The Shadow in the North

Cadance stepped into a shadowed grotto, away from the lights and noise of the rebel encampment, as she sought a moment to process the events and revelations of the day.

A few moments later, her lips quirked in a smile as muscular, white furred, arms wrapped around her from behind, “How are you doing, Cadey?”

“I’ll survive,” she replied, twisting in her husband’s embrace to return his hug, “I wasn’t expecting this to be simple, but things have gotten so complicated ….”

Shining raised an eyebrow, “We weren’t expecting to stumble upon a resistance movement, true, but that is all to our benefit.”

“Yes … and no,” Cadance sighed, “The confirmation that Sombra is mind-controlling his military, the revelation that he’s manipulating the memories and even the perceptions of his entire populace, the mere fact that he managed to take Faust knows how much of his army along with his entire capital city with him when he was banished … they show how powerful Sombra is as well as making Auntie Luna’s claims of conquest and legal dominion over the crystal ponies look really thin. I think ‘Caller may be right … we are invaders.”

Shining frowned, “Are you saying we should go back to Equestria?”

“No! No. Sombra needs to be stopped and the crystal ponies deserve their freedom … it’s just … I don’t know if I should be assuming the throne when it is all done. I don’t think I have the right to.”

“We can deal with that after Sombra has been defeated,” Shining assured her, “Until then its fretting over things we can’t affect.”

“Yes,” the alicorn agreed, snuggling up against her husband, “So, do you have any ideas about how we can defeat Sombra?”

“Until we have our hands on the Crystal Heart, nothing we do will have a lasting effect,” Shining replied, “But even then … we don’t have the numbers or the supplies for a protracted irregular conflict. I’m afraid we may have to risk everything on an all-out attack and hope we can raise enough of a ruction to get Sombra to show himself so you and the fillies can deal with him.”

“It sounds like a very bloody way to go about it,” Cadance replied unhappily, “Especially with all of the Crystal Legions being just more victims themselves.”

“‘Too many killed, yet not enough are dead’.”

“What?” Shining asked as the couple turned to face the approaching demoness.

“That has been refrain of every civil var, rebellion and coup throughout history,” ‘Caller answered, “Little is bloodier or more bitter than a var amid family.”

“Do you every say anything that isn’t cynical or pessimistic?” Shining demanded in exasperation.

‘Caller thought for a moment, “I like cake.”

“Well, there you have it Shiny, and a sentiment Aunti 'Tia would agree with whole heartedly,” Cadance said with a small grin, “Was there something you needed, ‘Caller?”

“Ve have a problem. Sombra knows that I’m here.”

As the revolutionaries settled down for the night, the Equestrians and ‘Caller gathered around Trixie’s campfire bead, “So, was anypony able to learn anything?” Shining asked as Cadance handed him a mug of weak camp tea.

“Actually, Trixie, Fluttershy and I were able to get some important information,” Twilight offered eagerly, “Working off your success with Pine Breeze,” she smiled at Cadance, “We were able to temporary overcome whatever spell Sombra is using to control the crystal ponies’ memories, and you’ll never guess what we found, a librarian and a geologist!”

“What, didja get your library card renewed?” Rainbow asked.

“No, Rainbow,” the academic replied, pouting a little at Rainbow’s teasing, “But we did get her to remember that Sombra had taken the Crystal Heart from the Great Hall and hid it away somewhere deeper in the Palace, and the geologist remembered that some of these mines actually connect to the cellars under the Palace!”

“I don’t know, darling,” Rarity protested, “It seems rather too convenient to me that two ponies who just happen to know information we dearly need just happen to be among these rebels. With his control over their memories, surely Sombra would have noticed what they knew and at least kept them separated?”

“Actually … Sombra made have put them here deliberately,” ‘Caller mused, “Ve know he is massively arrogant and convinced of his own power, and vith his forces Sombra could end this revolt at any time he vished, but he doesn’t. I’d say all of this amuses him, and vhat better ‘trick’ than to purposely put ponies vho each know bits of how to confront him together vith certainty that they vould never, could never, realize vhat they knew?”

“Okay,” Applejack drawled, “That helps a bunch, but searchin’ a whole palace will take weeks, especially if’n we have ta keep sneakin’ in ta do it.”

