Who Were They?

High above the clouds
Calling a name so lovely
Rises my heart

Sombra could still remember all those love poems, haiku and sonnets he wrote to his beloved. It was all he could offer her since he had nothing in terms of money. He was surprised that a mare would ever fall in love with a dirt poor gem finder bastard like himself. But there is nothing he could do to bring her back, no poem or sonnet will ever succeed in that regard.

"What are you thinking about Sombra?" remarked Platinum as she, Sombra and Jewel made their way through the badlands.

"A past I can never get back." he sighed.

"Hikari?"

Sombra raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"I'll be honest with you, I come from an alternate universe where you turned good after defeating the Diamond Dogs, and I don't care if you'll be believe what I'll say next, but here it goes; I am your daughter." answered Platinum with seriousness.

Sombra was not too surprised. "Who's the mother?" was all he wanted to know.

"It is best that you don't know that...I'm already giving everything away as it is."

Sombra decided to change the subject reluctantly. "Anyways, yes, it was Hikari that forced me to become the warrior I am, to end such a horrible war." Platinum could see the war weariness in his eyes. "You do a lot of strange things when you're in love or about to die...in that case, both."

"So, what are you planning to do once the entire sisterhood is destroyed?"

"Return to my Queen and throne, so I can live the rest of my days in peace." answered Sombra. "Rule the way my Queen wants to rule."

"I doubt Cadance and Luna will allow that."

"If I cannot at least have my Queen, then I'll have no choice but to exile myself faraway. What's the point in having one if I can't have the other?"

"HEY!" yelled Jewel. "I see a carving!" he pointed to a small plateau with a strange symbol etched on the side.

Sombra immediately recognized the symbol. "We've made it, the sisterhood should be in one of those cave entrances on the plateau."

"Let's get climbing then." announced Platinum.

"Twilight, you and Cadance will be staying here to keep the Crystal Empire safe in case me and Shining experience trouble." instructed Luna who now wore armor. "Keep the elements safe as well."

"I will Luna...be careful." said Twilight, she was apprehensive about Luna's decision to lead an army to Canterlot.

"And please be careful Shining!" said Cadance who worried for her husbands safety.

"I will do my best to return to you." assured the stallion to his wife.

Luna and the guards got on their flying paladins and lifted off into the sky. "REMEMBER CELESTIA! FIGHT FOR EQUESTRIA!" the guards cheer as their battle cry as they disappeared past the horizon.

Come to me my Queen...you know you want it... hissed a voice within Twilight's mind. She tried to shake it off but the voice won't go away.

"You okay Twi?" asked Cadance with concern.

"Oh...yeah...I'm fine...I just have to go rest up...long day and all..." Twilight lied so as to not concern Cadance. She did not her to know that Sombra still lurked in her mind.

"I know the feeling...we need to rest." the pink princess agreed. They both quietly walked back inside the palace, hoping for the best.

The caribou nurse quickly started to pack essential items into a saddle bag as her patient Applejack started to stir awake. "Ugh...how long was ah out?"

"A few hours." answered the nurse as she continued the packing. Applejack looked on with confusion.

"What's goin' on?" she got up from the bed.

"You need to leave this kingdom before they find out who you really are." explained the nurse. "We don't take to kindly to foreigners."

"How?"

"Don't worry, as long as you have that piece of antler with you, everyone will see you as a fellow caribou." she explained as she finished packing. "Just don't do anything that attracts attention."

"How is that possible?"

"Just a little psychic trick." she said. "Anyways, the nearest border checkpoint is about 15 clicks up the road past the nearest town and you have enough supplies and money to get you there safely." she continued. "Also, don't forget this." she gave Applejack a blank piece of paper.

"But it's blank." the mare was confused.

"Just show the border guards the paper and tell them that you are on a diplomatic mission to the griffin empire, they'll believe you." Applejack accepts the bag and supplies. "But I should warn you, whatever you see in that town, ignore it and pretend it is normal."

"What do ya mean?"

"You will see some horrible things there, so please, whatever you do, ignore it and continue walking to the checkpoint, understood?" the nurse gave Applejack a serious look. "Promise me because it's for your own good."

"Ah...ah...promise...how bad can it be?"

"You have no idea."

"Awa, I see an army coming at us, do you want me to fight them?" asked Tirek as he pointed to the sky. They were both in front of burnt Canterlot castle.

"No need Tirek, just stand back and let me handle it." smirked the cloaked Awa.

Soon, Luna and Shining landed in front of the pair, while the rest of the fighting for surrounded the city awaiting their next command. "You." growled Luna as she walked up to Awa.

"It's been so long Luna, I thought you died back there."

"You are under arrest for conspiracy to kill Celestia and high treason." pointed out the princess.

