She had lost sight of him. Rainbow Dash ran in her new body as if it was second nature looking for Spike, but there was no sign of him. What little the athletic girl could see was some sort of boxes and metal tubes behind grates.

The paths had split multiple times, which gave Dash frustration whenever she ran into one of them. She just ran whichever path was most illuminated, her home needed her and it's about to be history thanks to the most psychotic person she ever met.

Yelling for Spike to wait for her was an idea that had come up, but knowing who they were up against she'd be done for the moment she did that or would be after a few calls. After seeing what Vaati did to Fluttershy, Cadance, Shining Armor and even Discord. This wasn't time to be cocky with what's stake.

Her human ears perked up hearing footsteps other than her own on metal, rolling forward before pressing her back to a metal grate corner. Peeking into a long hallway that was only visible for a few feet before the rest swallowed by darkness. Something that didn't last long as the end of said hallway slid up pouring light on to it, a tall figure had it's back turned to her standing before the light. Oh? Seems to be a pathway, the figure stepped into the light and soon the darkness covered the path along the hallway. The person never turned back and thus the prismatic haired girl remained unnoticed.

"Was that Spike? Knowing our luck recently maybe it wasn't." she whispered diving into the darkness ahead, her visibility of the hallway getting better finding a metallic door with a red button on the wall to the right "Oh, I know what to do."

Pressing the button had opened the door once more shining light in, inside was a lift elevator that could fit in about three other people. She sighed missing her wings so she can get this done faster as the door closed behind her and the elevator rising upwards to wherever it was taking her.

But she can't help to think about how Equestria was doing. These beasts came to attack them only for now to leave everypony to fend them off at their most aggressive while she along with her friends were forced to comply to play dumb games. Allying themselves with changelings made her uneasy, but thankfully the princess reached a compromise with the queen. They made strong allies sure, but with what they last seen of their home even with their help it won't last long.

Frustration and anger had come to the flier, the elevator stopping to open at the new floor. Running inside it now clearly seeing her surroundings. Almost visibly flinching spotting the monstrous armor before her, thankfully currently unused. But all around were rows of it and equipment to be used along with it. As if this was meant for a dragon, like the creatures attacking Equestria right now.

More noise caught her attention, turning to her side to another door opening up like before. This one almost as big as the building noticing the figure from before more clearly. A tall muscular woman with dark hair who turned to look back at Rainbow Dash, both of their eyes meeting and going wide at that time. The red horn on the tall woman's forehead making ti clear who this was.

The woman ran out the open door not sparing any other second, Dash becoming angrier and clenched her hand "Sombra! Get back here!" The flier ran after the former tyrant knocking over an armor on the way and once more plunging on the light from outside.

She came out to a road built similarly to those on the big cities back in Equestria, noticing it goes two ways spotting Sombra on the right at the road going into a bridge. Wasting no more time and running after once more, putting force on her legs in an attempt to go faster. If only her pegasus magic worked in here, she'd have Sombra pinned in the blink of an eye.

Rainbow Dash never noticed her experimental armor tightening just slightly, gritting her teeth and leaning forward slowly catching up to Sombra. Who was clad in armor and regal cape as usual. With a scream along a tackle she finally got to stop Sombra, sitting on the dark ruler's stomach in the middle of the bridge overlooking what seemed to be destroyed or burned tree lines below. It was hard to tell from this high up, but anyway.

"Spit it out, Sombra. Where's Spike? What did you do to him?!" Dash grabbed her by the collar literally shaking her for answers. It would be amusing to see Sombra reduced to this if magic and everything the flier held dear wasn't at risk right now.

"If you mean the dragon, he didn't come through here." Sombra glared disappointed speaking a deeper woman's voice "Though, either of your purple friends would be fine to me. But maybe you can be a good warm-up." Sombra swiftly kicked off the bearing of loyalty and a few feet away, Rainbow felt as if her insides were scrambled from such force and clutched her stomach with an arm. An echoing yet familiar laugh made her freeze, coming out as if some P.A. system was nearby.

"So the first match goes to the dumb jock, how unfortunate for her." That was Vaati indeed, the anger Rainbow felt from hearing his voice was enough to ignore the current pain "And against a magic user too! Mocking aside, this is finally the first match."

