Our Empire of Darkness

For kiloponi on end, from the grand walls she stood atop to the gargantuan mountains across the metropolis, ruined buildings at minimum a dozen stories tall towered into the air or leaned against their own kind. Between their upper levels were bridges to produce an interconnected network between those living among the skies, casting shadows over the magnificent boulevards capable of holding marches of ponies.

High above them, a magical vortex of blue and green bathed the city in its light, illuminating where the mountains shadowed, providing an eerie serenity to the dilapidated metropolis. But what stole her breath more than anything was the spire to her front-right, where the maelstrom originated, several kiloponi away yet still dwarfing even the tallest of buildings. It coated the entire mountain side in its strange rocky metal, producing a massive symbol of a winged-horned horseshoe - one wing being leathery while the other feathered - along the edge of the mountain and overlooking the fort.

“Fort Chillrend. The capital of the Chillrend Mountains.”

She looked to Sombra, the shadow monster staring off at the sight. “H-Have you b-been here before?”

“Once. Only once. Any scavengers would have their hearts stopped if they knew of how much valuable archaeotech was within this installation. What you’re seeing is only the surface, in a literal sense.”

“I-I c-can’t believe they built all this.” Her eyes glazed across the buildings, picking out the larger ones reminiscent of the castle in Galdon, with spires rising in a circle surrounding a grand central pyramid, although these lacked the color of the other in the old capital. No, that wasn’t a capital. This is a capital!

“Once upon a time, millions lived here.” Sombra motioned her close, his tendrils wrapping around her before he launched himself into the air, falling until he got close to a building, gripping onto the window ledges before resuming a controlled descent to the ground. “It was the fourth most populous city in the old empire from what I read. Families, soldiers, researchers, industrial workers, all of them born, worked, and died within its walls and beneath its streets. This is a fortress of legend, and one forgotten.”

Once they reached the pavement of the barracks complex, Sombra letting her down and leading her across the ruined fields disrupted only by huge abstract metal statues pointed into the air and the rare middling structure. Lines divided the concrete occasionally, sealed but still noticeable, although purpose escaped Twilight. The buildings surrounding the field towered at least five stories high, even the massive sculptures... wait, was it...

“W-What is that?” She stopped to point at the THING she was seeing. It had an elongated barrel like a cannon, except with other metal pieces making up the structure and vines draping from it. The barrel was over fifty poni in length from the large metallic sphere it originated from, pointed to above the wall. Actually, all the statues seemed to be of the same kind, aimed over the wall.

The king inspected it before shrugging a tendril. “I would hazard it is a weapon of some sort. I do not know what they could have used it for, but it looks like a super-heavy artillery battery.”

“W-What’s an ‘artillery battery’?” She asked as they resumed their walk.

“It forces material great distances. Typically, explosives.” He motioned a tendril back at the cannon, her eyes picking up the briefest movement of something in the window of one surrounding structure. “That must be for continental defense. Probably hasn’t seen use since the empire fell.”

“A-And how–”

“GET DOWN!” He raised shields around them, bolts of energy making impact a second later. “To the buildings, now!”

Twilight got up onto her three good legs and tried rushing with him providing shield support, making their way toward the nearest one story building, entering inside what looked to be... a bathroom? Stalls and sinks at least covered the two sides.

“W-What was that?!” she panted out, Sombra checking from the door to their shelter.

“Undead soldiers. Emperor Grogar’s leftovers.” He moved a tendril along the entryway to freeze water vapor into sigils against it before moving to where she was against the wall, waiting. “We don’t have the magic to face them as a group. Those bolts of energy carry enough impact to tear a pony in half.”

She gulped back the dryness in her already dry throat, watching the door with her friend. How many were there? It looked like at least a dozen shots impacted the shield in the fifteen seconds they were outside. There had to be a small squad of undead unicorns.

His tendrils began making more sigils around them, his horn bubbling as a dark red barrier erected to cover their spot against the wall. “When I rush out, follow as quick as possible. We need to get the rest of the way before they can regroup.”

“H-How many a-are there?”

“Two.”

