The PlanView OnlineSafer SombraThe PlanLuna trotted towards the throne room, noticing that her sister wasn’t in there. In her stead, Shining Armor was sitting in her throne, eating a meal that must have apparently been delicious. Luna glared at Shining, rapt in his food. He then looked up and leapt in shock. “Princess Luna, I can explain!” “Thou hadst better, Shining Armor, or thine consequences shall be dire!” Shining Armor looked around nervously, “Well, I caught Cadance kissing Sombra and told Princess Celestia about it, and she just took off, muttering something about a Sephiroth…” Luna’s eyes widened at that, “How do you know that name?” “Princess Celestia said it when I described Sombra’s new form to her!” “And what form would that be?” “He’s an alicorn now! He’s got wings, one grey, one cream!” Luna looked away, “And she has not returned yet?” Shining looked at the sky, “‘fraid not. And that was when it was still daylight, so she’s been gone for around six hours,” Luna paced around the throne room nervously. What would Celestia do? An idea played in her head, “Summon the Elements of Harmony to me posthaste!” Shining looked around nervously, trying to find who she was speaking to. Luna glared at Shining Armor expectantly, “Don’t you have a magical message system to do that for you?” Luna smacked her head, “Oh, right!” and galloped off to Celestia’s room. Twilight was getting ready for bed, slipping under the covers. Spike was curled up in his basket. Spike then shot up and started gagging, belching out a letter. Twilight grabbed it with her magic and read it. Come Elements of Harmony to Canterlot Castle. We need to talk. Now. ~Luna Twilight sighed and got out of bed, going to round up her friends. Luna entered the throne room to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. She sighed and took her seat on the throne room, “I thought I said gather all the elements,” Twilight responded, “Well, this is what you get when you send a letter in the middle of the night. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are asleep because they have applebucking and baking to do early. Rarity...let’s not get into that. So what did you call us here for?” Luna sighed, “Well, it appears that Sephiroth has fused bodies with Sombra…” “Plan Omega-Sigma?” Twilight asked. “Not quite, Twilight. More of an Alpha-Tau-Epsilon-Omega-Sigma,” Twilight gasped in horror, while the other two ponies stared at them in confusion. “What the hay is an…” “Alpha-Tau-Epsilon-Omega-Sigma,” Twilight said, “It means that Cadance and Celestia are out of the picture. Now why is Cadance out of the picture?” Luna said, “Sephiroth is under the effect of an Amatory Charm,” Twilight asked, “But aren’t alicorns immune to Amatory Charms?” Luna stared at Twilight, “Were you?” Twilight blushed, “No, ha, ha, I guess I wasn’t,” Rainbow Dash piped up, “So that was why everypony was acting all buddy-buddy with him! Rarity was practically falling over herself to get alone with him!” “I w-wasn’t,” Everypony stared at Fluttershy, the pony who had made the declaration. She shied away. Luna asked, “Art thou a lesbian?” Fluttershy blushed and responded weakly, “N-no…” “What kind of question is that to ask somepony! That’s way personal!” Rainbow Dash shouted at Luna. Luna glared at Rainbow, who shrunk back. “Apologies, Fluttershy. We cannot think of another reason why thou wouldst be immune to an Amatory Charm,” “So,” Fluttershy said, quickly switching the subject away from her sexuality, “the Amatory Charm causes one to feel love for the object in question,” “Like a want-it-need-it spell on a pony, except only centered on attraction…” “Changelings…” Fluttershy mumbled. Luna leaned in to hear what Fluttershy was saying, “We need Changelings!” Everypony was taken aback by that declaration, “Why would we need Changelings!?” Twilight asked her friend. “Well, if you really want to know,” Fluttershy began, “I don’t believe that you could control the Harmony Beam to successfully hit the Crystal Empire without causing severe collateral damage. On top of that, Celestia is probably a prisoner of Safer Sombra, due to the sun going down as expected. I say Changelings because they would be the perfect strike force, feeding off of love while incapable of feeling it themselves, rendering them immune to the effects of the Amatory Charm. But whatever you think is alright…” she finished, shying away once again. Everypony gathered stared at her, not sure what to say. Luna then said, “We think thou hast an idea that might work…” “Are you crazy!?” Rainbow Dash shouted, “those monsters tried to raze Canterlot! We can never trust them!” “Hold on, Dashie,” Twilight said, “I think Fluttershy’s on to something...if