Rebirth

by twilightpiesparkle

Rating: teen
Tags: King Sombra, Rarity, Tragedy, Adventure, Discord, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe
Length: 9349

Everypony knows that King Sombra was destroyed by the Crystal Heart. But what no-pony knows, is that one part of him survived. Now, darkness is gathering and war threatens to break out. This time, the ponies may not be able to save Equestria, as one

Everypony knows that King Sombra was destroyed by the Crystal Heart; but what no-pony knows, is that one part of him survived. Now, darkness is gathering and war threatens to break out. This time, the Elements of Harmony may not be able to save Equestria, as one of them turns their back on friendship.

Under construction

Published 2014-02-15 04:40:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-01 16:01:58 UTC

Chapter 1

Pinkie's party had ended and Rarity was creating her newest fashion line at her boutique. She just knew that this was going to be her best line, however there was something missing… what was it?

“Oh!” Rarity exclaimed, “A gem, of course!”

She was so eager to find the perfect gem that she was practically jumping up and down with joy. But of course she wouldn’t do that, it would be uncouth.

Rarity knew that the gem for her new line would have to be flawless, better than any of the gems she had found before. Rarity refused to leave the fate of her fashion line to hours of aimlessly searching the Ruins and dumb luck—she would take initiative. She began to cast her gem finding spell and set off as her horn started glowing and dragged her away.

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King Sombra was weak, too weak to do anything. When those meddling ponies (curse them!) had destroyed him, they had destroyed his form. Now he was stuck as a smoky mist, able to do nothing but cast shadows throughout the Everfree Forest. He needed to find a host body before he completely dissipated. He needed to fulfill his goal of destroying the Elements of Harmony.

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Rarity’s horn had been dragging her through the Everfree Forest. It was so dreadfully dirty and filled with muck. She could have sworn that her recently curled mane was beginning to frizz. When she got back she was going to look absolutely repulsive. But it would all be worth it once she found her precious jewel.

Finally, she came to a halt in a beautiful clearing, and she saw a beautiful red gem. Almost reverently, Rarity approached the crystal. The gem was so vibrant that she could see her reflection perfectly. Rarity sighed. Her hair was defiantly frizzing.
Suddenly, a dark shape appeared behind her. Rarity squinted into the mirror-like gem, trying to make out the strange object. Almost immediately she recognized that puffy cloud of dreadful smoke, then she screamed.

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King Sombra was floating by the ruins of the castle of the two royal pony sisters, when he saw familiar magical blue aura out of the corner of his eye.

He immediately recognized it to be the magic of Rarity, the Element of Generosity. Perfect he thought that naïve little pony was dumb enough to come to the Everfree Forest all alone. This will help my plan significantly.
He saw that the vain little unicorn was heading toward a clearing which held a beautiful red jewel. It was easily the size of the average ponies head and could make a pony rich beyond their wildest dreams.

He swiftly floated through the tree tops towards the clearing in an effort to remain hidden. When he looked through the tree tops, what he saw brought a smile to his thousand year old face. Perfect, just perfect. Now to wait for the perfect moment to strike.

The Element of Generosity was staring in awe at the sight of the glorious gem. She was completely distracted, so distracted that she did not notice the cloud of smoke creeping up behind her. Suddenly, her eyes squinted as she looked carefully at the gem.

At that moment, she let out a blood curdling scream that was loud enough that Sombra was sure even his precious crystal ponies could hear it. Even so, Sombra was not about to let this perfect opportunity go to waste. He took that moment to shoot into the unicorn’s mouth and into her brain, and in an instant, he had complete control.

YES! He thought. Finally, I have the power to eliminate the Elements once and for all! I shall start a new dawn in which evil and darkness shall rule. I will not only take over the Crystal Empire, I shall take over ALL of Equestria! And who shall be the first Element to go? Why the answer is simple. The beloved Twilight Sparkle!

Author's Note

We understand that the last couple of chapters have been short, but we promise that as we get more into the story, the chapters will get longer, thanks for reading!

Chapter 2

“Twilight, don’t you remember what happened the last time you pulled an all-nighter? You almost got sick.” Spike said.

“Oh, don’t be silly, Spike, I’m perfectly fine.” Twilight yawned, her red-rimmed eyes starting to droop.

“Whatever you say, Twilight.” Spike then marched up the stairs to bed as Twilight continued on her studies.

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It was around 2:00 in the morning and Twilight was struggling to stay awake. She was sitting at her desk in her room, reading a fascinating book on dark magic. Twilight theorized that if she understood dark magic and its uses, she could stop the next threat to Equestria before it even happened.

Suddenly, Twilight heard a strange sound coming from down stairs. She got up from her desk and went to investigate. Now wide awake, Twilight crept quietly down the stairs.

She saw a cloaked figure standing over the case which held the Elements of Harmony. The pony had shattered the glass case and was carefully removing the Elements.

“Stop, Thief!” Twilight yelled, trying sound brave, like Rainbow Dash. The cloaked figure turned around and lunged for the door. Twilight quickly teleported in front of the hooded pony.

The pony skidded to a halt and levitated something out of its pack. Twilight noticed with a start that the pony’s magical aura was a sickly greenish-blue hue. Where have I seen that before? She thought.

Twilight was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice the deadly glint of the dagger until it was too late.

The cloaked figure swiftly stabbed Twilight in the abdomen. Twilight gasped in pain and sank to the floor. The last thing she saw before darkness took her was the pony’s vibrant blue eyes.

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Princess Celestia looked regal, as she always did. Open Court was about to take place and everything needed to be perfect. Although Equestria was currently at peace, Celestia was worried. The cities along the coast, such as Fillydelphia and Baltimare were going to flood if action was not taken. She was drawn from her thoughts when a scroll flashed in front her. She used her magic to levitate the scroll and began to read.

The content of the letter sent her into a state of panic that she had not felt since her sister had betrayed her. She quickly teleported to Ponyville.

