The Magic of Friendship, Love, and Guns

Jason and Rainbow Dash cuddled on the bed and just enjoyed the aftermath of their love making. Rainbow Dash was gently tracing the scars on Jason's chest while Jason played with her hair.

“Wow, Skittles. Didn’t know you wanted kids so soon. Although, I guess I can’t blame you, I fear I am just too sexy.” Jason joked as Rainbow Dash playfully rolled her eyes and smacked his chest.

“Oh, shut up. I-I just…all my life I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, Equestria’s greatest flyers, but…when I’m with you, you’re all I think about. A-And I keep thinking about…you and me and…having a family of our own…” Rainbow Dash blushed slightly and looked down. Jason gently cupped her chin and lifted her head to face him.

“I never thought I would have a family of my own, but with all of you? I couldn’t be more happy, babe. I want you to pursue your dream, and know that I will always be by your side,” Jason said. Rainbow Dash gasped slightly but soon smiled at him.

“That was soo cheesy.” Rainbow Dash leaned in and gave him a quick but loving kiss on the lips. “But it’s because of that, I love you.” Rainbow Dash said softly.

Jason smiled and the two shared a loving kiss. After resting for a few minutes the two got up and got dressed. Rainbow Dash flew up as her hooves wobbled too much for her to walk straight. Jason put on his helmet and walked out with Rainbow Dash to rejoin the others in helping with the fair, seeing the change in the ponies as their coats became more bright colored and their manes back to original style.

“I think I’m starting to remember…things from before,” A mare said as she and her friend walked past Rainbow Dash.

“The Crystal Heart!” The two mares said.

“You think they actually have it?” One mare asked her friend.

“Of course we have it. Can’t have a crystal fair without a crystal heart,” Rainbow Dash told them.

“T-That’s right. The purpose of the Crystal Fair is to power the Crystal Heart. And powering it kept the Crystal Empire safe!” An older mare explained. Rainbow Dash went wide eyed and laughed nervously as she then quickly sped off to the Crystal Heart and covered it with a tarp.

“Rainbow, what are you doing?” Twilight asked.

“We may have a problem.” Rainbow Dash had a look of worry in her eyes as she told Twilight what she just heard. Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash quickly made their way up to Shining Armor and Cadence to tell them. Twilight searched through a book of the history of the Crystal Empire to find any clues of the real Crystal Heart, only to find a page missing.

“How did I miss this?” Twilight asked herself.

“It’s not…your…fault, Twilight…” Cadence panted as she then fell down, Shining Armor caught her and they all gasped as they saw the barrier fall.

“Oh no!” Twilight panicked.

Sombra grinned as his shadowy form started closing in. Cadence panted and slowly opened her eyes, seeing Sombra closing in. She forced herself to stand and closed her eyes. Feeling the joy and love now within the empire, and within…something else. Cadence then used her magic to raise the barrier once more, cutting off Sombra’s advances but a piece of his horn was cut off, only to suddenly disappear.

Jason used his grappling hook to scale up the castle and reach the balcony Twilight and the others were on.

“I just saw the barrier almost fall, what’s happening?” Jason asked as he saw Cadence in an even more weakened state and walked over to her. “I thought the fair would help?”

“I-It did, a little,” Cadence said. Twilight started to explain to Jason about the crystal heart and the true purpose of the fair.

“Damnit. We’ll have to keep the ponies from knowing then,” Jason said

“What? Why?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“If the Crystal Heart is powered by the love and joy of the ponies, then we need to keep them from knowing what is wrong. If they find out that Sombra, the same tyrant that enslaved them, is returning then they will panic. Twilight, you, me, and Spike will go and try to find the Crystal Heart. Rainbow Dash, you and the others go and keep the ponies happy. Do whatever you can to keep them from finding out about Sombra." Jason told them.

“I’ll go too,” Shining Armor said but Jason held up his hand and shook his head.

“No, you need to stay with your wife. She needs you, now more than ever,” Jason told him.

“I can’t, I have to protect this kingdom,” Shining argued.

