Chapter four: Shadow Sniper's revenge

Years after the humiliating defeat at the Crystal Empire and the loss of his master, the Shadow Sniper was back at 2fort training to avenge his fallen master. He was pushing his powers to the limit of what King Sombra had taught him. "Why... Can't... I... Any... Stronger?!" he asked in total fury as he started beating some training dummies into the ground, but then he started feeling a new power course through his black being, and he began to spin around while hovering off the ground. Like a rocket, he and the dummy flue up in the air, and then slammed the dummy to the ground. "This new power, this feeling, it's wonderful," he said hovering in the sky, "Twilight Sparkle, you're end is close at hand," as he began to laugh evilly.

A year later...

The Shadow Sniper returned to his master's world, but in the land of Equestria where he began spying on the Princess of the sun's faithful student in her own shadow. As time went on, he watched the Unicorn, and he found his time for revenge when the Unicorn became an Alicorn Princess. During her coronation he just broke out an evil chuckle, "Oh Miss Sparkle, you and your friends are so foolish," he said to her.

"Who's there?" Twilight Sparkle asked, "Where are you?"

"I have been around you the whole time just years after you're victory at the Crystal Empire," Shadow Sniper replied to her.

"Show yourself then," the lavender mare demanded to him.

"As you wish 'Princess'," Shadow Sniper said to her as Twilight Sparkle's shadow began to grow larger, but then started to form into a bipedal figure's shadow. Then, black smoke started to form on the shadow, and Shadow Sniper appeared out of the shadow in front of a whole crowd of Canterlot ponies.

"Who are you?" Twilight Sparkle asked the Shadow Sniper.

"I am the Shadow Sniper, Miss Sparkle," he replied to her, "I'am now honored to meet you, your friends, and the Princesses of the moon and sun in the flesh," bowing to them revealing his green eyes with purple fumes coming out of them, "But I'm afraid, Miss Sparkle that I will have to end you."

"Guards!" her older brother Shining Armor called out as six Royal Unicorn and Pegasus guards surrounded the black warrior, "You will go nowhere near my little sister."

"Oh, please, spare me the lecture 'Shining Fool'," the Shadow Sniper said to the white stallion as he used his Dark Magic to disarm the Royal Guards and sent their swords into their chests, "I'm not going to kill her just yet."

But just as Shining Armor was going to fight the black human, "Wait!" Twilight said to them stopping Shining Armor as she turned her attention to the Shadow Sniper, "Shadow Sniper, how can you use Dark Magic?"

"My master had taught me nearly everything I know now while the rest I had discovered by myself," Shadow Sniper simply replied to her question, "But you destroyed my master back at the Crystal Empire," as the whole crowd even Princesses Celestia and Luna were horrified to hear what he said.

"King Sombra is you're master?!" the pink Alicorn known as Princess Cadence exclaimed.

"That is right Princess Cadence," Shadow Sniper answered, "And now I am here to get my revenge on Miss Sparkle for killing my master," as he used his Dark Magic again, this time on Twilight turning her back from an Alicorn into a Unicorn, everypony was in complete shock.

"Twilight!" her friends said gathering around her.

"But that is only the first part in my plot for revenge," Shadow Sniper continued, "I will also challenge you Twilight Sparkle to a Magic Duel to the death with out the aid of your family, friends, and your pathetic mentor and her younger sister," as he used his Dark Magic once again to telaport closer to them, "But just to make sure that doesn't happen... Princesses Celestia and Luna, what you gave to my master, I now return to you..." then summoned a black energy ball, "A one way ticket to oblivion." He then sent the energy ball toward Celestia and Luna. It began to grow larger, trapping the two Princesses inside, but in a split second, they were gone.

"Princess!" Twilight cried watching her mentor and her younger sister vanish, "Bring them back!"

"Only if you can beat me in the Magic Duel, Miss Sparkle," Shadow Sniper stated, "If you win the Duel, I will bring the Princesses back, but if I win the Duel, you will die."

"Don't do it Twi," the lavender Unicorn's friend known Rainbow Dash said to her.

"I warn you Miss Sparkle," Shadow Sniper stated, "I don't think I can hold back my impatience an longer."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Rainbow Dash asked him.

"Keep me waiting, and I might slaughter anyone that might cross my path," he replied, "You're choice Miss Sparkle."

"You cause death to the innocents?!" Twilight exclaimed, "Then I except your terms in this Magic Duel."

"Meet me out side the Crystal Empire in two years," Shadow Sniper said to her, "I will be looking forward to fighting you, Miss Sparkle," as he used his Dark Magic for the final time to open a portal back to 2fort.

"I won't be the one who will be dead Shadow Sniper," Twilight said as the the portal disappeared.

"Twilight, are you sure about this?" Shining Armor asked his little sister, "He seems to be more powerful than you."

"I'm sure about this Shining Armor," Twilight replied to him, "He said to meet him at the Crystal Empire in just two years, that gives me enough time to learn some new magic powers."

"Ah don't think that would be enough Twilight," her friend Applejack said to her, "You seen how powerful this Shadow Sniper is."

"But if I had declined he would have slaughtered everypony that would come across him," Twilight reminded them.

"But Twilight..." Shining Armor tried to say, but was stopped by his wife.

"Shining, this is her choice," Cadence said to the white stallion, "She's old enough to make her own choices."

Back with the Shadow Sniper...

The Shadow Sniper walked about the old RED base at 2fort, thinking of perfectly his plan for revenge was coming together. 'Master,' he said in his thoughts, 'I will avenge your death and make Twilight Sparkle suffer for what she has done to you.' He then went out side to start training for the coming Duel. He was going to get his revenge one way or another. 'You will not have a chance Twilight Sparkle,' he continued in his thoughts, 'And I will have your head,' as he was punching one of the training dummies.

'Shadow Sniper...' a familiar voice called out to him.

"Master?" the Shadow Sniper exclaimed, "Is that really you?"

'Yes, my apprentice,' King Sombra replied to him, 'I have been watching you and I am impressed you have made it this far.'

"And I will avenge you're death master," Shadow Sniper said to his master, "I have now challenged you're killer, Twilight Sparkle to a Magic Duel to the death."

'Be careful on your actions my apprentice, do not underestimate her powers,' Sombra stated as his apprentice nodded and continued to punch the living crud out of the training dummies.

To be continued...

Author's Note

I'm sorry that I haven't added a Crystal Empire chapter, but I thought that it wouldn't be necessary.