Lock Light: The Second Son of Sombra

Chapter 4 – The Past Participle

The Doctor gestured to the girls and they went back into the Tardis.

“Alright girls,” the Doctor said once they got back into the Tardis “gotta keep moving if we want to finish on time…”

“Time?” Twilight exclaimed “we’ve lost all notion or understanding f time since we got onboard this thing. It’s changed everything. How we perceive ourselves, the things we used to take for granted. Why do we have to keep on seeing these segments of another pony’s life?”

“You have to understand,” the Doctor answered “where this evil originated…”

“I see nothing evil,” Twilight interrupted “all I see is us looking into somepony’s past and that’s wrong, especially without their permission. It’s wrong, and it will always be wrong.”

“The Princess…”

“No,” Rainbow Dash interrupted “you insisted that we go into this flying time travelling box thing…”

“Tardis…”

“And for what?” Rainbow Dash continued “to learn something about somepony who isn’t even aware that we’re peeping into the darkest secrets of his past? I’d be furious if somepony did that with me!”

“What I wanted to show you,” the Doctor continued “was that in spite of all the evil which White Lightning has done to Equestria and the surrounding lands and ponies that are here, he still has good inside of him. He and Lock Light used to be best friends, they were surrogate brothers. I wanted you to understand that so that you will understand how difficult it is for him to deliver the final blow…”

The girls stood there, their heads bowed low listening as the Doctor proceeded “Lock Light knows more about why White Lightning became evil, but he also knows that the reason why White Lightning is evil is because he only has a partial knowledge of the truth of what happened to King Sombra, his biological father. He also knows that if White Lightning could only see the mistake he made in trying to kill Lock Light and all of the other ponies whose lives he’s ruined over the centuries in which he’s waged his war, then everything would be alright and true peace will be restored. But Lock Light also understands that in order for this peace to be restored, he has to kill or banish White Lightning from the world completely. He’ll try everything he can before he does so but he knows the inevitable. Just like the time you understood how to properly use the Elements of Harmony to destroy Nightmare Moon, so to do you need to learn the origins of the evil and to realize that sometimes when ponies go evil, it’s because they don’t know any better and feel that there is no other option for them. In White Lightning’s mind, his cause is just. He is trying to kill Lock Light whom he remembers and sees as fighting and nearly defeating King Sombra before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrive and banish him with the Elements of Harmony. He also sees Lock Light as the one who destroyed his father’s Empire and himself as the one who is trying to bring it back. White Lightning will stop at nothing, and use anything he sees as necessary as a means to an end to destroy Lock Light. Lock Light is the only pony who can really stop him, not me, but Lock Light. I can only help, but in the end, it has to be Lock Light.”

The girls stood there in sheepish silence, waiting for a break in the Doctor’s lecture. They looked up as he went on

“I saw him once. When he was still a young colt, when he joined the resistance against King Sombra when before they placed Princess Cadance on the throne. They fought like mad beasts both King Sombra’s guards and the resistance warriors. I couldn’t do anything. I could just stand there in Tardis and watch. I saw the King use cunning and deception to slowly beat back the resistance who were in the city walls. Then there was one, Lock Light, his jet black grey tipped mane fluttering in the wind like a banner as he stood there defiantly gazing into the eyes of Sombra. He rallied the other ponies of the resistance, and had three Pegasi, one of whom was your ancestor Rainbow Dash, fly back to Equestria and alert Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to what was going on. He then shouted ‘for freedom! And the Empire!’ and with his head forward he flew forward as fast as he could leading the charge. The vanguard followed in his wake as they took up the battle cry. They knew they were fighting for a better cause then the fear of Sombra. They knew that they were fighting for the freedom from slavery so that their colts and fillies could choose for themselves what they could be. Sombra sent blasts of magic as did the other unicorns into the ranks of the resistance, but they had their own unicorns. Force fields were placed around them as they collided with the Advanced Guard of Sombra and drove them to the very gates of the Crystal Castle which Lock Light knew and loved so dearly as his home. Lock Light led a group of his friends, Azure Shield, Twilight’s great-grandfather Night Wind, and Princess Cadance’s great-uncle Wild Horn charged up the steps of the Crystal Castle into the Imperial throne room.