“Starting with your wife. Now man the hell up and help her!” Jason said. “Come on, we got a kingdom to save,” Jason said as he, Twilight, and Spike ran out. Rainbow Dash flew back down and explained to the others about the plan, all them doing whatever they can to keep the ponies calm. “Jason, wait.” Twilight grabbed Jason’s arm.

“What?” Jason asked her.

“I know you want to help, but I have to do this on my own. You go and help the others keeping the ponies spirits up,” Twilight told him

“Like hell, we can do this together.”

“No, Jason, please. Let me do this. Trust me.” Jason looked into his eyes, Jason sighed heavily and grumbled.

“Fine, but Spike is coming with you,” Jason told her

“Deal.” Twilight then kissed his cheek as she and Spike ran out, Jason went down and looked around, grabbing a guitar and playing a few cords. He then leaned against a pole and started to play.

https://youtu.be/5tMV0ENcIts

Jason’s voice rang out and caught the attention of the crystal ponies, all of them walking towards him as a crowd was formed. All of them couldn’t help but be mesmerized by his voice, and quite a few mares were eyeing him dreamingly. Jason’s herd also looked at their lover fondly and felt their hearts skip a beat.

Once Jason ended the song the ponies all clapped and cheered as they were impressed by his performance. Avril walked up and smiled at him.

“That was a wonderful performance. I didn’t know you could sing.” Avril smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I’m a man of many talents. Never know what and how many tricks I got up my sleeve.” Jason smiled back at her.

“Well, I’d love to see them.”Avril winked as she then walked away, putting more struts in her walk as her hips and tail swayed side to side. Cadence was still on the balcony as she was listening to Jason sing as well. She couldn’t help but smile at his voice. It was soothing and calming to her. Shining Armor, despite what Jason told him, left to manage the guards and left Cadence alone. Cadence sighed softly as she looked down, seeing the ponies happy once more filled her with joy, and she had Twilight and her friends and coltfriend to thank.

“You really are something different, Jason,” She said softly to herself.

Back with Twilight and Spike, the two were running all over the castle trying to locate the real Crystal heart, well mostly Twilight as she had to do it herself, as she said. Twilight then entered the throne room and gasped as she realized that the crystals around the throne were identical to the one that Princess Celestia had back in Canterlot.

“Of course!” Twilight said as Spike accidentally bumped into her hooves.

“Did you find it?” Spike asked

“No, because this isn’t Sombra’s castle,” Twilight told him.

“But isn’t this where he lived?”

“Yes, but it didn’t look like this.” Twilight explained as she then closed her eyes and remembered back to the magic Celestia used. Digging deep into her fear. Her fear of losing Jason and the fear she went through back in the temple of the alicorn king. She then fired her magic at the crystals and suddenly a large shadow started to grow and revealed a massive staircase leading down below the castle. Twilight giggled and clapped her hands excitedly, joyed that the spell worked.

“Whoa! How did you do that?” Spike asked

“Just something I learned from Celestia,” Twilight said as she lit up her horn and started heading down the stairs. “You stay here, Spike.”

“I-If you insist.” Spike gulped as he nervously watched Twilight go down below.

Twilight ran down the stairs for a good ten minutes. When she looked back down, pulling a piece of crystal off the wall she dropped it and listened for the thud…and waited…and waited…and waited a bit more until a light thud was heard when it finally hit the bottom.

“How does it look outside?” Twilight called out to Spike, Spike looked outside and gasped as he could see the barrier slowly fading while a black crystal started to change other crystals into black ones like Sombra.

“It doesn’t look good! Cadence’s magic is fading faster than we thought!” Spike told her. Twilight started sprinting down the stairs but a piece of it broke and she started falling, she was able to catch herself with her magic before she could hit the ground “Twilight! Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, Spike!” Twilight called out.

Twilight then saw a door at the end of the stairs and used her magic to grab the handle, but when she did the door moved away to the other side. Twilight was shocked by this but tried again, only for the door to move once more.

“Stop moving!” Twilight demanded as her horn lit up but this time it glowed a dark purple and green aura as she fired at the door. This time stopping it as it finally opened. “Spike, I think this is it!” Twilight said as she entered the door. A bright light blocked her vision and she found herself…at the gates of the throne room of Princess Celestia and Luna?

