Lock Light: The Second Son of Sombra

Chapter 5 In the Crystal Castle Court of King Sombra

“But why do we have to see why Lock Light has to defeat White Lightning?” Twilight asked “It’s not really relevant to what the task at hand. It’s all very fine and well to learn about Lock Light and to understand why he is the way he is, but it’s unnecessary. If everything is so urgent like you say it is, then we should be joining him right now! Instead of wasting our time!”

“Wasting our time?” the Doctor exclaimed laughing and clapping his hoofs together “I forgot just how impatient you ponies really can be. Oh, forget Nightmare Moon girls. You think you can just waltz in there like you normally do, defeat the Nightmare of Equestria? White Lightning, is the real danger. Nightmare Moon was just a fantastic fairy story compared to White Lightning. He’s killed hundreds of ponies within his lifetime. He’ll make mincemeat of you. Don’t you understand? Remember how difficult it was for Princess Celestia to defeat King Sombra? This is the direct, biological Son of Sombra. Remember Discord? He’s a filly compared to White Lightning. White Lightning has used his only his words to turn entire armies against their commanders, not magic, words. It’s not a title with White Lightning, he’s not just an heir to an empire, he’s not just a powerful Alicorn who can possibly be the only pony in Equestria who can confidently say that he can defeat Princess Celestia in single combat! You girls have to know! You have to learn! Everything you know is an advantage over him! The more about someone’s past you learn, the more about their intricate secrets which they possess. The deep and dark portions of his mind which no gods, princesses or ponies can see, you can use against them if you know! Privacy is a luxury which has to be used and treated carefully. I don’t abuse my power, but in some instances like this, I have to use it, because without it, Lock Light will fall. With Lock Light gone, your entire world will shatter. Everything will change.

“White Lightning is the true monster. The dark pony whom you are about to face, who lives in the secret chambers beneath the Crystal Castle is the same pony who became King of the Underworld. He was the one who created or summoned every single monster which attacked Equestria and Ponyville. Remember the legend of Discord? The Timberwolves? White Lightning has his hoofs in all of the stories. He bred the Timberwolves which now run wild and rampant in the Everfree Forest, it was he who first set Discord loose in Equestria! You all remember being taken in by Discords lies and deceits? He received all of his training, all of his skill in persuasion from White Lightning!”

Twilight remembered. How the second time they used the Elements of Harmony that they didn’t work because of Discord. She remembered the anger, frustration, panic, lies, and fear which spread simply because it was Discords pleasure. She finally nodded. She understood. She realized that she had been fighting the Doctor this whole time mentally when she should have been supporting him.

“So,” Fluttershy said timidly “why do we have to go and face him? If he’s as bad as Discord…”

“No,” Rainbow Dash cut in “he’s actually worse remember?”

“Because there is no one else,” Twilight said walking beside the Doctor and turning to face the girls “we’ve been through so much together, just like Lock Light and the Doctor. For too long they have been the only two ponies who’ve really saved Equestria. We’ve had our adventures, and we’ve done our part. But every night, for centuries, these two ponies have done a great service, not only to the Princess, but to ourselves and our very lives. Now we get to be apart of finishing it. I see now. Lock Light was helped us move along so that he could get us to this very moment in time, because he needs all of us.”

“All of us?” Fluttershy asked “are you sure he needs all of us?”

“Yes Fluttershy,” Twilight responded “all of us. We work well as a team. We each bring something unique to help Lock Light and the Doctor. We are the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony. We can use them to help Lock Light defeat White Lightning. However, we also understand now that it’ll be Lock Light’s final choice, but we have to be there to help get him to that moment.”

Twilight looked around at each of their eyes “Are you with me?”

“You bet,” Rainbow Dash said “I’m always ready for a fight!”

“I don’t quite understand what’s going on,” said Applejack “but if you say it’s a good cause, then I’m with ya.”

“Why certainly darling,” Rarity said with a flick of her mane “wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I have to agree with Applejack,” Pinkie Pie said placing her hoof on her chin contemplating out loud “everything’s been very confusing and I don’t even remember how we ended up here. But it sounds fun!”

“I guess so,” Fluttershy said, her eyes looking downwards.

