Umbra

Chapters

Chapter I: The Return
Chapter II: The Battle
Chapter III: The Fall

Chapter I: The Return

Umbra

Inky Shades

There are ponies all around me, quiet, nervous as they go about their morning. They’re watching me, but I ignore them. The scent of fresh pastries wafts into my nose from a nearby bakery. Two ponies have their muzzles pressed against the bakery’s wide window. If they got any closer they’d be fused with the glass. Their bodies tense when I pass by them.

A couple fillies run in my direction. One chases the other in play, judging from the high pitched giggles emanating from both of them. There’s not a care in the world in either of their eyes. They appear to be blissfully unaware of the unease that permeates the air around them. The filly being chased crashes into me. She peers up at me, backing away, saying some sicky-sweet apology. I pay her no mind as I continue towards a large tree.

Nopony gets in my way. They don’t dare. They know something is amiss about me. I don’t have to look beyond the hood of my cloak to know that. “I don’t belong here” is what I feel from ponies too afraid to approach me. I know that I don’t belong here, too. However, I have a purpose. I want somepony to tell me to leave their town. I want them to get in my face about it and I want them to physically remove me when I refuse.

My lips quiver at the exciting prospect. Oh, how I want them to try! But they won’t. None of them will. I know it, they know it. They are cowards, spineless worms wriggling at the surface of the earth until the first signs of trouble, in which they retreat into the safety of their holes. And I am the hawk that swoops down from the sky to rip them from their homes so that I may tear into them with my beak!

The relationship I have with these ponies is that of predator and prey. Only a larger predator can threaten me, but those are few and far between. Perhaps the princesses could stand against me like they did so long ago, but even they never truly defeated me. The strongest ponies in all the land, and they couldn’t put an end to me. All they did was seal me away, weakening me, but not killing me.

If the bits and pieces of time I saw through the amulet held true, then Equestria’s had a peace stretching for several centuries, at least. How nopony’s invaded this land of sunshine and rainbows is beyond me. My former adversaries are but figureheads now, hardly worth the time it would take me to storm their castle in the Everfree. No, there’s somepony else who’s caught my eye. Perhaps they’d have the skills I seek.

I first sensed the potential within them during my assault of the Crystal Castle. However, in my arrogance, I underestimated them and paid the price. My body was destroyed. I could blame my loss on not being at full power, but that would be an excuse, unworthy of the King of the Crystal Empire. It’s my fault for thinking tricks and traps were enough to stop anypony discovering the crystal heart. Death was the punishment I deserved for the arrogance I displayed, but I will not make the same mistake twice.

Darkness and light. Ponies would love to believe their princesses can protect them from anything, but that isn’t the case. Light is such a fickle, fragile thing trying to make the world ‘better’. But darkness consumes. It doesn’t try to change the world. It accepts the world for what it is and conquers it.

The tree stands before me, tall, strong. I can’t see a single light behind any of the windows. Have I arrived too early? My lips curl into a grin. Wouldn’t it be unfortunate if Equestria’s defender over-slept? Who would protect this town, then?

In the corner of my eye, I see a stallion approaching me. What does he think he’s doing? I turn my head, our eyes lock. He hesitates upon meeting my gaze. There’s fear in his posture, yet he doesn’t run away. Interesting.

This stallion has an important decision to make, no doubt the most important one in his life. He can turn around and run. It’s the choice of the worm, but it’s the smartest choice for him, at least he’d keep his life. Or he can continue towards me, prove to me that I’m not the only hawk in this town. He’d die, but he wouldn’t die a coward. So which will it be?

He continues to stand in his spot. The conflict in his eyes is too painful to watch. It’s laughable. Then he turns around. I frown. The worm it is.

A passive thought of mine drifts towards the stallion, and a dark purple aura binds his limbs. The stallion yelps as he’s lifted into the air. With a flick of my head, he’s sent flying through the air. He crashes through a house window across from where the library stands.

Nearby, a mare’s scream pierces the morning air. Yes, good, scream louder! Let’s not let anypony sleep through this occasion. But, just in case… My horn sparks as I gather magic. When I feel enough has been gathered, I release it.

A purple sphere hurdles towards the house where the stallion landed. It contacts the wall, sending fragments of stone shooting inwards. Dust obscures my vision of the new hole, but once it settles, I see movement. I suppose I haven’t done enough.

Cracks form between the house’s first and second floor. I don’t even feel the strain when the second floor is ripped from its foundation. For show, I leave the floor suspended in the air.

There aren’t any more screams. There’s silence. From the corner of my eye, I see ponies too terrified to do anything. When I’m sure I have their full attention, I force the second story into the first. As it crumbles, I think I see somepony behind one of the windows. How unfortunate. The house lies in ruins. Only a skeleton remains. This is what happens to cowards.

The silence breaks, but still no defender. Is she a heavy sleeper? Ponies scatter like insects, running this way and that. I fire a spell into a group of ponies and watch as it explodes, launching them in all directions. Making sure my voice is louder than the mayhem around me, I say, “Do you hear them, Twilight Sparkle?” I light a house on fire, earning muffled screams from inside its walls. “The citizens are calling out for somepony to save them.”

Any moment now, I expect to see the door to the tree open, but it doesn’t. There’s no way she can still be asleep. Is she ignoring me? My blood boils at the thought. This is unacceptable. Does she need more encouragement?

I spot a mare peering at me from a corner a few houses down. Our eyes meet, she ducks behind a wall. As if that will somehow save her. Envisioning the mare just behind the corner, I wrap her in a magic field. The look of shock on her face as I drag her to me is priceless.

She struggles against her magical bindings. It’s futile, but she doesn’t give up. My lips curl. The poor thing, but what else should I expect from a trapped animal? It’s only natural to fight for one’s life, no matter how pointless the fight is. Her struggle ceases when we’re face to face.

“What’s your name?” I ask, brushing a strand of her mane from her face. Her eyes are wide as she cringes away from me. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“S-Strawberry Sorbet,” she stammers.

“Good girl. Was that so difficult?”

“Please stop this.” Her tone is meek, it’s like I’m listening to a rabbit.

“Enough!” The door to the tree bursts open. A purple uni—no, alicorn, stands in the doorway. So she’s ascended, interesting.

“I wondered how much more I’d have to do to get your attention,” I say.