“T-Two? B-But it looked like there w-was more than that.” She swallowed, eyes going to the door he was staring at. What did the sigils he wrote mean? It was clearly some sort of trap, but it didn’t tell her what it did. Not that she could see much through the blurry shield right now.

The moment the door opened a crack, a flash of light forced her eyes shut as the entire building rocked. In the four seconds she sat readjusting, Sombra dropped the barrier and rushed forward, heat spreading over her body. Only when she reopened did she see what he did. The room was on fire, except for a single path to the exit. Her legs took her up and to where Sombra was floating just outside, him putting up another shield as more bolts made impact. A crispy corpse laid across the field, flames flicking into the air from it as it crawled along the ground.

The king moved at her pace toward the structures; the shield faltering with each blast as she rushed as quick as she could on three legs. By the time she reached them, Sombra’s shield shattered from the onslaught of bolts coming, him pointing a tendril down the damaged, dusty hallway while he continued to check the entrance. “Go!”

Twilight rushed down the hall with him following behind, her eyes checking around the corner before she shot her head back, a bolt searing her facial fur and making impact with the other corner of their hall, melting the metal for a second before it re-solidified. “W-We h-have a problem!”

He floated into the open air of between them and the ancient soldiers, erecting a wall of dark crystals in the undead’s direction. Twilight headed down the other way with him until they got to a set of stairs down, him pointing for her to go. She descended into the depths as fast as she could, lighting her horn to see where she was stepping. The building was all metal, from the walls, to the floors, to the dysfunctional ceiling lights, with only the vaguest tinting of a dark green in this area.

As she got to the bottom, she looked off down the hall as far as she could, Sombra leading her to a door to open, ushering her inside. She entered what appeared to be an office, with desks, chairs, and some sort of machine on the tabletops. In fact, there were several machines of different sorts on the desk, although their purpose eluded her. That was another question to ask: how advanced was the old empire?

“Over here.” He said with a low voice, Twilight walking toward it until she could see his eyes and tendrils, him pointing under one desk. “Crawl under and douse your horn. We’ll need to wait them out.”

“H-How long do w-we need to stay here?” She did as instructed, plunging the world into darkness while she laid on the cold metal floor.

“A few hours, minimum. They are less active at night. They can sense where I am and where magic is being cast so you must stay quiet and under this desk until I return. I’m going to scout our route from the compound and be back for you.”

“A-Alright. P-Please hurry.”

“I promise. I will.” He moved off, the door opening a moment before closing, leaving her to stew in the senseless void of the room. As she waited, Twilight closed her eyes to try getting a little more sleep to soothe her pulsating leg.

Three years ago plus a day, her return signaled a new era for Equestria. At the time, she believed it would be her time to succeed over her sister, to take the sole position of princess. To reverse the roles of day and night. Now, on the longest day of the year, it was she who lowered the moon willingly.

Celestia never understood the jealousy, the anger. Praise to her was clear, with three-quarters of the ponies of Equestria paying their respects from day to day. What few gave thanks for the night remained shunned. Luna took a breath in through her nose, huffing it back out. The thestrals... what was she to do to help them? She wasn’t a lawyer versed in the modern legal framework. Celestia recommended caution, but that only delayed justice for her bats.

The fields and hills of Equestria passed below, the two thestral guards doing their due diligence to get her back to Canterlot as soon as possible, carrying her on her private chariot. Three years was a drop in the ocean compared to a millennium trapped on the moon with only her dream-walking to keep her busy. Three years that seemed to pass so fast.

The chariot made its final descent to the platform at the edge of Canterlot Castle, bathed in the gentle pale blue of her moon. They came to a gradual halt, at which point she took a breath in before sighing it out. She had been living three years at this new castle. What was wrong with the old one? Why did Tia have to remove that piece of their history, too? Even their personal castle in the Everfree Forest was ruined and forgotten.

The princess dismounted onto the platform, looking at the moon getting close to the horizon. It was all a lie. It...

The sun rose suddenly, her eyebrows moving together with at the sight of both celestial objects now in the sky. It was too early for it to rise. Celestia knew that. With the ignition of her horn, she lowered the moon below the horizon, resolving to get an answer for the early sunrise as she took flight, making her way up the side of the castle to the balcony of her sister.