we cast the Amatory Charm on Chrysalis, she might absorb enough love to take down Safer Sombra!” Rainbow was apopleptic, “But she invaded Canterlot! Who knows what she would do with that much power!” Twilight shook her head, “It’s not like we really have any other option here…” “Fine,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, “but I’m not going!” “Fine then,” Luna said, “We will take Twilight and Fluttershy with us to their hive. Ready girls?” “Now?” Twilight and Fluttershy said in unision. “Yes, now. We have no time to waste,” Luna said, standing up, “Let’s go!” Safer Sombra was sitting safely again in his throne room, Celestia now hanging off of a chandelier, Cadance by his side, mares at his hooves. He smiled. “So, my dearest,” he cooed to Cadance, “what should I do with our prisoner?” Cadance kept her mouth shut. Safer Sombra glared at her. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll have to kill her,” “What good would that do?” Cadance asked, “you’ve already tried stabbing, burning, hanging and choking. What do you have that could possibly kill a goddess?” “Oh, I’ll think of something if you don’t give me an idea…” Cadance’s eyes shot open, “Have her sing or something!” Sombra nodded and cast a spell on Celestia. Celestia glared at Sombra, then her mouth opened, then shut. It opened and shut again. Open, shut. “Don’t try to resist, dearie. The spell will compel you to sing, no matter how hard you tried to resist. Even now your defenses are weakening as the spell takes hold…” Sombra said as he saw drips of sweat form on her brow as her mouth kept opening and closing at a faster pace, “any minute now.” Celestia started wriggling in her bonds as her mouth was literally flapping open and shut at this point. She eventually had no choice but to give in. Hello! ma baby Hello! ma honey Hello! ma ragtime gal Send me a kiss by wire Baby, ma heart's on fire! If you refuse me Honey, you'll lose me Then you'll be left alone Oh, baby, telephone And tell me I'm your own! Sombra laughed, causing everypony to laugh. Celestia blushed and hung her head low, clearly mortified by the act she was forced to commit. Her mouth started flapping open and shut again. She stared worriedly at Sombra. “I never said the spell would finish once you sang, merely that you were compelled to sing,” Celestia began to sing. There's a dark and a troubled side of life; There's a bright and a sunny side, too; Tho' we meet with the darkness and strife, The sunny side we also may view. Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side, Keep on the sunny side of life; It will help us ev'ry day, it will brighten all the way, If we keep on the sunny side of life. Tho' the storm in its fury break today, Crushing hopes that we cherished so dear, Storm and cloud will in time pass away, The sun again will shine bright and clear. Let us greet with a song of hope each day, Tho' the moments be cloudy or fair; Let us trust in our Savior alway, Who keepeth everyone in Her care. Safer Sombra growled as everypony applauded, Cadance the loudest, “Enough! I tire of this game!” as he cast the counterspell on Celestia, who sunk low, a smile playing across her face as she reveled in her victory. Cadance then thought to ask, “Auntie, what’s a telephone?” “A device from a time long past, and a time yet to come,” Celestia responded. Cadance smarted at the cryptic answer she was given, “Fine, don’t tell me,” she said.
Into The HiveView OnlineSafer SombraInto The HiveLuna, Twilight, and Fluttershy approached the entrance to the Hive, hollowed out in a cave. Two changelings buzzed over, ready to attack. “Wait!” Luna cried out, “we have matters to discuss with your queen, matters of grave importance. Take us to her.” The changelings, insect wings beating against their black carapaces, seemed to take this in. One of them then waved them in, ponies following. They trotted in, taking in the sights. There were changelings everywhere, coughing up green acid to melt away sections of cave. There were changelings buzzing over eggs, pulsing with life. There were others that coughed up green goop in order to mortar sections of wall. Finally, they approached their goal. Queen Chrysalis was sitting on a throne of mica, lounging in the blackness, her flowing green mane draping off the side. She then looked up at her guests, quickly sitting up, ”Why do you defile the sanctity of my Hive, ponies?” Luna opened her mouth, when Twilight cut in, “Is that any way to treat a foreign dignitary on a diplomatic visit?” Chrysalis looked around and said, “I don’t know. We don’t get very many...guests, you see, being branded as monsters and all,” her wings flitting when she said ‘monsters’ , “Now, why are you here?” Luna said, “We need your help to dispatch a most terrible foe.” