The tainted crown

by kainofthesand

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Human, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Romance, Sex, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 7625

Life has been going well for me lately, to well almost.

"What, you cant hang out tonight?"

"Sorry Rainbow, I have an appointment to get to."

"Well......alright, just be careful, ok?"

"Dont worry Rainbow, what could possibly go wrong?"

This is the sequel to my other story Dashing Hearts, if you haven't read it then this story wont make much sense.

Published 2013-09-19 00:40:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-09-19 00:40:04 UTC

The tainted crown.

The Tainted Crown.

Somehow I survived until my beloved Rainbow and her friends returned to Ponyville. Rainbow told me a story about crowns, magic mirrors, and alternate worlds. It sounded like it wasn't a boring trip at all.

The sun was nothing but a sliver of light, as it sank down over the horizon. The evening air felt cool as I strolled through the streets of my new home town. I was on my way to see the second prettiest mare in Ponyville.

Rarity.

'Knock' 'knock'

"Who is it?" I heard the fashonesta ask through the door.

"Its me Rarity."

"Password please." She asked in a sing song voice.

"Aww come on Rare, its embarrassing."

"Password?" She asked again.

'sigh'

"pretty, pastel, pink." I said reluctantly.

The front door opened as Rarity appeared wearing her red work glasses.

"So sorry about the whole cloak and dagger dearie."

I flashed rarity an amused grin.

"No problem, we gotta keep this whole thing a secret right?" I stepped inside as Rarity looked left and right cautiously outside the door to see if anypony was about.

"Yes of course, especially from Rainbow Dash. She absolutely cannot find out about this." She carefully closed the door and shut the blinds to maximize our privacy.

"Well Rars, shall we, 'ahem' get started?"

Fifteen minutes latter.

"Ughhhh! Uhhhhhh! Ahhhhhh! Almost, almost, almost. Annnnnnnnnd, there!"

I stepped out from behind the red velvet curtain of the changing room and presented myself to the white unicorn.

"Well, how do I look?" I asked Rarity who stood ready with her scissors and tape measurer.

"Oh yes darling. Just let me get a few, loose, threads, and……done!"

As I adjusted the collar a bit, I tucked the thunder crystal into the shirt so that I could get a better look at what I was doing. I looked in the mirror at the new grey silk dress shirt and black dress pants.

I did look fly.

"I can't thank you enough for this Rarity. I look like a million bits."

Rarity waved a hoof at me as she blushed from the complement.

"Its no trouble at all Cain. Im grateful for the challenge, and the opportunity to help a friend. Also………..no offense, but your old…."attire" left much to be desired."

She had a point, all my old clothes I had bought from a second hand store. What with there being very few humans meant that you didn't have a whole lot of options. So most of my clothes were old, worn out, and barely fit.

"Well these are so nice Rare. Do you think you could hold onto them for a couple of weeks? I should have enough saved up to pay for them then."

To this Rarity rolled her eyes while giving me a happy smile.

"Pish posh Darling. I can't have you walking around dressed like a vagabond. Rainbow Dash may be a bit of a tomboy, but she is still a lady. The one she has chosen as her special somepony should look his best."

She really is a good friend.

"But I can't just walk out with them. I insist on paying." With her magic, Rarity took her tape measurer and held it up to my arms and legs to take some more measurements.

The devilish smile she put on made my neck hares stand on end.

"Well then darling, you will take them now and pay for them later, and I will hear not another word." She concluded with a flip of her curly mane.

I knew that I wasn't going to win this. Also, I don't dare go against her when she has that tape measurer.

You have no idea what she can do with it.

I bent down and wrapped my arms around the generous unicorn, giving her a big hug. She in turn threw a foreleg around me and gave me a little pat.

Just as it was starting to get sappy…….thats when everything changed.

'KNOCK' KNOCK' 'KNOCK'!

We both jumped out of our hug and looked toward the direction of the front door.

"Are you expecting anypony?" I asked the shocked unicorn.

"Not that I know of. Stay right hear darling, Ill get rid of them." With that Rarity went off to answer the door.

A moment latter I heard the door bell jingle, followed by the sound of the door closing. Rarity returned a minute latter holding a cardboard box with her magic.

"Who was it?" Rarity levitated the box over to me and set it on the floor.

"Well its the strangest thing, when I answered the door there was no one there." I looked down at the box, there was nothing special about it, just an average brown cardboard box.