“There they confronted King Sombra, alone on this battlefield. White Lightning was by his side. White Lightning at his father’s bidding, was told to fight Lock Light. Wild Horn and Azure Shield tried to block his path and fought him, but White Lightning was too fast. He killed the Earth Pony Wild Horn by throwing him out the window using a levitation spell. I saw him fall on a guard’s pike. Night Wind wasn’t killed but he was too incapacitated to fight any longer. White Lightning then prepared a powerful blast of black magic to shoot at Lock Light, when Azure Shield leapt in front of him and blocked it, sacrificing himself in the process. Fueled with anger and rage Lock Light attacked White Lightning. Blasts of magic from White Lightning’s horn and the thuds from the hits of Lock Light filled the throne room. The whole time Sombra sat there smiling and laughing maniacally.

“Then suddenly, White Lightning slammed into a chandelier as he was kicked upwards by Lock Light. The chandelier came crashing down on top, stunning White Lightning. As he stood there panting and sweating, King Sombra loomed over head. All laughter and dark humor gone from his eyes he raged ‘you have killed my son!’ then he came at Lock Light. Lock Light dodged, left and right, up and down, flying as fast as he could. But the powerful blasts of magic followed him. He knew he had to fight back. Throwing all of his might into every punch and kick the fight lasted for nearly three hours. By this time the resistance had defeated the rest of King Sombra’s guards. ‘I will not be defeated,’ King Sombra yelled ‘I will live on. Even if you kill me now.’ Then Lock Light stopped. He realized then what Sombra wanted him to do. He wanted Lock Light to kill him so that he would become as evil as himself. He couldn’t kill his best friend, so he tried a different way. A way that nearly worked. ‘No,’ Lock Light said ‘I won’t kill you. You’re evil Sombra, and you’ve ruined the lives of many ponies. But you deserve the chance to change all the same. That is a right which is granted to every pony. The freedom of choice. Even though you took it away from other pony’s you still will receive it by my hoofs.’ Sombra laughed at this ‘Do you think I am weak?’ he asked him ‘Do you think I need your permission or consent to choose for myself whether or not I live or die?’ Sombra charged at Lock Light but then the windows above shattered and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna appeared. They wielded the Elements of Harmony and banished King Sombra forever.”

The girls stood there, listening. They didn’t want to interrupt. The more they heard the more they came to respect Lock Light. The difficult decisions he was forced to make. The sacrifice of his friends in the face of impossible odds. The work he was trying to do to rid himself of the Legacy of King Sombra. Twilight didn’t know, Applejack didn’t know, and neither did any of the others understand the depth to which this drive would show. But all of the good deeds and actions which he did for them made sense. In his mind he was paying off the debt to the other pony’s for generations to come because of his association with King Sombra. A debt which he felt wasn’t paid yet. He fought off monsters, he saved Equestria multiple times as he’d said and didn’t ask for anything in return. Applejack continued to wonder why he had feelings for her. But she figured that she would learn that at a different time.

“Afterwards,” the Doctor continued “the resistance ponies wished him to be their king. But he refused and said that a ruler such as Princess Celestia should lead them. One who is just, kind, and compassionate. However Princess Celestia declined, and she instated Princess Cadances first ancestor to the throne. I met him a few months later, he had wondered from the Crystal Empire and was in the North Lands when I appeared to him. I invited him inside to warm up and to chat. We agreed to work together from that point onwards. That’s how I know Lock Light. That’s why you should trust me, because I know. I know a host of things which you don’t understand yet. I know a lot of things which are about to happen and which have already happened. Time for me is irrelevant, but time can be set right for you but only if you let me work with you and help you. I can’t do that if you’re constantly arguing with me about how I do things or why I do them.”

“Alright,” Twilight said “then, I trust you.”

“That goes for me,” said Rainbow Dash “I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here and if Twilight says you’re okay, then you’re fine by me.”

“I liked you from the start!” Pinkie Pie said.