“Then it’s settled,” Twilight turned around “Doctor, we don’t know everything as well as you do. But like the Princess, we trust you, and we’ll help you.”

“Good,” the Doctor said “and with that…”

He pulled the lever on the control panel. They were suddenly back in Princess Celestia’s inner throne room. The girls stepped out of Tardis and blinked. Pinkie Pie hopped out in her usual high humor “That was fun!”

“Did you learn anything girls?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said “we learned a lot. A lot we don’t fully understand, but we know our role and purpose. We’re going to help Lock Light and the Doctor.”

“Good,” said the Princess “I knew you’d eventually see truth. Lock Light informed me that he’s at the Crystal Castle right now. You should go to him as quickly as you can.”

“Should we step back in Tardis?” said the Doctor.

“I thought that only went back in time,” Rarity said “besides…”

“It can fly too,” interrupted the Doctor “and it can fight, time torpedoes and everything! Plus it’ll be a lot faster even than Rainbow Dash to get us there.”

“Okay Doc,” Rainbow Dash said angrily “I may have agreed to work with you but I don’t have to take any of your apples!”

“It’s a simple matter of space physics and time mechanics. You see,” the Doctor explained “we actually don’t fly. It works a lot like teleportation. In fact, well, I guess you all understand how that works. Yes, it’s teleportation essentially.”

“So it can use magic as well?” Twilight asked.

“Well,” continued the Doctor “science actually, and electricity, lots of electricity. But isn’t electricity just invisible magic?”

“Huh?”

“Oh never mind,” the Doctor went on “what do you say girls?”

“Alright,” Twilight said “girls?”

“Right behind you!” Rainbow Dash said. And they all got back on the Tardis. In the blink of an eye they were gone.

Two seconds later they were in the Crystal Castle dungeons. It was dark, gloomy, rank with the scent of old sweat, rotted meat, and dead rat. Water dripped noisily from above forming the various stalactite’s and stalagmites which formed enormous and grotesque rock formations both above and below them.

“Uh,” Fluttershy shuttered “is it safe?”

“Of course not,” the Doctor said “otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

There was a bellow from behind a rock four Diamond Dogs leapt out and attacked them. Before they could do anything, Lock Light came from out of nowhere and beat them up so fast they couldn’t say apple fritters. He stood there and looked at them, his long shaggy mane hiding most of his face “Hi girls,” he said awkwardly “I see the Doc showed you everything.”

“Yes he has,” said Twilight “we know who you are Lock Light, and we’re sorry that we doubted and mistrusted you.”

“That’s alright,” he said nodding his head towards them “I don’t trust ponies easily myself, it’s how I’ve been able to stay alive for this long. Don’t trust ponies and don’t grow attached to them. That’s the secret to a long life girls.”

“Lock Light,” the Doctor interjected “shouldn’t we go to the upper levels?”

“No,” said Lock Light “he’s here. I know he is, I just don’t know where.”

“Exactly,” the Doctor said “so why don’t we start up there, instead of being down here?”

“This is where I came in,” Lock Light said “I found a couple of Diamond Dog guards apart from these four and after I beat them up I questioned one of them. He told me that White Lightning had his inner sanctum here somewhere. He didn’t know. All the Diamond Dogs stayed clear of that area. Black magic and sorcery were happening every day there. New strange and scary creatures were being bred there. I don’t like it Doc. Something just doesn’t feel right about it.”

“It never does feel right my friend,” the Doctor said grinning “that’s why we do what we do.”

“I’m with you there Doc. Now,” he said turning to the girls “we need to find this cavern. I don’t know how well you lot’s underground senses are. Mine are about as good as a mule’s. Twilight, do you think you can cast a spell to help us out a bit?”

“Well,” she said “I didn’t the last few times I was underground. First with the Diamond Dogs and then with the Changelings. However I could try to think of something. Rarity?”

“Oh,” Rarity said “Twilight, I’m good at finding gems, not other ponies. Least of all evil voracious and horrible ones.”

“Right,” Lock Light said “until then we’ll split up to cover more ground. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity you go on in one group. Doctor, you, Rainbow Dash and Applejack should get along fine. And Twilight, Spike and I will go together. Mark the sides of the tunnels with rock scratches so that you know where you’re going. Doc, you know how to contact me, Twilight, Rarity, you each can communicate through magic.”