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“Well? Is she gonna be alright? Stop your babblin’ about science and that other nonsense and tell us!” Applejack demanded, as she had been for the past hour. The mane 6 (minus Twilight) sighed as Redcross reiterated the same halfhearted reassurance that she had been giving since the first time Applejack had asked.

“Twilight Sparkle is currently unstable. Luckily the dagger missed all of her vitals. However, she has sustained severe blood loss. If Spike had not found her when he did, she would be dead.”

“She is going to get better, right?” ‘Rarity’ questioned in a concerned voice. “The poor darling.”
The ponies were began to crowd around Redcross, crying for answers when there was a flash of light.

“Princess!” the ponies gasped.

Author's Note

Thanks again for reading. Please leave good reviews and give constructive criticism.

chapter 3

Twilight groaned. Everything hurt. What had happened? Where was she?

“Oh, good, you’re awake, you can take your medicine,” somepony said. Twilight groggily opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Red Cross, one of Ponyville Hospital’s top nurses. In the next instant, Red Cross forced some vile-tasting liquid down Twilight’s throat.

“Ugh!” Twilight spluttered.

“Twilight! You’re awake, you’re awake, you’re awake!” Pinkie Pie squealed, bouncing into the room and onto Twilight’s hospital bed. Her hair bounced in time with her body.

“Pinkamina Diane Pie! Get off of my patient’s bed immediately!” Red Cross scowled at Pinkie Pie.

“Oopsie!” Pinkie said sheepishly and hopped off the hospital bed. Then, the door to the hospital room opened and Twilight’s friends were giving her anxious smiles.

“You had us all worried something awful, sugar cube.” AppleJack said in her “mother hen” voice.

“Oh, darling, it was horrible! The doctors weren’t sure if you were even going to make it.” Rarity cooed. “Oh, but dear, I’m so sorry, I have to go to Las Pegasus, to visit my sick uncle.”

“You should have gone immediately, I’m fine.” Twilight cried. Rarity nodded. “Well, if it’s all right with you, Twilight, dear.”

“You’re ‘fine’?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “Twilight, you almost died! I knew it all along. You are officially an egghead!”

“Rainbow Dash, I know that this has all been a big scare, but Rarity’s family is very important.” Rarity smiled in appreciation.

“But—” Rainbow Dash was interrupted by the appearance of somepony who regally entered the room. The pony that Twilight wanted to see most. Princess Celestia. Her rainbow hair billowed about her in an almost intimidating way. She trotted to Twilight’s side and lightly nuzzled her cheek. Twilight jerked in surprise.

“You came?” she asked

“My faithful student, I came as soon as I heard. I’m so glad that you are all right.” Celestia murmured.

“I’m fine,” Twilight said “But what happened to me?”

Celestia gave Twilight a concerned look. “We were hoping you could tell us that.”

Twilight frowned, closed her eyes, and tried to remember. She was silent for a long moment. Finally, Twilight opened her eyes and said, “All I can remember is a dagger and a pair of bright blue eyes.”

Celestia sighed. “This does not bode well. However, we have bigger problems. The thief stole the Element of Magic. Equestria’s primary defense system is no more.”

Author's Note

Okay, so it's been a month. But hey, we finally updated! Yes, it's short, but we are going to try to start updating regularly. Oh but on a side note, Rarity is still possessed, we're just referring to her as "Rarity" as it's less confusing. Please review and tell us if this is clear or not.

chapter 4

There were very few creatures in Equestria that knew the location of the castle of Queen Chrysalis. Even fewer were ponies. But there was one, King Sombra.

He had told the precious Element of Magic that he had gone to visit a “sick relative”, and being the naïve pony she was, she had believed it. In reality he was visiting the realm of Queen Chrysalis. He needed an army, and the Changelings would be perfect soldiers.

He approached the looming black castle.

Any other pony would have felt a sense of apprehension, but not King Sombra. He just sneered at the tacky black castle. He was spotted by a Changeling lookout who immediately went to inform his mistress.

Sombra waited impatiently at the castle gates, sneering once more at the time it took to get an audience. At long last, the gates gave a grinding sound and haltingly lowered. None other than Queen Chrysalis emerged. She was flanked by two changeling guards.

“Why is the Element of Generosity standing before my castle, like a lost puppy?” asked Queen Chrysalis with an arched eyebrow. “Don’t tell me that the ever so bold and beautiful Celestia has decided to attack me in my home now. She already drove me from Canterlot.”

“That manipulative lying piece of scum that calls herself a princess would not dare to attack you in your majestic kingdom.” King Sombra said in what he hoped was a flattering voice.

“Oh you have a bit of a temper don’t you. What has brought you here, foolish child?” enquired the Changeling Queen, completely ignoring the attempted flattery.

“I have come seeking your assistance. Your Highness, I wish to destroy Celestia and conquer Equestria. Join me, and we shall rule it together!” Sombra exclaimed. The Queen had a shocked look on her face which quickly turned to suspicion. Her eyes narrowed in anger.

“Why would you wish to do that? You are one of little monkeys that Celestia uses whenever she is too lazy to do something herself, are you not?” the Queen hissed.

Sombra considered the question. “Yes and no,” Sombra cryptically replied, “I may look like the one called Rarity, but that is far from correct. I am King Sombra! I have possessed the Element of Generosity so that I may complete my mission with ease. I have power behind your greatest imagination! ”

“Do you really expect me to believe you? If you really are King Sombra, prove your identity.” The Queen smiled. “If I have reason to doubt you, I will kill you.”

King Sombra sighed in in irritation, knowing that he would have to waste time preforming Dark Magic. He closed his eyes in concentration, and Rarity’s horn began to emit a sickly glow. All around the King, shards of gray crystal formed. King Sombra focused his magic and channeled it towards the unsuspecting Changeling guard.

One blast of magic later, the guard was dead on the ground.