“Tia?” Luna called out as she landed, opening to the emptiness of the room. Her mouth slanted, hooves taking her to the opposite doors to open them, seeing both guards still standing stoic turn to her. “Where is my sister?”

“We didn’t see her return to her room, your highness.” The first stallion answered.

“What do you mean you didn’t see her? Where else would she sleep?” She walked out into the hall, facing both of the guards.

“That’s not our job to know, your majesty.” The second guard responded.

Luna hummed to herself, turning and walking down the hall. An early sunrise... That was unnecessary. The celebration planning committee wouldn’t be waking up for another hour at least, same with most other ponies. Was this some sort of prank?

As she got into the lower hallway to their chambers, she saw two guards looking at a hole in the palace floor, one of them saying something to the other as she approached.

“You go then.”

“What if there’s some monster under there? You know the freaky stuff the princesses get up to in their lab.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s probably just a tunnel worm.”

“That’s still dangerous!”

“As much as a baby timber wolf!”

“Guards?” Both jolted, straightening up and turning toward her to stand at attention. “Do either of you know where my sister is?”

“N-No, your majesty! We, uh...”

“W-We were distracted by this hole.” The other pointed at it, Luna looking down into it and casting a light inside. It seemed to curve away from the city, toward the edge of the platform that sat Canterlot. Whatever it was, it could break the wards covering the underside of the castle. But could it undermine the city?

“Please assemble a few pegasi for me in the throne room.” She slanted her mouth, eyes still focused down the hole. Her ear twitched as the guards turned to gallop off down the hall. The hole was pretty big. Too big for a tunnel worm. But big enough for–

She bolted into the air, turning to see a second hole had been made behind her, black vines creeping out to slam into the spot she formerly was. “Begone, rot!” She lit her horn, a bulb on the plant opening to disrupt her magic to grab a hold of herself. Her hoof shot up to punt her own horn, getting a wince out of her but freeing her from her own grip to fly off down the hall.

“GUARDS!” she called out, two unicorns bursting from one of the nearby rooms. “Have the castle locked down immediately! We have intruders attempting to tunnel beneath us!”

“Yes, your highness!” One saluted, rushing in either direction as Luna flew to a window and outside, making her way over the edge of the platform and down the grand curved support structure. The vines were trying to retract along the side of the support from where they pierced further up, giving some sense of relief. At least the structure wasn’t compromised, only the castle segment.

Still, it sent her on edge, several horns blaring from the castle above as she wondered. What are they? Where did they come from? Did it intend to capture her?

And are they responsible for Celestia’s disappearance?

“Twilight. Wake up.”

The mare shivered as she reopened her eye to see the purple glow from Sombra’s horn. Her muscles felt heavy, leg still pounding her nerves and–

“Achoo!” she sneezed, taking a breath down her dry throat that only felt worse than before. “S-Sombra?”

“It is night. We need to get to the underground bunker network before daybreak. How are you feeling?”

“I-I’m fine.” She got up onto her hooves, feeling how weak her other foreleg now felt, a wave of nausea washing over her. “O-Okay, maybe not that f-fine.”

“You will feel better in the open air.” His tendrils went around her barrel to assist her from under the desk, her entire body trembling with the aches coursing through it. Only a few hours must have passed, yet it seemed the infection was...

Infection. “S-Sombra. W-What’s going to h-happen to my leg?”

“Come.” He motioned her forth, Twilight igniting her horn and following him from the room and up the stairs they originally came down. The crystals he erected were now gone, only denoted by a singe around the walls and floor.

“W-Where are the...?”

“Sleeping. All undead fall back on their biology when without a master. They must have gone to the barracks complexes around the area, so I don’t believe we will have a problem as long as we don’t shout.”

The king led her down the halls until they exited the damaged doorway, entering a courtyard with a gate disrupting the stone walls. She tried her best to wake up as he led her over and out onto the paved streets, now remembering where she was with the massive buildings around them. Her eyes graced the upper layers of the structures, seeing some broken windows with vines creeping down, the towers curving the further up they got. “S-So this is Fort Chillrend?”