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, “What manner of foe would vex even the great...Celestia?” she spat out. “Well, his name is Sephiroth, but he has been fused with Sombra...Fluttershy has taken to calling him Safer Sombra,” Luna said, “and we believe he has captured Celestia and has taken Cadance under his thrall.” “So Canterlot is undefended right now?” Chrysalis asked. “Did you not hear what I said? All of Equestria is undefended right now! Even your hive!” Chrysalis pondered this for a moment, “I suppose. But what’s in it for me? And how do you plan on having me defeat this vexatious foe?” Luna looked away, “It would require casting an..amufrycrm...” Chrysalis leaned in closer, “What was that, dear Luna?” Luna roared, “THAT IS PRINCESS LUNA TO YOU, INSECT!!!” Chrysalis laughed with glee, “Now that’s what I was expecting from the ruler of the city I attacked!” Luna said, “Um, sorry, we forgot ourselves.” Fluttershy spoke up, “Um, Ms. Chrysalis, we really need your help to defeat Safer Sombra, but that would require casting an Amatory Charm on you, so if you please help us, that’d be great.” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at that, “An...Amatory Charm?” “Yes, Queen Chrysalis,” Twilight said, “since we figure that you feed off of love, all of that love might give you enough power to defeat Safer Sombra.” Chrysalis pondered on that, “And what’s the catch?” “In order to prevent further hostilities against Equestria, we would require you to swear an oath of fealty to the Equestrian Empire.” Luna said. Chrysalis smarted at that, “I am a Queen! Why would I swear fealty to you ponies!?” “If you don’t, no Amatory Charm for you,” Fluttershy cajoled. Chrysalis sat there deep in thought. The ponies looked nervous, wondering if she would take their deal. They could almost see the gears whirring in her head as she thought it over. “Fine, I’ll do it,” Chrysalis finally said as she came off of her mica throne, “So...how do we do this?” Luna held out a hoof, “Well first, we touch hooves,” she said as Chrysalis touched her hoof, “and then you swear fealty to the Equestrian Empire.” “Fine,” Chrysalis said, “I, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, swear fealty to the Equestrian Empire,” and was then taken over by a sickly blue glow that sank into her as she started convulsing on the floor. Twilight grasped her with her magic, limbs stopping their wild flagellating but her eyelids kept twitching. Finally, Twilight let go, Chrysalis slumping onto the ground unceremoniously. Chrysalis blinked a couple of times, then slowly stood up, “is this...love?” she asked as her mane and tale took on a glowing sheen. “Yes,” Luna said, “that is the love my sister and us feel for all of our subjects.” Chrysalis looked at Luna expectantly. Luna sighed, then her horn glowed blue and cast a glow over Chrysalis, it sinking into her form. Twilight started blushing uncontrollably, as did Luna. Chrysalis could feel power exuding from her pores as she filled up with love. Strangely, she felt none from Fluttershy...at least none extra. “That yellow one...she feels love for all creatures, doesn’t she?” Luna was taken aback, “How could you possibly know this?” “Because she is unaffected by the Amatory Charm’s magic. Trust me. After Cadance, I’m the world’s foremost expert on love and all of it’s delicious forms. And Fluttershy’s brand is most...vexing…” “You seem to like that word,” Twilight said. “What word?” Chrysalis said. “Vex. You’ve used it quite a lot.” Chrysalis blushed a shade of blue, “Well, one of the changelings learned it, and then EVERY changeling learned it, so it’s been buzzing around in my mind a lot, as it were...you know how it is being psychically linked to every one of your subjects…” She was met with blank stares, “Oh, right, you don’t. So point me in the direction of this Safer Sombra.” Luna pointed, and Chrysalis took off like a rocket, blowing a hole in the ceiling. Luna, Fluttershy, and Twilight followed. Safer Sombra was restlessly lying in bed with Cadance, trying to find a comfortable position. How these ponies with wings slept comfortably was beyond him. He sensed something and braced himself. Luna then blasted through a wall, Safer Sombra catching her and throwing her into the opposite wall, which Luna did a perfect three-point landing on, then rocketed towards Safer Sombra, who let loose a blast of dark magic at point blank range. Luna threw up a shield, the force of the impact throwing her back, then cast a beam of pure moonlight at him. He responded with his own beam, the two locked in combat. At this point