"Whats with the box?" Rarity looked it over.

"It was just sitting on the stoop when I opened the door. Did you tell anypony you were coming over?" I raised an eyebrow at the question. Rarity had made me swear to secrecy, saying that we had to keep it under wraps until the project was finished.

"I haven't told a soul, why do you ask?" Rarity turned the box so that the other side faced me.

Written in marker on the side were the words "For Cain. A friend."

I have never received a package in my entire life, so this was a little odd.

"I guess someone knew I was here, wonder what it is." I bent down to open the box as Rarity trotted over to her kitchen.

"Cain darling, are you hungry? I made some cucumber sandwiches today."

"That sounds great Rars, Im famished." I tore the tape off the top of the box and folded open the flaps.

Inside sat a metal crown, it looked menacing with iron spikes on either side and red spikes together at the center of it.

"Whats inside it dearie?" Rarity asked from the kitchen.

I picked up the crown and looked at it closer in the light.

"Its a crown, must be somepony playing a joke or something." It felt strangely light for something that was made of metal.

"Ooo! try it on darling, I bet you look like a prince." Rarity said as she rummaged through her cabinets for a plate.

"Ya, just don't laugh if I look like an idiot."

I held the crown in doth hands as I lowered it onto my head.

"Y~~ ~re ~ine." I heard whisper in my head.

"Did you say something Rarity?"

"I didn't say anything dearie."

I looked at myself in the mirror, the crown looked tacky but something else about it didn't feel right.

"Yo~ are ~ine." I heard again.

"Rarity? I think somthi-."

"Ahh!" I cried out as a wave of intense pain hit me

"You are mine."

"Mine!"

"Everything ok in hear darling?" Rarity asked as she entered the room to find me doubled over on the floor.

"Rarity, it hurts…I can't move!" I said through the intense pain that crept into my chest.

"Oh my stars darling!" Rarity galloped over to where I lay on the floor to try and help me up.

But I wish she hadn't.

My arm moved on its own as it flung out and grabbed Rarity by her horn.

"Ah! Cain! What are you doing?!" I couldn't talk. I had no control over my body, and it was moving on its own.

I stood holding Rarity by her horn in front of me, the look on her face showed how startled she was.

And after that point, everything went dark, and I was out.

"Cain! Whats gotten into you?! Put me down, now!"

With a flick of his wrist he threw the mare against a wall.

"Ahhh!" The fashonista cried out as she slipped from consciousness and fell to the floor.

The possessor opened the eyes of his host and looked around the room through red, slitted eyes. For fun he decided to let his host have some consciousness.
He wanted him to see and hear what he had planned.

I was suddenly able to see, but wasn't able to move at all. My head looked around the room when I saw Rarity unconscious on the floor.

"Rarity!" I called to her but my words didn't come out.

"Good marrow to you, human." The words came out of my mouth but not in my voice. It was a low, velvety, sinister tone.

"Who are you? Whats going on? Why can't I move?" I suppose that he was able to hear me.

"Of course, how rude of me. Im sure you have many questions, but I suppose that introductions are in order." I didn't like where this was going, it was obvious that he was the one that did that to Rarity. But I needed to know what he wanted.

"I am King Sombra. True ruler of the Crystal Empire, and future ruler of Equestria." Instantly his name stood out to me. Rainbow had told me the story about him, and how her and her friends helped to defeat him, and liberate the crystal ponies.

"Heh, heh. The same 'Sombra' that got his flank handed to him by a baby dragon? You gotta be kidding me, your not a king, your a joke." He said nothing, he just moved into the kitchen. He began rummaging through Rarity's refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of red wine.

He pulled the cork out with a 'pop' and poured a large amount into a wine glass. He swished it in my hand before downing it in one large gulp.

"Hey! This is my body! You can't just get sloshed in my temple!"

"Sorry about that. I haven't tasted wine, or anything in ages." The wine didn't bother me as much as the demeaning way he apologized for it.

"Now where was I? Ah yes, explanations. To put it simply, Im going to overthrow the princesses and take over the throne so I can rule Equestria. Oh, and I'm going to use your body to do it."

This guy is nuts if he thinks that that plan is going to work.

"But where did you come from? Rainbow told me that you were nothing but a grease stain after the crystal heart was activated." He poured himself another glass of wine and sipped it loudly.

