The Darkest Hour: Return of Sombra

"No... No, please... Stop it... Stop it..."

"...Sadonarc..."

Sadonarc startled awake. Her breathing was heavy as she took in her surroundings, looking up to see her shadowy mentor standing above her. With a sigh, she wiped the tears off of her face and stood up. "Did you... Did you go in my mind and..."

"...Why would I... waste my magic on... something so... petty?"

Sadonarc nodded as she moved her mane out of her face.

"...We have become... strangely fortunate." Sombra said with a smile. "...I've sensed that... the Alicorn Amulet... is near."

Sadonarc raised an eyebrow. Sombra had told her all about the Alicorn Amulet. In fact, Sombra was the one who created it.

"...You will retrieve it... and put it on."

Sadonarc thought for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "I don't need that amulet. I'm powerful enough on my own."

Sombra had a bemused look of his face. "...Then why is that... earth pony still alive?"

Sadonarc gritted her teeth. "She-She just caught me off guard!"

"...No excuses." Sombra said firmly. "...You will take the Alicorn Amulet."

Sadonarc opened her mouth to say something, but instead just nodded.

"...Follow me." Sombra commanded as he  turned and slithered away.

Sadonarc stretched and followed her mentor.

As they moved through the Everfree Forest, Sadonarc took notice of how all the animals they neared fled at Sombra's presence. In her mind, she grumbled about how she had slain every beast she came across in this forest and they had never learned to fear her while Sombra just had be nearby for them to flee. She had lost sight of Sombra, but had no problem following him as every plant he so much as grazed withered and died. She followed the path of death until she saw him, crouched behind a decaying tree. She came to his side and looked to see a hut nearby. Strange; who would make their home in the Everfree Forest... besides herself?

"...In there." Sombra stated. "...Take the amulet... Kill the residence."

Sadonarc nodded and pulled her hood over her head before teleporting to the front door. On closer inspection, it seemed to be a zebra hut. She opened the door with her magic and quietly stepped in, scanning the entire inside of the hut. Potions, masks, strange objects, and a cauldron in the center of it all; definitely a zebra's hut. However, there was no one in sight; zebra or otherwise.

Staying alert, Sadonarc searched the hut until she came across a chest under the bed. It was locked, but a quick lock pick spell took care of it. She opened it to find a black amulet with a red crystal in it. The Alicorn Amulet. With a smile, she put the amulet around her neck. She instantly felt power flowing through her veins. Something dark entered her mind, but it didn't really affect her. She had been poisoning her mind with dark magic for a long time now already.

"...Do you have it..."

Sadonarc heard Sombra's voice in her head and responded mentally. Yes.

"...The resident..."

Not here.

"...Put everything back... the way it was... No need for suspicion..."

Sadonarc closed and locked the chest and slid it back under the bed before leaving, shutting the door behind her. She teleported back to Sombra's side, where the tree had rotted to nothing. "I can feel the amulet's power!"

Sombra smiled. "..Ah, yes... One of my finest creations."

Sadonarc looked to the hut  and lit her horn. "Why don't I test it out?"

"No!" Sombra commanded. "...Not here... Follow me."

Sadonarc let out a huff and followed. She found Sombra at the very edge of the forest.

Sombra turned to her. "...Do you know... where we are?"

Sadonarc came to Sombar's side and looked out. It was sunrise and the town before them was bathed by the beginning of the day. Said town being... "Ponyville." Sadonarc answered. "And that's Twilight's castle." She pointed to the large castle of power crystal that towered over the rest of the town. She looked to her right and took notice of a certain cottage. "In fact, one of the Elements lives right there." She nodded to said cottage.

Sombra's green and red eyes scanned the town, from the castle to the cottage... and then he started laughing. It was a low, raspy laugh due to his weakened state, but it didn't matter to either pony. "...It seems we have been... more fortunate than I thought."

Sadonarc smiled. "Shall we take out the weakling then?" She nodded to the cottage.

"...No... Not yet... Until the time comes to strike... we shall watch them... weaken them...Pick them off... one by one."

"And your body?"

"...Magic will be provided." Sombra replied with certainty. "...First... we must start a panick... and we must start it... when their heroes are not around." He chuckled as ideas ran through his head.

Sadonarc looked to her mentor. "But there must be something we can do now."

Sombra thought for a moment, licking his lip in either concentration or joy (Sadonarc couldn't tell). "...Yes... Yes, there is... Come, Sadonarc." He turned and headed back into the forest.

Sadonarc gave the town one last look before following. A smile worked it's way onto her face.

Pinkie bounced out of her bed and greeted her pet baby alligator with a kiss on the head. "Good morning, Gummy!"

Gummy slowly blinked his eyes in response.

Pinkie merrily bounced downstairs and greeted the Cakes. "Good morning, Mr. Cake! Good morning, Mrs. Cake!" She hugged them both as greeted each of them.

"Good morning, Pinkie."  They greeted back.

Pinkie tip-toed into Pound and Pumpkin's room. "Good morning, Pound. Good morning, Pumpkin." She whispered as she kissed each sleeping baby. She then opened up Sugarcube Corner and slid outside. "Good morning, world!" She shouted as she jumped to the air... only to be tackled to the ground in midair. Pinkie found herself on her back, pinned down by a pony with violet fur and a grey mane that hung down one side of her face. Wait... Pinkie knew that pony! "Limestone?!"

"Pinkie, we need to go now!" Limestone said before lifting Pinkie up, getting behind her, and pushing her with her head, forcing Pinkie to run with her

Pinkie turned around, her nose scrunching up against Limestone's; who continued to run and push Pinkie in front of her, forcing Pinkie to run backwards (not that she had a problem with it). "Limestone, where are we going? And why do we have to go now?"

"Something happened last night!" Limestone said without slowing down. "Marble was attacked!"

"What?!" Pinkie was off the ground for a second, but her nose stayed against Limestone's. "Marble was attacked?! By what?!"

"We'll talk later! Right now, we need to get to the Rock Farm!"

"Hold on, Limey," Pinkie put her forehooves against Limestone's chest and dug her back hooves into the ground in an effort to slow Limestone down. It had no affect. "Tell me what happened. Maybe my friends can help."

"I don't know about that, Pinkie. Whatever attacked Marble made her very weak and, even weirder, took away her cutie mark!"

"Wait, it took away her cutie mark?!"

"That's what I just said."

"Limey, we've dealt with things like that before. Just calm down and we can go talk to my friends. Twilight should know what to do."

Limestone groaned and skid to a halt.

Pinkie, however, kept going and slammed flank first into the side of a mountain. Pinkie shook her head and pushed herself out of the newly created crevasse.

Limestone walked up to Pinkie, who was now rubbing her soar rump. "Are you sure, Pinkie? You know I hate social interaction."

"On, come on, Limey. You got along fine with Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac."

"Only a little bit." Limestone deadpanned.

"Your going to love my other friends too. Besides, Maud lives around here too. So you'll have me, Maud, and our friends."

Limestone growled. "This isn't about me, Pinkie! This is about Marble!"

Pinkie froze for a second. "Oh, right. Sorry. But anyway, I know my friends can help Marble. You have to let them come with us."

Limestone hesitated. She really didn't want to bring ponies she didn't know into this, but she really really wanted Marble to be okay. "Okay." She finally said with a sigh.

"Great!" Pinkie cheered.

"But I want as little to do with them as possible!" Limestone said sternly before turning and walking back to town. "You get your friends, I'll get Maud. We'll meet at the train station."

Pinkie chuckled and put her foreleg over Limestone's shoulders. "Oh, Limestone. You and your asprancers."