Chapter 3 - The darkness rises

I was glad that at least Princess Luna appeared to be herself. When I first saw her in the corridor she seemed quite disgruntled, I had assumed that she too was involved in the incident. It was also the first time I met her. Sure, I've seen her from afar many times during my service, but I have never spoken with her before.

All I knew about her, before actually meeting her, was based about gossip and rumors. Some ponies said that the Moon Princess was cold-hearted, short-tempered and reckless, while others described her as exceptionally smart, playful and even a bit shy. I also heard somepony comparing her with a time-bomb, ticking away, causing another calamity when the time is up. Ridiculous nonsense in my opinion. I was afraid of her at first, but I soon felt the warmth and calm she emitted while she tried to comfort me. My first impression of her was, that she was equally beautiful like her sister, yet in a more subtle way. She didn't radiate the same grace like her sister, but there was something about her that made her evenly impressive. Her presence didn't feel as overwhelming and blinding as her sister's, rather it was pleasant and encouraging.

This might sound strange, but it felt good to let my grief flow, even if it was only for a moment. Because right after the fog in my mind had vanished, she had ordered me to evacuate the city, warning me that something powerful was approaching. I wasted no time moving my flank through the long corridors, the marble walls echoing the sound of my hoofsteps, my racing heart beating uncontrollably.

I ran down the hallway I had just came from and exited the castle. I turned around, seeing the red and golden flashes being let off by Celestia's and Star Stripe's magic, through the colorful mosaic windows of the throne-room. It seemed like Star Stripe was still alive and able to fight the Princess. I couldn't avoid the slight pride in my head, knowing that a regular unicorn had the power to stand up to an alicorn. Although I didn't know the General very well and rarely ever saw him during my period of service, seeing just how determined he was to keep me safe had earned him my undying loyalty.

Shaking my head, I to return to the present. There was still the war in Canterlot going on and I had important orders from the Princess. The two golden armored guards were still standing in front of the entrance, casually glancing at the citizens who passed by the gate. A quick glance at the flashes on their shoulders told me their ranks. They either hadn't seen the light-show coming from the throne-room, or they didn't think it was trouble. They probably got used to it, since the Princess was an Alicorn, meeting many other spell-caster that tried to acquire her favor.

"We're under attack! Princess Luna has ordered the immediate evacuation of Canterlot! Come on, follow me!" I called them, frantically.

The guard-ponies looked at each other amazed, but didn't move. I knew that I was only a Private, I couldn't order them around, since both of them had a higher rank than me.

"I am serious! This is an emergency! I am acting by order of Princess Luna. You can throw me in any dungeon afterwards if I lied to you, but for now follow me, please!"

With a shrug both of them finally set themselves in motion. Relieved I said to them in a less pleading tone:

"Corporal, you need to find Major Gold Star. He was sent out to calm down the citizen. Tell him, to initiate 'Emergency Plan 45 Charlie', immediately."

"45 Charlie? An Evacuation?!"
The golden one lifted a brow in disbelief, but nodded after he had caught my demanding gaze. I addressed the other one next.

"You must go to the battlefield at the second northern gate and inform Captain Steel Helm about the evacuation plan. Tell him he needs to defend his position as long as possible, to give us time to evacuate the civilians to safety."

He nodded too and both of them galloped down the paved street, both heading different directions. I exhaled relieved, I never have given any commands to other ponies before. Who would listen to me anyway?

I continued running down the main-street. An armored stallion was approaching me at a smart trot. It was Captain Stone Hide, who was sent to the Royal Library to gather information about the invaders. It seemed like he had finished his research and was just returning to the commander's post, to inform General Star Stripe about his discoveries.

"Hey, Captain, Captain Stone Hide!" I called to get his attention. He stopped his trot, now standing next to me.

"You are that Private, who delivered the message, right?" he asked recognizing me. I nodded my head in response.

"Captain, the General is indisposed, right now. Princess Luna has ordered the immediate evacuation of Canterlot, 'EP 45 Charlie'."