“Correct. The spire is Chillrend itself, the headquarters of the old military.” He motioned a tendril to the surrounding buildings. “The city is the fortress.”

Her eyes moved to the lines on the sidewalks and streets. Military headquarters...? “A-Are those defenses?”

“You would also be correct.” He stopped, igniting his horn to lift one from the ground. It moved aside the top to one side to make a stone barricade large enough for a pony to duck under. The king slid it back in, the cover returning to its place over-top as if nothing was wrong. “From the design specifications I read about the city, they trained every citizen from birth to defend in case of attack, including how to deploy the barricades.”

“Trained from birth? Seems a bit... excessive.”

“It must have had some benefit given the city is still relatively intact.”

“I-I guess.” She slanted her mouth, continuing to limp behind the king down the street, eventually reaching one road around the palace-like structures. Sombra looked either way before going left. “Hey, um, s-so what’s going to happen with my leg?”

His shadows let out a mixture of a sigh and a groan. “If we can find medical supplies, I’ll see if I can save it. If not, I’m sorry, but it will need to be amputated. There’s no getting around a magic-induced infection of this severity. In the next twenty-four hours, you will begin receiving hallucinations. In the next forty-eight, you will lose touch with reality. Within five days, without anymore treatment, it will kill you.”

“O-Oh...” Her ears fell back on her head, the king stopping to turn his eyes back to her.

“I’m sorry, Twilight. It’s the best I have at the moment, but I promise, I will look for that medicine to save your leg.”

He turned back to leading her, Twilight’s muzzle scrunching up as she stared at the pavement of the street. A strange emotion wafted over her, a mix of anger and resigned acceptance. It numbed her three hooves she could feel, creating a tense heat in her very core and drawing tears to her eyes. If she had never followed him, this wouldn’t have happened. It was her fault, and she could only blame herself for her stupid mistake. Yet he was still with her, still promising to try.

They came to another major intersection, Sombra continuing left in the spire’s direction with his unicorn tag-along. No, it wasn’t hopeless yet. And there was no point crying over a maybe when she can deal with the now.

With a deep breath in: “S-So what else do you know a-about this fort?”

“A lot.” He halted, her stepping up next to him. The tower loomed off in the distance, a cloud-piercing spire shadowing the landscape and city. “Emperor Grogar once called that tower his home. After meeting defeat on the field of battle, he retreated to the safety of his residence within. According to the legend, Gusty the Great led a team of the best operatives across all the united tribes to infiltrate ahead of time, ambushing him in the halls. The rest is only rumor, but it is suspected she disconnected the bell from his collar to use it to absorb his soul.

With his soul destroyed and body no more, the reign of darkness he had been issuing for thousands of years came to an end. We were free, but irreparably hurt. Entire generations sacrificed their lives in the longest war of our history. Our past was lost, our culture a distant memory, our technology forgotten. It is more a tragedy than a victory.”

Twilight blinked a few times, turning her eyes away from the tower to the ground before returning them to the king staring off into the distance. “T-The old empire was forgotten too, wasn’t it?”

“We had a land filled with horrors and only a few million ponies scattered across the mountains. It would take thousands of years to reclaim the mainland, and in that time, what memory there was of the united empire faded to nothing.”

“How advanced w-was this empire? I-I didn’t recognize some machines back in the room.”

“Very.” He floated forward again, her following along. “You have seen more than what most others would ever behold, but it goes much deeper. The old empire conquered our world and constructed structures to last until time immemorial. Cities of metallic stone, and of crystal.”

“T-They built the Crystal Empire?”

“The spire was. Much of the outer city was built during my reign, and the closer you get to the castle, the older it gets. The materials aren’t very advanced to work with, only the spire’s core is a remnant of the old empire. That, and the Crystal Heart.”

“T-Then how could this empire fall? If they could make all this...” She stopped to motion a hoof around to the buildings. “How could they?”

Sombra floated forward a bit more. “This is a land of many dark secrets. I can only hope we don’t encounter one of them, for both our sake.”