“What? This…this is impossible.” Twilight stepped forward and opened the gates, but what she saw shook her to her very core. She saw all her friends and Jason scattered all over the floor. “No!” Twilight screamed as she ran over to Pinkie Pie, holding her in her arms as she leaned in to see if she was okay, but her heart sank when she didn’t hear a heartbeat, let alone hear her breathing.

“T-Twilight…” Jason called out, his helmet was broken and revealed parts of his face.

“Jason!” Twilight ran over to him and had tears in her eyes. “W-What happened to you all?!”

“W-Why…didn’t you…save the Empire...?” Jason croaked weakly.

“W-What?”

“You…failed…us all…” Jason’s eyes closed and his body fell limp in her arms.

“I thought you were ready.” Celestia appeared behind Twilight.

“We should have known thou would fail.” Luna appeared in front of Twilight as the two sisters stared down at Twilight.

“No! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Twilight cried as she held Jason’s lifeless body in her arms. She cried but soon she stopped as she felt her body shake and heard Spike calling out to her.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Spike called out while shaking her, Twilight gasped and looked around, panting heavily.

“What happened?” Twilight asked while rubbing her eyes.

“You were down for such a long time and I found you just staring at a wall.” Spike explained to her. “Uh, what are you looking at? It’s just a wall.” Spike looked at the wall only for his eyes to turn green. “Wait, Ponyville? What am I…N-No, please Twilight! Please don’t make me go!” Spike cried out. Before it could go on any further Twilight shut the door and Spike snapped back to reality.

“King Sombra’s dark magic. It’s a door that leads you to your worst fears.” Twilight explained.

“Y-You told me you didn’t need or want me anymore, a-and you were going to send me away.” Spike sniffled sadly but Twilight pulled him into a hug.

“I will never get rid of you, Spike. I love you too much to ever even consider sending my little brother away.” Twilight said as she kissed his head. “And I’m not going to fail anypony.” Twilight then used her true magic to fire at the door, soon opening to lead to another staircase that seemed to spiral endlessly towards the top. Twilight sighed heavily at the sight and turned to Spike, smiling softly. “How about you come with me this time?” Spike happily agreed and started following her up the stairs.

Back outside in the fair, Jason and Rainbow Dash were putting on jousting armor, Jason groaned softly as he looked down at himself.

“I feel like an idiot wearing this.” Jason grumbled, but Fluttershy kissed his cheek and smiled.

“I think you look very handsome, Sir Knight.” Fluttershy giggled as she blushed slightly, having some very naughty thoughts about her knight storming her castle.

“Thanks, babe.” Jason kissed her lovingly before putting on his helmet. He waved to the crowd as they all cheered. Cadence watched on from the balcony, still weak but she found herself staring at Jason clad in royal crystal empire guard armor. Her cheeks flared up a bit and she gulped. It fit him very, very well.

Pinkie Pie was wearing a multi-colored jester outfit that clung to curves and gave her thick cakes and milkers a lot of attention. She looked up at the sky to see the barrier slowly fading and quickly blew the horn. Signaling Rainbow Dash and Jason to start jousting. The two charged at each other and narrowed their eyes, getting closer and closer with each second until Jason narrowly dodged just before Rainbow could hit him and then hit Rainbow Dash in the chest, sending her flying to a pile of hay. The crowd erupted into cheers as Rainbow Dash poked her head out from the pile and spat out some hay.

“Nice try, Skittles, but I’m still standing.” Jason chuckled. Rainbow Dash huffed and looked away.

“I was holding back, ya know. Didn’t want to hurt you,” Rainbow Dash lied as she didn’t want her ego to falter.

“Whatever you say, babe.” Jason lifted her up bridal style and kissed her lovingly. Rainbow Dash gasped from the sudden kiss but soon melted in his lips.

As the ponies were enjoying the fair, King Sombra was using his dark magic to corrupt the crystal as they appeared deformed, dark, and sinister. Rarity was trying her best to keep the ponies distracted while Applejack was trying to keep the ponies from seeing the Crystal Heart, Rarity ran over Applejack.