Cadance was awake and stared at the battle in awe. Safer Sombra then overpowered Luna and flung her against the wall. Safer Sombra wore a wicked grin and turned to Cadance, “Dearie, would you be a darling and dispatch of Luna for me?” Cadance nodded and got out of bed, walking towards Luna. Luna looked up at her, pleading with her eyes, and Cadance winked. Cadance then said, “I, Princess Cadance, send you away from the Crystal Empire, never to return!” Safer Sombra facehooved, “No, honey, I mean dispose of her!” Cadance nodded as she picked up Luna, dangling her out a window. Safer Sombra facehooved again, “No, not like that! She’ll just fly back in! I want you to kill her! Maim her! Eviscerate her!” Cadance nodded sadly as she dropped Luna, “I’m sorry, Luna.” “We know, dearest niece. Be prepared for arduous battle!” Luna cried as she flew away, Cadance following her. Safer Sombra smiled, pleased at the solution he had found to his situation. Suddenly, the entire top of the castle was blown off with a green wave of light, which Safer Sombra barely ducked under. When he looked to the source of the blast, he saw a black alicorn with insect wings and holes in her legs floating in the sky, glowing with a sickly green aura, her green mane and tail absolutely shining in the night. “What are you, foul creature!?” Sombra yelled. “I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings! Kneel before me and DESPAIR!”
The Final BattleView OnlineSafer SombraThe Final BattleCadance was following Luna across the rooftops of the Crystal Empire, blasting bolts whenever she caught sight of her, times which were proving to be fewer and fewer. Eventually she lost sight of her altogether. She landed in an alleyway to gain her bearings, when a shadow clamped a hoof around her mouth and pulled her away. She started struggling. “Hey,” Luna’s voice whispered in her ear. She started struggling harder, “what say thee put this on hold for now?” Cadance stopped struggling. “Thou see, we figure thou hadst not been given a timeline with which to kill, maim and eviscerate us. So it would all save us some trouble if thou put this on hold until further notice. Savvy?” Cadance nodded. “Glad to see we’re in agreement,” Luna said as she pulled away her hoof, letting Cadance take a gasp of air. “So, Auntie Luna, what did you have in mind?” Cadance asked. “We figured that we’d try to free our Sister. Dost thou know where she has been held?” Cadance nodded, “Follow me,” and she took off, Luna following. Safer Sombra launched himself towards the glowing black pony-bug...thing, which was attempting to vaporize him. He dodged bolt after bolt headed his way, charging up some dark magic of his own. He came within striking distance and fired...only to find that Chrysalis had vanished. He sensed an attack and held up his right forehoof, which was met by a powerful blow, followed by a blocked kick to the gut with his right hindhoof. Chrysalis pulled away and blasted him with her green magic square in the barrel. Not enough to kill, but enough to send him careening down to the ground, where Chrysalis was waiting for him. She bucked him straight into the sky, then launched herself upwards, headbutting him in the back. Safer Sombra cringed from the pain of the blows, but righted himself and blasted a bolt of dark magic at her, met by a green blast of her own magic. Combined with the forward thrust of her trajectory, his dark magic bolt was easily overtaken by her magic blast as he felt a sharp pain in his horn. “IT SEEMS I OVERPOWER EVEN THE GREAT SAFER SOMBRA! NOW DIE!” Chrysalis roared as she fired a wave of green magic at him. Cadance had led Luna to the Throne Room, where Celestia was still hanging by her neck. Luna stared in horror at the sight before her. “She’s just sleeping,” Cadance said, “she had a rough day,” as she blasted the rope, which severed and unceremoniously dropped Celestia to the ground, Luna cushioning the fall with her magic. Luna looked worried and trotted over to her sister and slapped her in the face. “Eggs on rye!” Celestia blabbed while shooting straight up. She then looked around and saw Cadance and Luna staring at her. She blushed a little at the noticed outburst. “Auntie, did you just…” Cadance asked. “Yes. I was having a wonderful dream of eating eggs on rye, and I was just about to take a bite when my sister woke me up!” Celestia harumphed, crossing her forelegs. “It appears we have bigger issues than an interrupted dream, dear sister…” Luna said. “What could be more important than-” and was cut off as half the throne room was vaporized in a wave of green, causing everycorn to jump back. “What was that?” “Well, it seems that in your stead, we enlisted the