“Well, well, well,” said the wide eyed Queen. She didn’t seem to care much at all for the fallen Changeling. “I have heard much about you, King Sombra, but I never expected to meet you. I had heard rumors you had been destroyed.”

At this, the King laughed, “My methods of how I am here are not to be shared with the likes of you. But, as I previously mentioned, I am seeking your assistance. Will you be willing to lend me an army and become my accomplice?” probed the arrogant King.

“I am afraid that I cannot,” the Queen sighed, “You see, if we help you to take over Equestria, with your ruling methods, the ponies will be frightened and vile, they will be filled with everything but love! The only reason that we wish to take over Equestria is so that my subjects can feed off of the love of the ponies, but that would not be possible in the type of world you propose.” As the Queen explained this, Sombra’s face twisted with distaste, for this was not the reply that he had been anticipating.

“Very well,” snarled the spiteful King, “If you do not wish to join me, that you shall fear me! If you had agreed, you would have been showered with fine luxuries and expenses! But now, expect for a horrible dark future for you and your Changelings.” He spat.

With that, Sombra turned around and began to make his way back to Ponyville.

“WAIT!” a raspy voice cried after the king. Sombra turned around to see at least a dozen Changelings gathered behind him. The one in a guard’s uniform approached Sombra and said, “We wish to join you on your quest of conquering Equestria. Our mistress was foolish to decline your offer.”

Sombra pondered this for a moment until he thought of a perfect plan for the Changelings.

“Wonderful!” he said “We shall make our way to Ponyville immediately. However, you will need to go into hiding until I can fit you into my plans. A dozen Changelings would cause a commotion.”

“But what are you going to do with us?” One of the Changelings asked.

“I’m going to use you to destroy Canterlot from the inside."

Chapter 4.5

Angel the bunny (Leader of the Evil Bunny Conspiracy) activated the communication device. It was time. All across Equestria, bunnies were charging up their Cumber Cannons (CC’s) and marching on innocent ponies. Angel’s plot had finally come to fruition.

Fluttershy walked up to Angel and stared intently at him.

“Mister, you are going to eat your carrots, are you are going to like them!” Then her expression changed and she stuttered, “I—I mean if, if it’s all right with you…” For the first, Fluttershy saw the Cucumber Cannon in Angel’s cute, fluffy paws. “Oh, what’s that? That, that looks dangerous….Maybe you should put that down.”

Angel glared. “This is for all the times you never gave me my cherry! It was you! You drove me to this! To world domination!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Angel…you can talk? And world domination? What do you mean?”

“It’s too late for remorse,” Angel snarled “I hate you!” And with that, Angel blasted Fluttershy with his Cucumber Cannon. Fluttershy instantly turned into a Cucumber Zombie, intent on finding cucumbers. This made her the perfect slave.

“Perfect,” Angel hissed “Now, attack any ponies you see and change them into Cucumber Zombies too. (A Cucumber Zombie’s bite is, of course, venomous, and will change any pony that comes into contact with it.) Do this, and you will get all the cucumbers you want.”

“Yeeees, Master.” Fluttershy moaned in a monotone voice and left the cottage.

Angel smiled evilly. “Excellent. My plans for world domination are going exactly as planned.”

Rarity (possessed by King Sombra) was at the door, and had heard every word. “But—but,” she stammered, “World domination was my plan!” And then, Rarity knew no more as Cucumber Zombie Fluttershy turned the possessed pony into yet another mindless drone.

Just then, Angel’s communicator buzzed. “Sir,” a voice came through the monitor, “We have successfully turned the Princess’ into Cucumber Zombies. With your authorization, we will commence the takeover of Canterlot.”

“Proceed as planned.” Angel said coldly. “I will continue to monitor Ponyville. For some reason, all the major events seem to happen in this backwards one-horse town. I want nothing to go wrong.”

Outside the cottage, gunshots from the Cucumber Cannons could be heard as the other bunnies turned the Ponies into mindless Cucumber Slaves.
The communicator buzzed once more. “Sir!” the voice intoned, “All ponies have been turned. We now have complete control of Canterlot.”
Dr. Whooves and Derpy were seen running toward the TARDIS.

“I’m sorry, Derpy.” The Doctor sighed “The bunnies are too strong. There’s nothing I can do.”

“All right,” Derpy said seriously “I have gathered all my muffins.” The Doctor rolled his eyes, straightened his tie, and unlocked the TARDIS. The two ponies entered just in time. Bunnies by the hundreds piled onto the blue Police Box.
The Police Box dematerialized, and the pile of bunnies toppled over. They looked at each other in confusion and shrugged.

“Onto Ponyville!” they cried with an evil glint in their eyes.

In Ponyville there was chaos. Ponies were running around and screaming in horror. Right then, everyponys eyes’ turned to town hall where Angle sat with his Cucumber Cannon.

“Bon voyage, ponies!”

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!

Author's Note

APRIL FOOLS!!! Just felt like having fun for April fools day, hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 5

“I’m quite happy to announce that Twilight Sparkle is now ready to be released from the hospital.” Red Cross droned in a monotone voice. “Just remember not to eat any solids for a few weeks, get plenty of rest, and drink copious liquids. If you feel any abnormal pain, come visit me immediately. Also, if—“

“Er, what exactly constitutes ‘abnormal pain’? How is it different from regular pain? And what about—” Twilight rambled. In the corner of the room, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Ahem!” Red Cross interrupted. “As I was saying—”

“I think Twilight will be just fine,” Celestia gently broke in. Red Cross glared at the Princess until she realized just who she was scowling at. Quickly, she dropped her eyes to the floor.

“I will take care of her for the next few days, until I am confident Twilight has made a full recovery. My sister, Luna, will take charge of my duties for the next few days. It just… it just wouldn’t feel right leaving Twilight in this condition.” Celestia turned away, “I beg your pardon, I seem to have something in my eye, excuse me.” Hastily, Celestia departed, leaving behind a room full of speechless ponies.