“Let her go,” Twilight says, horn glowing pink.

“Uh-uh, I wouldn’t do that just yet if I were you. She’s still in my control. It would be easy to crush the life out of her,” I say, tightening the field around Strawberry’s throat.

“P-Please stop.” Tears roll down Strawberry’s face as she struggles for breath.

I grin when Twilight’s horn stops glowing. She understands. As a reward, I release my grip on Strawberry’s neck. “Smart move, but I no longer need her.” Dropping the magic field in its entirety, Strawberry falls to the ground and scampers away. There’s no need for me to stop her, right now. I have what I want. “So, Twilight, how long has it been since our last encounter? I don’t recall you having wings before.”

Twilight looks at me confused. “Who are you?” She doesn’t recognize me?

“Tsk, tsk, has it been so long that you have forgotten about me already?” I ask. “Or is my disguise truly that effective? Maybe you’d like some help?” I remove my cloak. Twilight takes a step back.

“Sombra!” Her eyes widen. If only I had a camera to capture this moment. “But how is this possible? You died!” She shakes her head.

“Did I? Yes, I suppose so. Death is a funny thing. Most ponies would think it permanent, but most ponies would be wrong.”

“But you can’t stop death. It’s just not possible!”

“Can you not think of a way? Come on, I know you know how I did it. And I thought you were supposed to be smart. Aren’t you Celestia’s protégé?” When she doesn’t answer for a time, I ask, “Do you want me to give you a hint?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she states.

“Doesn’t it, though?” I’m skeptical of her response. She knows the answer, I’m sure of it.

“No.” Her voice is adamant. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

“My, my, such authority, you certainly do act like a princess. I feel the inexplicable pull to answer you. Why I’m here and what I want are one and the same: you.”

“Me?” Her stance lowers. She’s preparing for conflict. Good, I never did like things to be easy. “Why do you want me?”

“The answer should be apparent. You defeated me, even if it was only temporary. Despite my best efforts, you found the crystal heart and finished what the celestial sisters tried to do long ago. Perhaps it was just a fluke, but that’s what I want to find out.”

“You want to fight.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.” I say no more, removing my cloak and letting it fall to the grass. She moves away from the door.

Twilight’s gaze falls on my chest. “The Alicorn Amulet! How did you get that?”

“Oh, you mean, this little trinket? It’s been in my family for centuries. When mother died, she passed it to father, who passed it on to me. I modified it during my reign. You could say it has part of my soul in it. Oh, were you not talking about how I got it originally, but currently?”

“There’s no way you could’ve known where it was,” Twilight says.

“Well then, I suppose there isn’t a reasonable answer, is there? Now, if you want to continue pointless discussions, we can. Let’s talk about your tiara next.” My response causes an irritated groan to emanate from her. I’d almost forgotten how much fun it is to know more than your opponent.

“Fine, I have another question for you, anyway,” she says.

“Fire away, ‘Princess’.”

“If you wanted me, why not kill me in my sleep? There wasn’t any need for you to involve anypony else.”

“Oh, but there was!” I say. “I told you my reasons for wanting to fight you were more complicated than just the thrill of combat, didn’t I?”

“Care to elaborate?”

“I want to test Equestria’s ‘great defender’,” I say simply. “So far, I’m not impressed. In the time it took you to crawl out of bed, I could’ve laid waste to this entire town.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“It’s not what I came here to do, but just think if it was. Nopony tried to stop me, and the only pony that could, slept.”

“You attacked innocent ponies because you wanted to test me?”

“Don’t sound so disgusted. Be glad it was me and not somepony else. Another may not be as considerate.”

There’s anger in her eyes. “You’re a monster!” Her horn glows pink. We circle each other.

“Call me what you want. It doesn’t change the fact that I have Equestria’s best interest at heart. What good is a defender who can’t even defend a single town, anyway? So I think the real question is: what are you going to do about this?”

Our breaking point is so close. I can feel it. How much more will it take before we snap? Who will fire the first shot? There’s a tingle in my horn. I’m ready. I’ve been ready since my revival.

“I sent a letter to Princess Celestia. She’ll be here any minute. I suggest you surrender peacefully before she arrives,” she says.

I laugh. “You sent a letter to Princess Celestia? Is that what took you so long? Were you trying to find a quill or something?” This is too funny. “You honestly expect her to help you? When it comes to conflict, the princess would rather pass the burden of aid to somepony else.”

“Don’t talk about the princess like that! Do you surrender?”

“I can’t believe a silly mare like you was granted ascension. I guess they’ll accept anypony now.”

“Do you surrender?” There’s exasperation in her voice.

“No.”

A ball of pink magic launches from Twilight’s horn and hurdles towards my face. I concentrate. Crystal shards interlock in front of me, creating a barrier. However, the magic hits before my protection can be fully formed. Wisps of magic flow through the cracks and wash over my face, singeing me. I fire a return shot. She leaps out of the way, and the magic hits the library door, shattering it into thousands of tiny splinters.

She runs in an arc, trying to get the drop on me. This is going to be fun. Purple spheres blow holes in the ground around her. I try to get an accurate mark on her, but she’s nimble. Twilight turns her head towards me, firing a magic beam in my direction. The magic cuts through the air and slices through my cheek, a lucky strike.

One of my spheres gets lucky and knocks her off balance, causing her to crash into the ground. I send a half a dozen spheres at her to finish her off. My magic explodes, kicking up dust. Smoke obscures my view of what should be the charred remains of Twilight. When the smoke clears, I see a shimmer. Twilight rises from the ground unharmed, dispelling her shield.

“Clever girl,” I say, firing more spheres.

She returns fire; our magic collides, exploding into sparks of light. It’s been too long since I’ve had an opponent fight me on equal ground, but do I want the fight to be equal? I smile to myself. No. Let’s test the power of the amulet!

I feel the power of the amulet course through my veins. It’s intoxicating. I want more, but it would behoove me to pace myself. Too much power too soon could be a foolish situation to be in. Power can make a pony go mad, make the mind dull, and I need mine to be a blade.

A wave fires from my horn, ripping up the ground as it travels towards Twilight. She creates a barrier. The wave collides with her protective spell. I can see her strain as she tries to keep her barrier up. The barrier flashes, once, twice, three times before collapsing. Twilight is slammed into the side of a house. The stone crumbles around her. Was that too much?

