Oblivion left the Empire behind as his hooves kicked up snow behind him. The leftover magic from his horn faded as he ensured the shield could hold out on its own. He could easily sense the power from it, and despite its distance, he could still feel it. He galloped his silver mane, and his tail whipped in the fierce winds. They beat against him from what seemed like all angles. Through the World Spirit, he could sense that the corrupted pony was not far away but could not see him due to the driving winds and snow.

“All right. Time to stop and get his attention.” He said to himself as he slid to a stop and charged his horn.

He looked up at the dim shape of the moon in the sky above him, and he breathed out a quiet sigh before sending a blast of magic into the air. It burst about thirty feet in the air, and a pulse of magic went out. The black Unicorn flicked his ears and closed his eyes. He stretched out his senses and dug his claws into the ice under him, allowing him to feel the vibration should anything come over the snow toward him. He ignored the sound of the wind and the crunch of the ice.

His ears picked up on a new sound. It reminded him of the sound of cloth moving. He brought his head up and backflipped away from where he stood as a mass of darkness tore into the ground where he had stood. Shards of ice cut the air as the black pony looked at his new adversary. The darkness domed and began to expand; it covered the ground under his hooves and blocked the sky above him. No snow fell in the absolute silence that fell. The black Unicorn said nothing as he regarded the pony before him. Sombra had allowed his body to form to stand against the other Unicorn.

His body was a dark grey, and he wore thick metal hoof boots on his legs. The same metal was connected to the rest of his leg guards. The guards covered both fore and hind legs with a breastplate that covered his chest and shoulders. The plating did not go past his shoulder, so Oblivion figured he had an advantage regarding their armor. A scarlet cloak with white fur at the edges went over the other's back and covered his black tail. He had a set of canines that drew into fangs and showed as he snarled at the other pony. His horn was curved back. Like Oblivion’s own but was tipped red, a crown wrapped around his head, and a small jewel sat between two metal spines. The jewel shone red, even in the darkness that now surrounded them.

Oblivion waited for the other to move. The black stallion could see the Spirit writhing deep within the pony, and he glanced at the form the corruption had created. He wasn’t sure if it had warped his natural appearance, but he was sure it had some bearing on the pony's form. ‘I only have a couple of options. I can try to dispel a fraction of the corruption simultaneously. But considering how weakened his Spirit is, that might kill him slowly, and I might have to imprison him during the process.’ He stopped as his crown lowered and covered his eyes, heightening his Sight. ‘Or I can pull it from him and support the Spirit within him. If I do that, it will be over quickly, but there is a chance that it will kill him outright. Either way has its risks and drawbacks. The result is to free him from it, but if he dies, it was a waste.’

Sombra charged him, and Oblivion pirouetted out of the way and stopped behind him as the enraged stallion turned to him. Both stallions waited as they sized up the other. The first charge had been a mock charge to see the other's reaction. Oblivion’s crown went back into place, giving him back his entire line of vision. Oblivion summoned the blade from the band on his leg, and it glittered in the low light. Its hilt held tightly in his magic, allowing Oblivion to continue to watch the grey stallion. Sombra glared as his horn lit with a red aura.

A scythe appeared from his magic, and Oblivion looked at it. It was easily Sombra’s height, and the blade was a deep red and clearly razor sharp. The blade was a foot long and around four inches wide, tapering at the end into an obvious point. The handle was made of obsidian and easily sat in the other's magic. Oblivion's sword was smaller, but he had more experience and knew he was faster on his hooves. Those who relied on a weapon like a scythe were used to its range, making up for any issues with themselves. Oblivion realized he would have to play to this and lure the stallion into making a mistake.

“Here we go.” He whispered to himself as his blade hovered close to his shoulder.

Oblivion galloped forward, charging Sombra head-on. Sombra smirked at the charging pony; his magic summoned black crystals from the ground under Oblivion's hooves. Oblivion veered quickly around the crystals, his claws digging easily into the frozen ground. One monolith came up under his hooves and the Witcher used it as a platform to jump from, landing in front of Sombra, their weapons clashed, and sparks flew from them. Oblivion pushed his blade and turned it to push the flat of the blade against the scythe hilt. Sombra snarled as Oblivion dug in and began to push him back. Sombra snarled as he swung the scythe down.