"Under what authority?"

"According to the Equestrian bill of rights, a princess has every right to arrest a subject for any suspected treasonous acts!"

"Oh Luna, since when were you such a stickler for the rules, you're the ruler now, you can change the laws whenever you damn want." smirked Awa.

"My sisters death must be avenged!" Luna was clearly upset and angry. "You and your sisterhood will pay dearly for such an act!"

"Well...since I am being arrested, I might as well gloat about my plan." she removed her cloak to reveal a blue coated alicorn mare.

"Let me guess, your way to avenge the death of Mistress Superior?"

"WRONG!" spat Awa. "You are wrong! Do you want to try again, double or nothing?"

"What are you talking about?" Luna was confused.

"This was never for revenge, this was never about Mistress Superior! It was about fulfilling the duties of the sisterhood!" exclaimed Awa. "To bring balance to the world!"

Luna just looked on like Awa was going mad. "Come again?"

"You see, the sisterhood was formed long ago to make sure no one civilization got too dominant for too long, and it just so happens that it is Equestria's turn to fall."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, and I do believe there is an even more serious threat coming." she said with smug satisfaction.

"Oh really? Something more serious than you and your sisterhood?" Luna didn't believe a word she said.

"Yup...your replacements are coming, and everything will change."

"Who?"

"Why should I tell you? It will be better if you found out instead."

"YOU WILL TELL ME!" Luna spat, tired of playing this game.

"I'm sorry Luna, but Equestria has just overstayed its welcome in the world stage. But I'm sure there will be a place for you in the new world order." she turned to the large centaur. "Tirek, take care of the soldiers, but leave the princess to me."

"TELL ME NOW!" the princess snorted, clearly angry.

"Patience is a virtue my Luna." laughed Awa.

Luna gave a frustrated scream and lunged at the mysterious alicorn. Awa in response used her magic to teleport herself and Luna to a completely different location. Both alicorns found themselves on top of a plateau in the middle of a desert. Both got up starring each other down, ready to attack. "Very well then, let's settle this the old fashion way," she placed a force field around the plateau to prevent anyone from leaving or entering. "we fight to the death."

"Very well then." agreed Luna. She took a deep breath and let the darkness within her consume her. Her coat turned black, her mane whispery like the night sky. She was turning into the creature that ponies feared the most; Nightmare Moon.

"Impressive." smirked Awa.

"BRING IT ON!" boomed Nightmare Moon, ready to attack.

With a scream, both charged at each other.

At the badlands, Sombra entered the cave that was the home of the sisterhood. He saw that it was exactly the way he remembered it, but completely empty. "Where did they go?" asked Jewel.

"I don't know, this is the correct place, I remember being here when I became who I am."

"So where could they be now?" asked Platinum as she looked around.

"I don't know, but I do have a bad feeling about this." responded the shadow unicorn, until something quickly dawned on him. "Unless..."

Little did anyone knew, but someone tripped a thin wire on the cave floor.

"IT'S A TRAP!"

Before Sombra could clarify, a large explosion tore through the cave engulfing everyone.

Dewey limped as fast as she could towards Cadance's chambers. "Cadance! Cadance!" she yelled as she barged through the door. Her blood dripped on the floor from a large gash. "Princess!" she collapsed on the floor once inside the chambers.

"What happened to you?" Cadance quickly ran up to her. "Who did this?"

"The Elements of Harmony...have been stolen..." she moaned in pain.

"WHAT?! HOW?!"

"Twilight ma'am...it was Twilight who did this..." Dewey confirmed.

Cadance was dumbfounded, unable to find a word to say. The only thing she could get out of her mouth was "why...?"

Twilight was far away from the Crystal Empire in a hot air balloon. She had all the elements with her and was ready to fight. "Something is wrong...very wrong...and I intend to find out." she had no idea where she was going, but she'll let the voice in her head guide her to where she needed to go.

"Dear leader!" barged a caribou guard as he quickly bowed down to the floor to his leader who had his back turned to the guard while in front of a window, overlooking the capitol.

"What is it Gefroy?" was all the dear leader said without emotion, back still turned towards him.

"Dear leader, the potion is ready to used and distributed among the ranks sir."

"Good work, tell them to start the distribution and that we'll attack once the sun rises again." stated the leader, still with no emotion.

"Yes sir." Gefroy bowed one last time before he left the leader to be alone in his office.

"Soon...the whole world will live our philosophy and the natural order things restored. It would be nice to add some 'exotic' members to my harem while I am at it as well." he continued to talk to himself. "Oh well, I'll worry about that when the time comes." he smirked. "For the whole world would soon know who I am...Dainn."

TO BE CONTINUED...