"Yes, after that filthy lizard helped that little trollop activate MY crystal heart, I was neither shadow nor substance. I was lost in an endless black void. I couldn't hear, I couldn't feel. I wondered endlessly in the nothingness."

"As you deserve." I snarled at him.

"Heh, heh. Well I thought that it was the end……until I met, him." At the last word, Sombra had a tinge of fear in his voice.

"Met who?" I asked.

"At some point I assume that he looked similar to one of your race. His arms were nothing but bone. He wore a filthy black cloak, and his face. It was nothing but a flap of old skin over his skull. He told me that in exchange for a small favor, he would help me return to get the revenge I deserved."

"Who is he?"

Sombra took a hard gulp of the wine.

"He called himself…..The Lich king."

Sombra sounded absolutely terrified at the mention of his name.

"And what did he want in exchange for this "favor"?"

Sombra strolled to the window and peered out at ponyville. I felt a gripping fear at the thought of what one who sounded so evil could want.

"A book."

Come again?

"A book?" Sombra let out a little chuckle.

"Yes a book, one from the Canterlot archives. I get him a book, and he helps me get what I deserve."

"You can't think that you're gonna get away with this. I don't know if you noticed, but I don't have a horn. Unless you count the one I have down south. But unless your my mare friend, your not going to get much "magic" out of it."

"How very vulgar, but the issue of magic will be taken care of at dawn." That doesn't sound good.

"Why, what happens at dawn?"

"At dawn, you will cease to exist, making this body mine, and all my powers will return to me."

"You'll lose." Sombra cracked an evil smile as he looked at my face in the windows glass.

"And what makes you think that?" He asked demeaningly.

"I don't think, I know. Because your a loser. Its what you do." Sombra's smile curled into a sneer, and I felt my eyebrow twitch.

"We will see if you're still talking when you take my place in the void. But for now, we need to take a little field trip, and I think the library is just the place Id'e like to go."

Library?……….. No, Twilight.

Princess Twilight sat in her chair reading, 'The compendium of magical creatures', a classic in its own time.

It was getting close to twelve thirty, and while she did consider herself a night owl, the prospect of taking off her crown and getting to bed early, did sound pretty good.

Just as she was about to close her book, a light knocking came at the door. Without turning around, the princess of magic reached out with her aura to see who was at the door. With her inner eye she made out the outline of a bipedal creature that she recognized as her only human friend, (in this world at least).

"Come on in Cain, Im just doing a little reading."

The wolf in sheep's clothing entered quietly and closed the door behind him.

"So what brings you by? Cant sleep? I know that feeling." Twilight continued to read her book as the wolf approached her from behind and clenched his host's fists.

"Well your more than welcome to-"

She didn't notice it until it was to late. It wasn't until he was two arms length away. She hadn't felt that aura since that day in the frozen north, when HE came after her and her friends.

King Sombra.

She activated her horn and spun around in her chair to strike him down, but he was to fast, and before she could get a clear shot, he grabbed her by the throat.
In a flash, he grabbed her crown and tossed it across the room. He spun her around and violently pined her against a book case with his hosts forearm.

"Well well well. Twilight Sparkle, it is a pleasure to meet you, again. The crown suits you, Princess."

Twilight coughed from the rough treatment and glared at the wolf that entrapped her.

"King Sombra, I should have smelt coward as soon as you stepped in." Twilight snarled.

Sombra grinned, revealing that his hosts canines were now longer and with a much sharper point to them.

"Tisk, tisk, princess, petty insults? I would have thought that Celestia had taught you better than that."

"What have you done to Cain?" She demanded, not even addressing the demeaning way he referred to her teacher.

"He's in here, for now. If you have any parting words for him I suggest that you say them while he can still hear you. By dawn, well, lets just say that he, won't be home."

"What do you want Sombra?" Twilight squeezed out through her captors arm on her throat.

"Oh, not much. Just what I deserve. A crown, a throne, revenge. Oh, and that little tart sister in law of yours that rules MY empire."

Twilights eyes widened in horror at the implication of what Sombra intended for Cadence.

"Don't you touch her, you filth!" Sombra snickered, it was then that Twilight noticed the crown on his head.

She quickly realized that the crown was the link between parasite and host. She had to get that crown off of Cain's head.

"Maybe Ill make her my personal play thing, once Celestia and Luna's heads hang from the highest tower in Canterlot!"

Twilights rage surged as she focused her magic on the crown. She was either going to get it off or die trying, even if her horn melted off her head.