Oblivion lunged under the weapon, avoiding it as it came down. His blade scored several hits against the thick breastplate. He could hear it creaking under the assault from the weapon in Oblivion's magic. Oblivion's claws grated over the armor as he spun in place. Sombra roared, and more crystals came from the ground around him. Oblivion leaped back, his legs pushing him several feet back. The whole exchange had taken less than five seconds, and the scythe still missed him despite his delay in fleeing. Sombra looked down at his scuffed and dented armor as a trickle of blood flowed slowly down his shoulder. The tyrant stared and then looked at the black stallion across from him.

“Looks like first blood is mine, fallen king.” He growled at Sombra; a smirk crossed his mouth.

Sombra roared, and the same darkness tore over the ground, striking the now smirking Witcher, and he rolled backward, rolling over his shoulder to rest on his hooves once more. He raised his sword and thudded against the hilt of Sombra’s scythe once more. Sombra smirked as Oblivion grunted under the strain. Oblivion's orange cat eyes glowed back into the other red, and he scoffed as he pushed hard against the other. He pulled back one hoof and socked the fallen tyrant in the mouth and nose. Sombra shouted as the punch sent him rolling away from the Witcher, his weapon falling to the side. Sombra growled as he looked up in surprise at the tall black stallion against him. The fallen king lunged to his hooves as Oblivion stood still.

“I know more than swordwork, little pony.” Oblivion growled to him. His voice was taunting as he hoped to unsettle the pony further. ‘His mind is already in tatters, now to finish this.’

Oblivion lunged into the startled stallion’s space and dropped his shoulder to collide heavily with the other's armor. Oblivion heard it give way as the metal creaked and gave. The strike sent the pony rolling once more, and Oblivion stayed back. Sombra snarled and got to his hooves once more. A pillar of black crystal erupted from the ground, lifting the grey stallion above the other's head.

“That gives him the high ground.” Oblivion whispered to himself, and he stared at the other pony.

A burst of dark magic came from the other's horn, and Oblivion took to his heels. The black stallion galloped hard around the pillar. Blasts of magic rained down on him, and he chose not to cleave the pillar in half to bring the fallen king back to the ground. He slid to a stop and reeled back in the other direction to force the other to move on his perch to find the pony again. He stayed in the pillar's shadow and glanced at the band around his leg, his mind commanding the illusion of his body falling. Oblivion leaped away from the pillar and slid to a halt twenty or so feet away from the pillar itself.

Sombra spun to him, and Oblivion enjoyed seeing surprise go through the other's faces as the great black and silver wings spread from Oblivion's sides. The black stallion took to the air with a kick of his heels. The Witcher used his wings to get above the other stallion, pausing midair above him to see the fallen king's eyes register that he had lost his advantage. Black magic tore through the air, and Oblivion's barrel rolled and dodged as he angled his body down, folding his wings slightly to allow himself to plummet toward the other pony. Oblivion's blade flitted to the front of him, and the stallion’s magic rolled it to the side, allowing it to bludgeon into the pillar, shattering it. The gray roared as the black’s weapon tore into the pillar he stood on, reducing it to rubble.

Sombra fell to the ground and rolled to his hooves in time to dodge a blow from the Witcher, who had charged him once more. Oblivion's wings acted in concert with him as he drove the king in circles, neither willing to fall. Their own goals drove both. Oblivion was driven to save the grey stallion, while Sombra was driven to end the life of the interfering black Alicorn. Oblivion got to the side of the other, and his wing flicked out to push the other from his hooves to the ground. Sombra rolled again and got to his hooves as Oblivion pressed the attack.

Time passed by them as the fight went on. Oblivion panted as he leaped back from their latest clash. His wings held steady as he used them to push himself forward and to greater heights to keep the high ground. Sombra’s sides heaved as he breathed, trying to pull more air into an exhausted body. Oblivion took to the air once more and circled the grey Unicorn. He dove for him and kicked off the ground once he got close to him, forcing him to move and fight on the run. His wings closed as he dove again, and his claws dug into the ice. He went to the ground and collided violently with the grey stallion, sending them both rolling over the frozen ground. Their weapons had been thrown aside as they were both knocked nearly senseless. Oblivion shook his head as he stopped on the ground and threw himself to his hooves. He looked up and saw that he had recovered first. Sombra was still on the ground, and Oblivion charged him.