“We may not have to search all the Palace,” Shining said, “When you were talking to the crystal ponies, did they happen to mention where the royal apartments were?”

Pinkie nodded, “Oh, yeah, up in one of the towers, and it has a balcony where Sombra likes to give speeches or just stands and watches the ponies in the street with this super creepy smile.”

Shining smiled, “I’ve played enough megalomaniacs in Ogres and Oubliettes to know Sombra’ll want to keep the Crystal Heart on hand to gloat over. If it isn’t in Sombra’s personal chambers, it’ll be close by.”

Spike snickered, “Overly dramatic acting saves the day!”

“Hey!” Shining protested, “My acting isn’t that bad!”

“Actually, you do get rather hammy in your games, Shiny,” Cadance replied, leaning in to give him a nuzzle, “But that is part of why they’re fun.” The resulting laughter helped ease some of the groups’ tension that had been growing all day.

“So, how are ve going to time this?” wondered ‘Caller, “Assuming these rebels vill even help us on such a harebrained plan.”

“It’s going to be tight,” Shining admitted, “Go too early, and we may be defeated – or at least no longer a major focus – when whoever we send actually gets to the Heart. Go too late and there won’t be any distraction to help cover for the infiltration team and draw Sombra away from his chambers.”

“And we still have to decide who is going on the sneaky team and who is going with the open assault team,” Cadance added.

“Bait,” ‘Caller corrected the alicorn, “Call it vhat it is, ‘bait’.”

“These things always go so much smoother in the plays and stories,” Pinkie sighed.

“And I’m sure that they will when somepony tells stories of what we do here,” Rarity replied, “But for now, let’s get Pine Breeze, Brickbeats and the other leadership among these revolutionaries over here and start making what plans we can.”

*****

“Um, couldn’t we steal the Heart now and then come back later to deal with Sombra?” Fluttershy asked, “We don’t have to do it all at once, do we?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” HellCaller conceded, “Unfortunately, I don’t think ve vould have time. If this Crystal Heart is as important as Luna thinks it is, then minute it goes missing Sombra vill turn over every stone in Empire to find it. He also has an idea vhere rebel camp is, at least, as vell as knowing of my presence, so he vill flood these caves vith soldiers and monsters. Ve are most likely thieves, after all,” she added with a crooked, fanged, grin.

“We could pull back into the lower tunnels,” Brickbeats suggested.

“You don’t have enough supplies to spend any real time away from the surface. And, frankly, neither do we,” Shining disagreed, “And if the Heart is somehow linked to his control over the Empire, like the Princesses think, then Sombra will never stop hunting for it,” he shook his head, “Even if we took everyone back to Hay River – assuming the Heart can even pass through Sombra’s barrier – it would just mean Sombra’s forces would be on alert whenever we did come back. And if we delayed too long, he might very well attack Hay River anyway, looking for the Heart.”

*****

Shining frowned at his sister, “I think Applejack or Rainbow should go with you, just in case.”

“But you’ll need all of our heavy hitters out with you and the rebels tying up the Crystal Legion and keeping Sombra’s attention focused away from the palace, Shiny,” Twilight argued.

Shining started to disagree, but he was interrupted when Spike put a hand on the stallion’s shoulder, “I’ll look after Twilight, Cadance and Rarity, Shining, I promise.”

Shining met the drake’s gaze for a moment, then wrapped his little brother in a hug, “I know you will, Spike,” drawing apart, the two looked up to find a gaggle of mares grinning at them, “What?”

The next morning, found Trixie watching glumly as Twilight, Rarity, Cadance, and Spike prepared to infiltrate the Crystal Palace, “Trixie really doesn’t like you going off with such a small group, Twilight Sparkle.”

“We agreed it was the best plan we had … just not a particularly good plan,” Twilight reminded her. Standing up from checking her pack, Twilight smiled at the showmare, “We’ll be fine, Trixie,” her smile fell, “It’s you and the others I’m worried about, if things go wrong, you could be facing Sombra’s entire army.”

“Yes …,” Trixie sighed in agreement, staring into Twilight’s eyes, “This could be the last time you and Trixie ever see each other…,” with a sudden, decisive nod, she leaned forward and kissed Twilight full on the lips! “Trixie’s name is Trixie Talma Lulamoon, and, the divines help Trixie, Trixie loves you Twilight Sparkle!” she informed the stunned librarian, before turning and fleeing to where her master was conferring with Shining Armor and Pine Breeze, leaving Twilight to stare dazedly after the retreating illusionist, her fingers raised to her lips.