The armored chariots descended upon Ponyville, Luna’s personal chariot landing at the library surrounded in the thorny black vines. As she stepped down, she swung her sword to cut through the vines, reducing the area around the contact to only ash. More moved in from around her, Luna shifting the blade in her blue glow to chop them before they tried again, one of her guards pounding on the door as she looked around.

The town was engulfed in the vines, with ponies screaming and hunkering down to weather the damage. As one vine nearby sprouted a blossom, its chaos magic met the enchantments placed on her armor, the sword floating over to reduce the vine to a crispy pile with a stroke.

A yellow pegasus rushed from an alleyway, galloping past the princess to hide behind her. “P-Princess Luna? W-What are you doing here?”

“It appears you have a gardening problem.” Her mouth went lopsided, taking another swing at a vine creeping up from the ground, the door opening to Ponyville’s resident dragon.

“Princess Luna! Thank Celestia you’re here! We need your help!” He ran out and grabbed her hoof, pulling her inside the library, followed shortly after by Fluttershy. Alongside Spike were both Applejack and Rarity, the latter of which searching through a small pile of books.

Does anypony ever not give her praise? Luna’s internal grumbling went with no external commentary as she looked over the hopeful smiles of the four. “My sister has the unfortunate displeasure of being missing during this crisis. Given the severity, I was hoping to receive your assistance in discovering where these vines are coming from.”

“They’re comin’ from the Everfree!” Applejack pointed off toward one wall as the door opened to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, them joining the gathering. “We were really hopin’ Rarity had some spell to help out, but not from the sounds of it.”

“Princess, my, whatever are you using to be able to use your horn without these ghastly plants messing with your magic?” Rarity asked, fluttering her eyes.

“My armor has enchantments to prevent any such worries.” She tapped her front-plate with a hoof. “Spike, please retrieve the Elements of Harmony.”

“On it!” He saluted before running off to the stairs, Rainbow Dash scratching her head.

“Hey, uh, I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but how are we supposed to use them without Twilight?”

Luna’s smile grew, her horn igniting to open the saddlebag slung onto her back, taking out the crown. “My sister left me a gift. My guards will assist with the activation in a similar manner as with Discord. We need only to find the source of this invasion and retrieve Celestia.”

“Sounds like a plan, princess!” Applejack added as Spike returned from upstairs with a jewel-encrusted box, opening it up to the five other elements. Each put on their respective amulet, Luna placing the crown atop her head and leading them outside to where her guards had gathered. Along with the four lunar guards were two solar guards and two regular royal guards, all of which watching for the vines creeping closer for the four unicorns among them to project fire magic onto.

“C-Can I come?” Spike asked from the door, Luna giving him a quick smile.

“Of course. Please feel free to burn any that get close.”

“Awesome!” He ran out to beside Rarity as they set out as a team, following the thorny tendrils toward the Everfree forest, keeping one on their left to ensure they didn’t lose track of where they came from. The two solar guards traveled ahead of the group, the four pegasi covering the sides while the last two took the rear. Luna kept her eyes moving along the black vine, not letting its direction mislead where it was coming from.

As they came to a fork in the road, she hummed to herself. The vine broke free from the ground at the turn, showing no indication of the direction where it came from. While there were other vines that crept through the underbrush, nearly all broke free from the soil to curl in a chaotic fashion. As she deliberated, her eyes picked up the movement in the woods.

“Princess, I think we’re not alone.” Rainbow Dash jumped into a defensive stance, the first vines shooting free from the underbrush, catching them by surprise. The tendrils wrapped around her legs to try pulling Luna, another dozen more vines creeping their way in at a moderate pace. With a swing of her white metal sword, the vines turned to ash, Spike and the four unicorns projecting flames onto the rest to shrivel them until they retreated.

The next wave sent two dozen vines straight for her, sword slashing at the plants while it knocked the other ponies over from the assault. The orange glow of the sword only got brighter with every plant she vaporized, increasing the temperature it radiated and dissolving them faster with every swing. Her unicorn guards got to their hooves to add their own fire to the surrounding area, projecting flames into the woods to set them alight.

