestia wants to give me some kind of exam and you're trying to tell me to calm down because it's just a test?!
 * Spike: Uh...yes.
 * Applejack: I'd say she's handling things pretty well, considering.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Urgh! [explosion]


 * Princess Luna: Are you sure you don't want me to go as well?
 * Princess Celestia: Yes. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are already there. The others will be joining them soon.
 * Princess Luna: The empire's magic is powerful. It cannot fall again, my sister.
 * Princess Celestia: She will succeed at her task. And when she does, we'll know that she is that much closer to being ready.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Ahem.
 * Princess Celestia: Trust me, little sister.
 * Twilight Sparkle: You wanted to see me? To give me a test? I brought my own quills. And plenty of paper to show my work. Sorry! Sorry!
 * Princess Celestia: This is a different kind of test. The Crystal Empire has returned.
 * Twilight Sparkle: The Crystal Empire? I'm sorry, I-I thought I'd studied. Ooh. I don't think there's anything in any of my books th--
 * Princess Celestia: There wouldn't be. Few remember it ever existed at all. Even my knowledge of the empire is limited. But what I do know is that it contains a powerful magic. One thousand years ago, King Sombra, a unicorn whose heart was black as night, took over the Crystal Empire. He was ultimately overthrown, turning to shadow and banished to the ice of the arctic north.
 * King Sombra: [roars]
 * Princess Celestia: But not before he was able to put a curse upon the empire. A curse that caused it to vanish into thin air. If the empire is filled with hope and love, those things are reflected across all of Equestria. If hatred and fear take hold... Which is why I need your help finding a way to protect it.
 * Twilight Sparkle: You want me to help protect an entire empire?
 * Princess Celestia: It is, as I said, a different kind of test. But one I'm certain you will pass.
 * Twilight Sparkle: How do I begin?
 * Princess Celestia: By joining Princess Cadance and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire.
 * Twilight Sparkle: My brother is there?
 * Princess Celestia: He is. And your Ponyville friends will join you there as well. I have every confidence you will succeed. And when you do, I'll know you are ready to move on to the next level of your studies.
 * Twilight Sparkle: But what if I fail?
 * Princess Celestia: You won't.
 * Twilight Sparkle: But what if--
 * Princess Celestia: You won't. But Twilight, in the end, it must be you and you alone who ultimately assists Princess Cadance and Shining Armor in doing what needs to be done to protect the empire. Do you understand?
 * Twilight Sparkle: Mm-hm.
 * Princess Celestia: Then go. There is no time to lose.
 * Spike: Ah! Twilight! That was fast! Let me guess, you got a perfect score? A-minus? B-plus? [gasp] Twilight, did you... [quietly] fail?


 * Spike: Uh, prepared for what, exactly?
 * Applejack: Twilight! Did you pass?
 * Pinkie Pie: Are we gonna celebrate your awesomeness with Princess Celestia?
 * Twilight Sparkle: Not quite. We're going to the Crystal Empire!
 * All: Huh?
 * Rainbow Dash: Crystal what?


 * Shining Armor: Twily! You made it. We better get moving. There are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark.
 * Fluttershy: [gulp] What kind of things?
 * Shining Armor: Let's just say the empire... isn't the only thing that's returned.


 * Shining Armor: Something keeps trying to get in! We think it's the unicorn king who originally cursed the place.
 * Twilight Sparkle: But Princess Celestia said I was being sent here to find a way to protect the empire! If King Sombra can't get in, then it must already be protected.
 * [roar]
 * Fluttershy: [gasp] Th-That's one of the things, isn't it?
 * Shining Armor: Guh. We have to get to the Crystal Empire. Now.
 * King Sombra: [growl]
 * Twilight Sparkle: Go, go!
 * Shining Armor: Almost there.


 * Twilight Sparkle: Cadance!
 * Princess Cadance: Ooh.
 * Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadance: Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake! [laughs]
 * Princess Cadance: One of these days we need to get together when the fate of Equestria isn't hanging in the balance. [sighs]
 * Twilight Sparkle: Are you ok?
 * Shining Armor: Cadance has been able to use her magic to spread love and light. That seems to be what is protecting it. But she hasn't slept, barely eats. I want to help her, but my protection spell has been countered by King Sombra.
 * Princess Cadance: [breathes deeply] It's alright Shining Armor, I'm fine.
 * Shining Armor: She's not fine. She can't go on like this forever, and if her magic were to fade, you saw what's out there waiting for that to happen.
 * Twilight Sparkle: That's why we're here.
 * Applejack: Why we're all here.
 * Other ponies: Mhmm.
 * Shining Armor: Well, with Cadance putting all her strength into keeping her spell going, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic, we haven't been able to gather much information from the Crystal Ponies.
 * Rarity: Crystal Ponies? Hahaha, there are Crystal Ponies?! Umm, hmm. Please continue.


 * Twilight Sparkle: Are you sure? Absolutely sure?
 * Female Crystal Pony #1: I'm sorry. I wish I could help you. But... I can't seem to remember anything before King Sombra came to power. [flash] And I don't want to remember anything about the time he ruled over us. [shudders]
 * Twilight Sparkle: King Sombra's spell must be why their coats aren't... crystally.
 * Female Crystal Pony #1: Have we really been gone a thousand years?
 * Twilight Sparkle: Yes.
 * Female Crystal Pony #1: It feels like it was just yesterday.
 * Twilight Sparkle: If you think of anything, even the smallest thing...
 * Female Crystal Pony #1: Of course.
 * Spike: Well that was a total bust.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Maybe the others are having better luck.


 * Rainbow Dash: A way to protect the empire! You know anything about it or what?
 * Female Crystal Pony #2: I wish I could help you. Really.
 * Rainbow Dash: Hold on! You gotta know something!
 * Female Crystal Pony #2: But... I don't have any information.


 * Fluttershy: Oh, um. Excuse me! Oh! Hello! I was just wondering. Oh, oh that's okay. You all look really busy.


 * Pinkie Pie: Time to gather some intel!
 * Female Crystal Pony #3: It just feels like something is missing.
 * Male Crystal Pony #1: I know. It looks the same, but it doesn't feel the same.
 * Pinkie Pie: Because it isn't!
 * Female Crystal Pony #3: [gasps] A spy!
 * Pinkie Pie: Aaaah!
 * Pinkie Pie: A spy? How did they know? Ah! Must have noticed my night vision goggles. Ooh! Night vision-y! [slam]


 * Twilight Sparkle: C'mon, Spike, we've got a Crystal Faire to put together!
 * Spike: [grunting]


 * Twilight Sparkle: It looks amazing! I don't know how I could've done this without you!


 * Rainbow Dash: Let's do this!


 * Applejack: Can you handle the mission?


 * Pinkie Pie: It's gonna be fun!


 * Rarity: It is so on!