But Sombra saw this coming, he provoked her to get this exact response. She played right into his hoof, or hand in this case.

Before Twilights magic could touch the crown, Sombra wrapped his hand around her horn. He intended to siphon her magic out like a leach.

But Twilight had long prepared for this eventuality.

As soon as her body detected that her magic was being pulled out, her counter spell kicked in. Twilight knew after her coronation that her magic in the wrong hooves would be extremely destructive.

It worked in that if her magic would ever begin to be drained, that the magic lay lines in her body would be shut off for an un determined amount of time. It could be an hour, a day, or even half a month.

The magical shut off resulted in plasmic discharge on her horn that burned Sombra's host hand.

"RAAAAA!" Sombra roared as he took his host hand off the burning horn. The flesh on the hand sizzled as steam rose from the burned appendage.

"Very good, princess. I see that Celestia taught you well."

"And you think you're going to overthrow her and Princess Luna? You won't get within ten steps."

Sombra tightened his hold on Twilights throat as he waved his host's hand to subside the pain.

"Overthrow? No princess. Your brother I will overthrow, so I can make his bride my toy. Those two….TRAITORS! Will have there intestines strewn around my bed chamber. I will personnaly have a coat made from there hides. And just before you and your brother swing from the gallows, Ill make sure to give little Cadence a nice, big, kiss."

Twilight would have vomited if Sombras host's arm weren't pressed against her throat. In the Crystal Empire she had only seen the monster from a distance, like being in a cage while a great beast circled outside.

But now she was face to face with the beast. His hot breath on her face, his empty hollow voice in her ears, his dark, rage filled eyes, the threat of death and violence for all that she held dear. And now she didn't even have her magic to rely on.

She felt what any wise ruler would feel in that situation.

Fear.

"So you just enjoy your sleep, Princess Twilight. Your next will be you're last."

Before Twilight could retort, a fist came down hard where her neck and shoulder met. With a grunt of pain she was out.
Sombra let her slump to the floor, he thought for a moment to take her element of harmony and use it till his powers returned in the morning.

But abandoned the idea, realizing that the princess of magic more than likely had placed another protective spell on it.

Sombra spotted something out of the corner of his host's eye. He turned on the spot and with his burnt hand grabbed the base of a trident inches before it plunged into his new chest.

He pulled the weapon up. Hanging by his little arms was the princesses loyal assistant.

Sombra snorted back a laugh at what he had caught.

"Oh stars and moon! Is it really possible? Your the little lizard who stole my crystal heart."

Spike glared at the impostor, he had walked in on the last few moments of what was going on and quickly grabbed his trusty trident.

"Im not afraid of you! If you hurt Twilight Ill, Ill-"

"But you should be afraid, little worm. You should be."

With breakneck speed, Sombra broke the trident from the rest of the staff and slammed spike into the book case.

Sombra looked down at the unconscious inhabitants of the library. As he looked at the trident tip in his hand he thought to just use it and end them both. If it weren't for the endless prattling in his head form his new bodies owner.

"You bastard! Ill kill you, Ill kill you, Ill kill you!"

Sombra rolled my eyes at me.

"Come now my puppet, these are you're last hours. Don't spend them so full of hate. Besides, I am you. You can't kill me without killing yourself."

I could do nothing but watch as Sombra hurt my friends. I have never felt so weak and useless in all my life.

"Come now, we only have a few hours until dawn. Lets go paint this little town red!"

I tried to fight against his control, but Sombra was tapped into my whole body. It was like I was just an eye being taken around for a walk. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare, but I lacked the ability to even close whatever it was that I was able to see through.

Sombra left the unconscious librarian and her assistant on the floor as he opened the door and closed it behind him.

"Sleep tight princess, while you can."

One and a half hours later.

Sombra decided that the streets of Ponyville were to quiet, and that some panic was in order.

He found a hay stack and ignited it with the tinny bit of magic he was able to steal from Twilight, but it was all he needed.
After finding a dry tree branch, he then ignited it and proceeded to ignite anything that looked like it would catch.

Within a half an hour ponies were running through the streets. Pegasus ponies hurried to collect rain clouds in an attempt to put out the fires.

Ponies who witnessed Sombra torching there town tried to stop him. Stallions charged Sombra, but soon found as I had that he had gained great strength from being in my body. He tossed them to and fro like they were rag dolls. Windows crashed and wood crates and benches were splintered as stallions and gutsy mares were thrown from Sombras path.

