A Glimmer of Hope: Reborn

“Have you found anything about Sombra?” Tempest let out a yawn as she closed another stuffy book. Personally she wasn’t much of an avid reader, knowing that was more Twilight’s forte, but skimming through these books would help her friend and she was more than willing to put in the effort.

“Unfortunately nothing,” Starlight frowned, her horn flickering from fatigue. Since Cadance had pulled away Twilight and Luna for their mare talk, she and Tempest had decided to search the archives for any Crystal Empire history of Sombra. Considering he was a tyrant they figured there had to be some record of his history, where he came from or anything about his past.

Considering that he was a tyrant, it wasn’t beyond possibility that his former subjects destroyed any remaining information regarding the fallen king. Still, for the sake of their quest and trying to bring Nick back, the pair prayed there was something they could use.

“I think we need to take a step back and look at something else,” the lilac coated mare suggested, leaning back a bit to stretch out her neck. “We haven’t really talked all that much, funny that we similarly were both reformed by Twilight.”

“Yeah. I’d suppose that gives us some common ground to talk,” Tempest smiled, turning to her companion. “So you were powerful enough to take ponies’ cutie marks?”

“Heh, well I had a magical staff to help me and my, er, persuasive talents,” the mare flushed in embarrassment at the recollection. “Really I was upset for such silly reasons, feeling left out because of cutie marks.”

“I can understand that,” Tempest remembered how she was treated when she lost her horn. “Really, it seems whenever you start to become different from other ponies, that’s when you get hurt the most.”

“I’ve heard rumors of some nobles wanting to press war crimes against Nick for the destruction of parts of Equestria,” Starlight added. “At least that’s what Sunburst told me.”

“They didn’t do such a thing whenever I was reformed,” the dusky mare pondered. “Why would they even consider it with him being dead for now?”

“Well, unlike your invasion there were… casualties…” the mare grew quiet.

“Oh…” Tempest trailed off, understanding the gravity of the situation. “But surely they had to know he was not fully in control of his powers when that happened.”

“Try telling that to the survivors.”

A solemn silence fell over the two, unsure how to change the subject from this heavy topic.

“How is Sunburst doing anyway? You two have been dating for… a few months now right?” Tempest tried to bring the atmosphere back to a lighter tone.

“Oh he’s good, performing his Crystaller duties and the like. I am amazed at how we’ve managed to keep it long distance, especially with both our busy schedules.”

“Well from what Twilight has told me, when you love someone enough, you’ll always find a way for them.”

“Yeah, is there anyone that has attracted your fancy Tempest?”

The question caused the mare to pause, knowing an answer but not sure if she wanted to tell Starlight it. There was indeed someone she cared for a lot, would risk her life for, but…

“It’s complicated,” she blushed nervously, picking up a book from her stack and busying herself with it.

“I see. Guess you have a point, let’s continue searching.”

“Ah feel kinda bad we left Tempest and Starlight to do all the reading,” Applejack worried as the group set out into the Frozen North.

“That’s just because you probably wish you stayed there instead of joining the search parties,” Rainbow Dash teased, flapping her wings rapidly to keep them warm. While she too wouldn’t have minded staying in the warmth of the castle, that type of reading was only for eggheads and she’d rather face the cold than be bored to death.

“Well if you just took my offer for these portable hot cocoa tanks,” Pinkie took a sip from her straw that was connected to said device on her back. “Then you’d be warm on the inside and outside!”

“No thanks Pinkie, I’d rather not have a tank weighing me down, despite the extra warmth it’d provide.”

“Girls, can we please just try to get some ground covered?” Shining Armor sighed. He was fond of his sister’s friends, after all they did help save his marriage and the Crystal Empire, but they could also be a big headache. Part of him didn’t even want to be looking right now. The wolf that caused all of this mess didn’t deserve the effort he was putting in. How poor Twily was devastated and wouldn’t even speak to him or their parents for a month.

Still, from what Celestia has explained upon her arrival, he was needed again to save the world. Like any other stallion would have felt in his hooves, this just seemed to emasculate him, making it seem he wasn’t good enough.

Looking forward, he could only see white, like his fur. One hour, that’s all they would spend for today.

“Can’t we just explore the castle?” Matt griped at the alicorn, who was patiently sipping tea and looking over her latest reports from Canterlot. While she was considered to be a motherly figure for all of her ponies, like any mother, she also had her limits.

“No, now if you don’t want me to remove your voice, you’ll just sit down and play a game like Ivy, Rarity and Fluttershy are doing.”

“But I never even got this far in my Equestria. I bet you there’s something in this castle that is linked to Sombra. We don’t have time for those two to scour the whole library.”

“Matt, why are you so worried?” Ivy looked up from her Monopony game, where she was a ruthless landlord over the board with Rarity being her biggest competitor. Poor Fluttershy was still in jail for speeding in a school zone. “We can’t do anything really until Nick arrives and teaches us his skills that helped him save Equestria. Besides what else are we gonna do afterwards? Go back to our worlds? Stay here? Why rush towards an unknown future when right now everything is stable.”

“You heard the Tree of Harmony, there’s some other god out there that’s trying to mess with Equestria again. They probably are already prepared in their conquest while we’re just starting ours. They could just attack at any moment.”

“If that was true, then why haven’t they already done something? As you also heard from the Tree, Nick is the key to everything that will happen. Without him back, it’s able to keep the other god at bay.”

“Well I just hate waiting then,” he grumbled, flopping down on a nearby floor pillow. “I can’t even try modifying my weapons without causing a mass panic.”

“Yes darling, because displaying such terrifying machinery to ponies that had been previously brutalized is a marvelous idea.”

“Your sarcasm just makes you all that hotter.”

“And your crudeness makes you more of a pig.”

“Fair enough.”

Sighing in defeat, Matt walked over to his bag, thinking of just inspecting his ruby. As he did however, he noticed Ivy’s amethyst in her bag seemed to be glowing more than usual.

“Hey Ivy?”

“That’s enough Matt.”

“You should check out your gem.”

Her mood changed when the gem was mentioned. She slithered over to him, the other mares joining in too, even Celestia. As Ivy picked it up, it began to shimmer and as she moved towards the door, it intensified. After moving it away from the door and towards, it seemed to be guiding them to something. She looked to the princess, who sighed.

“Very well,” she finished signing the scroll she was reading, teleporting it back to the capitol. “We’re exploring the castle.”