“Right.” They all said, and split off down various tunnels.

“Let’s go.”

Lock Light and Twilight Sparkle went down the right hoof tunnel. It was twisty and wide. Lock Light picked up a rock and began to with scratching a star and then making arrow scratches along with is hoof.

“What am I supposed to be looking for exactly?” Twilight asked.

“Any magical anomalies in the surrounding area,” Lock Light replied “I’m certain that’ll be an easy task for Celestia’s star student.”

Twilight blushed “well,” she said “I’ll give it a try.”

With that her horn gave a strong sky blue light which lit up the cavernous tunnels.

“Impressive,” Lock Light said “how is it supposed to work?”

“When we’re close to an anomaly,” Twilight said “it’s supposed to flicker and get dimmer. The magic anomaly will draw power from the spell I created, therefore weakening it.”

“Not bad,” Lock Light said admittedly “I can see why she calls you that.”

“How do you know the Princess?” Twilight asked.

“Oh,” Lock Light responded “we’ve known each other for a long time. She’s like a big sister to me. Like how Princess Cadance was to you.”

“Was she your baby sitter?”

“No,” Lock Light continued “we didn’t have baby sitters in the old Empire. But she’s known me since I was a colt.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he said “we’ve been through a lot together. Many dangers we have passed through. She’s save my life multiple times.”

“Did you love her once?”

“Strangely enough no,” Lock Light said as they continued to walk and he continued to etch on the wall “I never saw her in a romantic light. Besides, I couldn’t be Prince. That’d be too dull of a life.”

“How did you meet the Doctor?”

Lock Light paused, his head lowered suddenly as if he was observing the dirt.

“Oh,” Twilight said “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry…”

“It’s alright,” Lock Light said after a long pause “I was engaged once.”

“Really?” Twilight asked “to whom? Was she beautiful?”

“Yes,” Lock Light continued “she was. Her name was Silver Sun. A white pony with a golden mane and blue eyes.”

He hung his head again as he remembered “I met her the day after my father died. She comforted me in my grief and sorrows. I was so angry but she encouraged me to use that anger to become a better pony, both physically and in character. She told me to be everything my father was and more. It was our wedding day, after we had banished King Sombra, when Lock Light sent his first monster, a Cypony, a giant pony who walked upright and who had only one eye but one of his four arms snatched her away from me. And then he ripped her in half before my eyes. That's when the Doctor showed up. We fought and defeated the Cypony. Then after Princess Celestia saw how well we worked together, she made us a team, to fight the supernatural monsters which White Lightning sent to destroy Equestria.”

Twilight stood there listening intently, her feelings reaching out to him “I’m sorry,” she said “you’ve seemed to have lost more ponies than we knew about.”

“You didn’t know any better,” Lock Light said.

Wanting to change the subject Twilight asked “how old are you? I mean, you’ve obviously been around for a really long time, but how are you able to stay alive this whole time?”

“Did you ever wonder that about Princess Celestia?” Lock Light asked rhetorically.

“Well,” Twilight said and then she thought more about it. No she never asked for about it, she just accepted that she was always older.

“Exactly,” he continued “you know a time travelling spell right?”

“Yes,” she said “but it only goes…”

“Back a week,” he interrupted “I know. I came across that spell while I was searching the archives of the Crystal Castle. I foolishly thought, at least before I met the Doctor and I came to a more complete knowledge of how time works, and that if I could simply go back in time, I could save my father. But that’s not how time works. It was the significant event in my life which made me who I am. If my father had lived, I’d still be a very different and very spoiled pony.”

He laughed “I loved my father, but I would probably still be that pudgy pegasus the Doctor showed you.”

“You know about that?”

“Of course,” Lock Light said “the Doctor knows how to contact me. We communicate often. I knew about it while you were doing it. Now, about the whole immortality thing. You know as well as I do that there are certain spells which can be only cast by unicorns and others which even Earth Ponies or Pegasi can cast if the conditions are right. Princess Celestia and the Doctor helped me cast this spell. However, the conditions have to be absolutely perfect. I cast the spell on myself, so I am immortal, but I also have traveled and worked with the Doctor for many years.”