All that I could hear was the screaming and yelling of scared, panicked ponies as they ran about trying to re establish order and the crackling of raging fires.
Inside I yelled, ordered, and begged for Sombra to stop, but to no avail. He laughed and cackled at the chaos and destruction he created.

Time was running out, and I had even less control then than I did when this all started. If I didn't think of something fast there was no telling what what was going to happen.

"Cain!"

……………………..No, not her.

Sombra turned around slowly to observe the pony behind him.

Please Celestia, don't let it be her. I don't want her to see me right now.

But for all my begging and pleading, it was useless. She came pushing a giant rain cloud, big enough to put out the whole town, I should have known she would come.

Rainbow.

"Cain, what are you doing?! You have to stop now!" The cyan mare had a look in her eyes that was a mix between anger and worry, and what hurt me most was that she was crying.

"Do you know that garish foal?" Sombra asked with a snarky tone.

He didn't know about Rainbow, I had to try and throw him off.

"Don't be ridiculous, me and her? Just look at her, she's so plane and boring. I mean if I wanted a mare like that I'd just date a stallion, right?"

Sombra snickered aloud.

"You're lying, my friend."

Fear, overwhelming and all consuming fear gripped me like a vice.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU MONSTER!"

"Oh ho! so that is you're mare then. You have horrible taste. But don't worry, Ill make sure she doesn't see what comes next."

"I swear to all that is pony Sombra, if you touch her-"

"Please help, my love! I don't know whats wrong with me!" Sombra said to Rainbow in my voice.

"No Rainbow, please, stay away!" I called, but my words didn't come out.

Rainbow took off at a gallop toward me. Sombra extended one of my arms in a hugging gesture, the other hand gripped the trident tip tucked into my belt.

Rainbow got within arms length, and thats when everything slowed down to a crawl. Sombra drew the pointed weapon out, and with a swift gesture he pointed it right at Rainbow, just as she flew into the weapon.

A sickening sound rang out, the sound of a sharp object piercing a living body.

Then everything just stopped.

Rainbow's face was less than an inch away from mine. Her expression was frozen, her mouth and eyes were wide open, either from pain or from the shock of what had just happened.

Sombra looked with cold slitted eyes into the mares that he had just ran through. Rainbow closed her eyes slowly as Sombra dropped her to the cold ground.
Blood dripped from the weapon that Sombra held in my hand. Rainbows side had a bleeding hole, and Sombra stood there looking down at her as her blood left her and accumulated on the grass below.

He stood there looking down at her, knowing that I could see everything that he saw. He wanted to make me suffer, to take away everything that I had before sending me to the endless darkness of the void.

"You really are a monster."

Sombra said nothing for a long moment. Maybe he was reflecting on what he had just done, maybe he just hadn't killed anypony in a long time. All that I knew was that I would never rest until I had his throat in my hands. I will return from the void like he had. I will burn and destroy everything that he loved. And when everything that he had erected for himself was in a smoldering pile of rubble, and he looked up at me from the ashes of the life he stole from us, I will stomp my heel into his skull.

"No, the real monster is yet to come."

Sombra walked toward the mountain that Canterlot sat atop. The light of the sun was beginning to rise behind it. Sombra threw the trident away and dropped to my knees.

"Its finally hear, after countless centuries I will have all that I deserve. I will have power, I will have revenge, and I will hold Equestria in my control. And its all thanks to you."

I wanted to fight, I wanted to let Sombra know that I wouldn't rest until I had his life, but it was all useless. If only I hadn't put that stupid crown on my head than none of this would have happened.

Suddenly I felt something, my arm. I could move my right arm, and not just that, I could move my hand as well.

But what did that matter? The sun was rising, and soon enough Sombra would have all he needed to burn Equestria to the ground. I reached up to my collar and retrieved the thunder crystal that hung from around my neck. The chain fell from my shoulders, and I held the crystal in my hand. I wished that I could look at it one last time before I slipped into the darkness.

As I held the crystal, I felt something.

The tip of the crystal was very sharp and pointed.

Then I saw it.

I saw Equestria, my home, burning, covered in black smoke.

I saw endless graveyards.

I saw a country built on the principals of love and friendship, fall to fear and darkness.

It all played out in front of me like a bad dream.

And I knew that I held the key to change all that.