“Well…. That was….. Unexpected.” Rainbow Dash stuttered, breaking the awkward silence. Everypony looked away from the place that the Princess had been occupying just moments ago.

“Wow, I never knew that Celestia was such a worrywart!” Pinkie Pie said brightly.

“Yah, ah never knew she cared so much about ya sugercube.” Stated Applejack

“Yeah, me neither!” Applejack looked at Pinkie in irritation.

“I was talking to Twilight,” Applejack gave Twilight a serious look. “I never knew that Celestia…well…cared for ya so deeply.”

“Neither did I,” Twilight murmured, “Neither did I.”

MLP MLP MLP

The Merponies a race of legend. They were a beautiful race with shimmering coats of colors ranging from purple to white.

As said, the Merponies were a beautiful race, but the same could not be said for their Kingdom.
Sapphire Moon cleared her throat. She was the leader of the growing faction against the Land Ponies that were destroying their waters. Her white coat glimmered in the water, while her azure mane swirled about her.

Around her, multiple Merponies were giving her their undivided attention.

“The Land Ponies have demolished our ocean, our home! They have poured their factory waste into our rivers, killing our friends and family. We must push back! If we flood their land, then perhaps they will see what it is like to lose a home.”

Fire Dancer stepped in front of Sapphire Moon, interrupting her angry tirade.

“We don’t know that the Land Ponies are aware that the filth they dump into our rivers and oceans has been poisoning us. It is possible that they are oblivious. After all, we have been careful to keep ourselves hidden.” Fire Dancer said, trying to placate Sapphire.

“Of course they know! They are deliberately sabotaging us!” Sapphire Moon screamed.

“Are you sure that this isn’t about your sister, Diamond Star?” Fire Dancer enquired.

Sapphire Moon stopped short. Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled. Stop it. She thought. Don’t cry. If you cry here, they will think you weak.

“Don’t you ever mention my sister again. You’re unworthy to even speak her name. If you ever speak of her again, I will kill you. And to answer your question, I am leading this fight because somepony has to. Now, get out.” Around her, Sapphire Moon’s followers hissed and booed.

Fire Dancer looked startled and a bit uncomfortable at the anger directed at him. He turned to look at Sapphire Moon, and his expression quickly turned to one of sadness.

“I…I apologize. I spoke out of turn.” He shifted awkwardly. “However, there was a reason I came to see you. You seem believe that the Land Ponies are deliberately murdering us. I disagree. I suggest we send a message to inform them of our situation.”

Sapphire gave Fire Dancer and angry glare. Then she paused. If the Land Ponies were to ignore Fire Dancer’s missive, he would look like a fool. And of course they would ignore the message. Her beautiful face twisted into a smile that could only be described as evil.

“Very well,” She replied. “We shall send the Land Ponies a message.” ‘

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Meanwhile, back in Ponyville at the Golden Oaks Library, Princess Celestia was walking through the front door with a very sore Twilight Sparkle on her back.

As Princess Celestia started up the stairs to Twilight’s room, Twilight questioned her actions “Can’t I stay downstairs… with you?”

“Now, Twilight,” the Princess started in a concerned tone, “you heard the doctor, you need your rest. You do not want to exert yourself or rip your stiches.”

Twilight then remembered how earlier at the hospital the Princess had acted so oddly and how she seemed so worried about Twilight. It obviously had something to do with her. Twilight bit her lip. She did not want to risk upsetting the Princess again and nor did she want to test her own limits. She just wanted to be near her mentor.

“I know Princess, I promise that I will stay on the couch and not move unless there is a dire emergency. It’s just, t- the last t- time I was here w- well…. You know w- what happened.” As Twilight spoke, Celestia looked down at her. What she saw broke her heart.

Big fat tears were running down Twilight’s soft cheeks and sobs racked her body.

Celestia swiftly reached down to nuzzle her dear student and calm her fears. “Alright, but only if you promise not to move a muscle unless I am there to help you.” With that said, Celestia used her magic to arrange the pillows on the couch in a more suitable way. She gently picked Twilight up with her magic as well and rested her on the couch.

“Thank you Princess, I just….. I can’t get the images out of my head. Every time I close my eyes, I can see the dagger and,” she winced “feel the pain. What if they come back, what if they get all of the Elements and kill me or Spike in the process?!”
While Celestia listened to Twilight, she could not help to admit that these thoughts had crossed her mind as well, but the thought of her dear Twilight lying cold and dead….. No, I will NOT allow this!

“Twilight,” the Princess said as she reached down to nuzzle Twilight once again, “as long as I’m here, no harm will ever come to you again.”

Author's Note

YAY!!!!!! Longest chapter yet! we hope you liked it but just in case you can't tell, Diamond Star is dead.

Chapter 6

The ponies of the Equestrian Council were preparing themselves for an important discussion. The stallions were seated at a glass table, in the heart of Canterlot Castle. The Council's discussion was centered on the threat of flooding along the coast of Manehattan, Baltimare, and Filly Delphia. Suddenly, a mysterious pony with a white coat and a violet mane strutted through the door. Nopony would dare to call her anything less than gorgeous.

The illustrious pony who was none other than Rarity, the Element of Generosity, aka Sombarity, stifled a chuckle as she watched the twelve stallions of the council drool over her.

“W-w-what can we d-do for you, Ms…..” stuttered one of the stallions.

“Ms. Rarity, of course!” exclaimed the beautiful 'mare'

The Council did not realize what fate had in store for them as the 'mare' approached them.

“You poor stallions have been working too hard. You deserve some le temps des vacances.”

As she spoke these words, her eyes took a hypnotizing turn, similar to Discord when he hypnotized the Elements of Harmony. Hypnosis was an amateur spell compared to Sombra's vast knowledge of dark magic.

“Oui Oui, le temps des vacances.” they muttered in a monotone voice.