As the two unicorns, alicorn and drake started into the tunnels, Rarity and Cadance were grinning at Twilight. “Sooo,” the Princess drawled, “What were you and Trixie talking about?”

“She … she … she said she loves me,” the bemused academic admitted, “Trixie loves me,” after a few more steps, Twilight’s muzzle broke in a massive smile, “Trixie loves me!”

“That’s wonderful, Ladybug,” Cadance cheered, while Spike merely grumbled “It’s about time.”

“Did she give you a token of her Favor?” Rarity asked eagerly, “Did you give her one?”

“What? No!” Twilight replied, blushing furiously, “Trixie gave me something much more personal … and private,” she added with a pointed look at the seamstress, who did double duty as one of Ponyville’s premier gossips.

“I understand, I understand,” Rarity assured her, “My lips are sealed, darling.”

A while later, the little group came to a heavy door that separated the mines from the Palace. “I suppose hoping Sombra would leave this access completely unguarded was asking for too much,” Rarity sighed as she pulled lockpicks and rune-carved probes from her belt, her horn glowing as she gently searched the door for wards, after a few moments the lock gave a slight “click” as the door opened a hair. Easing the door open further, the fashionista carefully looked inside, before waving her companions into the poorly lit halls of Sombra’s cellars.

Heading forward, the Equestrians passed from storerooms to dungeons, all without ever sighting a single guard – or a prisoner, and as they passed by empty cell after empty cell, the echoing halls became increasingly unsettling.

“Perhaps I’ve read to many adventure stories,” Rarity declared, “But shouldn’t the evil tyrant have somepony in his dungeons?”

“Maybe Sombra keeps lesser offenders in a different prison?” Cadance suggested.

“Possibly,” Twilight agreed, “But Luna did say something about … laboratories …,” the three mares exchanged troubled looks above Spike’s head as the little drake slunk along, hopefully oblivious to their suspicions.

As they left the lower levels for the main halls of the Crystal Palace, the Equestrians finally found other ponies – timid servants hurrying about their work and constantly looking over their shoulders, and members of the Crystal Legion motionlessly standing watch, their eyes glowing with violet and green magic – but in far less numbers than Spike, Twilight and Cadance had expected from their experiences living in Canterlot Palace. Still, the lack of staff and guards – while drawing disapproval from Twilight and Rarity on the poor defensive preparations and the arrogance it implied on Sombra’s part – allowed the group of infiltrators to penetrate deep into the palace, slipping from empty room to unoccupied hall to tower, until they neared the location of the royal residences.

The mares’ ears twitched and swiveled as, dimmed by distance and thick stone walls, the sound of fighting came to them, quickly accompanied by the stamp of hooves ringing through the Palace as the legionaries responded to the battle, while the few servants fled from it.

Sneaking up to the apartments’ door – emblazoned with the Imperial Seal – Rarity pulled out her picks and probes. Soon, she was ghosting the door open a crack so she could peek within. After a quick glance, Rarity closed the door and turned to her friends with a frown, “I can see Sombra, or what I think is his shoulder, inside. Apparently, he feels confident enough to oversee the battle through his slave’s eyes rather than personally,” she whispered.

“We’ll have to wait for our opportunity,” Cadance decided, “But we can’t risk waiting out here in the hall for long.”

The quarter nervously crouched beside the door for a time, keeping watch for any sign of approaching ponies, while anxiously listening to the distant roar of the fighting outside.

A rippling explosion cut through the din, accompanied by distant screams, while a sulfurous oath came from inside the residence, followed by the sound of heavy hoofsteps headed away from the door.

“I think ‘Caller and the others got Sombra’s attention,” Spike smirked.

“Come on!” Rarity replied, as the group hurriedly slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind them.

A swift search showed that Sombra was no longer in the apartments, nor on the balcony, while a heavy door – also bearing the Crystal Empire’s seal – drew their eyes.

“Well, it does seem rather obvious,” Rarity observed as her aura gently washed over the door, “But its also the most heavily warded object in these chambers.”