She staggers forward, charging her horn. A flurry of spells launches at me. With precision, I fire counter spells. Once more, our spells create sparks in the air. “Is this the best you have to offer Equestria?” I ask, walking towards her.

My magic wraps around her throat. Lifting her into the sky, I think about crushing the life from her. She gasps for breath as my grip tightens. Tighter, tighter. Her hooves reach reflexively for her neck. “It’s considered rude not to answer somepony when they ask you a question.”

Her response: a strangled gargle.

I force her into the ground, head first. When I lift her back up, she looks at me with a dazed expression. Then I do it again. She hangs limp in the air, not even trying to fight back. How disappointing. My magic releases, and she falls, crumpled to the ground.

“So is this it?” I ask. “Is this all the fight you have in you? If so, I’m disappointed. I expected more from you, but I guess they don’t make alicorns like they used to.”

Twilight rises on shaking hooves. “I’m not done yet.” Her voice sounds strained, like it’s taking all her will just to stand. By the way her body sways, it is. She spits out a little blood.

I approach her, encasing her body in a magic field. She shakes as my field tries to bring her down to the ground. Her resistance is admirable, but futile. I concentrate harder. Eventually, she is subdued. Struggling on the ground, she looks up at me, equal parts prey and predator show in her eyes.

Placing my hoof on her head, I grind her chin into the earth. “This is where we part,” I say, placing more pressure on her skull. If I was to kill her, then I want to feel the life leave her through my own hooves.

Chapter II: The Battle

There is no struggle. Twilight is motionless as I crush her skull with my hoof. Has she truly given up already? Equestria’s great defender is a disappointment. “You won’t continue to fight me? Come on, struggle!” I say. “Through your pain, I want you to fight. Don’t make your death this easy!”

I feel the sudden expulsion of air from my lungs and the rush of wind through my mane. The ground leaves me. When I look down, Ponyville is thousands of feet below me. And something has me gripped tight. My vision goes from the fast departing earth, to the mare that has me in her grasp.

“Do I know you?” I ask.

The mare doesn’t respond. Though, perhaps, she didn’t hear me. My voice is hard for even myself to hear over the roar of the wind. I meet my captor’s fiery gaze. Her narrowed eyes tell me that she did hear my words. She’s just chosen to ignore them.

Our ascent stops. Ponyville is a speck of dust on a tapestry of fields and hills. My ears tune into the sound of the mare’s breathing, slow, deep. It’s the kind breathing done when anger is almost beyond containment. I take notice of the lightning bolt in the center of her necklace. An Element, of course.

“So, now that you have me, what is your plan? If it’s to show me the view, there are easier ways.” I raise an eyebrow.

“Enjoy it while you can. You’ll be eating dirt in a minute,” she says. We dive.

The roar of the wind deafens me. I charge my horn. Magic burns her cheek. Her grip on me falters; I slip from her grasp, plummeting towards the earth. She chases after me.

A volley of spells launches at her. She weaves through them effortlessly, getting within reach of me. I don’t think so. A blast from my magic hits her in the chest, sending her spiraling out of control. The force of my magic knocks me around, disorienting me. When the disorientation passes, I activate my barrier.

Wood snaps as I smash through a domed roof. My body is thrown against the barrier. After shattering a balcony, my barrier fragments upon impact with the floor. Shards of tile embed themselves in the walls. Dust invades my lungs.

I cough to clear my airway. When the dust settles, I pull myself from the crater I made. I launch a spell at the door, blowing it off its hinges. My head throbs and my ears buzz. Stumbling outside, I make a mental note to be careful with my magic until the headache passes.

The sun nearly blinds me. I raise my foreleg to block out the rays. There’s a loud murmur around me. Then I notice the crowd. They must have come to see what crashed through their roof. My vision sweeps over a sea of worried and confused faces. I don’t see Twilight. Did one of her friends take her away? I do hope not. That would be a mistake.

I rub my head. “Where is Twilight Sparkle?” My voice roars over them. They flinch away from me.

When they don’t answer me, I feel my patience wane. Either they’re too afraid of me or they genuinely don’t know where she is. I give them a minute to collect themselves, but when they still don’t respond, I sigh. “Very well.” Time to bring her here myself.

I pick a spot in the crowd and fire. The spell explodes in a brilliant flash, vaporizing the ponies closest to the blast’s center. Others are thrown into the air by the concussive forces. My head feels like it’s been applebucked. Why did they have to make me do that? All they had to do was answer a simple question. The throbbing is compounded by their screams as they stampede over themselves to run away. I’m not going to let that happen.

Columns of light erupt around the fleeing ponies, corralling them back towards the center of the square. So much for being careful with my magic. When the lights vanish, thin, bony beasts remain. All the beasts turn towards me.

My vision washes over the crowd once more. Their eyes are fearful, as they stare into the hungry mouths of the beasts. This is just pitiful. It’s like I’m threatening foals. When I’m victorious over Twilight—and assuming any of them are still alive, they will learn to defend themselves. Until then, things were only going to get worse for them.

“I’m feeling charitable. So I’m going to give you all one more chance. If just one of you tells me where Twilight is, I’ll disband my beasts and allow you all to leave. But if you don’t, I’ll order my beasts to gut each of you.” I see faces drop and I think one or two faint. “You better hurry; I think my beasts are hungry.”

A voice from the crowd cries, “can’t you see we don’t know?”

“I was afraid that’d be the case. Oh well, perhaps your dying screams will encourage your savior’s arrival.” Turning to my beasts, I say, “Tear them.”

The beasts lunge at the ponies, teeth bared. There’s uproar. Ponies scatter in desperation, trying to escape their fate. Shrieks of pain stand as a monument to Twilight’s compounding failures. This would be more enjoyable if it weren’t so pitiful. I miss the battlefield. One of the beasts looms over a fallen mare. There’s a deep gash on her flank. No escape for her.

The beast is blasted off the mare. In its place, bits of colored paper rain down on her. What is this? Then I see them, and I know. The Elements of Harmony, but aren’t there supposed to be six? I spot a yellow pegasus cowering behind the blue pegasus from earlier. Is that meek creature the sixth element? I shake my head.

Twilight disintegrates a beast with a beam of magic. I lock eyes with her. A frown forms on my face. The wooden steps creak as I walk down, towards Twilight. With my headache forgotten, magic flows into my horn.