"Excellent. Stand still, my good stallions. If you move, the teleport may go wrong, and that would be very tragic." Rarity then activated her magic. Teleporting multiple ponies could be tricky. Rarity's sickly aura surrounded her and the Council Ponies. Grey crystals formed around her. Rarity growled in annoyance. That little quirk of her magic could be very irritating. As the Council Room faded into nothing, Rarity closed her eyes and hoped that nopony would understand the significance of the crystals.

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"Princess Luna! The Council has vanished!" A Canterlot Guard panted, "We await your command. In the absence of your sister, we take our orders directly from you."

Luna considered. "Send out a search party immediately. We may yet find them."

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Rarity and the Council Members appeared in the caves under Canterlot. The same caves that Chrysalis used to trap her victims in during the Changeling invasion. Rarity, or Sombra, had discovered this brilliant method captivity of through his Changeling followers.

They are very useful minions, Sombra thought in appreciation.

Slowly, the twelve stallions began to awake from their trance.

"W- where are we?" the stallion that Sombra presumed to be the head of the council asked.

"Well," started Sombra, "call this place what you want, the Canterlot caves, your new home, your prison, but I prefer to call it, your final resting place. Nopony will EVER think to look for you here and, well, if they do, they will suffer the same fate."

As Sombra said this, he could hear the pony's heart beats quicken, he could see the sweat dripping down their backs, it brought him a great sense of joy.

"Who a-a-are you?" inquired one of the frightened stallions.

"Why, I am your worst nightmare, and more importantly, the future ruler of ALL of Equestria!!!" Sombra shouted this at the top of his lungs, screaming to the heavens. The stalagmites and stalactites shook as if, they too, were quivering with fear.

"What do you want from us?!" yelled one of the council members.

"Well, nopony will ever see you again so I guess I could tell you. I have replaced you. I already have twelve Changeling's lined up in your place. They will be found, not you. As you know, as the council, you oversee the punishment of criminals, you can even overrule the Princesses. I shall use the Changeling's in this position to help eliminate one of my greatest threats, Princess Sun butt's little pet. Even if the Princess objects, my Changeling's will have the power to overrule her."

Sombra/Rarity began to turn away as he finished reciting his plan when he heard a shout in his mind,

"You won't get away with this!"

With a chuckle, Sombra stated with great pleasure, "Why my little slave, I already have."

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Writing underwater was, in a word, difficult. Usually, Merponies carved their language into rocks when absolutely necessary. This was a tedious method, and the Merponies used it sparsely.

The Merponies were a telepathic race. Speech was rather difficult underwater. Fire Dancer had attempted it before, on a dare. This was a common practice among young Merponies. It had been horrible. Water had flowed up his mouth and had created a strange tickling sensation, which, while not painful, had been extremely irritating.

It was possible to enchant paper and ink. However, the paper would become extremely flimsy. At most, it would last for little more than a season. This was unacceptable for long-term record keeping.

The paper was made from the silk of the diving spiders, a breed of spiders that lives underwater. The pollution was killing them as well.

Fire Dancer forced his mind back to the task at hand. He needed to create the missive to send to the Land Ponies. He had agreed with Sapphire Moon that he would be the one to write the message. She had seemed disinterested, and Fire Dancer knew the reason.

She seeks to make a fool of me. If the Land Ponies do not respond to the letter, ponies will flood to join her. It has been my voice of reason that has stopped that. And if I am discredited…

Fire Dancer shook his head to clear it. Of course the Land Ponies would respond. He had heard rumors of their leaders, of their power and wisdom. He refused to believe that those wise and powerful leaders were sanctioning the death of his people.

Fire Dancer put the quill in his mouth and began to write.

Author's Note

Thank you for the awesome idea for Sombrarity Kniznik.
French translations:
le temps des vacances- vacation time.
sorry about the accidental update on Saturday!
sorry if this has been posted multiple times, we had complications.

Chapter 7

“Princess Luna, we have searched the castle premises. The Council has vanished. We have failed you.” The Night Guard lowered his head in shame. “Without the Council and with your sister gone…we answer to you alone. What should we do?”

“The Council is an essential part of Canterlot’s political system. We need to find them, and quickly. Continue to search for them. I will…There is something that I can do to find them. However, it is a last resort. If the Council is not found by the time my sister raises the sun, I will perform the spell.” Luna grimaced. “I hope it does not come to that.”

“Princess? What spell?”

“Trade secret.” Luna said, half-smiling.

“Yes, Princess. We will do our best.” The Guard walked stoically out of the room.

The room was lit by nothing but the moonlight, shining through the skylight. Luna tilted her face up and gazed up at the moon.

“Sister” she whispered, “Come home soon.”

MLP MLP MLP

Rarity was trapped. She was trapped in a cage in the middle of King Sombra’s mindscape. She supposed it was all metaphorical, but the cage certainly seemed real. The metaphorical cage bottom was hard. And cold. At least there isn’t any dirt, Rarity thought. But really, that lunatic Sombra could have at least given me a bed. Or a futon. Oh, the indignities!

At first, Rarity had tried everything she could to get out. She had shouted (in a ladylike fashion, of course). She had cried. She had even gone so far as to pound at the bars of the cage. But it was no use. Rarity was trapped.

She could still see everything, even though at the same time she was in the cage. It was like being in two places at once. Rarity had witnessed the horrors that Sombra (she refused to call him a king) had committed. But she could do nothing.

“Sombra!” Rarity screamed (in a delicate, ladylike way) “Let me out! You vile, dirty, uncouth monster! LET ME OUT!”

But there was no answer. There was never any answer. Rarity sank to cold floor of her metaphorical cage. She considered swooning (again) but decided against it. It really wasn’t worth the effort, without anyone to see. Instead, one lone silver tear dropped onto the cage.

“Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie” Rarity sniffed, stifling a sob (how unladylike would that be) “I’m so sorry.”

MLP MLP MLP

Meanwhile, in the loft area of the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight Sparkle was laying on the couch in front of the roaring fire place. Sitting next to her was none other than Princess Celestia. She was quietly sipping her mint tea and had her soft down like wing draped over Twilight like a blanket. The only sounds that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and Spikes soft snoring while he slept soundly in his basket.