"You cannot continue to me until you have beat my elite by taking their lives." He took a pause as the athlete stood back up seeing Sombra also frowning hearing him "You'd only waste time if you came directly to me, my door only opens when all of you win every deathmatch. That or you would get yourself killed in the process, killing is mandatory or else you can't continue."

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Rainbow Dash snapped looking at the sky responding to him.

"Try something new, carpet muncher. Hope that your friends don't find your corpse in the middle of nowhere though." Vaati added with a glee that his smile can be felt even from his tone.

"If I find you, I'm gonna give you the beating you have been asking so much!" She raised her fist to the sky clenched tightly.

"I'll hold you on to that if you pull that miracle. But enough talk, let the fight to the death begin! The element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash versus the Crystal Empire's horrible King. Sombra!"

The armored step brought Dash to attention of the foe before her, some dark fog coming out of the former king's armor who also bore an expression of fury.

"This will be the last thing I do for that madman." Sombra snarled while continuing to step forward "Your friends are scrambled all around, who knows where they ended up. But all I have to do is kill you and then I can take back my empire!"

In the blink of an eye Sombra appeared right before Rainbow Dash, who rolled back at the fist swung intended for her crashing on the road and leaving behind a crater. It was too close. The flier felt lighter breaking into a sprint against Sombra, ducking under another strike hitting the former king with a kick to the ribs and rolling away once more.

It did some damage, but nothing more than making the woman wince. Her red horn crackling and bubbling with some magical energy. But nothing happened, despite having a horn it seems Sombra's magic was very limited. To Dash's misfortune there was nothing on this bridge she could use against the tyrant and has little time to think.

Using her speed to her advantage she leaned forward dodging Sombra's next attack, but being stopped at a harsh knee struck to the stomach. Forced to cough blood on the armored leg and brought down by the dark king's elbow to the back, the shock of the impact resonating through her body before crashing face-first back on the ground.

"Get up, bearer." Sombra's voice resonated once more before picking Dash up by her prismatic hair "I know you can take more than this, morons and specially bearers of the elements have a lot of endurance." She let the girl go leaving her there dizzy and not realizing that the flier's vision had gotten blurry.

Regardless, she clenched a fist and brought it up to Sombra's nose. Rainbow shook her head with her vision more clear continuing the assault on the dark pony's head, neck and finally pushing her back with a flying kick that also sent Sombra's cape flying away. All of the sudden the pain in the bearer came back to her about to fall down, blood already on her knuckles and coughing a bit more right on the ground.

Sombra had taken a share of her beating too, blood running down her nose getting back up again. It was subtle, but she was wincing as well. Apparently the tyrant is unable to heal in this world. But hold on a second, magic in this world? Could it be...?

"Now we're getting somewhere." Sombra's voice had grown sinister before wiping her nose with the back of the hand and spreading her arms wide "I can actually have fun in this fight. Let's get real now, shall we?"

"You're gonna have fun with the date my shoes are gonna have with your ass, you fake mare." Rainbow stood at the ready to continue the fight expressing her trademark confidence. Though Sombra is no easy foe, if only her friends were here now. Hoping as well that her hunch is correct.

The mage's tricks have officially gotten to fully grating levels now. Spike kicked a small rock away traversing a forest that seems to have been run down, the illumination reflecting off the pyramid fortress dome high above him and beyond what little trees he traversed by.

With the path he was taking, the tree lines had come fewer indicating that he was nearly out of this place. This psycho was messing with them while destroying their world, killing and brainwashing his friends for the sake of it. It's as if Discord had no restraint nor even a shred of decency. And he killed said spirit of chaos!

Finding himself before a crater of earth that suggested some lake was in here, the former dragon leaned in looking at his reflection in what little water remained in there. His reflection being similar to his counterpart of this world, but now old enough to blend in just find with any regular student at the ruined school despite the noticeable bit of muscle he gained. Freezing for a moment looking at the eyes staring back at him.

Emerald green eyes, that no longer slit, gave off pure hatred even when calm. A desire to hurt and punish the guilty. A desire to get back what was taken from him. Vaati's previous words ran through his mind and memories of Sweetie Belle's glazed eyes as she was forced to attack her older sister with no knowledge of it. Growling in anger swinging a fist into the water distorting the reflection.