“You’re disappointing me, Twilight,” I say. “There are at least a half dozen more deaths on your head that could’ve been avoided had you been there in time.”

There’s pain in Twilight’s eyes when she sees the bloody corpses of her fellow ponies, ponies she should’ve protected. She doesn’t say a word and she doesn’t move from her spot. The beasts encroach on her.

“Twilight, get out of the way,” an orange mare says, shoving Twilight to the side and delivering a kick to a beast’s head, vanquishing it.

“Rainbow Dash, please help Twilight out of here,” a white unicorn says. “Fluttershy and I are—not the mane!” The white unicorn ducks as a beast jumps on her.

The orange mare bucks the beast atop the unicorn in the ribs. When the beast vanishes into shadow, the mare helps the unicorn up. “You alright, Rarity?” she asks.

“Yes, thank you, Applejack,” Rarity says. “Now, Fluttershy and I will tend to the wounded.” She looks to the blue pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, Twilight.”

“Right.” Rainbow Dash puts her hooves around Twilight who slips out of her hold.

“I’m fine,” Twilight says. “Help the other girls.”

Rainbow nods, spreading her wings and launching herself into a group of beasts.

It’s just Twilight and me, now. No one stands between us. It pleases me to see that she’s managed to put aside her pain and focus on the task at hoof, a point in her favor. I stop walking and wait for her to come over the rest of the way.

“Surrender, there’s been enough bloodshed,” Twilight says, stopping a few meters away from me. Her horn’s not yet lit. Does she think I will heed her words? “Princess Celestia will be here any minute now.” I don’t know if she has full trust in her own words. She doubts.

“You sound like a broken record,” I say. “If I didn’t consider surrender before, why would I consider it now? I was mere moments away from crushing your skull. Had your friend not interrupted me, you’d be dead. So, no, I will not surrender. I want you to make me!” I release the magic built in my horn. She counters.

Our beams collide in a clash of thunder. It’s a game of wills as we battle for supremacy. The loser would be the one who has a lapse in concentration first. A split second would be the difference between victory and defeat. Though, with the amulet on my side, I have little to fear. It’s almost cheating—no, it is cheating, but in a war, things aren’t always fair. I will use the power granted to me, I will give her no quarter.

“Have you thought more on my resurrection?” I ask.

“I know what you’re trying to do. It won’t work.”

In truth, I’m simply curious. “Are you sure? Not knowing must be eating you up inside.”

A ball of magic forms where our spells connect, swelling in size as more power is fed to it. Beads of sweat drip from my brow. Even with the amulet, maintaining a mental link with this much raw magic is difficult. Across from me, Twilight grits her teeth. I don’t think she’s ever used this much magic before today. However, her posture is firm, rooted in place. She isn’t backing down. Neither am I.

“I told you—” But she’s cut off when the magic explodes.

The blast hits me like a train. Glass cuts my body when I crash through a widow. How appropriate. After I come to a stop on the cold, hard floor, I find myself peering up at a gaping hole in the roof.

A stab of pain shoots up my left hind leg as I stand. Checking behind me, I see a piece of glass embedded in my flesh. I wrap it in a magic field and pull it out, wincing. After discarding the bloody shard, I test my weight on the leg. It hurts, but I’m still able to stand. I leave through the doorway.

Where Twilight and I stood moments ago is now blackened with char. The scorched earth is in a nearly perfect circle that extends out by several meters. From the outer rim of the explosion site, I spot a trail of torn grass. I follow the trail to its completion and spot Twilight.

Patches of brown and dark red cover her coat. Her friends surround her limp form, speaking in hushed voices. I don’t think they know I’m here. They are vulnerable. I take my chance.

With a quick charge of my horn, I fire a spell. This one strike would eliminate my opposition. The spell flies at the Elements. Once they’re dead, only Celestia and Luna will be left to stand against me. And once the two ‘goddesses’ are dealt with; nopony will stand in my way of Equestria’s throne. The land would finally have the defender it deserves.

But my thoughts of the throne are put on hold when my spell explodes and I see a shimmer in the air. Twilight had summoned a barrier. She looks at me through narrow eyes. So the blast didn’t knock her unconscious.

I fire at the barrier, causing a ripple along its shimmering surface. Underneath my bombardment, cracks spread like strands of spider silk. Twilight grimaces. There’s no way she can keep this up for long.

“You can’t keep this up,” I say.

Twilight stands, but her knees shake. “I won’t let you hurt my friends!” she says, collapsing. At this rate, I might as well stop my onslaught. She’s doing fine killing herself without my aid.

The sound of shattering glass, a small portion of the barrier falls. Crystals form along its jagged edges. She’s trying to repair it. It’s no use. Another hole is blown into the barrier.

“Girls, run!” Twilight says. “I can’t keep this up any longer.”

“We ain’t goin’ to leave you,” Applejack says. The others nod in agreement.

“Girls…” The barrier shatters, and the concussive aftermath of the spell launches them in all directions.

“You all are so disappointing,” I say, shaking my head. “The Elements of Harmony have always been Equestria’s greatest weapon against its enemies. And, yet, here you all lie, broken, beaten. You have left your country defenseless. Who else will stop me now? Only cowards remain. It’s just shameful. I had my hopes, especially for you Twilight, but I can see that I was wrong. Don’t worry; I’ll make sure Equestria is taken care of when you’re all gone. Now I have to pick one of you to start with.”

My gaze falls upon Rainbow. “You interrupted me earlier. I think it’s only fitting that you’re the first to die, don’t you all agree?”

The spell I fire arcs towards Rainbow, but before it can impact, a pink barrier appears around her. The spells connect and the barrier shatters. Rainbow is left unscathed. “Are we doing this again?” I ask. This is just bothersome. If she wants to prolong the inevitable, so be it. I will deal with them swiftly. Picturing wave upon wave of spells crashing down on them, I fire.

Barriers erect around them. I can taste Twilight’s desperation in the air. She doesn’t have strength to stand. How does she expect to protect them? Beneath the billowing smoke, I see fractures in the barriers. Yet the protective spells hold. Perhaps she still has more in her than I thought.

It won’t be enough, though. I channel more power from the amulet. Sweat pours down my face as another volley of spells launches at them. I want nothing of them to remain, only dust.