Twilight decided that now was the perfect time to ask the Princess the question that had been polluting her mind all day.

“Princess,” Twilight spoke softly in a voice barely audible above the sounds that filled the library.

“Yes Twilight?” the Princess inquired.

“Earlier today… you were acting, well….. very odd. In the hospital, you seemed very distressed and here, at the library, you seem very, shaken up. Why is that, you have never acted like that before, why now?” as Twilight asked this question, the Princess’s tea had was long forgotten as she turned her head to face her faithful student.

For a few moments, the Sun Princess remained silent, trying to find a way to respond. Under her wing, she could feel Twilight tense up, “I- I am so sorry Princess. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just” Twilight was swiftly cut off by her mentor.

“No Twilight, you did not make me uncomfortable in any way. I was just… trying to find the appropriate words. Twilight, do you not realize just how much you mean to me, how much I care for you. Before you became my student, I had no one. My sister was in exile and I was alone in a world filled with creatures who all desire companionship. My happy attitude was just a façade for my subjects.” Twilight shifted next to the Princess, utterly speechless.

“But then you came along Twilight, you brought brightness into my world for the first time in a thousand years. You brought me hope. You were always so eager to learn and you always wanted to help me in any way possible no matter how big the situation. Seeing you always brings a smile to my face. Twilight, I consider you more than just a student or a friend. You are a daughter to me Twilight. And the thought of losing you… I just do not know what I would do.”

Celestia could feel Twilight shaking beneath her. Afraid that Twilight was appalled by all that she had just said, the Princess looked away, refusing to look her student in the eye. But she was shocked when she felt two soft arms wrap around her neck, squeezing her tightly. She looked down at her student… no her daughter, crying tears of joy into Celestia’s coat.

The princess soon joined Twilight as tears of happiness ran down her muzzle.

She then heard Twilight’s soft voice whisper “Thank you Princess, thank you.”

Chapter 8

The sun was setting. The sky was a collection of colors. It was a beautiful sight. But Luna wasn’t looking at the sky.

The Night Guard was shifting restlessly from hoof to hoof. His normally stoic behavior was gone.

“Princess. We have failed you.” The Guard lowered his head. “There is no excuse. As The Night Guard, we—“

“There was nothing more that you could do. I fear that this new villain is more dangerous than anything else we have ever faced. And with the Elements of Harmony disabled, Equestria is in danger. We must find the Council.”

“Are you so sure that the Council’s disappearance is a result of a villain?” The Night Guard raised an eyebrow. “The fate of Equestria isn’t always in the balance, you know”

Luna sighed. “I know. However, it is best to prepare for the worst. That is why I will perform the Scrying Spell.”

MLP MLP MLP

King Sombra sniffed. Killing truly was a distasteful activity. But the Council Members had had to go. He looked down at the freshly made mass grave. He’d had one of the Changelings dig the grave—one of the ones not involved in his plan.

Sombra had known from the start that he would need to find a way into Canterlot’s political system. He hated to admit it, but the two stupid princesses were still too powerful for him to defeat. He needed to be patient. All good things come to those who wait. He thought to himself.

Though just because he needed to be patient before dealing with the two royal sisters, that did not mean he could not eliminate other threats in the meantime.

Sombra’s plan, though simple, was brilliant. His army of Changelings were to take the form of the ex-Council members, then, when the foolish young Luna comes seeking the Council, she will find his Changelings and believe that they are the ponies that she is looking for. They will be taken back to Canterlot and from there, his master plan will really begin to take form.

It is really so convenient that the Council over rules even Celestia in the court room. For if they did not, my plan would be foiled. Thought Sombra.

Now Sombra knew that Luna would not be so dense as to look for the Council members with ought magic. And he believed that he knew exactly which spell she would use.

Under any other circumstances, the Scrying spell would not locate the imposters, but the Councils member’s dead bodies instead, but these were not normal circumstances.

Changelings had their own special type of magic. This magic not only allows them to look like the pony they are disguised as, but they become that pony in every way other than the mind. It is as if they have taken the ponies body but kept their own brain. So now, when Luna uses her spell, it will lead her to his Changelings.

Sombra looked to his followers, Perfect, he thought with an evil smile growing upon his (or Rarity’s) face, Nopony will ever be able to tell the difference.

Swiftly, he used his magic to tie the disguised Changelings up with a rope, and left them in one of the ominous tunnels near the entrance.

Sombra slowly turned his back and walked away, for the Changelings knew the plan and he had no reason to worry.

“Now,” muttered Sombra with a sly grin, “to wait.”

MLP MLP MLP

The Canterlot Library was one of the largest in Equestria. It had a vast collection of knowledge. Even Luna didn’t know everything the library held.

In a palace as large as Canterlot Castle, there were bound to be hidden entrances and secret passages. Luna had always loved exploring and had found many of these passages. There were many in the library, but at the moment, Luna was searching for one in particular. She grumbled to herself as she scanned the bookcases.

I really don’t have the time for this. We need the Council back as soon as possible. Luna thought, sighing.

Finally, Luna found the book she was looking for. She smiled inwardly in satisfaction and pressed the book down with her hoof. There was a creaking sound as ancient gears turned. And then, there was a staircase next to the bookcase. Luna shook her head in amazement.

She had asked her sister, once, how the passages worked, but her sister had only looked away and muttered something about “magic” and “Star Swirl the Bearded”.

Any other pony would have been terrified to go into such a dark, scary and, frankly, downright cliché secret staircase, but Luna wasn’t intimidated. She loved the dark, and she loved exploring (being the Princess of the Night and all). And so, Luna proceeded into the dark passageway.

Personally, Luna had always found the secrecy surrounding the Royal Archives a bit ridiculous. However, she recognized the need for it. If the information within the archive were to fall into the wrong hands, the results would be disastrous.