“I guess I have no choice,” said Fluttershy.

“I just wanna know something,” Applejack said.

They all turned to face her “Huh,” she said awkwardly “how come he’s so interested in our lives? I mean ours, what do we have to do with anything about him? I mean, we all know he’s good now, but why does he do small things like our chores and everything?”

“He’s been interested in you your entire lives,” said the Doctor “since the day you were fillies.”

“What?” they all said.

“Yes,” the Doctor continued “wanna take a peek?”

They nodded. The Doctor flicked a couple of switches and pulled the lever. A few seconds later he opened the door “Welcome to one of your pasts,” he said “this might be a little embarrassing so I’ll let you guess whose it is.”

They’re in Cloudsdale. Rainbow Dash blushes deeply as the others giggle. They see Rainbow Dash on Rainbow Blaze’s head waiting in anticipation for the announcement of the Equestria Games. When it is said that the games won’t be in Cloudsdale she is disappointed. She pulled many impressive maneuvers with her flag in spite of that fact. When she landed, a pegasus with dark brown glossy flanks and knotted muscles walked up beside her. His jet black grey tipped mane folded on his right side as he looked down. He wore the goggles and uniform of the First Wonderbolts Squadron and his insignia was the team captain “You know,” he said looking at Rainbow Dash “you’re a pretty good flier for being only a filly. I bet you one day you’ll join the Wonderbolts.”

Excitedly Rainbow Dash said “You really think so? Am I that good?”

“You wanna know something else?” Lock Light whispering to Rainbow Dash while taking off his goggles “I hear that if you fly fast enough, and also have a good heart, and are loyal to your friends, that you can make a sonic Rainboom!”

“Wow!” Rainbow Dash said “you really think so? Do you think I can pull it off?”

“If anypony can,” he said “you can do it. Hope to see you with the Wonderbolts some day!”

With that he flew off.

“Wow!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as they stepped back into the Tardis “so that’s where I got the idea in my head. I didn’t remember anypony ever telling me before!”

“How about another one?” The Doctor asked.

“What about Rarity?” Rainbow Dash said pointing.

“He can’t possibly have anything to do with me,” she said haughtily “I would have remembered.”

“Oh really?” The Doctor said and after typing some more controls he pulled the lever again. When they opened the door they saw little Rarity without her cutie mark. She is working on her costumes for the school play and wondering what is missing on the costumes because she is a perfectionist.

“I remember this day,” Rarity said “of course I do, and I remember nothing…”

“That’s because we didn’t want you to see anything,” said the Doctor “just watch.”

On the other side of an enormous boulder blocking Rarity’s view, Lock Light was fighting a Hundred Hoofed Pony. It was too far away to be heard by Rarity who wasn’t paying attention anyway. Lock Light flew up trying to distract it “Now Doc!” He shouted.

They saw the Doctor activate a similar machine to the one that got rid of the Chimera which attacked Ponyville earlier that day. This one however grabbed hold of Rarity’s horn and dragged her towards the boulder. After the black hole disappears from sucking in the monster, Rarity’s horn stops pulling her. Then Rainbow Dash does her sonic Rainboom and splits the rock in half allowing her to discover the gems inside which she needs to complete her outfits. So enthralled with the gems, she doesn’t notice Lock Light helping the Doctor load the machine back onto Tardis and disappearing.

“But,” Rarity stammered “it didn’t do the same thing when you activated the machine earlier today!”

“That was our first prototype,” the Doctor said grinning “we realized by watching the films recorded and observing you that it had the bad side effect of dragging all unicorns towards it. It would not only give away our presence potentially in the future but would also cause some other’s which we hadn’t yet identified at the time. So we recalibrated it and voila! A scientific machine in all it’s perfection.”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash said “do Applejack!”

“I don’t think we have enough time for that,” the Doctor said.

“Aww,” all except Applejack said.

“We have to get you back to Princess Celestia,” the Doctor went on “we’re already five minutes off schedule. Lock Light will be getting ready to or will already be at the Crystal Empire. We need to go there to help him fight White Lightning.”