Our initial hopes were bolstered as a few of the boldest began the act of destruction immediately. One slammed his helmet down upon a crystal peak with enough force to puncture the shoddy metal through the crown. His second and third slams continued to split the metal, and to our great relief, he showed no reaction to the destruction when it finally collapsed. Nor did the second, a smaller mare who began stomping her own with desperate rapid force, but that could have been masked by the near manic glee with which she was destroying the artifact of her enslavement.

Unfortunately, the third to actually accomplish the task, a massive stallion who crushed his own armor with seemingly token effort and no small amount of disgust, gave a shrill shriek and collapsed. It could not have happened at a worse time; the hope had been that the response of the first pony to have their armor destroyed would be a singular event, or that being the one to do the destruction would mitigate the backlash. Worse, it turned out that while the aforementioned trauma was not to be common, nor was it to be the most extreme of responses. Cadance had insisted upon medical teams, and they were put to the test when the helm, upon losing structural integrity, had briefly bent the light in the room in such a way that the very shadows coalesced towards it instead of in ways suitable to the sun, and the burst of raw terror focused on the otherwise hale and apparently hearty pony stunned him enough to require immediate aid, though the details of which were beyond my immediate knowledge.

The event led to some further chaos, as several more potential guards broke and refused to interact with their helmets at all. Disturbingly, one pony took it upon themself to perform the act regardless of the misgivings of the owners. Upon each fainting in sequence, he was restrained by his fellows before the stallion could complete the fourth; the medical staff we had available were already troubled enough without forcing the weaker amongst the group to face their own demons before they were ready. Interestingly, one of those who had refused to interact with their helmets ended up being the one to knock the stallion unconscious, ending the scuffle. Upon returning to the others, she looked at her own, untouched helmet for a long minute before she drove a hoof through it like it was little more than glass. A violent shiver ripped through her, and then marched herself off the field without so much as a backwards glance.

We had known some would find this distasteful. Others would find it impossible. Others still would have no issue with sacrificing their fellows comfort in a bid to deny Sombra a hoofhold into their society, and that too would be an issue we would have to contend with, but even so it was something of a surprise that it sprung up so close to instantaneously. Cadance had imagined most ponies would accept the necessity and perform, while I had only imagined roughly two thirds. Shining had stunned us both when he’d admitted he expected only one in ten to pass outright. His explanation that after every military endeavor, be it glorious or ignominious, there was a surge in both new enlistment that would be felt in a year’s time or even longer and immediate resignations that were felt instantly. In our case, unfortunately, the previous military leader had been Princess Amore herself, and while her statecraft was otherwise admirable… she neglected, or even rejected, most military matters. Thus, the Empire had been woefully underprepared to take on Sombra. Losses had been high amongst the undertrained, some of the skilled soldiers wanted little more than to hang up their helmets to hide from what they saw as a shameful past. Still, others saw room for advancement, whether ethical or unethical. All of this would have to be carefully managed, lest the Empire end up with no military to speak of save the zealous, the desperate, and the ambitious, all of which could lead to disaster of a different stripe.

Sombra had very few underlings, and of those, most were simply under more layers of enchantment, acting on his direct compulsion, and to his will over their own. It made for a very messy governance, in which only things that the dark sorcerer had deemed worthy of his ‘illustrious’ attention were even moderately seen to. What this all meant was that there was such a dearth of actual officers, and the few that were able to ‘thrive’ under Sombra were either ones to be removed or approached with caution; we needed those ponies who took it upon themselves to mitigate the worst of Sombra even as they upheld his rule, but we needed to be absolutely sure they were not merely opportunists. It was to be an excessively fine line, though between myself and Princess Cadance, it was hoped that we could separate wheat from chaff.

Still, the numbers looked more positive than Shining’s own prediction, if only just, and I imagined that the time limit would inspire more to muster their courage or weigh our words. But, perhaps shamefully, this wasn’t our only reason for the semi-public show of loyalty. In truth, it wasn’t even the primary one.

I had been certain of something escaping the helmet upon destruction. Though I had not wanted to instill greater paranoia, I could hardly avoid revealing my suspicions, and found that Cady, too, had felt something upon the destruction; as such, while Shining was to be the face of the Empire’s military and must be the one to give the command, the Princess and I were to stand guard for something else.