help of Queen Chrysalis to aid in our battle…” “CHRYSALIS?!” Cadance and Celestia said in unison. Luna nodded. “But she trapped me in the Canterlot Caves and took my form to do who-knows-what with my Shiny!” Cadance yelled. “And she defeated me in direct combat in my own throne room and put me in one of her...cocoons, invading Canterlot!” Celestia said loudly. “Pull yourselves together, there are things more important than old wounds here! And Celestia, that’s exactly why we enlisted her! You were gone for twelve hours by the time we got to her! You never leave the throne room without guards for an hour, at most!” Luna shouted. “I still don’t recall her being THIS powerful…” Celestia said. “That’s because we may have...cast a teensy bit of an Amatory Charm on her…” “AN AMATORY CHARM!?” Cadance screamed, “YOU CAST AN AMATORY CHARM ON THE CHANGELING QUEEN!? ARE YOU INSANE!?” Luna held up a hoof, bending it slightly at the fetlock, “A little, that’s great…why didn’t you go all Nightmare Moon on her then!?” “Because that was not us!” Luna shouted, stomping a hoof, “we were...possessed by an unknown force...we did things nopony should have to witness themselves do!” Cadance shied away, “I’m sorry, Auntie Luna. I had no idea…” “No matter, I suggest we…” and let out a panicked yelp as a grey blur shot past her through the floor of the Throne Room, followed by a black and green blur following post haste, ”...move out of the blast area!” Everycorn nodded at that and took to the skies. Chrysalis felt so alive as she pummeled Safer Sombra into the Throne Room into the Main Hall, chasing after him with glee. She flew in for the kill, when Safer Sombra blocked her charge with a forehoof, embedded in the floor. He then screamed and let out a blast of energy, creating a crater around him whilst knocking Chrysalis away from him. She felt the pain, relishing in its delight as the throbbing sunk into her system as Safer Sombra rushed her, knocking her into what appeared to be a column of stairs. She caught herself on the wall, then blasted Safer Sombra, who fell down the stairwell. She sighed, disappointed that her opponent was finished. She began to fly up the stairwell when she sensed something. She moved out of the way just in time for a massive black bolt to rush past her, singeing her mane and tail, the stink of burnt hair filling her nostrils. She then felt herself beat through the wall into what appeared to be a kitchen, she noticed, grabbing a few knives with her telekinesis. She saw Safer Sombra rush in, throwing the knives at him with incredible glee and incredible speed, Safer Sombra barely dodging them. Chrysalis then sped to Safer Sombra and punched him straight in the barrel, the force of the blow liquefying the pots and pans. She then grasped the liquefied metal in her telekinesis and flung it at Safer Sombra, who screamed at the scalding hot metal assaulting his skin. Chrysalis laughed, “SO THE MONSTER DOES FEEL PAIN!” she roared as she charged up a blast, “WELL, FEEL THIS!” as she blasted Safer Sombra with a concentrated blast of viridian, which he barely managed to catch, “THIS IS FOR THE HIVE! AND FOR EQUESTRIA! AND THIS PLANET WHICH WE BUILT!” “YOU built? HA!” Safer Sombra laughed. “YES! EVERYPONY AND EVERYLING HAS A PLACE IN THIS WORLD, AND I CAN SEE IT NOW, INUNDATED IN SO MUCH LOVE! CAN’T YOU SEE IT?” “See what?” “THAT THIS HORN OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!!” Chrysalis roared as she strode towards Safer Sombra, his grip on the blast steadily weakening, “ITS BURNING SHEEN TELLS ME TO KILL YOU!” she continued, approaching Safer Sombra, drawing the power into her horn, itself taking on a deep shade of viridian, “TAKE THIS! THEIR LOVE, THEIR ANGER, AND ALL OF THEIR SORROW! SHINING...HORN!!!!” finally impaling Safer Sombra on her horn, his eyes burning out as green shot out from them along with his mouth, eventually falling to the ground as a pile of ashes. Chrysalis then toppled forward into the ash pile, kicking it up as she lost consciousness. Celestia saw a glow come from the kitchen, “This way, girls,” she said as everycorn followed her to the kitchen. They came upon the kitchen to see Queen Chrysalis passed out with her face in soot and bits of congealed metal. “Awww, she looks kind of cute like this…” Cadance cooed. “Nevermind that,” Lua said, casting a spell over Chrysalis. Her mane and tail lost their sheen, reverting to their ordinary lime green, “I just cast the counterspell to the Amatory Charm.” “Then why do I still feel love for her?” Celestia asked. “Why, dear sister, that is the love you feel for all of your subjects.” Luna said. “And however did you pull that off, sister of mine?” “A simple trade for the Amatory Charm, loving sister.” “How shrewd of you,” Celestia said, “I suppose she’ll be demanding rights when she wakes up.” “If she wakes up,” Cadance said. Both Princesses glared at her, “What? Can’t a girl dream? Speaking of dreams...where is Shining Armor?” Celestia and Luna giggled, “Oh, I suppose he’s very busy right now…” Celestia said. “Day court is now in session!” Shining Armor said. Ponies started asking questions. “Where is Princess Celestia?” “What do this mean for the Crystal Empire?” “Will Canterlot be focusing more on sports now?” "WILL SOMEPONY THINK OF THE CORN FUTURES!?" Shining facehooved. This was going to be a long day.
