Rise of the Angel of Death

The Crystal Empire had started its celebration of Sombra’s demise this day. As this happened, no one felt like noticing the small portal or the dark shadow that came out of it. It soon formed eyes which it looked around with, heading for its target. In their throne room Cadance and Shining Armor were about ready to greet the festival. That was until the doors were flung open with a crystal unicorn with his horn shattered, bruised and slightly bleeding he soon fell unconscious as the being behind him moved up.

"So the two upstarts and the traitors thought I would not return. This is my Kingdom!" The two rulers looked as King Sombra walked in with his wings and body.

"Impossible Malthael and Discord sent you to another dimension.... you were only a horn!" Cadance said. Sombra gave her a smile.

"Foolish little being." His body started to alter itself he then stood upright with a long tail and wings of darkness his hands had long boney fingers with claws and his head having lost the horn had a predator’s look to them. "I am no longer a pony, I am more than I was as Sombra, call me..." He paused with a smile. "Sombron."

With that he moved fast and unleashed his magic. Outside the ponies saw the palace wall explode as a beaten Shining Armor was thrown out. Next came his wife who was bleeding, burned, with her wings broken and her horn cracked. The ponies saw as a shadow appeared below the Crystal Heart as an unknown being held it.

"Citizens of the Crystal Empire I am Sombra reborn, I Sombron am your ruler now," The heart was slowly turning black and vile, "and always." He finished darkly

The dark crystal shot up as the ponies’ fears, hatred and other negative emotions took form. The new Sombron looked down at both former rulers as Shining readied a teleportation spell. "If I see both of you here again." He held the heart, and with a horrific screech cracks started to form on its surface. "I will destroy this forever!"

Shining Armor and Cadance reappeared in a cave miles away from the Empire. Shining used his magic gather what materials he could and started a fire and placed his battered wife close to it. He then set about making splints to help steady Cadance's broken wings.

"Shining, are you okay?" She croaked out. If this were any other situation he would laugh, but one look at her beaten form caused that action to die. Instead he just gave her a warm smile and bit back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"Yeah honey, I'm fine. I'm gonna get us to Canterlot as soon as I can. I just need to fix you up a little, that's all."

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"It's not that bad" Shining lied. "Just rest up a little, we'll be in Canterlot soon."

--------Celestia was in the middle of her court when a messenger rushed to her throne, a panicked expression on her face. "Your highness! Your niece Princess Cadance has just been taken to the infirmary! Her condition is nearly critical!"

"What?" Celestia cried, jumping off her throne. "Why isn't she being cared for in the Crystal Empire! I will send a message to Prince Shining Armor about this!"

"The Prince is there too. His injuries are not extensive as Princess Cadance's but he still needs plenty of attention. He says that he has troubling news about the Empire."

"I will see them immediately." Celestia stated, teleporting outside of the infirmary.

As she walked in she found Cadance’s condition and was horrified by it. "What happened?" she asked.

"Sombra’s back." She turned to see Shining Armor.

"That’s impossible Malthael placed a barrier around his horn and Discord found an uninhabited dimension to place him in." Celestia said trying and somehow hoping this wasn't the case.

"It was him alright, he changed into something more… a demon would be best to describe him, he attacked us on the day of his defeat, defeated us and even claimed the Crystal Heart. He corrupted it and threatened to destroy it if we return." Shining Armor finished. Celestia’s heart sank at this. Sombra just couldn't seem to stay down. already he was locked the Crystal Empire for a thousand years then even after another defeat helped create Demise and now had returned once more.

"I must send word to Twilight, to Luna....." She remembered Luna and Discord were going to another dimension for something and she couldn't reach them. "Can't get Luna or Discord, I'll have to get Malthael." Celestia hoped he wasn't unreachable. As she sent the letters the one for Malthael appeared on his desk. However his office had an out to vacation sign on it.

----------- Twilight and her friends where trying to hold a kind of council when Spike ran into the room.

"Twilight!" Spike yelled, moving as fast as his short legs would allow him.

"What is it Spike?" Twilight asked, knowing the news wouldn't be good.

"We just got a letter from Celestia. It's labeled as urgent." He said giving her the letter.