As it turns out, our fears were well-founded; the shadows. Whilst one could be forgiven for mistaking the shadows for attacking those who dared desecrate Sombra’s army, the ‘feel’ of it was… something more primal. Something lashing out as it fled, seeking the nearest darkness for cover, though I could scarcely comprehend the ‘how’ of it. What I could do was follow the roiling mass of near-invisible fear and hate through the path of least resistance; mere light was no wall to the dark essence, only an impediment, but I quickly lost it. Whilst I could ‘see’ more flickers as several more helmets were destroyed, Cadance seemed more capable of tracking the sensation even if she could not pinpoint any of it, her gaze flicking about whilst her muzzle aimed in the direction the motes appeared to be congregating towards.

Cadance shifted, rubbing her eyes and squinting at nothing in particular. “...Definitely something. I don’t see anything, but… are you sure, Idol…?”

“Yes. Something vile skitters from the grounds with every punctured helmet. Sometimes just a stain upon the stone. Others it is a puff of smoke, and sometimes… I think a cloud of vermin of some sort?” I motioned to a group that stood around a comparatively sizable pile of disintegrating armor, all with varying expressions of discomfort or nausea. “Whatever it is that makes the armor stable, it seeks to avoid light and notice. Introducing it directly seems to make it abandon whatever purpose it was tasked with to seek survival.”

“It’s… bad. Oh, Harmony, Idol, I feel like I’m walking on a tightrope with bound wings and I don’t even know if I’m closer or further from safety. Is it getting worse?” She cleaned the back of her teeth with tongue in a very un-princessly way, but I could not help but wonder if she was tasting the substance somehow. Her abilities were not quite changeling, but near enough for interesting contrast. That we had never collaborated before seemed to be an opportunity missed.

I considered, peering as another mote flicked into the depth of the castle. “They do keep adding more, and sometimes what I see seems in greater quantity. Perhaps we should adjourn and investigate sooner rather than later.”

“If it gets this stuff out of my house, I’ll overlook the impropriety of the host leaving the function early.”

“Cady, I love you, but I’m gonna need you to be serious about this,” Shining informed his wife, still watching the events stonily. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow, and I started at the realization that he was working on a spell of some complexity. “Idol, are you sure this is a good idea? Celestia help me, I can’t see a damn thing you two are talking about, and I don’t feel anything. If I could see something, I’d have it in a shield and we’d have something to go off of… I’ve been cooking up something, but… well, I can’t really do anything about threats I don’t understand. Most I’m going to be able to do is cordon off sections of the training ground and castle. Not even sure if sectioning off the Crystal Heart is a good idea, we’re still trying to figure out exactly what it can do.”

“...No. I am not. But I am sure it is a situation growing potentially worse by the moment, as certain as I am that breaking any momentum down there could be disastrous for other reasons entirely.”

“...Well for Harmony’s sake don’t go alone. Take a couple who aren’t falling apart. When we’re done here today, I’m sending dragonfire to Celestia to send some stabilizing forces.” He continued to stare down at the milling ponies as they tried to determine the best means of ridding themself of their tainted equipment. “...I’ll send a signal if something goes awry up here. Worst case scenario, I’m popping a bubble and I guess I’ll be sleeping here tonight with a bunch of cursed guards who will probably be… I dunno, possessed and trying to kill me. Or steal the Heart. Or break it! That seems about Sombra’s style. Though he probably has more against Cadance than me. Faust, I don’t like letting anyone out of my sight right now…”

“Not a pleasant thought, sir. We will try to prevent the need.”

“Well, you know, I just love the problems you bring me, Idol, and I figured you might like a couple fresh ones. I really hope you’re eating well.”

“I cannot quite eat sarcastic ‘love’, sir.”

Cadance looked between us, looking uncertain of our… not quite banter, there was a bit too much ‘snip’ for that, but I was not sure what else to call it at this point. “Shiny, are you making a prison out of magic shields? Out of the castle?”

“More like miniature pop-up bunkers in strategic locations, but… kinda the same thing?”

She bit her lip, worry clear on her pink features. “I don’t… think I like that? Can you even do it? That sounds…”

It sounded like it would put Princess Luna’s medical bubble to shame. I felt a flare of pride in my chosen liege. “Shining Armor does tend to put the lie to the phrase ‘better than a master of one’. When you are this skilled with a hammer, all of your problems might as well just be nails.”

The un-princely snort was very Shining. “Twilight’d have a dozen better ideas. I think I can segment the castle enough to cause problems for anyone but us, but… I’d be buying minutes, not hours. After that, reinforce the important ones and hope I don’t miss anything when I drop the rest.” Another wince. “Been working on the framework since Idol mentioned this whole mad idea. Too big, too complex, not familiar enough with the terrain; it’s definitely gonna hurt, so… try not to make me need to? Do whatever you need to do to keep Cady safe.”

“By your command, sir.”