The sound of broken glass is music to my ears. I keep the assault up, not knowing whose barrier had fallen. My body burns from the power, but I press harder. When the last salvo strikes, my breath is thick and the world spins in front of me. I shake my head, attempting to refocus, but the world spins faster. I stumble. Perhaps I over did it with that last strike. However, it would be all worth it to see their dust.

When the debris settles and the air clears, my eyes widen in surprise. Five barriers still stand before me, fractured beyond further use, but still standing. How is this possible? My vision sweeps to Twilight.

Her feathers are mangled and large portions of her fur are charred black, but I can see her chest rise and fall. It’s slow, like she’s hanging on by a thread, yet it’s proof her heart beats. Why was her barrier the only one to fall? Then it hits me. My lips curl up. She sacrificed herself for them. It was foolish of her, but the action earns her a point.

I charge my horn. This is it. My spell launches towards Twilight, bringing her end with it. Closer, closer, it’s unavoidable. Her eyes never leave it. I have won. The spell collides… into Applejack’s torso, sending her flying through the air. Her flight is cut short when the yellow pegasus catches her.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Applejack says as she’s set back on the ground.

Rainbow crashes into me. We tumble on the ground. I feel a hoof impact my muzzle. Magic builds in my horn. She slams her hoof against my head, sending my magic spiraling into a house.

I deliver a swift blow to her ribs, knocking her off me. I prepare a second shot. A piece of fabric wraps around my face. I struggle to pull it off. When I manage to rip the cloth from me, Rainbow is already gone. Who did this? I toss the piece of flag aside.

Turning around, I see the blue afterglow of Rarity’s magic. I retaliate. Three spells fly towards her. Her eyes widen, she runs. A spell explodes behind her, doing little more than destroying a door. She winces as the second one grazes her flank. The third explodes under her hooves, throwing her balance off, slamming her into a wall.

Fluttershy stands before me, hunched over her fallen friend. There isn’t fear in her eyes, only anger. Perhaps there is some hawk in that one. She doesn’t say a word. She just stares. How curious. What does she hope to accomplish?

“Get away from them!” I turn to see Rainbow and Applejack barreling towards me. Two spells bring them to the ground.

Before I can finish them off, I hear a boom. The wind rushes through my mane. I twist my body to right myself. A partial barrier forms around me before I’m sent through a wall. The barrier shatters on impact. I tumble over a table and smash into a curio cabinet. Glass shatters. A warm, sharp pain fills my back. I pull myself up and feel the glass shift inside me. Gritting my teeth, I wrap all the shards I feel in a magic field and pull them out of my body. I can feel my blood dripping down my sides as I make my way outside.

They are all together, bruised, bloody. This time they see me. The pink mare wheels a portable cannon and points it towards me. Boom.

I see a blast of concussive air rush at me. It will not catch me off-guard a second time. I fire a spell that slices through the wind. The blast dissipates. When it reaches me, it does little more than ruffle my mane.

With the aid of Fluttershy, Twilight stands. A pink glow wraps around her horn. She’s got pluck. I’ll give her that. In the face of certain annihilation, she’s still willing to fight.

“I’m curious about something, Twilight Sparkle. Why do you persist? You know your powers aren’t enough for me. So why do you keep fighting?” I march towards them, but I can feel my legs wobble.

Twilight’s lips curl into something between a smile and a grimace. “Haven’t you figured it out by now? I’d do anything for my friends. It’s why I keep fighting. It’s why I’ll keep getting up no matter what. Don’t you see, Sombra? We have something even more powerful than you, and at the end of the day, it’s what’s going to help us win.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And what might this ‘something’ be?”

Twilight floats in the air, pulled by an unseen, unearthly force. The jewel in the center of each girl’s necklace glows. A white light fires from each jewel and impacts the star atop Twilight’s crown. I take an unintentional step back. Twilight’s eyes are washed with a white sheen.

“Friendship!” she says as a beam of rainbows fires from her crown.

Firendship? Friendship! I chuckle. The magic strikes me in the chest, causing my amulet to crack. I’m pushed against the earth. My body feels like it’s being burned from the inside out. Yet, I laugh. It hurts my lungs, but I can’t stop, even as my body disintegrates. How ridiculous! If only I could see their faces instead of the white hot fire that blinds me.

The voice of the pink mare rings over the flames. “Twilight, Twilight! I feel a shudder. There’s going to be a doozy!”

As the world falls to silence, a single thought enters my mind. I will show them that friendship will not be enough to save Equestria!

Chapter III: The Fall

I feel pain. Raw. Cold. It’s the wind biting me with its breath. A cover forms over my numbness. The pain lessens until it becomes nothing but cold. There’s a muffled noise in the distance, thick and muddy. I can’t make out the sound. It’s slow, rhythmic. A heartbeat? That’s it. There’s another sound, too. However, it’s too distant to hear.

The world is white. It’s like a blizzard came and buried everything in a thick layer of snow. And what’s that smell? The pungent aroma of cooked meat fills my nostrils. Time passes. The scent dies, replaced with refreshing air. My lungs burn as they expand, greedily taking in the vital oxygen.

Patches of green rise from the white, the snow melts. It hurts, but my vision follows the green as it expands. Six figures stand in the distance. They’re blurry, but I can tell that their eyes are on me. I can feel it.

Whispers from the figures float towards me. Their words are difficult to catch. I have to concentrate to hear what’s being said.

“That ain’t natural!”

“How isn’t he dead?”

“W-What is he?”

“This is, really, really, really, not good!”

“My goodness, what do we do now?”

Feeling returns to my jaw. My lips curl up. The world becomes sharp, clear. The Elements of Harmony stand before me. They’re bruised. They’re battered. Any fight left in them is soon to be lost.

It’s evident in the way they use each other to stand. It’s in the heave of their chests. It’s that desperate, defiant look in their eyes. Their bodies cry for rest. I will grant them the rest they need. After today, the Elements will return to their original forms.

“Is there a problem, ladies?” My voice sounds dry and scratchy. I cough into my right forehoof to clear my throat. “You all look like you see a ghost.”

“This… this isn’t possible!” Twilight says with a shake of her head. “Your body was destroyed. I saw it. There wasn’t anything left! How can you be back? Magic like this doesn’t exist. Or, at least, it hasn’t in—no!” She looks me in the eye. Realization is written all over her face. She knows. “A phylactery. The amulet. The amulet is a phylactery! Your soul is in the amulet!” Her expression is that of sheer horror.