For what ever reason, I recalled the poem that I had read when I was a little boy, The poem that I recited to myself when I set off on my journey to begin a new life in Ponyville.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here.
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little pony must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near.
Between the woods and frozen lake.
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his coat bells a shake,
And asks if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

"And miles to go before I sleep……."

'Shunk!…………drip……drip'

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Sombra roared in pain as I drove the pointed tip of the crystal deep into my gut.

"W-what are you doing?!"

I chuckled through the pain as warm blood spilled onto my hand.

"You were right Sombra, I can't kill you without killing myself. So Im going to drag you down to Tartarus with me!"

Sombra growled between winces of pain.

"You stooped pathetic foal! You-"

"No! You're the only foal hear Sombra. You thought I was just going to watch as you hurt my friends and destroy my home? You made a big mistake killing her Sombra. Were going to die together here, and I'm going to spend the rest of eternity finding new and creative ways to kill you over and over again!"

"NO, NO, NO! I will not be bested by a human!"

Something new was happening, It felt like a band aid was being ripped from inside of me. It was as slow and painful as one would imagine.
Something was being sucked out of my body, from my feet to the top of my head something was leaving. I heard Sombra roar once before all traces of him left my body and back into the crown.

Once the last speck was gone, the crown shot off the top of my head and rolled on the ground with a light 'ting' before it fell flat on the grass.

"Heh, heh, heh. Just like a rat on a sinking ship…..coward." The last word left me as I pulled the crystal from my gut.

The details get funny now, as I feel myself fall face first on the ground. I remember seeing the form of Twilight approaching where Rainbow lay. I hope she can do something for her. I think as all becomes dark.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Twilight woke up to the sound of pony panic outside her library and quickly sprang to action. After checking on spike and making sure that he was ok, she placed him in her bed and retrieved her crown from where Sombra had thrown it on the floor.

Her magic (like she had predicted) was still unavailable, but her authority and status in Ponyville meant that she would be able to organize ponies into some semblance of order.

But before all that, she had to find Cain, or what ever was left of him after Sombra had taken hold. She had to stop him and she didn't have much time left, even without her magic. She would ram him with her horn before she let him regain an ounce of his power.

She didn't have to look very hard, she just needed to follow the trail of fire and panic. It wasn't long before she saw a sight that made her blood run cold.
The blue and rainbow colored mare lay in the middle of the road, Twilight could see as she galloped up to her that she had a wound in her side.

"Rainbow Dash! Can you hear me?!" Twilights cries were answered by a groan of pain.

"T-Twilight? Wheres Cain?! Is he ok?!" Rainbow Dash shot up as if the injury didn't even phase her, Twilight guessed that sudden blood loss caused her to pass out.

"Calm down Rainbow. First things first, are you ok?" Rainbow Dash took a wobbly step toward Twilight before re-gaining her composure.

"Im fine, now wheres Cain? Somethings wrong with him." Twilight didn't have time to explain, the sun was beginning to rise and if she didn't stop Sombra than something really bad was going to happen.

Just then as she was looking around the area she spotted a larger something laying on the ground a little ways away from where they stood.

Rainbow Dash's blue coat whent two shades lighter as blood drained from her face. Her and Twilight took off at a gallop to where the injured being lay motionless in the road.

"CAIN!" Rainbow called to the lifeless form of the human she loved.

She ground to a halt and began to asses the situation before her. Twilight wasn't far behind, but as soon as she saw the small pool of blood and the red stained crystal in his hand she feared the worst.

Twilight looked on at the cyan mare in front of her. The scene was like something out of a tragic romance. Rainbow stood over the motionless form of her special somepony as the light of the sun rose over her. Her head was bowed down, no doubt looking at Cain with a look of shock and heart break.

Twilight didn't fully know or really understand how much he meant to her, but as her friend she could feel the pain and loss she must be experiencing at that moment.

When she was a filly, princess Celestia told her a story about a human who had helped to save many ponies. A human who gave up his home and his people to do what he knew was right. But despite his selfless sacrifice, no mention or record existed of him or what he did for so many.

Twilight resolved to herself that she would not make the same mistake. She would make sure that he would be remembered as a hero.

But for now her friend needed her.

"Rainbow Dash……I-"

"I DONT WANT TO HEAR IT!" The heart broken pegasus yelled, not meaning to yell so loud at her friend.

"Rainbow Dash…….."

Rainbow Dash crouched down and turned him over. His face looked peaceful, almost like he was sleeping. She brushed his long hair away from his face and picked his head up to cradle it in the crook of her foreleg.