He looked at Twilight “Then it makes it a matter of theoretical and space physics. When one travels at the speed of light, as the Doctor and myself have done, age becomes irrelevant. There’s almost a time pocket, or a time paradox which happens. You see, whenever the Tardis travels through time, what happens outside are two things. Using a mathematical equation which the Gallifreyan’s, or the Doctor’s people, came up with, if in space, the Tardis will create an artificial pocket of gravity…”

“What’s gravity?”

“You haven’t discovered that principle yet?” Lock Light asked “Oh well, never mind, it’s the force which keeps us from floating. It’s the thing which allows only Pegasi to fly and why apples fall to the ground that sort of thing. Anyway, an artificial pocket of gravity is generated around the Tardis and then a wormhole is activated…”

“Wormhole? Like the kind that earth worms make in gardens?”

“Not exactly,” he continued “but similar. Essentially, what happens is that you are bending the fabric of space-time around you and forming a tunnel. Does that make sense?”

“Uh,” Twilight said.

“Let me see,” he said “space and time are two intertwined fabrics, only you can’t see them. Time is like a river. It flows normally in one direction, but also it can flow backward. But time is also a cycle. Time moves therefore in a straight spiral. When you move forwards or backwards in time you move along that path. In order to access a portion of it, or a eddy or current, you have to use gravity. Which is why whenever you travel in Tardis, you spin. You’re following a little current of space time. Everything has its own sub-cycle within the Great Universal Timeline, grass, trees, apples, flowers, ponies, you name it, it has one. When you saw my past you dipped into my specific eddy in time. That’s why the Doctor probably told you not to touch anything. The after affects could be catastrophic. Imagine if you killed a queen ant while it was still an egg. Not only would you have the immediate consequence of killing an entire colony of ants, but all of the functions and roles which ants have in our world, which are done by that specific colony, in that specific area of time and space, have vanished because of your one action. The past is destroyed and you drastically changed the future. Chains of events have been drastically altered. Now what does this have to do with my age? Well, there we get into the realm of parallel universes.”

“What do you mean?”

“A parallel universe is a universe which coexists with our own,” Lock Light rambled on “remember the time you ever had to make more than one choice in something? Anything?”

“Yes,” Twilight said “I always do when I wonder which books I’m going to read next.”

“You have a whole library, yes?”

“Of course,” Twilight said.

“That’s an example of a parallel universe. Every single choice that we make every single day closes down one parallel universe and opens up another. When you decide which book you are going to read in your library, up until the moment you make the choice, you are standing at the crossroads of multi-parallel universes. There is are multiple parallel universes for every single book. For example, in one universe you decide to pick up your favorite book. You use magic, you pick it up, bring it down off the shelf, and then you come to another crossroads, either you can set it down, read it, or place it back on the shelf. That’s just the tip of the needle on the tip of the iceberg Twilight Sparkle. That’s why asking me the question, ‘how old are you?’ is so difficult for me to answer, because I have to ask myself according to which time? Equestrian time? Your time? My time? The Doctor’s time?”

“Okay then,” she said mentally exasperated “according to Equestrian time if you insist.”

“I’m about four hundred and twenty to be exact,” Lock Light said matter-of-factly.

Twilight gave him a once over “Looking good.”

“Thanks.”

“Now how are you able to stay so young then?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t you remember about parallel universes?” Lock Light asked.

“Don’t tell me,” she said rolling her eyes.

Lock Light smiled “I won’t start my lecture over again, but it ties in. According to my time frame and physically, I’m only a little bit older than you. I’m actually the same age as Shining Armor, at least that’s how old I was when I cast the spell with the Princess and the Doctor. When we cast the spell, I was the same age he was when he got married to Princess Cadance.”

“But you can never die,” Twilight said “is there a counter spell?”

“There always is a counter spell for every spell,” Lock Light said “you know this as a unicorn, I know this as a scientist. For every action there is always an equal or opposite reaction. There will always be higher and advanced levels of magic. So yes, there is a counter spell, but just like the spell itself, there are specific conditions.”

“What are they?”

