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                  More Than Meets the Eye                  
                   -by PlagueDoctorPwny-                   
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                   Such Heroic Nonsense                    
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Such Heroic Nonsense
It was a peaceful day in Crystal Empire. The sun was bright, the air was crisp, and the sound of children playing could be heard through the open window of Sunburst’s lab. This brought a smile to his face as he looked over his experiments. His lab assistant, Silver Bolt, entered through the far door carrying a tray of vials full of various colored potions. He set the potions down on the table just as a small rumbling began. The rumbling grew into a shaking, then a full blown earthquake.
The vials spilt over, crashing and mixing the liquids together, causing the lab to fill with a noxious odor and smoke as sparks flew from the alchemical reaction. Sunburst and Silver Bolt looked at each other with half quizzical, half fearful expressions as they ran to the window to ventilate the lab. Upon reaching the window, they looked to the sky to see a dark vortex of clouds lurking on the horizon and moving closer. Two baleful red eyes opened within the clouds.
“Silver Bolt, look! It’s Sombra!” Sunburst cried, pointing at the horizon. They both began to scramble around the lab in a rushed fashion, pulling scrolls and preparing a circle.
“The Portal!” Silver Bolt yelled as he finished drawing on the floor with chalk. They could feel the cold air surrounding them. It was telltale that the Crystal Heart’s protection had stopped. “It’s our only chance!”
The portal was charged with magic as the corrupting force of Sombra penetrated the lab. Silver Bolt, in a last ditch effort to save his friend, pushed Sunburst through as the darkness took him. The portal collapsed and everything was surrounded in a black miasma. The Crystal Empire was lost. Sombra’s power grew. A new threat had come to Equestria.
The treacherous Shadowbolts have conquered much of Equestria. But from staging grounds in Ponyville and Canterlot, the valiant Wonderbolts prepare to take back their homeland. The throne room of Canterlot Castle was a busy place as Princess Celestia and her chief guard, Flash Sentry, monitored different parts of Equestria through various magic mirrors. “Flash Sentry, report to me at once!”
Flash Sentry growled as he moved from image to image. “Every time I look into a mirror, Princess, my temper rises. When are we gonna start busting Shadowbutts?” he asked with his lack of patience showing with every word.
The ever stoic Princess Celestia looked down from her command post. “I want you to make a special run to Ponyville,” the Princess commanded.
Flash lept from his post in protest. “But, Princess!” he started before being interrupted.
“Listen well Flash, we don’t have enough magic to power a full scale assault. Ready the shuttle for launch,” she said pointing down at him authoritatively.
Flash canceled the magic on the mirror he was monitoring before turning to leave the hall at a quick pace. “Your days are numbered now, Shadowcreeps.”
Princess Celestia shook her head with a sigh before calling up a communications mirror. “Moondancer? Report security status.”
“No sign of Shadowbolts, here Princess,” she said while checking a few monitors she had going. Her partner, Lemon Heart gave the all clear as well from a station not too far away.
“What about down in Ponyville,” Celestia inquired while watching Flash Sentry board the ballon shuttle that would take him to the town in the valley below Canterlot.
Moondancer pulled up another communication mirror. “Moondancer to Ponyville,” she stated before repeating herself. “We’re about to send down a shuttle. Any Shadowbolt shenanigans in your area?”
The communications center in Ponyville soon appeared before her. A small purple dragon with green spikes and a girl with purple hair with pink streaks sat smiling together. “All clear, Moondancer,” Twilight Sparkle indicated to her old, childhood friend.
From next to her, Spike turned on a different mirror that showed Flash Sentry sitting next to Doctor Hooves. “Hey Flash! Come see me when you get here! I’ve got the new issue of Power Ponies!”
Flash chuckled and flashed the mirror a thumbs up. “Will do, Spike.”
“Lemon Heart!” Celestia called from her command post as she watched the shuttle go through its final preparations. “Commence countdown!”
“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” she counted down before throwing the switch the controlled the mooring cables, allowing the shuttle to float free. “Lift off!”
They gathered together to watch the shuttle float away, directed to the town of Ponyville in the valley below. “Now,” Princess Celestia spoke solemnly. “All we need is a little magic, and a lot of luck.”
Little did they know that they were being spied upon by a magical construct in the shape of a small vulture. Laser Beak retracted it's recording device, turned and flew off back to its point of origin.
Laser Beak flew silently across the sky to a small hidden point deep in the bleak and shadowy Everfree Forest. Spying the decrepit castle that the Shadowbolts used as a primary base of operations, it circled twice before swooping down for a window.
“Laser Beak returns, Sunset Shimmer!” Thunderlane called, pointing to the window as the magical construct made its appearance.
Sunset looked up from her mirror with a wicked smile. “Welcome Laser Beak! Unlike some of my other minions,” she started, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she sent Adagio Dazzle a scathing look. “You never fail me.”
Adagio turned to face Sunset with a surprised and affronted countenance. She made to speak but was utterly ignored by Sunset as she turned and sent Laser Beak to her creator. “Octavia! Play back Laser Beak's findings!”
The overly serious girl nodded before Laser Beak turns into a small disk. “As you command, Sunset Shimmer,” she said in a monotone voice and placed the disk on a pad next to a mirror, which began to glow and show the image of Princess Celestia.
Sunset watched the scene play out before her. Her grim look turning into a smirk as a plan formed in her mind. As the recording ended, she turned and faced the other Shadowbolts. “More luck than you imagine, Princess,” she said cryptically.
The shuttle to Ponyville floated through the sky making a hard line for the village. It still had a few more hours to go but so far everything was smooth sailing. The crew: consisting of Flash Sentry as commanding office, Doctor Hooves as second officer, and Bulk Biceps as weapons specialist, were all at their stations.
All seemed quiet and things were looking like it was to be an easy mission. Just go pick up some magic containers, load up on a few provisions, say hi to some friends, and then head back to Canterlot. Fate has a way of not letting things go according to plan; especially when a magic portal blows a hole in the side of the shuttle.
Sunset lead the Shadowbolt’s charge through the side of the shuttle, blasting away some of the paneling to make the hole bigger for those she brought with her. Behind her were Adagio, accompanied by her two sisters, Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze, as well as several others.
“Sunset Shimmer!” cried Bulk as he stood in surprise. “Shadowbolts!” he cried further, making a charge at her to attack.
She charged a magic blast in her hand before leveling it at Bulk. “Die Wonderbolts!” she cried out mightily before unleashing the attack. The ensuing magical fire fight was over quickly. The Shadowbolts had superior numbers, cover; thanks to the debris their entrance had created, and the element of surprise.
“This was almost too easy, Adagio,” Sunset said smugly as she walked through the devastation they had caused.
“Much easier, almighty Sunset,” the fluffy haired, back stabbing, opportunist said with sarcasm before continuing. “Than attacking the real threat! Canterlot Castle!”
“You’re an idiot, Adagio,” Sunset said, not even looking at the other girl as she proceeded to the helm of the shuttle, looking out the main window. “Once we slip by their early warning systems in their own shuttle and destroy Ponyville, the Wonderbolts will be vanquished forever!”
An extremely injured Flash Sentry crawled forward and grabbed Sunset’s leg. With one last show of defiance, he let out a strangled and pain filled cry. “No!”
Sunset leveled him with a look of malice as she charged up a magical blast in her palm and aimed it at Flash’s head. “Such heroic nonsense,” she commented before Flash knew no more.