Back From The GraveView OnlineSafer SombraBack From The GraveSombra was content. Therefore, he was bored. He didn’t think it would be so...peaceful. Death was nothing like the old mare’s tales. He was in a sea of other pony souls sifting through the planet. His presence then sensed another presence. He swam towards it. He found a black stain in the lifestream, calling out to him. “Ah, finally. A being with real power…” the black form said. “What are you? A demon? No, I sense something else...alicorn magic!?” Sombra said to the black form. “If that’s what passes for a god in this blasted pony world, then yes…” “But how?!” “How what?” “How could an alicorn die!?” “I’m not dead, you fool…” “But you’re here. This is where the dead collect.” The black form gave a ghostly chuckle, “So it would seem. But my body would not survive on the moon, so it deposited my essence here,” Sombra thought for a bit, then replied, “Then what ARE you? If not alicorn, then what?” “What I am does not matter. What matters is what I am about to propose to you.” “What could you offer me, demon alicorn?” “How about a body?” Sombra was taken aback, “How could you create such foul sorcery in your form?” “We are but dust of the earth, I recall. I’ll create a form that is an amalgam of both of us, and you can achieve your heart’s desire. Deal?” Sombra didn’t have to think about that, “Deal,” and they were both ejected from the lifestream. Cadance was sitting in the throne room of the Crystal Empire. Her throne room, she reminded herself. Her and Shining Armor had gone through Tartarus to gain this from the foul beast Sombra. She thought of her amore, training the Crystal Empire team for the Equestria Games. She ran a hoof through her hair, imagining him all hot and sweaty from running. She giggled at the image literally running through her head. Just then, a flash of light burst from the center of the throne room, as dust particles collected in its wake. They pieced together the shape of a pony as tall as Celestia, with a wicked curved horn. Cadance stood up, prepared to battle what she assumed to be Sombra, back from the grave, until wings started piecing together. Cadance raised an eyebrow. I don’t remember Sombra being an alicorn, she thought. But as the pieces materialized, there atop of his head was his unmistakable curved red horn, along with one cream wing offset by a grey wing. Cadance looked upon the Sombra-alicorn as he rested upon his hooves, cracking his neck. “Hello, Cadance,” Sombracorn said in his low rumble. “Sombra!...corn…” Cadance said loudly. “Call me Safer Sombra...I like the way it rolls off the tongue…” Safer Sombra said, “hmm, it’s nice having a tongue again…” Cadance raised and eyebrow, then steeled herself, “This ends now, Safer Sombra!” Safer Sombra stared at Cadance, “Your mind says no, but your body betrays you…” And indeed it was. Cadance’s knees were shaking, frozen in place. “Come to me…” Cadance tried to resist, but her body had other thoughts. It lifted one leg, then the other, then the other, then the other as she slowly walked towards Safer Sombra. She approached him, noticing how...handsome he was. “You know, for an evil overlord, you’re not a bad-looking stallion…” Cadance murmured. “I always thought so myself,” Safer Sombra said, admiring the back of his hoof. Cadance’s stomach jumped. Did she just say that out loud? “Did I…” “Yes, you did. Now kiss me,” Cadance’s mind reeled at that. There was no way she was going to- Their lips met and danced midair at the passionate kiss they shared. Cadance pulled back, her face awash in horror. Safer Sombra, however, looked uninterested. “Kiss me again,” he commanded. Cadance tried her hardest to resist. He enslaved the Crystal Ponies! He’s a monster! He’s probably a zombie! Not to mention a great kisser-and her mind froze. There she was, kissing the evil overlord again. She pushed him back as she heard wine glasses shatter. Shining Armor stood at the entrance of the throne room, mouth agape in shock at the scene before him. “It appears I’ve been caught