Lock Light stopped and turned to her staring at her hard for a few seconds “Only those who know the spell can know the conditions for the counter spell. But if the Princess trusts you and calls you her ‘star pupil’ then I feel that I can both trust you and know that you will understand.”

She nodded.

“I won’t tell you the words of the counter spell,” he went on “only those who know the spell also know the counter spell. It is a private and a sacred thing, for the conditions are these, either the caster must wish to die after being alive for centuries or millennia and wishes to make their final rest, or they must be in love, and wish to die with their loved ones and be with them for time and all eternity.”

Twilight blinked. She thought of what she overheard Lock Light tell the Doctor. About what he had said about Applejack. Was that really the reason why he did those things for her and for them?

“I see you’re thinking about my feelings for Applejack,” he said interrupting her thoughts.

“Yes,” Twilight said “how long have you been helping her? Helping us?”

“Remember when you all went to the Great Galloping Gala for the first time?” Lock Light.

“Yes,” Twilight said “it was a disaster.”

“I’d forgotten that you even existed until that moment,” he said “not because I wanted to. But I had my own tasks which the Princess wanted me to do with the Doctor. I’d seen you when you were all fillies, but that was the first time I saw you in a long while. When I saw Applejack set up shop in the gardens, I wanted to speak to her, but I didn’t have the courage to do so.”

“You” Twilight scoffed “were nervous?”

“Naturally,” Lock Light said “she’s such an amazing pony. I was with Tardis on an away mission to M557-216 in Sector Gamma Delta 3 when you helped defeat Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony. The Princess told the Doctor and I about it on our return briefing after we reported on our mission. I was so impressed and when I was told that it was you girls, I just had to see you again, but I didn’t know how to go about doing so. I’m not very good with other ponies. I’m socially awkward and only make good speeches when my blood is boiling and adrenaline is pumping through my veins. So, I didn’t know how to talk with you all, but I knew how to do one thing, and that was to help other ponies out.”

“So for the past three years,” Twilight said hocked “you’ve been doing all of that?”

Lock Light awkwardly scratched his left hoof and said “Yeah.”

“But you gave Applejack enough coins to buy out Ponyville that means!”

“Over time yes,” he said “don’t worry, it didn’t make a dent in my expenses.”

“But, how?”

“I fought an evil dragon a while back,” he said “orders of the Princess. The dragon’s loot was my payment for that particular job. Singed my tail in a couple of places though.”

“You really could have come to us,” Twilight said admonishingly “at least to me. I would’ve convinced the other girls to let you be around us. We don’t turn other ponies away, no matter how odd they are.”

“I know that now,” he said “and I wished I learned it sooner.”

“Couldn’t you have simply moved forward in time to learn that?”

“But think on what I would have missed?” Lock Light asked rhetorically “Let’s move on.”

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes and then Twilight worked up the courage to ask “So, how do you feel about Applejack?”

“Oh,” Lock Light said exhaling “I’ve loved her since the Gala.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Lock Light continued “when I saw her in that gown Rarity made. I was speechless. I wanted to talk with her, to let her know how I felt and what I’d done for her. But she would’ve just thought me creepy. I didn’t know how to go about it. I would have bought everything she offered on her trays if it meant only exchanging a few words with her.”

“She is amazing isn’t she?”

“That she is,” Lock Light said “caring, compassionate, a family pony. If a stallion wanted to settle down with anypony, it’d be her.”

“Another question,” Twilight asked “when we were in Tardis and you helped influence our lives. Like Rarity with that machine you and the Doctor made which pulled her to that rock which had the gems inside, or when you first told Rainbow Dash about the Wonderbolts. How did you influence Applejack?”

“Applejack?” Lock Light said “that’s a long story in itself. You see, I didn’t know her personally when she was a filly. But I knew that she was special somehow. I followed her to Manehattan and made sure she was safe the whole way there, while she stayed, and on her journey home. While she was gone though, Granny Smith nearly lost the farm due to there being not enough ponies for the harvest and they wouldn’t be able to make the payments. I talked with Granny Smith and asked her how much money she needed, then I gave it to her and ten years in advance. She never told Applejack, but that’s one of the reasons why she lets me on the farm work after dark. She knows I’ll protect and guard it at night.”

“And that you’ll work it,” Twilight said “extra hoofs make light work.”