Sombra got to his hooves as a cruel smile went over his mouth. “They may have found it. But they won’t live to use it!”

His horn charged as an amalgamation of corruption erupted from the ground. Oblivion watched as it began to move back the way he had come, toward the Empire. He assessed what had been said, and his mind snapped into place as he realized what had been found.

“The Crystal Heart.” He whispered as he turned his attention to the amalgamation.

He sent a blast of azure fire at the creation, and it screamed in pain as the fire cleaved it in half. Sombra snarled as he charged the Alicorn. The pony raised his hooves and tried to slam them against Oblivion's neck. The Witcher dodged the blow and was forced to focus on the tyrant again—the amalgamation, now, only half its threat raced away from them. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as it vanished from sight. His orange cat eyes stared at the Unicorn, and he squared his shoulders again.

“You have my attention again.” He growled.

He charged him again, and when he closed, he slid under the other's guard, his claws dug into the other's fur, and he spun him to lay on his back, staring up at the black stallion. Oblivion dug one set of claws into the pony’s shoulder and the other into the skin of his chest. Sombra thrashed for a moment but stopped when the pressure on his chest increased, and he gasped. The tyrant stilled, and Oblivion’s orange eyes burned into him. The gray stallion snarled as he tried to call on his magic. His horn lit, and the scythe arced at him. It stopped millimeters from Oblivion's neck as the king gasped for air. Oblivion's right hoof dug into his skin, and azure flame covered it as he reached for the corruption that had been put into his heart and infected the rest of the stallion.

The corruption was old, and Oblivion recognized the feel of it. It was the old Guardian. He had infected Sombra and left it to rot inside him. ‘Gods below.’ Oblivion cursed, reached out to his Spirit, and began pushing his magic and his own Spirit into the plagued pony. His Spirit surrounded the ailing pony's dying Spirit, and he used his own to protect it as best he could as he used his magic to condense the corruption that plagued him. His hoof had surrounded itself in azure flame, and under him, Sombra screamed in pain as Oblivion began slowly pulling back, removing the corruption by force. His orange eyes looked at the other's red and saw them fading. He pushed his other hoof hard against the front of the pony's shoulder.

“Listen to me, damn you!” Oblivion snarled to him, and the king's eyes went to him. “You will live through this or so help me I will inform this entire world that you were too weak and pathetic to fight for your own life!”

Sombra gasped, his eyes filled with hatred as he thrashed against Oblivion's hold. He aimed to strike the black stallion in the shoulders, hoping to knock him off balance. He could not reach the other's face, but he tried all the same.

“Good.” Oblivion said aloud and looked back to what he was doing. Ignoring as the scythe bit into his lower neck, just above his armor. His mind remained focused on the corrupted pony beneath him. He could feel the corruption gathering under his hoof, and he forced more of his power into the other's body, pushing a more significant portion of his Spirit into place to protect what remained of the other. He could feel the corruption fighting him for every moment as it dug into the other's body, trying to force Oblivion back.

The Guardian of the World Spirit fought back and pushed as much power as he dared into the other pony. He growled and cursed under his breath as he began to pull away from the pony’s body. Under him, Sombra roared and fought even harder against him. Oblivion knew that the pain from this had to be excruciating, but he dared not stop now. He refused to allow the pony to suffer longer than he already had, not when he could change his fate. The scythe was still dug into his neck, jerking as the other magic gripped it and dug deeper into the black Alicorn’s neck. He continued to ignore it as blood trickled slowly down his neck and leg. Sombra gave a loud gasp, and the scythe fell from his magic. As it cut out, the weapon vanished in a flurry of shadow.

The pony slowly stilled as Oblivion roared and yanked back, pulling the last corruption out of him. The force of the removal sent the Alicorn rolling back as his magic coursed over the ball of darkness, destroying it in a blast of azure flame. Oblivion groaned as he got to his hooves. He looked to the other stallion, and his eyes widened at the sight of the failing Spirit. Sombra’s heart was slowing and began to go still. The Alicorn leaped to his side and rolled him onto his side. He put his hooves behind his foreleg and pushed down. He pushed down on his rib cage and snarled.