“I-Isn’t it a really super bad idea to burn down a forest?” Pinkie asked as she and her friends got back to their hooves, vines now retreating into the bushes away from the group.

“It won’t last.” Luna pointed the solar guard down the right path, them moving ahead while she fell in behind. “Believe me when I say those flames won’t make it past the fork.”

“B-But what a-about the critters? Won’t they lose their homes?” Fluttershy spoke up.

“They can find new ones.”

“O-Oh my.”

Their travels through the darkened forest continued into a new pitch black section where the light of the sword outshone the sunlight, letting it guide them further into the area. It was the perfect place for an ambush. Her ears stayed at the ready, listening for anything.

And as the first twigs snapped, Luna swung the sword to cleave through the timber wolf that made the first move, bisecting pieces of wood that made it up as the next made impact with a shield erected by the royal guards at the rear, yet another pouncing. The wolf knocked one pegasi over, tumbling into the elements to knock them to the ground, his hoof coming down on the head to dislocate the chunks of wood making its jaw.

The following wolf leapt from the woods ahead, being peppered in shots from the solar guards to light it ablaze and send it bolting off into the woods. Two more jumped in quick succession to distract the pegasi guards while a third used the opportunity to jump at one of the rear unicorns. Their jaws plunged into the guard’s hind-leg, them letting out a scream as they toppled over, his companion swinging around to send a blast of magic into the timber wolf’s face. Half the head blew off, sending the wolf tumbling back, which is when Luna’s sword fell upon it to burst it into a brief purple flame before collapsing to ash below.

“How bad is it?” Luna walked over to the guards at the back, one checking the other’s bleeding opening that started forming a pool beneath them.

“Bad, your highness.” He lit his horn, washing it over the area. “Looks deep.”

“Hmm...” She turned toward the others. “Corporal!” Two of the guards turned to her, Luna pointing her hoof at the solar guard to motion them over. “Cauterize the wound.”

Pinkie covered her eyes as the other elements looked away, the guard screeching into the forest as flames burnt them in several spots, each one bringing another scream to add. Fluttershy covered her ears, Spike holding onto Rarity as they listened to their agony, trying to forget. Luna proceeded to two of the pegasi while it was happening. “Take them to the hospital for treatment. We must end this crisis today.”

“Of course, your highness!” They saluted, marching back to where their fellow guard was to pick them up, the solar guard falling into formation at the side. While the two pegasi took flight, the rest of the group pushed forward. The darkness eventually was broken by the breaks in the treetops, letting them move out next to a swamp to travel in parallel to. The trail twisted alongside the waters of the forest, moving them along a path the elements now recognized.

Black vines burst from the ground less as they proceeded, the direction they headed being distinct. Their trek finally arrived at an opening looking out over the old castle, vines creeping up from the ravine to spread out into the forest. Luna squinted down to the cave at the underside of the castle, now knowing what this was about.

“So, uh, how we gettin’ down there?” Applejack asked, readjusting her stetson as they each took in the sight.

“The stairs.” Luna turned to their right to walk over to the steps leading into the ravine, others following behind. “Before you see what is within the cave, I must tell you the truth. The Elements of Harmony, the gemstones, came from a tree my sister and I found while searching for a way to defeat Discord the first time. If these vines have killed the tree, I fear for Equestria.”

The group stepped up to the cave and entered, seeing a crystalline tree marked with a star in the center and the regal sister’s cutie marks on the trunk. The black tendrils enveloped the dark crystal branches of the tree with globs of thick green sap dangling from them, a bundle of thorny vines to one side.

Luna raised her sword into the air, cutting at the tendrils strangling the tree, more only growing over as she chopped away, eventually backing off. “Hmm...” She gave a thoughtful pout, looking to the spots on the tree before turning back to see several of her companions shrug.

“Princess?” Applejack stepped forward. “How can we help?”

“I don’t know. That’s the problem.” She turned back to the branches. What could be done? The sword was ineffective, magic would risk harming the tree itself, the elements unable to be activated without their four unicorns... “We have the give the elements back to the tree.”