I grin. “Don’t look so horrified, Twilight. I thought you of all ponies could appreciate the value of a phylactery .”

“How can I? It’s not right.”

“Not right? Come now, you can do better than that. What is ‘right’, anyway? Right and wrong are a matter of perspective.”

“No. There’s no room for debate on this!” Twilight says. “What you’ve done—it’s perverse! To separate one’s soul from one’s body. Magic isn’t meant to do that.”

Fire burns within me. “And what do you know of magic? Do enlighten me. You’re little more than a child in terms of knowledge. There are so many things you don’t know. You ignorant fool. Would you like a demonstration on what magic can do with somepony who has the skill to wield it?” My eyes settle on the pink mare. “Tell me, Twilight, have you ever seen a pony crushed from the inside out? I have.”

All of them stare at me with abject horror as I wrap the pink pony in a magic field. The mare yelps at no longer being on the ground. I imagine her bones fracturing. Little by little, I apply more pressure to her skeleton. The mare squirms in my grip. Her eyes are watery. A pained moan escapes her lips.

“Pinkie! Put her down, Sombra!” Twilight says, sending a sphere of magic at me.

I raise a barrier, and the spell is absorbed. “I think you’re forgetting that this is no longer an even battlefield. You lost this fight the moment you destroyed me with the Elements.” One by one, I wrap each of Twilight’s remaining friends in a magic field. “It looks like you’ve got a choice, Twilight.”

“What are you doing?” Twilight asks.

“I’m teaching you a lesson. Today’s subject: impossible choices. Choose one friend to save. The rest will die. If you don’t choose, then they all die.” Let’s see what Equestria’s defender does.

“You monster! I can’t choose between my friends.” Typical, but did I expect her to say something else?

“Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of getting a say in the matter. Fine. Here’s a new deal. You can save all your friends, but the whole town dies.”

“What?”

“It’s quite simple. You can save your friends and watch as I kill every resident in this quaint town. Or you can save the town and watch your friends die before your eyes. Which will it be?”

Twilight looks like she’s about to be sick.

“Come on, Twilight, make your choice: five lives or hundreds? Think hard, though.”

“I… I can’t make a decision like this!” In her eyes, I see the worm.

“You let personal attachments dictate your actions?” I shake my head. “You’re supposed to be Equestria’s defender. Your job is to sacrifice the least lives in order to save the most.”

“No. I won’t choose who lives and who dies.”

“You’re Equestria’s defender; you have to be able to make the hard choices and live with the consequences. However, it looks like I’ll have to make the choice for you. Say goodbye to your friends.” I tighten my hold on the mares.

“Sombra, stop! Kill me instead!” Twilight’s voice cracks.

“Your inaction was your choice. You don’t get a second chance.”

I hear the sound of shattering glass. A sharp pain pierces my right shoulder blade. My concentration is broken. The mares are released from my grip. Somepony broke my barrier. There’s only two other mares besides Twilight who I know can do that. I glance into the sky.

Celestia circles above me. I guess she received Twilight’s letter after all. “Surrender, Sombra. Return with me to Canterlot and face punishment for your crimes!” Celestia’s voice is full of authority. She nearly convinces that she is a competent leader.

“It took you long enough to join the fight, and without your other half, too. I’m curious, have you learned anything new since our last fight?” My eyes catch a golden glow around her horn. “Your student was a good match, Celestia, but I don’t think she has what it takes to protect Equestria. I think it’s because you’ve lost your touch. Can you do better?”

I follow her movements. Though, the injury to my shoulder causes me to hobble forward. A beam of gold magic launches from her horn and streaks towards me. I stand my ground. Before it strikes, I leap to the side. The beam obliterates the ground where I stood.

I fire a volley of spheres at Celestia. She creates a barrier. The spells create web-like fractures along the barrier’s golden surface. One of my spells breaks through and hits Celestia’s right wing, tearing at her feathers.

She grits her teeth. Her horn glows. An explosion knocks me across the grass. My side burns as I come to a halt. In the sky, I see Celestia readying for a second strike. I beat her to the punch, sending a beam of magic at her, forcing her to go on the defensive.

Celestia wraps a barrier around herself. The beam impacts the barrier. A crack forms. She dispels the barrier and retaliates. Dozens of spheres hurdle towards me. I summon a barrier. The spells explode, destroying the earth around me. My barrier shatters and I’m knocked to the side. I need more power.

Picking myself up, I close my eyes, concentrating on my amulet. I need everything it has to offer me. The power rushes through my veins. It’s intoxicating, but I need more, even more than I used against Twilight. If she wanted to use her full arsenal, then so would I. My amulet cracks further.

Magic explodes from my horn. Celestia creates a barrier. It isn’t enough. My magic annihilates her protection and sails through her other wing. Celestia screams, crashing to the earth. There’s a cry from Twilight as she runs towards her fallen mentor.

“Stay back, Twilight,” Celestia says, hissing in pain.

“My, my, my, I expected more from you. Surely Equestria’s reigning monarch could put a quick end to me. This is a disappointment. When I’m through here, I’ll have to see if your sister has what it takes. However, my hope is limited based on what I’ve seen from you. Do you have anything you want to say for yourself, an apology to Equestria for being an incompetent leader, perhaps?” I take a few casual steps towards Celestia.

“You’ll never win, Sombra,” Celestia says.

“Come again?” This should be interesting.

“You may defeat me here, but you’ll never win. There will always be somepony to challenge you.” She sounds so sure of herself.

“Winning was never the point of any of this. So what if ponies challenge me? So what if they manage to beat me? Great. That just means they’re capable of protecting Equestria. But I want you to think about something for a moment. If two of the most powerful mares in Equestria can’t stop me, what will common ponies do? They can hardly look at me without having their tails between their legs.”

Celestia shakes her head. “You underestimate what ponies are capable of.”

“Don’t make me laugh, Celestia. I’ve seen what ponies are capable of, today. They can’t hold a candle to the ponies of the past. The ponies under your reign are weak and scared. They are worms. What threat could they pose? Tell me. I want to know.”

“You weren’t always this way.”

My face twinges. “I changed, but at least I was never a coward.”

“And they, too, can change.” She rises from the ground.