“No. Damn, you. Not. Like. This!” He snarled as he put his full weight into his forelegs and jumped on the other ribs. Oblivion heard ribs break as he pushed hard against them, forcing the still heart under them to beat under the sudden pressure. Sombra gasped and choked as he curled into a ball, gasping frantically for air. Oblivion’s magic covered him as he backed up to allow him room; he healed the shattered ribs and damaged lungs.

“Don’t you dare give up now, not after this!” He snarled and watched as Sombra lost a bit of his height but otherwise remained the same.

The grey pony's eyes were tightly shut as he panted and moaned in pain. Oblivion gave him room and waited as the darkness surrounding them vanished and the ice and snow began to buffet them both. Oblivion reached out to his blade and returned it to the band on his leg. He looked at the grey pony as he passed out on the ice. Oblivion sighed and lowered his head as his body shuddered in exhaustion. The black Alicorn called on the illusion to be returned, but his wings vanished from view.

He called for his armor to return to its normal place around his medallion. His magic covered the grey stallion, and he laid him over his own back. His hooves carried him back toward the Empire, the bright light from the shield guiding him. The snowstorm had lessened, allowing him to see it more clearly. He walked forward with the fallen king draped lifelessly over his back. He felt a shiver go through the pony, and his magic called on his cloak, and he wrapped it gently over the pony’s body, shielding him from the snow and ice.

“Let’s just hope they realize you have none of the power you held before. My Spirit will stay with you to keep yours from failing. It will stay with you until you no longer need it.” He said to the unconscious pony.

His Spirit stayed within the other and allowed Oblivion to monitor him, ensuring he lived. The active shield guided him back, and his body staggered momentarily as he stopped and got his hooves back under him. He began the walk back to the empire, and his head remained high. He reached the shield, and his horn lit as he commanded it to allow him to enter. Its form shimmered and allowed its maker to enter the area it protected once more, protecting him from the blizzard outside.

Twilight jumped for the Heart. Her hooves struck the Heart as black crystals erupted around her. Her eyes closed as she collided with the nearest wall, and she got to her hooves, looking around to see the circle of black crystals around her. A curse rolled from her lips as she sat down in place. She looked around her hooves and didn’t see the Heart anywhere, and she stood as panic lanced through her.

“Spike!” She yelled out. “Where is the Crystal Heart?”

“It’s fine! Sasa has it! We have a bigger problem, though.” He replied to her.

“What could be worse than this?” She yelled back.

“Isn’t the shield supposed to keep Sombra out?”

“Yes? Is it still active?”

“Yeah, it’s still up, but black crystals are coming from the ground inside it,” he explained. “I thought it was supposed to protect the Empire?”

“Yes!” she nearly screamed in reply but managed to hold back. ”Sasa?”

“I’m here. I have the Heart. It’s safe.” She replied to the mare.

“How is Sombra attacking inside the shield?” She called out.

“He isn’t.” Sasa said back to her.

“What?” Twilight yelled. “What do you mean?”

“ I mean that the shield is still active, which means Oblivion is also active. He would not allow Sombra to come back into the Empire. He is still out there with him.” She explained.

Twilight shouted what she said for Spike. “You mean he’s still out there with him?”

“Yes. This was a trap. It was activated when you touched the Heart. It was meant to activate should anypony find it.” Sasa replied.

Twilight groaned out loud and banged her forehead against the crystal wall. “This is my fault.” She got up and was able to see them through a slight gap. She stood high on her hooves as she looked at them. Sasa was moving the Heart around to avoid the black crystals. “You need to get the Heart to Cadance and my brother.”

“But this is your test, Twilight!” Spike shouted to her as he jumped to land close to the feline.

“Can you teleport?” Sasa asked her.

Twilight’s horn lit up as she teleported and was slammed back into the ring of crystals. “Ouch.” She growled.

“Or not.” Sasa quipped as Twilight got back to her hooves and looked out at them again.

Twilight tried to climb up the crystalline surface, only to slide down the crystal surface with a groan. “Okay, you two have to get it out of here. Take the Crystal and go. Sasa, can you get Spike to the ground?”

The large feline looked over the edge while Spike climbed onto her back. “I think so, yes. It won’t be easy, but I can make it. He will need to hold on tight.”