As the seamstress worked on the lock, Twilight called Spike away as he approached the balcony, “I know you want to see how the fighting is going – we all do – but we can’t risk getting Sombra’s attention yet.”

A small cry brought the Equestrians around to where Rarity was smiling triumphantly at the door as she got back to her hooves, “That was a very intricate ward,” she said, drawing her rapier and taking the doorknob in hand as she glanced back at her companions, “Ready?”

As Twilight passed through the door, she discovered herself back in Celestia’s study in Canterlot.

“What are you doing here?”

Turning around, Twilight found Celestia glaring down at her, “I don’t know!” the academic exclaimed, “We opened the door and –”

“And now you must go,” the Princess declared.

Twilight shook her head in confusion, “Go? Go where?”

“It doesn’t matter to me,” Celestia sneered, “You failed the test, Twilight!”

“I-I don’t understand,” Twilight stammered, “What test?”

“Your whole life has been a test,” proclaimed Celestia coldly, “And poor, pitiful Twilight didn’t make the grade! Not only will you not move on to the next level of your studies, you won’t continue your studies at all!”

“You didn’t say anything about this being a test!” Twilight protested.

“Didn’t I?”

Twilight slumped to the floor as Celestia’s dark, mocking laughter filled her ears, “But … what do I do now?”

Cadance’s eyes widened as she beheld a heart of sky-blue crystal resting atop a display, glowing softly. “The Crystal Heart,” she breathed with quite joy, reverently lifting the crystal from its resting place, “Quickly, Spike, fillies, we need to get outside,” the alicorn of love declared, turning to the balcony.

Hurrying outside, the little group looked out at the battle going on before the Palace; the Equestrians and their allies were slowly being overwhelmed by a seeming endless numbers of crystal pony legionaries and snowy golems, while a dark-furred unicorn, a crown gleaming on his head and radiating enough smug arrogance to disquiet even Prince Blueblood, stood near the back, his violet and green aura flaring as he traded spells with ‘Caller.

“I have the Heart,” she shouted, raising the artifact, “Use the Elements!”

As the six amulets began to glow, Cadence knew in her heart that everything was going to be okay. Remembering what Luna had said all those days ago back in Canterlot, and the risky ploy she had pulled off during her wedding when Chrysalis had invaded, she raised the Crystal Heart above her head, pouring her own magic into it. All of her love, hope, and compassion … everything Cadance was, and more, everything she could feel, ever so dimly, still in the crystal ponies despite their centuries of suffering under Sombra’s rule, she brought together and placed into the Heart.

The Crystal Heart glowed brighter and bright, until Cadance could barely look at it, and then … it shattered in her hands!

The force of the detonation knocked Cadance to the floor and threw Spike clear off the balcony, his despairing crying filling her ears as the flying shards tore through Rarity and Twilight, leaving them sprawled motionless and bleeding on the veranda.

Crawling through the broken crystal to the balcony’s edge, Cadance looked out at the disaster below. The other four Elements had ceased glowing, Trixie, Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor had fallen, HellCaller and Applejack were trying to rally the shattered rebels as Sombra’s forces swarmed in, his gloating laughter filling her ears as violet and green flames blotted out her vision.

Spike blinked in the bright Ponyville sun as the wind rustled through the leaves of the library, “How did I get ….”

“Spike,” Twilight called from behind him.

Turning around, the little drake saw his sister and their friends, “Twilight! When did we get back to Ponyville?”

Twilight frowned at him, “Spike, stop being foalish,” she snapped, “I swear this has always been part of the problem,” she added with a sigh, “Now listen closely, Spike, I don’t need you anymore. None of us needs you.”

“W-what?”

Pinky reached out and patted him on the head, “It’s like this, Spikey, no pony wants you here, okeydokey?”

“Yeah,” Applejack added, spitting to the side, “Ya ain’t welcome around Ponyville, ya varmint, so jus’ git!”

“I mean, seriously,” Rarity sneered, “To think that a pony of culture and beauty like moi could ever have feelings for a filthy lizard … how pathetically delusional.” Fluttershy and Rainbow’s derisive laughter joined with that of the others as it rang inside Spike’s head. Desperately looking around for help or understanding Spike crumpled into himself as he saw his family, his friends, the Princesses, all of Ponyville, standing there mocking him.