"He-he didn't ask for any of this……." Rainbow dash said in a shaky whisper. Twilight approached Rainbow Dash from behind, she stood supportively next to her friend. Rainbow Dash needed space right now, but Twilight also knew that Rainbow Dash needed to know that she was there for her.

"He's a hero you know. If it weren't for him than Equestria would be in a lot of trouble now." Twilight said in hopes of letting her friend know that it wasn't for nothing.

"I don't care about any of that. I just wanted him…" Rainbow Dash put her head down, she just wanted quiet now. But the pounding in her chest was both to loud and surprising, ( she had thought there weren't enough pieces left to keep beating).

Twilight looked with sad eyes away from the two and up to the side, at the rising sun.

"I just wish that-"

Rainbow Dash's sentence was cut short as she felt five digest and an open palm squeezing and kneading the soft and warm meat of her flank just under her cutie mark.

"Hay!" Rainbow yelled at the strange appendix that now made her face glow red.

"Cain! Y-y-your alive?" Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked with open mouthes at the once presumed dead human.

"Well not if you keep squeezing me so hard." The human said opening his eyes and tilting his head up.

"B-but the blood! You stabbed yourself didn't you?!" Twilight asked trying not to flip out.

"Heh heh, Im a professional chef Twilight. I knew exactly where to stab where it would hurt the most but miss my vitals'." I explained to the confused mares.

"You are by far the craziest friend I have ever had, and I'm including Pinky when I say that." I gave Twilight a shrug and a smile. I didn't know weather to be complemented or insulted

'Whack!'

Rainbow haled off and smacked me across the face with a hoof. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she glared at me with furious eyes.

"Don't you ever! Do something that stupid again! If you ever scare me like that again I-I-Ill kill you myself!"

I didn't say anything, I just wrapped my arms around her and held her close. Rainbow sobbed as she hugged me back, we both needed a hospital, but for now all we needed was to hold each other and feel grateful that we were both alive and together.

The light of the sun was warm and soft, and even though the pain in my side was starting to get worse, I wouldn't have traded that moment for all the gold in Canterlot.

After me and Twilight explained the whole story to Rainbow, I told them that Rarity needed help as well. Twilight retrieved Sombras crown and put it in a safe place until she could deal with it properly.

No pony seemed to be too angry at me, seeing as Twilight told everyone that it wasn't me but the evil unicorn that was controlling me.

Rarity wasn't too angry about me ruining the new shirt that she made me.

But I knew that it was going to take a big bouquet of roses to apologize for it.

Anything to keep her from using her tape measurer on me.

Which brings us to the hospital.

"Do it Cain." Twilight deadpanned to me.

"Awww come on Twilight. Im in the hospital already, do I really have to?" The princess of magic only gave me a look like she was dead serious.

With a reluctant sigh I picked up the quill and scroll.

Dear princess Celestia.

This is Cain.

I regretfully am writing to you from a hospital bed.

Princess Twilight said that I should write you a letter telling you what I learned from this whole dilemma.
As I'm sure that she has already written you about what happened here in Ponyville.
Anyway, I learned that there will always be evil in this world. While there may be nothing that we can do to stop this, we can all find the strength and courage to stand up to it.
What we can do, is look to those that we love and hold dear. When all seams lost, and it looks like all hope is gone, we should look to what is closest to our hearts, and the answer may be more obvious than we thought.

Also, Before he was defeated, king Sombra told me that he was acting under the orders of someone called "The Lich", and that he was after a book from the Canterlot library.

I thought I should let you know that.

Well the doctors say that Ill be released tomorrow and I'm looking forward to our next meet.

Sincerely, you're faithful subject. Cain

"Hows that?" I asked Twilight. She gave me a satisfied nod before taking the scroll and exiting the room.

I looked over at the cyan mare that occupied the hospital bed next to mine. With her forelegs folded and an angry glare in her eyes, she was doing a good job of boring a hole in me with her eyes.

"Don't think that Ive forgiven you for grabbing my butt in public like that mister." She stated with an adorable huff.

"So, are you saying you didn't like it?" I asked my special somepony. I had had to do a lot of explaining as to why I was at Rarity's place at night. But after telling her the whole story she only gave me a roll of the eyes and a little laugh.

Rainbows glare turned to bedroom eyes and her cheeks got a little pink.

"Lets just say that these hospital beds aren't gonna do much for keeping me off of you."