“Hold tight to her, Spike. She’ll get you down safely. Now go!” She yelled at them and watched Spike lean down, pick up the Crystal Heart, and hold onto a large chunk of the Tigers fur. She inhaled in fear as the cat leaped from the edge.

Sasa leaped for a monolith of Crystal, her claws bit into a few layers of the crystal and she held on as it moved under her. She loosened her grip and let herself slide down the face of the crystal, her claws out and ready to grip the surface once more if needed. Another spire came across the first, and she jumped to it, carefully walking down it and looking for her next jump. Spike's claws held her fur with one hand and the Heart with the other. She looked back to Spike, who nodded and gripped with his legs and free hand.

She focused, and Oblivion’s azure flame went over her as she broke into a trot, then into a run as she ran to the edge of the Crystal and blinked to the next one. Spike yelped but stayed with her. The dragon held tightly as the blue flames covered the cat’s fur. She paused as she waited for her ability to activate once more. She had to wait for it, or the forced attempt would backlash onto Oblivion. That was the last thing he needed as he dealt with Sombra. She advanced to the end of the crystal she was on when she looked down to find that she could sense Oblivion, he was close to them, but not close enough to help her get Spike down the castle as crystals tore at it. She backed up and saw a crystal that was further away. She looked back to Spike, who held onto her.

“It’s too far.” She whispered, uncertainty bit at her as she pulled as much magic as she dared from him.

“Then go farther.” Oblivion said to her, his voice ringing as his magic pulsed over her.

She startled and backed up a few steps and then raced forward, her claws gaining traction as she ran. She blinked, and her fore paws landed securely on the crystal, her rear legs scrabbled at the crystal's surface, searching for purchase. She pulled herself up and looked back to Spike, who looked terrified, as smoke billowed off the cat’s fur for a few moments before clearing. She looked around them and went to the end of the new crystal, searching for her next jump. She looked down and saw that they were over halfway down. She looked off to the side, and a roar tore from her as a pillar of crystal tore through the one she stood on. Azure flames covered her as she looked up to see if there was a place to blink to. She looked out, and her eyes fell on Oblivion, who stood at the far edge of the crowd.

She was about to call out to him as two Alicorns halted her fall. They landed gently as Cadance and Shining gripped her in their magic. They released her, and her paws came to rest on the crystal roads of the Empire. The ponies were crying out in fear as the crystals continued to tear through the lands. Cadance looked to the ponies, her husband at her side. Sasa looked at her as Spike held out the Crystal Heart to her. The mare’s magic gripped it, and she held it aloft for the ponies to see. Shining limped close to her as she looked to the area under the castle and then to the Heart in her grasp.

“Use the light and love inside of each of you to purge the darkness and Sombra from this world.” She cried out as the Heart was placed between two points of crystal.

“Give it the light within you and show it to the world!” Shining called to them.

Oblivion’s eyes widened at the volume of magic being brought to bear. His medallion shook on its chain, and he was pushed back on his heels at the magic being pulled into the Heart. “Oh no.” He whispered and looked at the unconscious pony on his back.

His horn activated as his head snapped to look forward. The shield that had protected the Empire lowered swiftly at his command. It came down and surrounded him in a bubble, and the magic of the World Spirit came to his command. Its hold was no longer on the entire Empire; now, its purpose was to protect its wielder and the pony on his back. The Heart’s power expanded as the crystal ponies bowed to it, and the grounds became suffused with light that expanded to cover the entirety of the Empire. Oblivion pulled the shield closer and got it under his hooves as well.

The magic went over him, and he growled under the force. Sombra remained unconscious under the same shield that kept him out mere hours earlier. The light vanished, and Oblivion looked up as he dispelled the entire shield, and his hooves fell two to three inches back to the roads. He looked back to ensure that the former king was still out cold, shifted Sombra, and stayed in the back of the crowd. The gray pony thankfully remained unconscious. This is a fact Oblivion was pleased about since he wasn’t sure of the pony’s original personality. He looked over his shoulder as the weather calmed outside the Empire, and he had to admit that it was impressive how the Heart had washed the world around them clean. He looked up as Sasa went through the crowd and toward him.

“No.” He called to her, and she paused. “I’m not certain how they will react to the pony I have with me. I would rather wait and see how it plays out.”

Sasa nodded and turned back to rejoin the others.