It was a much distracted Cadance and a small squad of guards, including a much recovered Amethyst, that trailed down through one of the castle supports. “...I don’t like that this goes underground…”

“I quite do, actually. There is a certain homeliness to it.” I glanced at our escort, determining them far enough behind to voice my own concerns, and that the Princess was not going to be able to hold her tongue on what she saw as more important matters of discussion for much longer. “...How long has Shining been…?”

“Cutie Mark stressing?” I was somewhat relieved she seemed to share my worries. “...He’s been setting them off more often than I like. A few times after… the Queen, he’s pushed me off the side of the bed. It’s… actually been a bit worse since you arrived.”

I grunted, disliking that almost as much as she clearly did. “His shields did little to protect him or you from her, provided limited defense against Sombra, and now his troubles are mostly internal. Not problems physical protection can resolve. And I am sure that I, too, am reason for stress.”

“But that’s not fair, Idol- right hall. Feels worse that way,” she gestured down a dim corridor, and the guards behind us relit the gems that should have automatically brightened the stone tunnel while I took point down the darker path. “He shouldn’t hold anything that happened against you.”

“I disagree; he has every reason to hold against me that I denied him information that could have allowed him to to prepare for others to notice your nature. Forgive me, your Highness, but Shining Armor was my friend before I met you, and I have done damage to our relationship by my own choices. This is something I must deal with if I wish to restore our friendship. Though I did not intend it, I did him especially wrong.”

“Well, what about me?”

“I gave at very least one leg, any chance of returning to my old life, and some part of my sanity up for you. I believe us to be square?”

Cadance’s step faltered, and her words came slowly. “That’s very fair…” She gave herself a quick shake, then continued trotting after me. “...Y’know, you treat me… closer to Luna than you do Celestia. It’s definitely different between us now.”

It was my turn to falter. She was right, I was inappropriately open with her. “My apologies. I think… I came to treat Luna how you wished to be treated, and simply was not as completely open with you out of old habit. With a… fresh slate, I think I am struggling to treat you in the respectful fashion you are owed. I shall endeavor to do better.”

“Harmony, no! I… kinda like this. I was a little jealous. But… maybe I could help with Shining? It’s kind’ve a thing I do, Idol. And I think Shining would be alright with it, I’ve been meaning to talk with him about it-”

“No.” The word rang out before I could stop it, and I flushed, abashed at my own audacity. Thankfully, I was enough ahead of her that I doubted any saw. “Forgiveness, but… Shining’s friendship is vastly important to me. If I cannot re-earn it as a friend should, then perhaps I do not deserve it.”

“Oh… uh… okay, yeah, that’s fair, too. Wow, Idol, sometimes you really do feel like a different pony-”

I threw up a hoof. “Stop!” I peered into a corner, intrigued and approaching cautiously, reaching into a saddlebag slowly.

“What? What is it? What’d you find?!” A number of the guards had surrounded her, leveling spears and a bow towards the deeper darkness. Amethyst himself charged up before her in a vanguard position, and I was beginning to think he would be a worthy guardspony indeed.

Very, very carefully, I withdrew the capped glass tube and scooped up my prize. “A yellow crystal beetle. Topaz has been unable to find one. See? It looks like her namesake.” I held the tube up to the light, and it scuttled towards the rubber stopper, the slippery glass seeming to provide no impediment to its grip.

The guards stared at me, even as Cadance rolled her eyes. “Nevermind, you’re exactly the same.”

The stallion with the bow hesitated, lowering his weapon. “Well… yeah, you find those ones in the dark. Sombra hated them, they were everywhere.” A few of the others glared at him. “What? He did! He used to blast them off the castle. Weird little pests.”

That seemed counter-intuitive, but Topaz would undoubtedly be delighted. “You find the yellow ones… in the dark?”

“Sure do. The purple ones get into lanterns, the blue ones get into forges. The red ones get into anything you’re trying to keep cold.” The glares softened into stares. These ponies honestly seemed to find his interest baffling.

“Hmm. Fascinating…” I peered at the contained beetle, watching as it seemed to scuttle unerringly in a single direction, no matter how I twisted the vial.

“Idol… there’s something there.” Cady pointed a hoof, squinting. “There’s a crack or something. Feels… like… down the hall isn’t as bad, up the hall isn’t as bad. It’s.. here, I think?”

And there was. A crack, at least, though I had presumed the beetle to have just been seeking escape from the new intruders to its home. Curiously, I set the vial down and watched with interest as the vial was slowly rolled towards the very place I had plucked it from. “...What do they eat?”

“Well… nothing, really? They’re just annoying, they don’t eat anything, they just kinda ruin whatever they’re in.”

