The Shadow in the North

:I know thou art still here. Why dost thou insist on resisting me? Thou know that these ponies be only fit to be slaves. Joining me to rule over them is the only reasonable course. It is the only choice you can make. You will serve me!:

HellCaller’s lips twisted in a snarl as Sombra’s smug words intruded on her mind again, accompanied by another attempted binding spell. Turning to the remaining Equestrians and what passed for leadership among the rebellion, “Ve should get moving,” she declared, “Sombra knows I’m still in Empire, and he’s getting impatient.”

Shining nodded and started forward, only to be stopped by Pinkie, “Isn’t this the part where you give these ponies a rousing speech?”

“What, really?” at the pink-maned mare’s enthusiastic nodding, Shining sighed and turned to face the motley army he had been placed in charge of, despite his protests, “When we leave these tunnels, we’re going into a horrifically lopsided battle, one that we almost surely can’t win. But we do not go to win, but to draw Sombra’s attention and to buy time for the brave ponies and drake who went ahead, into the heart of Sombra’s domain, to seek the means to end his tyranny forever. Remember, these aren’t just Sombra’s soldiers we will be facing, they are your friends, your neighbors, and they are just as much Sombra’s victims as you are. So, fight well, fight bravely, but fight with mercy too, and the divine’s willing, tonight’s Sun will set over free Crystal Ponies and a free Crystal Empire!”

Shining’s efforts drew a ragged cheer from the confused Crystal Ponies, as Applejack patted the stallion consolingly on the shoulder.

“Trixie has heard worse.”

“I know that I vant to kill people now,” ‘Caller smirked at him.

“Thanks, you guys,” Shining grumbled, “I can really feel the love.”

Shining grimaced as he traded sword strokes with a Crystal Legionnaire before dropping the pony with a solid blow to the helmet, only for a yeti, foam flying from its fangs, to leap at him. Rosey light filled the air as the battle whirled around the stallion, his shields covering the Palace square and keeping Sombra’s soldiers from simply riddling the rebels with arrows from above. Between the thorny hedges that Fluttershy had conjured from the cobblestones and the great chasm that Trixie had ripped through the courtyard, the revolutionaries where only engaged on one front, with the heavily armored ‘Caller, Applejack, Shining, and Rainbow holding the center of their formation.

But even with the aid of protective spells, illusions and HellCaller’s spell of quickness, the rebels where still civilians with makeshift weapons while Sombra’s forces – crystal ponies, yetis, golems of snow with icicle fangs and talons, even skull-headed demons with manes of flame – seemed limitless.

“At least they’re not using their numbers effectively,” the stallion thought to himself, grateful that the perfect coordination he and ‘Caller had feared was not showing itself, although whether this was due to some restriction in the magic Sombra was using to control his soldiers or incompetence on Sombra’s own part Shining neither knew nor had the time to care. Even as he traded blows with the yeti, a pack of demons enveloped several rebels in a cloud of roiling darkness, laughing maniacally as the afflicted ponies fell. Shining shouted reinforcements into the breach, as ‘Caller cried out something and the demons’ mirth was stilled as a whirling bolt of flame connected them in death.

With a shriek of tortured stone, the ground split open as one of Sombra’s hunting beasts burst from the earth in the midst of the revolutionaries, scattering broken bodies about it.

Attacked from within their own formation, the rebels quavered, but before they could break and flee, Applejack and HellCaller turned to face the Harrier, their shouts of encouragement and profanely worded orders restoring the shaken ponies’ resolve as the two fell upon the beast with hammer, sword, and spell.

As the Harrier fell, a wave of green light washed over the battered rebels, bringing fallen ponies back to their hooves, as Fluttershy sent currents of healing magic through her allies.

“What does it take to get Sombra’s flank out here?” demanded Rainbow, as she sent another arrow streaking into the enemy ranks.

“I don’t know, Dashie, but I think we got someone’s attention!” Pinkie replied pointing out into the city, as the thunderous beat of great wings grew above the sounds of the battle.

Flying in from the north came a frost drake, much of a size with the one the Equestrians had fought out on the tundra, but without the inexplicable fiery edging to its scales. Flying overhead, jagged shards of ice and super cooled water poured from the dragon’s jaws to splash off of Shining’s hastily reinforced and sealed shield spell, while leaving a trail of flash-frozen ponies, yetis and even demons in its wake, the ice glittering on their motionless forms.

“Armor!” ‘Caller shouted, as the dragon circled around for another pass, “If ve keep holding back, ve’ll be overrun!”

“Just hold the line!” Shining replied, shoving another yeti back with his shield, “We need to give Spike and the fillies time to do their part!”