“I’m running out of material for the arts and craft booth! I made the last one out of three strands of wheat and a drinking straw. I mean, I obviously made it work, but you get the picture!” Rarity quietly shouted.

“Ah know, but we gotta hold out just a little bit longer. Once these ponies power up the Crystal Heart, we won’t need Twilight and Cadence’s magic anymore. Sweet Celestia knows that mare needs a rest,” Applejack said as Cadence was growing weaker with each passing second.

“Uh, girls? I can’t keep this party going forever!” Pinkie Pie said as she was bouncing on a ball and juggling three horns, but she lost her balance and fell. The ball hit and tipped over the fake Crystal Heart, smashing it, making the crystal ponies all gasp in shock. The crystal ponies all started screaming and running away as Sombra’s dark magic grew closer. Jason immediately put back his real armor.

“Everyone! Get inside the castle, quick!” Jason told them. “Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, you three go out and get every pony you find and lead them back to the castle! Rarity, Fluttershy, Avril, you inform the guards about the situation and tell them to stand guard!”

“What about you?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m gonna find Cadence and make sure she’s okay. Now, move!”

Jason then used his grappling hook to scale up to the balcony and saw Cadence on the floor.

“Cadence!” Jason rushed over to her and held her in his arms

“I-I can’t…hold it up…for long…” She panted as she leaned against his chest.

“Just try to hold it a little while longer. Twilight and Spike will find the Crystal Heart soon. I promise.” Jason told her as he held her close. Cadence looked up at him with half open eyes, staring up at him. She leaned closer to him as she panted. Jason then carried Cadence to the infirmary, after he set her down with the doctors he ran out to help the others with leading the ponies into the castle.

Back with Twilight and Spike they were still walking up the stairs, both of them exhausted but kept going

"What if... This is another... Of King Sombra's magic? He built a door that shows your greatest fears. Why not an endless staircase?" Spike said. Twilight looked up at the stairs and gasped in realization.

“Spike, you're a genius!” Twilight used her magic to cover her and Spike in her aura before using a spell to change the gravity, soon her and Spike started sliding down under the stairs. “Woohoo! I studied gravity control magic thinking it was on my test! I was right!” Twilight said happily. Soon they reached the end and ended up in a room, and floating in the center of the room was the real Crystal Heart.

Twilight stepped forward to grab it, but when she got close large dark crystals sprung out and trapped Twilight inside, knocking the Crystal Heart away.

“Twilight!” Spike cried out as a small spike grew from the ground, Spike stepped back to avoid being impaled.

Suddenly, the barrier fell and King Sombra quickly headed straight towards the castle, using his magic to blow a hole into the wall and entered the throne room. Transforming into his physical form. He wore silver armor, a red cape, and had a muscular build, he also wore some sort of badge of some kind, it looked high tech. Like it wasn’t of this world. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Aah. For a thousand years my Empire laid in ruin, waiting for it’s true ruler to reclaim the throne.” Sombra laughed as he sat on his throne. Suddenly the royal crystal guards burst through the doors, Shining Armor was leading them as he wore his royal guard armor.

“Your rule is coming to an end before it starts, Sombra!” Shining Armor said as he pointed his sword at the dark king. Sombra merely laughed before glaring at them.

“You dare impose on my rule? I am King…no…I am a GOD!” Sombra then summoned a large scythe made of black crystal.

“Surround him!” Shining Armor ordered as his men moved forward and aimed their spears at Sombra. Sombra laughed as he disappeared in a cloud of black mist, only to suddenly appear behind a guard and slice his head off with his scythe.

“Who’s next?”

The guards all gasped in horror at the death of one of their comrades, but it soon fueled them with vengeance as they charged at Sombra. Sombra smirked and used his dark magic to power up his scythe, soon sending a slash of black energy at the guards. The attack managed to slice two of them in half while the rest were able to dodge. Sombra laughed as his eyes glowed purple. “Hahahaha! This power is unimaginable! With this, I can rule all of Equestria!” Sombra grinned as the strange badge seemed to glow a bit as Sombra used his magic to fire at a guard, erasing him completely. Shining Armor lunged forward and swung his sword at Sombra’s head but the dark king used his scythe to block it. Sombra glanced at Shining Armor before pushing him back.