"What? Why? What's going on, Private?" he said in astonishment.

"No time to explain, sir. We have to act quickly. Please help Major Gold Star with the evacuation."

"So you say, Princess Luna gave you that order?" he lifted a brow in disbelieve. "Why would she do that? Evacuating a whole city is a serious business. Are you sure you didn't misunderstand her command? I am quite sure the invaders will be swept in no time."

"No, sir. I was just as surprised as you are now. She assured me that it is of the utmost importance to abandon the city."

"I understand. Where is the General, does he know about this?"

"He's with Princess Celestia, right now," I replied, dodging his gaze for a moment.

He just nodded, then turned around and galloped down the street towards the heart of the city. I had concealed the truth to him, since the explanation would have cost us some more precious minutes. He most likely wouldn't believe me, anyway.

'45 Charlie' was a rarely used routine to evacuate the citizens in case of emergency. It hadn't been used in ages, well at least as far as I can remember. Although all guard-ponies got instructed on how to evacuate the city, most ponies didn't take it seriously enough, most of them thought that the Princesses would handle every crisis and they would never have to follow the plan. To be honest, I once thought like this too.

Several minute and some more running later, I reached the battlefield again. Shocked, I had to notice, that the invaders already had destroyed the second gate. The remaining of the splintered wooden gates were taken off its hinges, now lying on the ground in front of the white wall. Several pony-spell-casters stood on the wall, concentrating on their magic. Together they had summoned a sparkling multicolored force-field to seal the now opened gateway. However they winced with every attack their magical blockade repelled. During my approach, I could see the endeavor, their faces expressed, while trying to keep up their magic against all odds.

I also saw the Wonderbolts, Equestria's most talented flying squad, swishing over the battlefield, summoning thunderclouds that unleashed their lightning strikes onto the crowd of invaders, while other team members formed mini twisters to keep them away from the barrier. The lightning bolts that struck their targets electrocuted them, leaving the crystal-ponies steaming and twitching spastically, but none of them seemed to mind at all. Although they tried their very best, even the famous Wonderbolts couldn't stop the crystal-pony's approach.

At this point several of the crystal-ponies had already climbed the walls and were going for the magicians to grant access for their comrades. Each magician was protected by a group of guards that was repelling each attacker, so that the magicians could focus on the force-field, while the archers were still shooting arrows and bolts down the wall. Some earth-ponies even threw the remains of the exploded white tower at the invaders.

I finally reached the wall and saw Captain Steel Helm, defending a magician, Silver Badge protecting another. The Lieutenant's face was stained with blood, dirt and sweat and it seemed like he had received a cut to the face recently, a long scar marked the left side of his cheek. I made my way to the Captain as quickly as I could, while dodging and climbing over the countless dead bodies, all the while trying to not look at their maimed faces.

"Private, some Corporal told me that Luna ordered the abandonment of the city, is this the truth?!" He addressed me, while rubbing some sweat off his face.

"Yes, Captain! ‘45 Charlie!" I shouted over to him to drown out the noise of the battle.

"Good! We’ve tried our best to hold them back, but I don't think we can hold out much longer," he replied shouting with a desperate voice.

A silver-coated crystal-pony, who had made it on top of the wall, charged at the Captain, but he dodged the attack and with an impressive kick of his hind-legs, he sent the attacker down the wall, back to his fellows in front of the force-field.

"Major Gold Star has already initiated the evacuation-" I replied hoping that this was indeed the case, before I tackled another attacking crystal-pony to send it to its friend down the wall.

Now two crystal-ponies approached us, one a purple colt, armed with a short bladed dagger, the other being an orange-coated mare, carrying a guard's halberd. The mare slowly lifted the heavy weapon over her head, like a lumberjack, then the sharp edge struck at me in a downward arc. The blade emitted sparks as the metal hit the stone floor of the wall, making a scraping sound.