“No! I don’t wanna go!” Spike’s despairing cry rang through the laughter, “Twilight, don’t make me!” but his pleading only made the gathered ponies laugh harder.

Crouched in the street, the drake was consumed with despair and loss as everypony he had ever cared for or trusted rained their derision on him.

But even as he sank into hopeless desolation, a dim spark of draconic greed flared within him, rapidly swelling to a blaze. These ponies were precious to him. They were his hoard! And just as his fellow dragons could tell the size of their hoards to the last copper half-bit or smallest quartz shard, Spike instinctively knew what made these ponies valuable to him, and his ponies would never act like this!

“You’re not Twilight!” Spike hissed, standing up to confront this thing pretending to be his sister.

Ponyville faded from Spike’s eyes, leaving him sprawled on a stone floor beside the three mares. Scrambling to his claws, Spike ignored the chamber about him as he rushed to rouse Twilight and Cadance from their stupors.

Rarity, however, was lost deep in her trance, unintelligible moaning and a whispered cry of “Sweetie Belle, no!” escaping from her in her delirium, and resisted the others’ attempts to awaken her, until Spike, desperate, finally dug his claws into her arm, and the pain managed to bring the seamstress to her senses.

Gathering together in an unconscious reaction to the dark dreams that had assaulted them, the four Equestrians at last looked upon King Sombra’s sealed chamber: racks of unicorn horns and shelves of heavy tomes and ancient scrolls adorned the walls, sharing space with a golden puzzle box, a mummified minotaur hand, and other oddities, while a statue of a sphinx, its black stone face a featureless oval, sat in one corner. A standing mirror, with a frame of twisted iron, rested in another corner – its face reflecting only the room and not showing those within. And in pride of place, a heart of sky-blue crystal sat before them upon a pedestal of engraved stone.

“The Crystal Heart,” Cadance breathed stretching out a hand, before stopping herself, “Are there any other wards?” she asked the other two mares.

Rarity and Twilight’s horns flared for a moment, “I … don’t think so …,” Twilight replied.

“There is so much ambient magic from all the objects in this room that a simple, or particularly subtle, spell would be lost in the background,” Rarity explained, “though having yet another enchantment on the Heart after the locks, wards, and that dream trap strikes me as a rather paranoid action,” she added.

“We’ll just have to risk it, I guess,” Cadance decided. Gingerly, she lifted the crystal, before sighing in relief and turning to the others triumphantly, “We have the Heart!”

The Equestrians’ moment of victory proved short lived, as a heavy tentacle, dripping with slime, smashed the alicorn to the floor!

The stone pedestal had transformed into a freakish monster with a mouthful of ragged teeth, a lashing tongue, and a pair of long, muscular tentacles – one of which was even now wrapped around Cadance’s leg, the caustic ooze already dissolving her clothing and fouling the air with the stink of burning skin and hair.

Spike instantly latched onto Cadance, trying to pull her away from the creature’s gnashing teeth, while Rarity whipped out her sword and Twilight’s horn flashed as she cast a spell.

The monster’s weirdly rubbery hide prevented Rarity’s enchanted rapier from sinking deep, before a swiping tentacle knocked her sprawling, while Spike and Cadance’s combined efforts only slowed the horrific beast’s attempt to reel the alicorn to its mouth.

Twilight’s arcane bolts proved somewhat more effective, leaving burns on the guardian, but its monstrous vitality seemed undiminished as it flailed at the two unicorns with its free tentacle, while inexorably pulling Cadance closer with the other.

Her aura blazing, Twilight cast another spell, the air ringing at the sudden temperature change as she encased Sombra’s guardian in ice. The chamber flashed with multi-colored lights as the three mares immediately blasted away at the imprisoned monster.

The barrage of spells proved too much for the frozen creature to endure, shattering it like a dropped plate as its tentacle finally went limp and dropped from Cadance’s much abused leg.

Spike was helping the princess to her hooves, the Crystal Heart clutched in her good arm – the other hand having been burned by the guardian’s caustic secretions while she struggled with its tentacle – when the very air seemed to pulse, bringing a very un-ladylike profanity to Rarity’s lips.

“There was an Alarm spell,” Twilight explained to the confused alicorn and drake, “Come on, we need to get to the balcony so we can help the others!”