That actually sounded familiar. “...Thaumivores?”

Cadance perked up a bit, a little intrigued herself. “What, like… magic eaters? Elemental magic eaters?”

“It is not unheard of, twittermites will devour storm clouds. Topaz showed me a paper once. This could be a prized discovery,” I scooped the vial back up and deposited it in my saddlebag, then began tapping at the stone. Solid… solid.. Solid… and… less solid. A few more taps, and I was relatively certain I had found either a pocket behind a layer of stone or simply a place where the crack was larger within, but regardless… if ever a hiding place there was, this would have to be it. I very nearly began chiseling into it with bare hooves, but… realized that might be a little much for the guards. “I think we need to open this wall.”

“...Sir?”

“There is something here.” I drew light to the tip of my horn, waving it gently around the section of wall, and was gratified to see it dimmed faintly in roughly the expected location. “And I think we need to be quick about it.” Faking that I had pulled a chisel out of my bag, I hoped that my subterfuge would not be spotted by ponies less aware of what I could do.

I need not have bothered; a few scant strikes gave them an entirely new and reasonable concern.

“What in Tartarus is that?!”

Even I stepped back, appalled and a little disgusted by the pulsating mass in the crack I had unveiled. It was… a festering thing, I have no better words for it. Black fuzziness like a dark mist wafted from it, no longer protected from my senses, and Cadance gave a small retch. A tiny chunk of it clung to the piece of removed wall, and I myself recoiled. “...Either the worst case of mold I’ve ever seen, or… something even more horrible, I suspect. We need to cut it out of there. All of it. Fast, and before it spreads, or… whatever else it might do.”

Cadance pulled further away. “Idol, I don’t think a spear is going to cut it here-” The light of the tunnel dimmed as the thing pulsed, and I got the distinct sense that it had pushed towards the princess. Something was happening, it was targeting her-

Do whatever you need to do to keep Cady safe

My body jerked into action. I reached into the crack, grasping with both physical and changeling might as I latched onto the putrid mass. “Clear a path-!” This was too much, this was bad, I could feel… something wriggling into me, something horrid and enraged, even as I tore the whole thing free. I was… absorbing it, whatever disgusting taint Sombra had placed into his craft near enough to some dark emotion that it was flowing into my very core. Without recourse, I fled through the tunnels as fast as I could, the lights winking out at my very approach. For a pony, I expected the sudden darkness would be crippling… but I was not. Any changeling who could be lost underground, pitch dark or not, did not deserve the name. But I was cold, so miserably cold, and I could feel it spreading through me like ice.

Nonetheless, by the time I escaped the underground I could barely see anything, blinded by animalistic fury at my… no, not my will… being abrogated, and I only realized I had breached the surface when I felt the warmth of sunlight. A moment of confusion, the dark grip on my mind dazed for only a second, and I desperately did… the only thing I could think of.

I sucked up the entirety of the shadowy mass of dark emotion, forced it into my horn like I would for any combat spell, and launched it at that great ball of light in the sky.

And a moment later, a rose-colored shield popped into existence around me. I blinked a few times, staggering and touching my horn. Something clung to it, but seemed to be falling off easily enough… tiny black crystals, which seemed to be turning to ash even as they touched the ground. I blinked dully, and from behind me… I felt a pulse of power, a cascade against me and I felt… better. Another washed over, and the ice seemed to recede from me. A third, and I felt true relief. I sucked in a breath, not realizing I had been holding it, and I turned to find Cadance clinging to the Crystal Heart. I had no idea what she had done, and I wasn’t sure she knew either, but it had worked. The gemstone was glowing, and I got the distinct feel of… accomplishment from it. I did not think I had the power to free myself of that influence so thoroughly without it. And… I had a number of shocked guards staring at me, as I had apparently fired an enormous dark lance of power into the sky for no conceivable purpose.

“That was… singularly unpleasant.” I briefly touched my horn again, and found it hot to the touch. I suspected that without whatever the Crystal Heart was doing, I would be in a great deal of pain. “Ow.” I sighed, falling to my backside. “We… are going to need a better way of dealing with… whatever that was.”

Oddly, I found myself hoping Sombra was still alive. I decided that I was going to enjoy making him regret that.

Author's Note

Happy Almost New Year, everybody!

If you want to drop a buck in the hat

To join the discord and get art, some various other stuff, and just generally hang out with a lot of really fun people.

As always, comments are an author's food pellets, leave 'em if you've got 'em!

Special thanks to KarmaSentinel and BHS for prereading. If you like magical girls, give BHS a look, and for some non-canon Idol, say hi to Karma!