The swing was rather clumsily executed. She seemed to have neither the physical strength nor the expertise to wield such a weapon properly, and yet even such a flawed swing could have cut a pony into two, had she hit. With me being unarmed, my best bet was to rush in, to shorten the distance. The mare had the advantage of a much wider range with her pole-arm, she would have a harder time in close combat, I figured. Dodging her attack and circling her with a quick sidestep, I found myself standing between her and her purple friend. While she was busy, lifting the heavy weapon again, he leaped at me, trying to stab me. I feinted a sidestep to the left, instead jumping to the right. While he stumbled past me, I slammed my body into his side, pushing him off the wall.

Now, the mare had lifted her heavy weapon once more, lunging out for a side-ward swing, thankfully I was right next to her and only the long shaft managed to hit me. Still the mere force pressed the air out of my lungs, but most of the damage got absorbed by my metal armor. The armor I wore now was battered at the spot the mare managed to hit me, fortunately I was unharmed except for some bruises.

"Slacking on your agility training, aren't we, Private?"

Before she could strike me again, the Captain intervened, grabbing the shaft of the weapon, near the tip. With him holding the halberd down, that mare wasn't able to lift it up again and with a nimble motion of his hooves, he managed to disarm the crystal-pony.

Now holding the weapon the wrong way round. He wasted no time and swiftly struck the side of her head in a circular upward swing with the blunt end of the shaft. The concussion managed to daze the mare, causing her to stumble over the edge of the wall. He then whirled the weapon around, skillfully securing it, so that the blade-tip was now pointing at the sky.

The dexterity, he had just displayed, awed me, since it required quite some strength and expertise to wield a halberd that masterfully. No wonder, that he was a Captain, I thought to myself.

"I am sorry Captain..."

"You will be next time. If that mare learns how to handle our weapons before you learn how to dodge."
His words were sharp and hurtful, yet there was no insulting tone in his voice. It was meant as advice for me and he was right.

"Remind me to sign you up for an extra drill with me, in case we survive this mess," he said with an encouraging smile on his face, while he reached down to help me get up.

"Aye sir! Thank you."

Pulling myself together I had a look at the gateway-yard. Countless crystal-ponies with many different coat-colors relentlessly threw themselves at the force-field, trying to finally shatter it. Some of the ponies looked like pincushions, with several bolts and arrows rearing up their bodies. I even spotted a pink-coated one, which had its hind-legs disembodied by a magical explosion, that same pony still participated in the attack of the force-field, by merely crawling forwards.

"In all my years, I have never seen anything like them-" the Captain spoke up, while standing next to me flank to flank, gazing over the battlefield.

"Those, those 'things' just keep on marching forward, no matter how badly they are wounded. No matter how many bolts you shoot at them, they still keep attacking mercilessly. How can you fight an enemy, which is immune to pain?" His voice contained a sour tone of desperation.

Then, with no warning at all the attacking stopped, a deadly silence covered the battlefield. I lifted my head and my heart skipped a beat. A black cloud of darkness had appeared among the attackers. Every pony, including the crystal-ponies, had stopped fighting and looked over at this unholy ghost. At second glance, I noticed that it wasn't a cloud, it was a glowing aura of energy emerging from a single pony. The aura itself wasn't pure black like I first thought either, rather a sombre halo streaked by dark purple, blue and green tongues of magical fire.

As for the pony himself? He was a dark gray-coated unicorn, wearing steel armor. His back was covered by a crimson cape, similar to the one rulers displayed in their ancient portraits in the Royal Gallery. His black mane merged with the disturbing aura that surrounded his body, waving like a black flag in the calm wind. But the most remarkable thing about him were his eyes. They were green with a red iris. I have never seen eyes like that before. I could never express the feelings I felt, seeing him for the first time, but my heart suddenly felt like being made out of plumb. The pony, wrapped in that wobbling dark shroud took a step forward, his posture was majestic, but his appearance terrified me, the wobbling gloom around him didn't make it any better.
But the most horrible thing about him was his voice.

"Ahhhh- I can smell your fear, my little ponies.” His deep hissing and growling voice echoed over the yard. Once again I heard his demonic laughter.