But even as the stallion was shouting his orders, the battle turned; an impatient demon shoved one of the golems out of its way and the snowy automaton stumbled aside into the great fissure Trixie had opened earlier – and its foot came down on solid ground.

After a moment of stunned silence, Sombra’s forces poured over the now revealed illusion with a roar, while Brickbeats and Trixie lead a desperate countercharge to plunge the gap in the rebels’ defenses. A thorny hedge was hastily summoned to protect that flank once more, but only a handful of the brave sortie staggered away, dragging their wounded, Trixie among them, with them. Most of their number, including Brickbeats, were left behind on the bloody ground.

“Enough of this,” ‘Caller snarled, “Hardri Myink!” Whilst the demoness was incanting, Fluttershy was unleashing a spell of her own, the runes on her staff burned as a massive wave of flames, over three-hundred hooves long and two-hundred wide, swept across the battlefield reducing snow golems to puddles of water, but leaving ponies, yetis and even demons lying unconscious on the cobblestones.

HellCaller’s spell, however, was less discriminating; meteors blazed from the sky, their explosive impacts shattering and burning cobblestones and bodies alike as they pounded into Sombra’s forces, while two struck the dragon and sent it crashing into one of the buildings that bordered the courtyard.

With a flare of violet and green magic, a grey-furred, black-maned unicorn stallion, resplendent in plate armor, crown, and a fur-lined scarlet cape, appeared in the square, sparking terrified cries of “The King! The King is here!” from the rebellious crystal ponies.

“About bucking time!” Rainbow growled, launching a trio of arrows at the arrogant figure, but even as the shafts speed towards him, the newly identified king’s horn flickered with a violet aura and his body briefly turned into smoke, allowing the missiles to pass through him harmlessly.

Laughing disdainfully, Sombra held out his hand, his aura flaring again, as tendrils of darkness curled from his fingers to tear through the rebels, even as more Crystal Legionnaires and yetis rushed into the plaza.

HellCaller stood in the front ranks, Kragor singing merrily in the demoness’ mind as the soulblade tore through a Legionnaire’s hauberk, as she faced the tide of Sombra’s forces alongside Applejack and Rainbow Dash -- Shining Armor had been forced to pull back so he could concentrate on sustaining the shield now that the frost drake had recovered and was hovering above the revolutionaries. This brought a sneer to ‘Caller’s lips as she noted that Sombra was far less casual about friendly fire when it might endanger him.

But the sneer faded from ‘Caller’s lips as the battle surged around her, for all Sombra’s wariness about being caught in his draconic slave’s breath weapon, every arrow or spell that had been aimed at him was spotted and defeated just as had befallen Rainbow’s initial barrage. The demoness doubted that whatever spell or ritual the Equestrians were counting on gaining from this “Crystal Heart” would actually affect the dark unicorn unless something was done to counter his defensive enchantment.

A shout drew ‘Caller and the Equestrians’ eyes to a Palace balcony, where Twilight, Cadance, Rarity, and Spike waved at them, the alicorn clumsily lifting a large, heart-shaped, sapphire crystal in her hands. Unfortunately, Sombra had noticed them as well, and his aura was already flaring as he glared up at the three mares and the drake.

HellCaller’s eyes flickered about; to the crystal rebels, fighting a hopeless battle against what they believed to be an eternal ruler at her and the Equestrians’ urging, to the Equestrians themselves, so convinced of the power of friendship and understanding that they had offered their hands to a literal demon, as long ago arguments with Linzi flashed through her mind. Finally, ‘Caller’s eyes went to her apprentice, an illusionist, an entertainer, who chose to take up the sword and learn from her, lying unconscious – or worse – among the injured as Fluttershy tried to save who she could. Her eyes hardened, their glow brightening ever so slightly, as she turned back to the fray, “Vell, fuck!” ‘Caller muttered, “Vhirling Blades,” she intoned, flinging Kragor out to whip across the battle, tearing through three of Sombra’s demons before burying herself, runes glowing, in the chest of a fourth. “Dimensional Slide,” with a twisting of space ‘Caller was behind Sombra, one hand snapping out to grip his curved horn, while the other pinioned one of his arms. ‘Vasn’t sure that vould vork,’ she admitted to herself.

“What be thou doing, thou fool?!” Sombra demanded as he struggled in the demoness’ grip, his horn cutting into her gauntlets.

“I'm doing vhat you vanted,” HellCaller replied, her lips peeling back in a mocking, fanged smile, “Making a choice. And I choose them,” raising her gaze to the balcony, she locked eyes with Cadance as her voice, trained to carry above the din of battle, rang out, “Do it.”

Blue light filled her vision as Sombra seemed to dissolve in her hands as he desperately strained against hold, his unbelieving cry of “No!” echoing in her ears as rainbow light joined with blue and her vision went dark.