with my tongue in the cookie jar,” Safer Sombra said. He then looked at the broken wine glasses, the wine in them pooling across the crystal floor, “And that was some of my finest crystal, too…” Cadance said, “It’s not what it looks like! He has an-” and her mouth clammed up. Her eyes pleaded with her loving husband, and they shared a glance that the kiss was not of her doing. Shining Armor then noticed the curved red horn atop the alicorn’s head and steeled himself. “Sombra!...corn…”, he shouted. Safer Sombra sighed, “Why does everypony keep calling me that?” Shining Armor charged up his horn, then released an expanding bubble of magic around him. It grew to the size of the expansive throne room, but failed to repel Safer Sombra. Instead, the bubble curved around his extended hoof as it expanded, the structure collapsing upon itself. Shining Armor looked upon the alicorn in shock. “But...not even Queen Chrysalis could…” “I am not whatever creature you just mentioned! I am a new being of great power, and with this new body, I shall be praised for the wonder I am!” Safer Sombra roared, causing Shining to shrink in terror, “Now go tell your precious Princess of my return, worm, while I have my way with your delectable wife…” Shining nodded at that and galloped off, leaving Safer Sombra alone with Princess Cadance. Safer Sombra smiled wickedly, causing Cadance to gulp. Celestia was sitting in her throne room, meeting with nobles in her Day Court. They were discussing some nonsense about how corn futures would destabilize the economy or something...she wasn’t really paying attention. The doors burst open as Shining Armor galloped in, panting and wheezing. “Crystal Empire...Cadance...Sombra…” Shining Armor got out. Celestia raised a hoof, “While I’m sure that corn futures are very important, I have urgent matters to discuss. Please leave, everypony. Court is now closed,” she said, which was met by a series of groans. One of the nobleponies trotted up to Celestia as if to say something, which she cut off with, “What part of court being closed did you not understand?” to which he shrank away and cantered off. Celestia then flew down to Shining and hugged him, “Now, now, everything’s going to be ok…” Shining’s eyes shot open, “No it isn’t! Sombra came back and he was kissing Cadance, but she wasn’t into it, but more importantly, he had wings!” Celestia raised an eyebrow, “Wings, you say?” Shining nodded, “Yes, one of them was grey, but the other one was a cream color-” “Sephiroth,” Shining looked confused, “Sephiroth?” Celestia steeled her gaze, “Nothing you need to worry about,” she said as she stood up and trotted towards the window, “have the guards take care of you. I’ll take care of Sephiroth,” With that, she took off into the day, leaving a trail of blue, pink and green behind her as she sped off. Shining Armor gazed, dazed for a second, then stood up and dusted himself off, heading towards the kitchen. He needed some food. Safer Sombra was sitting in his throne room, surrounded by mares fawning over him, Cadance at his side. “So what should our first order of business be today, honey?” “I...don’t...know...darling,” Cadance said through gritted teeth, “why...don’t...you...ask...an...advisor?” Safer Sombra mused at that, “I think I will. Oh girls, what should Safer Sombra do today?” Cadance groaned. One of the mares spoke up, “I think you should declare a national holiday declaring your return!” Safer Sombra said, “That’s a great idea...what was your name?” “Spring Step, lord and master!” “Spring Step, that is a great idea!” Safer Sombra said. Safer Sombra then sensed something and braced himself. Celestia barreled straight through the wall and into Safer Sombra, pinning him against the wall by his neck, “Sephiroth!” Sombra smiled, “Why hello, El…” Cadance raised an eyebrow, “El?” she asked. Celestia replied, “Long story,” and then turned towards Safer Sombra, “Now, Sephiroth, undo whatever foul magic you have enacted and give this poor soul his peace in death!” “First of all,” Safer Sombra said as he plucked a shocked Celestia off of him with his dark magic, “It’s Safer Sombra now, and we made a deal,” and threw her across the room. “A deal?” Celestia asked, betraying worry. “Yes,” Safer Sombra said, pacing around the room, “we fused our bodies and souls together to create a being of unimaginable power to take over this planet,” Celestia said, “Oh, Sombra, whatever have you done?” “Safer Sombra!” he said as he blasted her with dark magic, her erecting a shield just in time. She felt the impact in her barrel as the magic washed over the shield. Celestia sucked in a ragged breath. Safer Sombra trotted towards Celestia, eyes filled with malice.