Captain Steel Helm's face became pale as chalk.
"It-it- it is- him! ....Sombra!" His wide opened eyes stared over at the dark warlord.

"Sombra? The ancient stallion, who used to rule over the Crystal-Empire?"
I asked, but he just nodded weakly, unable to avert his gaze from that pony.

All my knowledge about him and his background, was based on old legends I have read or old mare's tales I’ve heard. As far as I knew, he lived quite a long time, somehow gaining rule of the Crystal-Empire, by bringing the citizens of the Empire into subjection. Nopony ever knew how he enslaved a whole Empire just like that.

When the Princesses learned of his evil deeds, they urged him to stop suppressing his subjects, but he refused. Forced to take action, they used the might of the Elements of Harmony to seal his body and mind into the icy ground near the Empire's capital.

Generations passed and nopony ever thought about him escaping his shackles that bound him to the land he used to rule, but a millennium after his banishment, he returned. It was the Princesses' niece Cadence, who was able to beat him a second time, using a powerful artifact called the 'Crystal Heart'. Nopony thought he would return, since his body got annihilated and his soul shifted to another realm, yet the exact same pony now stood there in the gateway-yard, seeming rather unharmed. How was that even possible? I had no clue.

"Yes! Fear me! Fear me, more! Your King has returned, and I will retake what's mine!" the growling voice continued.

"Archers, aim for the shadow! Fire at will when ready! I want you to make him a pincushion!" Steel Helm's command echoed over the battlefield, breaking the silence.

Half a moment later, a swarm of arrows, bolts and magic missiles flew towards the wobbling cloud. The King didn't move a muscle to defend himself, or to dodge the attacks. He just remained motionless, watching patiently as the incoming bullets came ever closer. At the very last second his solid body dissipated and he vanished into black smoke, while the bolts passed right through him, hitting the ground where the King had stood a second ago. Once the last projectile hit the ground the smoke condensed, forming his unharmed body, once more.

"Pathetic! It's my turn now!"

His horn began to sparkle in a dark greenish light. Suddenly the shadows of the five magicians, began to move on their own. A second later, several wiggling shadow-like tendrils emerged from the ground below each of the magicians. Like tentacles, they quickly wrapped around the bodies of the scholars. Struggling to free themselves, the tendrils only intensified their grip.

From the corner of my vision I could see Silver Badge, trying to free the trapped magician he was defending. Cutting the tendrils with a knife he had quickly drawn, the blade went right through the surface. Amazed he inspected his dagger and tried it again with the same result.

The King lifted his head, and his horn began to glow more intensely. The shadow-tentacles wrapped around the helpless ponies tighter, choking them. Time seemed to crawl, as the shackle like shadows tightened more and more around their bodies. I could hear the creaking of the limbs and torsos as their bones started to break. The horrible sounds got quickly covered by their screams of agony. Frantic, I tried to get a hold of one of the tentacles but my hooves couldn't feel anything other than an unnatural coldness as they went through the shadow. Steel Helm on the other hoof used the halberd’s shaft trying to pry the magician free or to at least lower the pressure on its victim, but he failed as well.

An evil manic grin appeared on the King's face, and with a jolt of his head each magician got crushed within the grasp of the unholy tentacles. Five fountains of blood sprayed the formerly white walls, now looking like a macabre modern painting. At the same moment, the magical barrier shattered, leaving the gateway unprotected.

My eyes widened as the blood of the magician Steel Helm and I were just trying to free splashed onto the ground soaking my hooves. My breakfast made its way up my gullet and I had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to vomit. With the utmost effort, I somehow managed to swallow the bad taste again, looking around it seemed like most of my comrades had similar problems.

The King started to laugh once more, more hysterical and long-drawn this time. How could somepony feel pleasure mutilating other ponies? Dazed I tumbled a few steps towards the Captain, who just stood there motionless, his armor blood stained from the magicians blood. His whole body shivered and the pole-weapon he had secured from that orange mare, dropped, causing a clattering sound.