And all was right in the world.

Telling nopony, princess Celestia and princess Twilight took the crown into the caves beneath Canterlot. Under the pale light that was given off by the crystals they buried the crown deep enough that they were sure that no one would ever find it. To this day, no pony (except the two that were there) knows what became of the tainted crown.

~One month latter~

I lay on my bed shirtless, awaiting my goddess to emerge from the bathroom. She had told me that Rarity had given her a new "bedroom outfit" that apparently I was going to love.

looking down at the bit sized scar on my torso, I couldn't help but think about how lucky I was to be alive. Rainbow was insatiable after our brush with death, I had read somewhere that near death experiences were like a natural aphrodisiac, witch Rainbow had proven time and time again since what had happened.

Rainbow also said that she had a surprise for me which she asked me to keep an open mind about.

I told her as long as it didn't involve anything too crazy that I was game.

The door to my bathroom opened and emerged the mare of the hour. Her mane hung down and was slightly curled. Rarity really out did herself this time, tightly clinging to Rainbows rump were a pair of rainbow striped panties.

"You didn't happen to see my mare friend while you were in there did you?" I asked sarcastically.

"Keep up the wise cracks and Ill just go home." Rainbow replied with a devilish smile.

"I don't think you could if you wanted to." I said as I ran a hand over my chest in my best attempt at wooing the gorgeous mare.

Rainbow turned around to show me her new panties. There was a hole for her tail to come through and a print of her cutie mark on her butt.

"You know me so well." She replied, giving her rump a little shake in her own attempt at alluring me.

Her way was more affective.

"Are you ready for the surprise?" She asked turning around again to face me.

"Im ready."

"Ok, close your eyes, and no peeking." I closed my eyes and listened for whatever the surprise was.

I heard Rainbow rustling with something just outside the door and I thought I heard her say something to the affect of, "He's not going to bite you or anything".

I waited in darkness for another half a minute before Rainbow gave the word.

"Ok, open them." She stater with much cheer.

I opened my eyes, but I wasn't ready for what I saw.

The butter yellow pegasus pony with the pink bubble gum hair stood in the doorway wearing a shy smile and the sexiest pair of forest green panties I had ever seen. They were similar to Rainbows, but with the addition of side tied strings on either side in cute little bows.

The three of us stayed in absolute silence as I tried to process what was going on.

"I-uh-tha-um-I" Was the best I could do to form words.

"You were at Rarities, at night! I thought that maybe you were starting to……..you know. Want another mare." Rainbow explained. She knew that nothing happened between me and Rarity, other than her making me some custom clothing. But I suppose that Rainbow had seen it another way.

I looked over at Fluttershy who was doing her best to turn invisible.

"Fluttershy, are you ok with this?" The yellow mare looked up at me with a squeak.

"W-well yes, I am. Y-you see-"

"Fluttershy has had a crush on you since she met you at the library. Thats why she acted so nutty around you."

Fluttershy's face went bright crimson at Rainbows interruption and revealing of her true feelings for me. It seemed rude but if left to her own devices, Fluttershy would have taken all night to say what she was really thinking.

"Fluttershy, is this true?" I asked the shy pony in my softest tone.

She looked up at me, cheeks still red and eyes looking like they were about to spring a leak.

"Y-yes…I do like you, NO! I love you. I-I asked Rainbow Dash to set this up for me because…..well, you know." I sat on the edge of the bed as Fluttershy approached me. Our faces were a breath away from each other, but all we did was look into each others eyes.

Then she surprised me. Fluttershy flung herself at me and sealed her lips to mine in one of the hardest but softest kisses I had ever had.

After I got over the initial shock, I gently placed my hands onto her soft panty covered rump witch elicited another small squeak from my new mare friend. Her butt was so soft and squishy, it felt like a pillow made of jelly.

I had no idea that Fluttershy could be so aggressive, especially when it came to matters of intimacy. But there she was, trying her best to force her tongue down my throat.

"Hay you two, I'm still hear you know." Rainbow cut in, now sitting next to us on the bed.

"And you mister. Don't get carried away, Fluttershy is going to make sure that you don't look at any other mares when I'm not around, got it?"

Me and Fluttershy looked at Rainbow with a look like, seriously? before we both grabbed her and brought her into our love triangle.

The three of us cut off the lights and began the most exhaustingly hot love making session any of us had ever had.

Only rainbows after rain.