Twilight teleported down and joined them, her forelegs wrapping tightly around Sasa and Spike.

“Sasa, you did it! You got Spike here safe and sound.” She gushed and hugged the cat tightly.

“You should have seen it, Twilight! She ran over every crystal, and then we blinked through a few. But I didn’t think we would make the jump for the last one,” he admitted.

“Me neither if I am being honest.” The spectral feline admitted.

Twilight told him what she said, and the baby dragon looked at her. “What?”

“I’ve never blinked that far before. It was originally only designed for short-range movement, not twenty feet.” She explained.

“Then how did we make it?” He asked her.

“I got a boost from Oblivion.” She admitted with a shrug.

Twilight laughed and got to her hooves. “That’s reminds me. We have a Witcher to retrieve. I’m guessing he won the fight since the shield is gone.” The others nodded, and Shining joined her as well.

“Yeah. I will kick his tail for locking himself outside without getting back in.” Shining vowed.

Twilight laughed and turned to lead them toward the Empire's front gates. She went through a few rows of ponies and looked up to see the black Unicorn as he stood at the very far edge of the crowd. “Oblivion!” She yelled and broke into a gallop to reach him.

Oblivion inhaled and cast a short glance at the pony on his back. ‘Here we go.’ He thought to himself as he braced for the hugs that he knew were incoming.

Twilight collided with him first, and she nuzzled his neck fondly. “Thank Equestria, you're safe.” She whispered.

“I will always return to you.” He whispered to her.

She nuzzled him again, and he bit back a growl of pain. She saw him flinch, and she moved to look at his neck. She looked upset at the large gash in his skin. “And this is from?”

He looked sideways at her for a moment. “It’s from the end of a scythe blade.”

She stared at him for a moment as the others joined them. “I appreciate the honesty, but we must look into that.”

“It’ll be fine.” He assured her, even as his muscles trembled in exhaustion.

“You look tired,” Shining said as they reached him.

“It was a long fight.” He admitted.

“And the result? In my favor or yours?” Shining asked.

Oblivion said nothing for several seconds before looking over his shoulder at the unconscious pony on his back. Shining looked at him and trained his ears forward to listen as breathing went through the overwhelming silence around them. Shining looked upset for a moment before he sighed in defeat.

“In your favor, then, it seems,” he admitted with a chuckle. "I’m guessing you have a plan for him now?”

“I do, yes. I’ll take him to Ponyville and start his new chapter there.” Oblivion explained. “That town has accepted me into its midst; they can handle a powerless former tyrant.”

“Powerless?” Cadance questioned. “What do you mean?”

“Part of the power he wielded came from the corruption he was infested with. Without it, he is significantly weaker.” Oblivion explained to her. “I have no intention of leaving him here, though, so the ponies should have no issues.”

“I understand.” She said as she looked at the ponies standing behind the two Alicorns. “And the armor?”

Oblivion looked back; his horn lit as he removed the armor that adorned the pony. He removed the pieces and then destroyed them with his magic. “Now, what connected him to that time is gone.”

Cadance came over to him, and she looked under the cloak to see him. Despite what they had heard, she could see he was not a huge pony. “He’s not the most intimidating pony, is he?”

“Not anymore.” He replied. “He is back to what he was before he fell.”

“Just an everyday pony,” Shining said, his voice holding an air of caution.

“He is now. Just another Unicorn.” Oblivion added.

Sasa came up to him, and she craned her neck to look at the face of the pony on his back. “He seems… calm.” She chuckled as she spoke.

“He is now.” He replied to her. “He wasn’t during the fight.”

“Take him to his new home, Chosen,” Sasa advised. “The ponies here will not be willing not to hurt him.”

“I will be heading back to Ponyville ahead of you. I do not think remaining around the Crystal Ponies is a good idea for him.” Oblivion admitted.

“That’s a good point.” Shining agreed. “I guess we will see you later then. Be careful.”

Oblivion gave a low bow of his head, tapped his horn to Twilights as his horn charged, and teleported himself and Sombra to Ponyville.

Author's Note

There is one more part after this, but it's not as exciting. There will be parts that deal with Sombra and how he is doing as we go on. He will play a part as things play out. The next couple of parts will deal with him settling in and how the others react to him.

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