“No they won’t.” My words ring with finality. “They will always be cowards. Tell me what these ponies have ever had to suffer through. Have they ever watched a friend die on the battlefield? Have they ever starved because their homes were surrounded by enemies? Have they ever taken a life?”

“Equestria was in a dark place during your time.” Celestia’s voice sounds solemn. “But things have changed. We’ve had peace spanning millennia. Nopony has had to experience the horrors of war.”

“Don’t make it sound like all of Equestria was threatened at the time, Celestia. Only the Crystal Empire was under attack by the changeling horde. Don’t mistake my words; the greater Equestria would’ve been in danger too had the Empire fallen. No thanks to you.”

Celestia’s eyes widen. I bet she didn’t think I remembered. “You have to understand,” she says. “I had to do my best to make peace with the changeling queen. There were so many lives at stake. I couldn’t risk an incident.”

My eyes narrow. “You weren’t worried about an ‘incident’, you were afraid of war. Without your reinforcements, we lost the mountains. You were a coward just like my empire’s king. He started the war strong, but everything changed when the mountains fell. After the changelings surrounded the empire, cutting us off from our supplies, starving us, our ‘brave’ king talked about surrender, but you don’t surrender to changelings. They feed until there’s nothing but a wasteland left in their wake.

“It’s only because of me and those loyal to me that the Crystal Empire survived, because we weren’t cowards. So please do enlighten me about what ponies today are capable of. I’d love to hear it. Because, from what I’ve seen, all they’d do in the event of an invasion is run away in tears. Like my former king, they’d surrender the moment things got bad. It amazes me how you’ve managed to have peace for so long. Under your reign, I’m surprised nopony’s tried to takeover. It’d be too easy!”

“Enough!” Celestia fires a beam of magic at me. I leap to the side, and the spell crashes against the side of a house. “I’ve had enough of your insults.”

“So Equestria’s solar princess has some bite to her after all.” My magic flows.

Celestia cries out, falling to the ground as one of my spheres cuts her across her torso. “Tsk, tsk, you’ve rather lost your touch. You put up a much larger fight the last time we battled,” I say. She tries to stand, but I force her down with a magic field. “Relax, don’t get up. You’re going to need your strength for later. You see, as much as I think crushing the life out of you would do Equestria good, I have a prior engagement.”

My eyes drift to Twilight. I envision myself behind her. There’s a flash of light, and I teleport to where she stands. I grab hold of her. She lets out a startled yelp. Our fight has gone on too long. It was time for me to end this. I picture a location suitable for our showdown, and we vanish in a flash of white.

When my vision returns, I see cracked, grey columns. Twilight stands across from me, in the middle of a great hall. ‘Great’ may be too strong a word. Misshapen patches of grass litter the floor and the afternoon sun flows in through cracks in a back window.

“I remember this place differently,” I say. “The capital was much grander the last time I was here. Time was not kind to this place.”

“You were here once?” Twilight asks. “Princess Celestia never mentioned you.”

“I’m not surprised. You heard my conversation with Celestia. She’d sooner forget the whole thing ever happened then admit that maybe she was wrong. Your dear mentor could never deal with her problems head-on.”

Twilight shakes her head. “Uh uh, there’s no way Princess Celestia would ever refuse aid to anypony in need. She just wouldn’t.”

I laugh. “You heard her admit as much. Yet, you deny your own princess’s words. I’m not sure if your denial can get any stronger.”

“She… she had her reasons.” There’s doubt in her voice.

“Look, whether or not you believe the truth is of little consequence to me. If you win here, then I encourage you to ask Celestia all about that day. Perhaps then, you’ll begin to see the mare that I see. However, if you want to believe in your fantasy where your princess can do no wrong, then go ahead, I won’t stop you.” I gesture with my hoof. “You know, when you think about it, Celestia’s actions brought us together.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not this time, Twilight. I want you to think of this on your own.”

Twilight sits. A quizzical look spreads across her face. “With Princess Celestia’s forces, you might not have lost the mountains. There wouldn’t have been a food shortage. You… you wouldn’t have taken the title of king.”

“Very good, Twilight, but let’s continue this line of thought further. Having never been king, the Royal Sisters wouldn’t have needed to seal me away. I would be dust by now, and we’d never have met. Fate is such a funny thing, isn’t it? Alas, here we stand.

“I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t have the strength for a round four. My phylactery certainly doesn’t. It’s teetering on the edges of what it’s capable of, but I’m willing to risk my soul for this. I believe in finishing our fight to the bitter end.”

Twilight takes a firm stance. “I just have one question for you. Was all the destruction caused today really because of a test you wanted to give me?”

“Yes. Though, in all fairness, it wasn’t just you I wanted to test. It was everypony in that town. They failed.”

“What about me?”

“To be determined, but it isn’t looking good for you.” I sigh. “All I wanted to know was what ponies would do if war came to them. Would they be ready? The answer to that is no. All of this peace hasn’t done them any good. Equestria is vulnerable, Twilight. Should it be invaded again, unlike last time, there won’t be anypony to defend it.”

“That’s not true. There’s Princess Celestia and Luna, my friends, and me. We would protect Equestria.”

I shake my head. “And what would eight mares do against an invading army? You can’t be everywhere at once. Besides, you couldn’t handle me. I’m just a single stallion. What would you do against a thousand? Ten-thousand? Hundreds of thousands?”

“I… I…”

“You don’t know, do you?” I ask. “Peace is fragile. It can only go on for so long before it breaks. Do you think Equestria is better off under Celestia’s rule than mine? I want you to be honest.”

“You turned all your subjects into slaves!”

“Is that what Celestia says? No, Twilight. Not all my subjects were slaves. Only those not loyal to me or those too afraid to fight were slaves. Even then, it wasn’t a permanent position. If a pony wanted their freedom, then all they had to do was take it back. Most didn’t. So do you think Celestia is still the better ruler?”

“I do.”

Magic flows into my horn. “Then prove me wrong!”

My spell flies towards Twilight. She disappears in a flash of white. The spell explodes against a column, reducing it to rubble. From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of purple. I roll out of the way as Twilight’s spell creates a hole in the wall. She fires a beam of magic. With a sharp twist of her head, her beam slices through several columns.