“You think you can stand up to me? A mere, pathetic, mortal?!” Sombra lunged forward and started swinging at Shining Armor as the stallion tried his best to use his sword to block and counter Sombra's attacks.

Sombra grinned as he was pushing Shining Armor back, the two locked blades but Sombra kicked Shining Armor in the gut, making Shining skid back. Sombra then slashed his scythe upward and sent black crystal spikes at Shining. Shining quickly rolled out of the way and leaned back, a small cut on his chin as he narrowly dodged a slash from King Sombra’s scythe. Rolling back, Shining Armor quickly got back on his hooves and took a defensive stance.

“Heh, you’re tricker than I thought, I’ll give you that.” Sombra then fired his magic at Shining Armor, using his sword to block the blast but his sword broke and sent Shining Armor flying towards a wall, crashing hard as it cracked and he fell down. “You’re weak. Pathetic. As if you could stand against a GOD!” Sombra used his magic to fire a beam high up in the air, blasting through the ceilings until blasting through the roof. Narrowly missing Spike but freed Twilight from her prison. Twilight stepped towards the hole and gasped as she saw King Sombra.

“Oh no!” Twilight looked at the Crystal Heart, which was now being hoisted up by a dark crystal that started sprouting all over the castle, twisting it into Sombra’s dark vision. Twilight grabbed Spike with her magic and narrowly dodged the ever growing dark crystals forming around them. Twilight used her magic and teleported away, teleporting inside the barracks with the other citizens and her friends.

“Twilight!” Her friends all rushed over to her and Spike.

“Sombra is back! I last saw him in the throne room! We gotta go, now!” Twilight said. Her friends did not hesitate for a moment as they all followed her up towards the throne room. The dark crystals affected the magic around them so it was difficult for any unicorn to use their magic.

Shining Armor groaned as he got back up and held up his broken sword, charging at King Sombra once more. Sombra looked back at Shining Armor and smirked, throwing away his scythe and holding out his arms, letting himself completely exposed. Mocking Shining by dropping his guard. Shining Armor let out a war cry as he stabbed Sombra straight through the chest…but it did nothing! Shining Armor went wide eyed and gasped as he slowly looked up at Sombra, who had a grin on his face.

“Fool. Gods don’t bleed.” Sombra then summoned a large shadow tentacle and grabbed Shining Armor with it, lifting him up. Sombra slowly closed his hand as the tentacle wrapped tighter around Shining Armor, crushing him slowly as Shining cried out in pain.

“SHINING!” At the doors, Princess Cadence stood, still panting but was able to gain enough strength to stand. Sombra looked at her and smirked.

“You should count yourself lucky. Now the last thing you get to see is your whole world crumbling away.” Sombra then threw Shining Armor out the window. Cadence went wide eyed as she tried to run towards the window but fell.

“NOOOOO!” Cadence cried out as tears streamed down her face.

“Fear not, my dear.” Before Cadence could react, Sombra’s shadow tendrils wrapped around Cadence and pulled her away from Sombra to face him. “I shall make great use of you.” He licked his lips and cupped her chin. “It’s been a long time since I bedded a fine-looking whore such as yourself. And it only makes sense for a god to sire an heir. Since you are an alicorn, my heir will be just as powerful.”

“No!” Cadence squirmed in vain as Sombra chuckled maniacally. “Help! Help me!”

“Yes…” Sombra hissed with dark glee. “Scream for me, you’ll be screaming louder in a moment.”

“SAVE ME…JASON!”

As if to answer her prayers, the whizzing sound of one of Jason’s batarangs flew up behind Sombra and exploded, causing Sombra to lose his concentration and giving Cadance the chance to escape.

Growling at the loss of his broodmare, he turned in every direction, wondering where the projectile came from. “Who would dare strike at a god!?”

“I would.” Sombra turned to the balcony and saw the one known as the Red Hood, climb over the railing with his grapple gun. “And for the record, you ain’t no god. Trust me, I met three, and one of them had a beard,” Jason said with a smirk toward the tyrant. Ready to fight to protect the innocent