"Captain-" I whispered. "Captain! What shall we do?"

He mumbled something unrecognizable. It was hard to understand the words he spoke, because of the chattering of his teeth.

"Captain?" I asked with a hoarse voice.

"Re- retreat-" he whispered.
"Retreat! Everypony retreat! Get the hay outta here! Fall back to the southern gate!" he repeated, this time with his loud commanding tone.

The remaining soldiers turned around and started to run in terror.

*****

Those were bad news that guard-pony had brought to me. It seemed like an ancient evil has been awakened and it had even managed to corrupt my sister.

I shook my head to clear my mind. There was still the fight in the throne-room going on and I decided to investigate. I snuck down the long hallway leading to the throne-room. The antique red carpet dampened the sound of my hooves, as I drew nearer. I then heard the sounds and saw the flashes of magical light the intense battle caused. Now standing at the door I carefully looked around the corner into the large hall.

It was true, Tia was still fighting with General Star Stripe. I must admit that he defended himself skillfully, despite his talent however it was clear that Tia only played with him. If she would unleash her true potential, the whole palace could be destroyed. Unfortunately the battle seemed to come to an end, although the General fought brave and agile, he got more and more tired, while Tia didn't. I wasn't sure if I should intervene and try to save him but my choice was taken from me, when I saw him dodging three quick blasts of Celestia's golden magic, only to get hit by a grazing shot, wounding his shoulder. Kneeling down with his wounded leg given away, he just looked at Celestia defiant, gritting his teeth back and forth. Her grin got wider as she noticed that the skirmish was over.

"I must admit that it was fun playing with you for some time, but it gets boring. I will end this now, I have other things to attend to," she said with a smirk, the whole time approaching him, slowly lowering her horn, aiming at his head.

I didn't want to see this, I turned away pressing my back against the cold wall of the hallway, hectically thinking about the options I had. I could confront her, trying to save the General, but I wasn't sure if I could beat her. She was immensely powerful and I wasn't sure if I had the nerves nor the necessary strength to fight her at her max level. Summoning all of our powers in the city would cause serious damage and put the lives of our subjects in jeopardy. Even if I had enough strength to beat her, how could I detain her? Without the Elements of Harmony at hoof, I couldn't imprison her nor seal her power away. And even if I had the opportunity to do so, would I really do it? She was my sister after all and I loved her.

I decided that it would be best to do some research first. Maybe there’s a way to cleanse her mind, without fighting her. That guard said that Canterlot is under attack, which means that the Royal Library might get burned down or otherwise destroyed before I am able to find a cure for my Tia. However it pained me to leave the brave General behind like that. Distraught, I back-paddled then turned around and ran down the hallway, towards the exit.

"By the moon,” sputtered the General from the other room. “Luna and the Elements, will bring you down, you crazy- Uargh!!!"

I heard his last words, thrown at her, before she could execute him. The last thing I heard before I exited the long corridor was his death cry accompanied by the manic laughter of my sister. For the first time I witnessed a side of my sister I never had imagined before.

I reached the castle's plaza and spread my wings, ascending high into the air to take a look around. Turning to the north, I saw the battlefield, covered by smoke and haze. The Royal Forces were able to defend their position even though the last gate was destroyed. I could see their courage fading away quickly. The south however was crowded with ponies. The guard did as I had told him, and the remaining troops had started to gather up all the citizens of Canterlot. Turning my head back to the battlefield, I saw him-

Author's Note

Finally, after ages I can now upload the third chapter. Special thanks to Kehvedna for proofreading this chapter and giving general feedback. I can't thank you enough for reviving this almost dead project. I hope that you'll stick with me so chapter 4 can be published soon.

The previous chapters were pretty tame, but now that Sombra has entered the stage the real struggle can begin. And he is here to stay and to kick major flank while he's around. I do hope you like my interpretation of him, since I think his 'current' canon design was lame and uninteresting.

If you want further information wait for the epilogue.