The whole room shakes. I leap, avoiding a falling slab of stone. Two spells fly from my horn. They explode a few feet away from Twilight. I see a shimmer in the air. Her barrier retracts. Then she yells as her barrier expands violently. Stone and rock are thrown everywhere.

It feels like I collided with a wall when the barrier hits me. I’m carried with it. My body slams against a column. The whole room shakes with the force of an earthquake. Chunks of roof rain upon us. I see Twilight vanish in a flash of light moments before being crushed by stone. Another flash, she reappears at the end of the hall.

I weave between the debris. A column collapses in front of me. I can’t change my direction. Without thinking, I fire a narrow beam at the column, cutting it in half. The splitting pieces of stone part wide enough for me jump through. Twilight stands in the middle of a spilt staircase. Her horn glows pink. I fire. Three spheres weave through the downpour of stone and dust as they seek out Twilight.

Levitating the rubble around her, Twilight creates a makeshift shield. The spells collide, turning her shield to dust. She returns fire. As her spells streak towards me, there’s only one thing I can think of doing. White flashes around me. I crash into a wall a few feet from where Twilight stands. Rocks shatter the window next to me. I collapse.

Twilight turns her head. Her magic crackles in the air. The magic washes over me, searing my flesh. I hiss in pain. My amulet cracks, causing my stomach to turn. With a turn of my head, I spit blood onto the banister. As I stagger towards Twilight, I hear a crunch under my foot. I clutch at my chest, feeling the jagged edges of my amulet. It’s like somepony took a knife and shoved it into my chest.

My breath is heavy. “Even if you win, Twilight, you still won’t be ready for a real war!” The taste of iron fills my mouth. I spit.

“Nopony can ever be ready for war.” She deflects one of my spells.

“They can if you prepare them.”

A flurry of spells exchanges between us, creating our own personal fireworks show. Bits of stairs are chipped away. One of her spells gashes my cheek. Blood rolls down my face. Twilight’s rear hoof falls on a chipped step. Her balance is thrown. In her moment of vulnerability, I send a spell into her chest. She’s launched up the remaining steps. Only a warn tapestry stops her body from being broken against the wall.

She sees me lumber towards her. Light gathers around her horn. A beam flies towards me. I counter. For what would no doubt be the final time, our magic locks. I feel the knife inside me being twisted, but I won’t yield to the pain. An explosion deafens me.

My body is numb and my ears feel like their trapped in a bell tower. I stand only to fall. The floor shakes. Blood spews from my mouth when I cough. When I manage to rise, I see Twilight collapsed by the same tapestry as before.

There’s a crater between me and her. Inside the gaping hole is darkness, but I have no interest in being consumed by it. Fractures form in the walls. This castle appears bent on burying us, but I will not let our battle end this way.

I wrap Twilight in a magic field. The field flickers as I lift her up. A cough escapes my lips. I collapse. The magic fails.

My gaze falls upon a narrow ledge that I could use to traverse the chasm. There’s every chance the ledge will give way the moment I add my weight to it, but I’ll be dammed to Tartarus before I give up. Bits of stone plunge into the abyss, I don’t even hear a plink. The ledge buckles under my hooves. No sooner do I reach the other side does the ledge give out.

A chunk of ceiling nearly crushes me. Everything crumbles around me. When I get to Twilight, she tenses. I see her horn spark. “Relax,” I say. “For the moment, I’m not going to attack you.” In truth, even if I wanted to, I’m not sure if I could.

I place my hoof on her shoulder, imagining us somewhere less crumbly. My mind feels ready to explode. Perhaps that’s not far from what will happen once my amulet shatters. I push aside those thoughts and try to concentrate on getting out of here.

The stairs collapse. Flashes of white obscure my vision of the destruction around me. A loud crash to my right breaks my concentration. The hall is sealed by debris. We are cut off from any alternate route of escape.

“Are we going to die here?” Twilight asks. I can hear the fear laced in her words.

“There’s a good chance. How do you feel about spending eternity together?” My question earns a delightfully horrified expression from her.

Fissures form beneath us. There’s another flash of white. The floor gives way. Twilight’s scream pierces the air as we’re dropped into the darkness. Everything goes white.

My body grinds against dirt. There’s a thunderous rumble close to me. I turn my head and watch the ruins of the castle collapse. Too close. I notice a moss covered statue of Celestia standing over me, wings spread wide.

“I bet you’re happy,” I say, taking a deep, ragged breath.

The sound of rustling grass and a groan tells me that I’m not alone. “Good, you’re still alive,” I say struggling to my hooves.

“Sombra?” Twilight sounds like she never expected to hear from me again. “You’re alive?”

I chuckle, though it hurts. “Isn’t that a dumb question to ask, considering you know what I am?” As I walk towards her, I veer off to the side. The only thing stopping my momentum is a broken marble bust of some unicorn.

“Why did you save me?” she asks.

“I wasn’t going to let some random slab of stone kill you.”

“Well, thank you.” Her voice sounds genuine.

“Don’t read too much into it”—I fall, but pick myself up—“I just want to be the one to kill you.”

She looks at me with weary eyes. “Let’s stop this, Sombra. We’ve both had enough.”

“Can’t do that,” I say. A few sparks gather in my horn. My head feels like it’s been split in half, but I think I can pull off one more spell.

Twilight sighs resignedly, charging her horn.

The world spins, I fall. Damn, I guess my body’s had enough, too. I try to rise, but my limbs rebel, refusing to move. Twilight stands over me. My lips curl up. So this is how it ends. Her horn glows bright, her spell is ready, yet she doesn’t fire. There’s hesitance in her eyes. I frown.

“What are you waiting for? Kill me, end my existence! My phylactery is too damaged to be of any more use to me. Just one spell will put a permanent end to my threat. I will fall back to history; become nothing more than a fable told to foals. Do it!” I’ve waited for this moment. She has to do this. If she kills me, then, perhaps, Equestria might have a chance. I don’t mind dying for that.

“No.” She closes her eyes briefly and her horn stops glowing. And just like that, I see Equestria in flames.

“Do you still not understand? In war—”

“But this isn’t war! I will not kill somepony who can’t defend themselves anymore. I’m bringing you to Princess Celestia. She can decide what to do with you.”

My whole being is on fire. “You will burn for this, someday,” I say as my vision falters. “And I will be sitting in the front row to watch.” My eyes close and the darkness takes me.