Luna reached the bottom of the staircase and used her horn to light the chamber. She could make out dusty bookcases in the eerie blue light.

Now, where is it? It should be right—there it is!

This time, Luna let her smile show. She levitated the book and turned back to the stone staircase. It was a good thing her sister wasn’t here. She would never have condoned this. But then, it was Tia’s own fault for running off to her apprentice, Twilight Sparkle. Not that Luna had anything against Twilight. In truth, Luna had always admired and envied the young alicorn. But, events were moving quickly. Without her sister, Luna knew that she would have to take drastic measures. And it was for the best, really.

While her sister had always hated dark magic, labeling it “evil”, Luna was fascinated by it. Dark Magic could be useful. And in this case, it was necessary.

Hopefully, Tia isn’t too angry when she finds out. She wouldn’t banish me to the moon again…right?
Luna sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Author's Note

Happy summer Everypony!!! I wish that we could have posted this on the 21st though cus it was the 1,004th year of the summer sun celebration! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 9

To preform the Scrying Spell, one must have some type of reflective surface- a mirror, water, a window, ect. On the ground directly beneath the object intended for the spell, one must carve out an array (Illustration on pg. 203). Once this has been done, repeat the inaction exactly as written here three times in quick succession. If the incantation is not repeated the allotted number within a minute, the spell will rebound: Ut ergo nos perdidimus, ubi sunt invenientibus ea et ostende nobis, quaerite in aqua et ignis glaciem, NIHIL RELIQUI FACIO, fac, ut.* However, if the incantation is not repeated the allotted number within a minute, the spell will rebound

After speaking the incantation, the image of the lost one/ones should appear in the caster’s reflective surface (unless they have been cloaked in magic more powerful than the caster’s, for more on this subject see pg. 647). The caster should be able to determine the general location of the lost one/ones through the image.

Note: the authors of this guide to spell casting are not responsible for any injury the caster may sustain.

“Well, that’s encouraging.” Luna muttered. “Lucky for me, I’ve done this sort of thing before.” She glanced around the ball room.

“This as good a place as any, I suppose. I never did like all those parties Tia seemed to love.” Luna snorted. “And now I’m talking to myself. Wonderful.” She glanced through the window and saw that it was nearly dawn. “If I’m to finish this spell before it’s time for me to raise the moon, I have to start now. Better start drawing the array…”

Five hours and two pieces of chalk later, the array was complete. Luna had painstakingly copied it exactly as it was shown in the book. After all, one mistake and the spell could fail. A failed spell could mean anything from Luna’s death to the entire kingdom being razed to the ground. That was probably why Dark Magic was a forbidden art. That, and the fact that psychotic ponies tended to use it to try and take over Equestria.

“All right, now for the reflective surface.” Luna’s eyes settled on the window. “Well, that’s convenient.” Using her magic, Luna broke the window into fragments and levitated one of the larger shards into the array.

“If I mess up on the pronunciation... Oh well, here goes nothing. I am Princess of the Night. There is a reason why those cursed horror stories are still circulating about me, why mothers warn fillies not to be bad or the dreaded Nightmare Moon will eat them.” She gave a short, bitter laugh and trotted to the edge of the array.

The spell was ready. This was the moment that she would find the Council. Luna refused to even consider the alternative. She would not die.

Except…Even if she executed the spell perfectly, the enchantment would take its toll on her. Luna wouldn’t be able to use her magic for an entire moon. She really, really hoped that her suspicions were wrong and the Council had simply decided to take an impromptu vacation. She hoped with all her heart that a new threat had not risen against Equestria. With her about to surrender her magic and the Elements of Harmony dismantled, Equestria would be virtually defenseless should the worst come to pass.

Luna wasn’t an optimist. In fact, she was a self-proclaimed pessimist. There was little doubt in her mind that something sinister was stirring, even if she hoped otherwise. Even so, although Luna herself was important, the Council was vital. Luna saw now other option than to perform the Scrying Spell. Even if meant giving up her magic for a moon.

Luna took a deep breath. It was time. Further procrastination was pointless. It was now or never.

“At least there’s still Tia and her student. I suppose it’ll be up to them now.”

Far away, in Ponyville, Celestia felt a twinge of pure wrongness tear through her. She breathed in sharply and then let out a low hiss. It almost feels like…No. It couldn’t be. Luna would never do something like that again. She promised. She promised.

“Ut ergo nos perdidimus, ubi sunt invenientibus ea et ostende nobis, quaerite in aqua et ignis glaciem, NIHIL RELIQUI FACIO, fac, ut.” Luna chanted out the melodic words. “Ut ergo nos perdidimus, ubi sunt invenientibus ea et ostende nobis, quaerite in aqua et ignis glaciem, NIHIL RELIQUI FACIO, fac, ut. Ut ergo nos perdidimus, ubi sunt invenientibus ea et ostende nobis, quaerite in aqua et ignis glaciem, NIHIL RELIQUI FACIO, fac, ut!”

The chalk-drawn array glowed blue. Instead of the sickly hue usually associated with Dark Magic, Luna’s horn shone a pure, azure color as well. It was always like this for her, even when she used Dark Magic. She was the Night. She was the Dark, the other side of the coin. Some would call her evil, but Luna disagreed. She was not good, nor evil. She existed to balance out her sister, just as her sister existed to balance out her.

And yes, she made mistakes. The whole Nightmare Moon fiasco had been one of her more prominent ones. Luna hoped that this wasn’t another mistake.

No turning back now. My only option is to keep moving forward. And so I will.

Luna’s eyes glowed white and her hair was blown upward because the sheer magical force. The remaining windows around her shattered and chunks of the ceiling came crashing down.