Twilight opened the letter with her magic and instantly blanched. She couldn't believe what she was reading.

"Girls we need to get to Canterlot immediately."

"Alright darling, let's get on the next train and..."

"No time," Twilight interrupted before teleporting them all out of the room and into Canterlot Castle. Everyone was disoriented from the sudden teleportation. Rainbow Dash was the first to recover.

"What the hay's going on Twilight?!"

"Sombra's back and he's taken over the Crystal Empire!" Twilight quickly explained.

Everyone paused and it was as if shattered glass could be heard. Everyone there had a look of fear.

"Sombra? As in the former King of the Crystal Empire the guy who helped make Demise? The one who Malthael and Discord both sealed away? That Sombra?" Rainbow Dash asked. That was impossible and almost totally unbelievable. The door opened to see Celestia.

"I assure you it is Sombra." Celestia said.

"Princess, how is Cadance doing?" Twilight asked. Celestia had a feeling of needles in her heart.

"Sombra has broken her wings to a great degree she has a 40% chance of not being able to fly, and that's not the worst part, her horn has been cracked to the base and she has a real risk of losing her ability to use magic and even if it heals she has a 30% chance of having trouble using magic." The news caused Twilight to almost faint.

"What of the Crystal Empire?" Celestia had a look of sadness.

"I sent some of the guard there... Most are dead and a few did come back alive with injuries all over them what ever happened to Sombra has made him more dangerous than Demise, even though he doesn't have the same power that Demise held."

"What about Discord, Malthael and Luna? Discord and Malthael could stop him, right?" Twilight asked.

"Discord and Luna are on an interdimensional trip and I have no knowledge of how to send a message to them, and Malthael hasn't replied but I pray he gets it." Celestia said.

"What do you think we should do until Malthael gets here?" Fluttershy asked.

"Until we know the extent of Sombra's new powers we should simply monitor the Empire and prevent him from spreading his influence if we can."

"I have a rather morbid question." Rarity stated. "What do we do if Malthael can't, won't, or arrives too late to help us?"

"I hope that it will not come to that." Celestia replied. "But, if Malthael does ignore our plea for help, then I will have to try and deal with Sombra myself." She finished.

--------------------Sombron sat on his throne. In his hand was the Crystal Heart. The negative emotions of the ponies’ was food for him. He looked as a unicorn was dragged to him. "Well now what do we have here?" He asked. The dark emotion construct looked at its master.

"This Unicorn was with a group that we found from the Equestrian guard, master, we have three others with his group." Sombron stood up at the unicorn.

"The princesses will stop you, their divine might will destroy you!" Sombron almost laughed at the idiot’s idea.

"The princesses? You still cling to the belief that they are gods? I seem to recall a unicorn fighting them and holding them back." He moved a glowing finger to his horn.

"But what am I to say about divinity? I am after all…" He touched the horn. At that moment the unicorn cried out, "A Demon!"

-----------------At Canterlot a pegasus, injured and bleeding landed into the room Celestia had for a study through the window. "What in the world?" Celestia asked as the pegasus got up.

"Princess I've managed to escape.... Sombra is doing horrifying things.... the guardsponies… Sombra’s planning to attack soon." He said before he finally succumbed to his injuries and died.

In his castle Sombron smiled. "The trap is set."

Celestia approached the body and said a silent prayer. "It seems waiting for Malthael's help is no longer an option. I wish Luna was here, but it seems I have to call on Twilight to help me." She walked back to the desk of her study and rang a small bell that had been sitting on it. In a moment a maid walked in.

"What is it your majesty?"

"I need you to gather the guard. I need them ready to move out to help me take back the Crystal Empire." The maid nodded and rushed out to perform her given duty. 'This might be a trap, but I can't take that risk.' Celestia thought. 'I can only hope that we can catch him off-guard.' Celestia then went about sending Twilight another letter telling her to come to Canterlot alone.

The guard was soon mobilized with some of the night guard at the ready. Twilight met with Celestia. "Celestia what’s going on?" She knew it sounded dumb but Celestia had said they were hoping for Malthael’s help.