Before Spike could indulge in any thought, a chill made him stop on the spot again. One the former dragon hasn't felt since his first visit to the Crystal Empire. With less trees in the way he could see a tall bridge that was actually closer than he thought, barely seeing dark mist coming out of it.

He saw the king's new form back in Equestria, the crazed mage took her with him here. Spike immediately broke into a sprint towards the bridge, hands closed shut with his mind focused on Sombra. The mage took the tyrant under him, and was his way of getting to him as well to end this madness.

But he can't ignore either the threat the dark king is, he has to be brave. His friends and everything is at stake.

Rainbow's world kept rolling until she found herself facing down on the ground, the exhaustion taking a toll on her body feeling her muscles ache and tremble. Sombra's heaving form getting closer to her looking bruised.

She was so close, if only she could rest a moment to execute her plan instead of being helpless at the dark pony's mercy. Struggling to call the strength to move while grunting in frustration, efforts rendered fruitless feeling Sombra's fingers digging between her hair and bringing her up staring at the tyrant's scarlet red irises. Who wiped some remaining blood on the corner of her mouth.

"I am impressed, bearer." she began calmly "Magic or not, you made me actually try." The former tyrant brought her free hand to grasp Dash's neck before narrowing her eyes "I must break my shackles from that mage though, I refuse to be his subordinate any longer! I am a king!"

"So nothing personal, bearer. But your life is the key to that freedom. Farewell!"

The flier flailed weakly in vain feeling the pressure tightening on her neck, her air being cut off trying to struggle harder in a desperate attempt to save herself. So many ponies were counting on her to be victorious, a lot riding on the line. The ones who's lives were taken by Vaati's mad schemes, the ones fighting for their lives. She can't let everyone down now!

'Can't... lose... not...here.'

Suddenly she breathed a sigh of relief finding herself kneeling on the ground, coughing and trying to breathe in much needed air. Rainbow Dash could swear she heard something hitting hard against metal, a light of hope ignited in her hearing a new voice in front of her.

"Rainbow Dash! Glad I made it." Spike had come to save her, staring to the left seeing Sombra slouched against the bridge railing. Usually she doesn't like being saved, but the dragon became much more cool in her eyes at this moment.

Spike didn't take much to get on guard again as Sombra had gotten up again staring at him with an angry snarl, taken by surprise she also coughed up blood once seemingly hurt by the impact. A fact that matters little to her as she started to walk again.

"I've been eager to settle the score with you too, dragon. Even with this humiliating body, I shall pay you back for interfering with my return to the empire. Mage!" The dark king screamed to the heavens for the attention of the mastermind behind this calamity, a request that was met with the echoing voice laughing from everywhere.

'It's HIM...' His anger returned digging his nails on his palms into clenched fists, wishing he could take said anger on that infernal capped mage right now.

"I sense that you have a request, got a good feeling about this one." Vaati replied eagerly waiting for Sombra to continue.

"I want to vanquish the dragon. I want to make him and Twilight Sparkle pay, I want my revenge!" She rose a fist up glaring at his opponents like a predator eager to strike.

"Tell you what," He replied rather quickly, filling Rainbow Dash and Spike with an uncomfortable dread "I'll let fight both of them at once. Hell, for the remaining fights against my servants. Should there be enough participants, they can fight two against one of my elites. I am practically handing this out on a silver platter for you allies of Equestria."

Two against one, huh? Despite Sombra's condition, both of them knew the dark pony held more power than they first thought. Spike's eyes narrowed knowing that she'll be back on the offensive and would hit harder, Rainbow Dash managed to get on one knee as more smoke came out of Sombra's horn. Who grinned widely bearing her fangs.

"Now, let the match continue. Are you capable of shedding blood to save your world? Or sticking with your principles as you and your world die with them?! Let us find out! Have a great time everybody!"

His maddened laugh echoed as the battle continued, both sides now intending to end eachother.

Author's Note

By the way, Vaati's fortress is a modified Tokyo Millennium from Shin Megami Tensei 2. It pretty much looks like this

It was built right on top of Everfree Camp too.