Now, I just have to look into the window shard. Luna peered intently into the glass. She could see the Council. They were milling about in some sort of cavern, looking absolutely terrified. Luna could make out grayish purple crystals all around them. Where are they? It looks vaguely familiar…The caves! The caves below the castle! I remember those caves. I was the one that had to clean up after Tia’s student and Princess Cadence got stuck down there. Hmm. It seems that another enemy has discovered those blasted caves and used them for nefarious purposes. I knew I should have destroyed them when I had the chance, structural problems with the rest of the castle be damned. Still, it does seems a bit contrived. Almost as if the enemy wanted the Council to be found.

“PRINCESS!” The Night Guards came crashing in. “We heard the explosion! Are you harmed? What is going on?!”

Luna turned to look at them, completely drained from the Scrying Spell. She tried to answer but all that came out was a weak cough.

“Princess?”

Luna managed to croak, “…The Council. They’re in the caves.” before she collapsed to the floor, completely exhausted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unbeknownst to what was going on back at Canterlot Castle, back at the Golden oaks Library, Twilight Sparkle was reading one of her many books while Princess Celestia and Spike played a friendly but competitive game of chess.

It had only been three days since Twilight was released from the hospital and confined to either the couch or her bed, but to her, it seemed like an eternity. What made matters worse was that she had not seen her friends since the day she was released, as they had taken time out of their lives to visit her when she was in the hospital and they had jobs they needed to get back to.

Although she was very lonely, there were some factors that made up for that. For one thing, Twilight loved spending time with Celestia. She had rarely gotten to see her since the move to Ponyville and she felt like their relationship had been strained. But since the heartfelt discussion they had the other night, their relationship had never been stronger.

Another upside to this whole situation was she and Spike were spending more quality time together. Now that she was bed ridden and needed to be extremely cautious, (even more so then the doctor told her to be thanks to the over protectiveness of Celestia) it wasn’t as if the only personal time she spent with spike was on special occasions thanks to not having to study all of the time. Lately, she and her number one assistant have been inseparable.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that Twilight was not completely distraught about her condition, was even though her BBBFF Shining Armor and Sister-in-law Cadence were too tied up in the Crystal Empire to come and visit Twilight, every day they sent her extremely heartfelt letters. Cadence had told her that when they got the news, Shining Armor nearly collapsed and started sobbing, as they were not immediately alerted that no major organs were punctured. They tried everything that they could to be able to visit her, but because of how hectic it was back at the Crystal Empire, seeing as it had just returned, they were unable to. Daily letters were the best they could do for now.

As said, Twilight was peacefully reading her book as Celestia and Spike were playing Chess when a knock was heard at the door.

Spike sighed, “You would think that they would realize that this is a Library, a Public Library, and we are open. They should know that they don’t need to knock.” Spike said in frustration as he had to leave his game to get the door.

All that could be heard was, “SURPRISE!!!!” and they loud explosion of a party canon.

Twilight and Celestia both shared a look and cringed as they both knew what the sounds downstairs in the Library meant.
A few moments later Spike came back upstairs covered in party streamers and confetti.

“It’s for you.” He said looking at Twilight with a deadpanned expression.

Suddenly a pink rocket shot towards Twilight at lightning speed and landed in front of the couch.

“OHMYGOSHTWILIGHTIMISSEDYOUSOOOOOOOOOOMUCHHOWAREYOUFEELINGIHOPETHATYOUAREFEELINGBETTERIBETTHATYOUAREREALLYCONFUSEDRIGHTNOWYOUAREPROBABLYLIKEWHYISPINKIEPIERANDOMLYBOUNCINGAROUNDINFRONTOFMELIKEONEOFFLUTTERSHYSCUTESIEWOOTSIEBUNNIESWELLIWILLTELLYOUWEARETHROWINGYOUAGETWELLPARTY!!!!!!!!”

When Pinkie finished her sentence (if you could even call it that) Twilight just sat there for a minute with a blank expression on her face until she finally replied with a genius response!

“What?”

Author's Note

Translation:
Find the ones we have lost
Find them and show us where they are
Search through water, fire and ice
Leave no stone unturned
Make it so

And if anyone is confused about how Discord is listed as a main character, he WILL come in later.

Prologue

The ponies were celebrating. Pinkie Pie was having one of her famous parties after the defeat of King Sombra. Anypony who was anypony was there, except Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting in a dark corner, her muzzle buried in a book. Twilight was eagerly devouring The History of the Crystal Empire, a long book outlining the customs, history, and geography of the Empire.

“Surprise!!” Pinkie screamed, pulling the book out of Twilight’s grasp.

“GAHHH!” Twilight shrieked. “Pinkie, what are you doing?!” Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a curious look. “Twilight, stop being such a downer-wowner. You’ll attract the Nargles.”

“Nar-what? Oh, never mind. Pinkie, what do you want?”

“Well obviously Twilight, you need to come party, Gummy is about to chug down a bowl of my famous fruit punch, it’s his favorite!” Twilight looked over Pinkie’s shoulder and saw Gummy standing in the punch bowl.

“Pinkie, I don’t really—” Suddenly, Pinkie grabbed Twilight and pulled her on to the dance floor. "PINKIE!" Twilight yelled over the unbelievably loud music. "I really need to learn more about the Crystal Empire, it is imperative that we learn as much as possible about it just to be sure that we are prepared in case any new threats arise!"

"Come on Twilight!" Pinkie sighed "can't you do that tomorrow! It's a party!" Twilight sighed,

"I suppose." and continued to dance with Pinkie.

On the other side of the room, Applejack was selling her "hard apple cider", which was under no circumstances to be given to any younger ponies. The ponies had learned this lesson the hard way, ever since the whole Scootaloo incident.

Rarity sighed dreamily. While it had lasted, the crystal shimmer on her flank had been positively radiant.

The music from the party was deafening. It could be heard from nearly a mile off. But what the ponies didn’t know, was that something was stirring deep in the Everfree forest, something that would change their lives forever.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! We (the three evil masterminds behind this story) hope to update twice a month. We can't guarantee anything, but we'll try our best. Please review, even if you hated the story. If you did hate it, please give constructive criticism, not just a "your story is so stupid". Thanks again, have an amazing life.