"We can't wait Twilight, a pegasus managed to escape his capture and he died from injuries. Sombra is readying an attack on us and Malthael seems to be busy." Celestia said. "We have to siege the empire ourselves." She finished.

As they came up to the city the black crystals could be seen as the city itself had been transformed into a citadel. There was no appearance of a city anymore but a dark lord’s lair. Coming on the walls where being made of negative emotions and a few other things golems of crystals, Windigos which had become corrupted by Sombra’s hate. (Twilight actually felt sorry for them about that) Diamond Dog mercs.... and what looked like Dragons in the air, undead dragons.

Twilight was terrified of the situation she found herself in. She tried to tell herself that she had done something like this before when Queen Chrysalis had assaulted Canterlot. But this was nothing like that. The forces here seemed much better trained, not to mention larger. As much as Malthael could drive her crazy he was good at dealing with things like this. ‘He'd probably make some joke about all this and then come up with a plan, with him being a big part of that plan.’ Twilight turned to Celestia and felt some relief in her calm demeanor.

"Twilight, I'm going to deal with those dragons. I need you to use purifying magic on the Windigos. Once you're done with that I want you to help the guards with the ground forces."

"I understand, Princess." Twilight replied.

Celestia flared her wings and called out in the Royal Canterlot voice, "For Equestria!"

Battle had begun. Of course the one to suffer the most losses was the Equestrian guards. Celestia unleashed her magic in an attempt to down the dragons, however the crystals that helped them stay alive helped them resist magic. The windigos were running around their ice burning then freezing. Despite them being beings of hatred Twilight herself knew that Sombra corrupting them was wrong on so many levels. Twilight managed to cast a spell to help fix them. A few windigos were suddenly freed form the corruption. Behind her a undead pony launched itself to attack only for a recently freed Wendigo to attack it. The freed Wendigo turned on their former allies. "Well I guess all it takes is a big threat to bring enemies together." Twilight said at this.

Several towers let loose their powers at the equestrian guard. The Windigos moved and slowly froze it as they ran around and froze the towers they soon started to leave with the towers and undead out it was far more easier.

Celestia threw up a barrier around herself as one of the undead dragons let loose a torrent of flames. Through the fire Celestia saw a crystal glow in the center of the dragon. At that moment an odd idea entered her mind. She nearly threw it out when a part of her chided, 'Malthael would do it.' At that moment Celestia dropped all sense of self preservation and pushed through the flames while keeping her barrier up. Celestia flew straight into the dragon's mouth and kept moving until she found the crystal in its center. She dropped the barrier to channel her magic into her hind-legs, adding to her natural strength. Celestia delivered a mighty buck to the crystal, causing it to shatter. The dragon started to plummet, its artificial life source gone.

Outside the battle had finally ended. Around them, guards lay dead. The gates finally opened. A demonic voice of Sombra was heard.

"I welcome you... if you can survive the horrors of my home." Celestia the few guards and twilight walked in as they did the guards and the princesses where forcefully separated by crystals. "No need for the cannon folder I'm sure they will meet their end soon enough, my slaves have been... happy to form my crystal army." Sombron said from everywhere.

The princesses moved though the walls. Their thoughts about what was happening racing. The guards were most likely dead or worse. Finally, they were right under where the palace would be. The open area suddenly became dark as the crystals shined with a green glow. On a pedestal was the almost completely darkened crystal heart.

"The Crystal Heart!" Twilight said looking at the darkened object, a tiny bit of it still normal. She raced to get it only to be blown back. The heart was in a bipedal monster’s hands.

"I welcome you both to my kingdom.... I honestly can't believe you fell into my trap." The voice was a bit twisted and deeper, but it was Sombron.

"Sombra.... What happened to you?" Celestia asked. This was beyond dark magic’s doing. The reborn king smiled.

"Like it? I'm more deadly, stronger." He easily crushed a crystal in his hand. "Faster." He gave a smile. "More powerful than you and the Element of Magic combined." His magic aura shot out. He had at least two and a half alicorns level of power. "I also developed." He summoned a small rabbit. "A taste for flesh." He simply placed the poor creature in his mouth took a bite and ate him in front of the two princesses.