“Woah, woah, woah! Then how are we supposed to protect Equestria?” Rainbow Dash interrupted, the others looking to Luna.

“We can come back and retrieve them if we need to, but they need to be returned to the tree for now.” She lit her horn, taking the crown from her head to float in front of her. The star was meant for Twilight to wield. This element was hers, not Luna’s, nor Celestia’s. But some sacrifices had to be made for the good of Equestria. She looked to the others, them nodding in agreement before Luna applied her magic around each element.

They unclipped from their amulets with only a light tug, being taken in her grip to float to each branch. As they touched to their places, a light shone as their power unveiled. But it was only when the star was placed in the center did the tree ignite, unleashing a blinding light as it took all six element’s magic, unleashing it into the vines and open air. The black vines dissolved from the outside inward, returning to the tree where they then were eliminated in their entirety.

The bundle of tendrils dissolved as the tree’s light lessened, revealing Celestia, the princess taking a breath of the open air as she laid her eyes on her sister.

“Luna?”

“Who else?” She walked forward, bringing her elder sibling into a hug. “It’s great to have you back.”

“I...” She looked past to the five, receiving shy waves from each before she took a glance at the tree and elements above. “Thank you.”

“I know. If there had been another choice, I would have taken it.” Luna released from the hug to move forward with Celestia, the two halting in front of the five ponies and dragon.

“I must thank you all again for proving yourselves to Equestria. I know relinquishing the elements must have been difficult, and I know this journey was one you would rather have taken with Twilight, but I can assure you: She will return, and I promise, the Elements of Harmony will be made whole again.”

As Celestia finished, the tree sparked alight, all eight turning back to it. A stream of magic passed from the center into her cutie mark, followed shortly after by lighting Luna’s. What smile she had fell. If Twilight had been here, perhaps it would have continued its journey. But it paled in comparison to the ramifications. Equestria would be vulnerable without the elements to protect it.

But it is more vulnerable without her prized pupil.

Day and night seemed to be an illusory concept when bathed in the glow of a powerful magical rift within the solace of a ruined citadel. Twilight let out a sigh as Sombra halted, the king looking around before proceeding into a structure with her following close behind. Within the night they had been traveling, her leg had gone from throbbing pain to something more akin to a nausea-inducing ache.

Sombra led her down the halls before reaching a broken door, leading her inside and down the stairs into the depths. Was this going to be another dud?

“Ah!” He exclaimed from ahead, turning his eyes back to her. “We’ve found another!”

“A-And it’s not collapsed?”

He hummed a bit before floating further, looking down both directions before taking her left. The metal halls had become a common sight for her, with nothing better to do than limp on her three legs and examine the ruins of the city. Machines were everywhere. There were the ones she saw at first in the military compound, a computer in function from what Sombra had explained, but then there were the others that didn’t have an analog to modern Equestria, doing anything from washing towels to being some sort of sentient defense system.

The king turned the next corner and proceeded down another set of stairs with her, further into the depths, lit only by her horn. When they got to the bottom, she saw a sealed vault door with a flat panel next to it, the small display glowing giving her somber mood an upbeat.

Sombra floated to the panel and swiped his tendril along it. What he was doing was a mystery to her, like usual. Every sign, every damaged poster, even the half-machine, half-book tablets on the shelves, were written in a language she didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Old Ponish; it wasn’t even Ancient Ponish. It was... something else.

With a hiss, the vault mechanisms readjusted before moving itself back and sliding aside, Sombra motioning her forth into the lit halls. To see artificial light gave a wave of relief over her, horn dousing to rest while Sombra used the panel on the inside to re-seal the door. The off-white metal lit up fully was far more calming than she would have realized. No more undead, less walking, more exploring.

“We’re here.” He turned to the unicorn standing staring off down the hall, her breaths taken with extra care. “Twilight?”

“Y-Yeah?” She blinked back to reality, providing a shy smile back to him. The world felt so fuzzy, eyesight taking notice of the smallest details that made no sense.

“How are you feeling?” He floated over, shifting his gaze down. When she only plopped to her rear to modulate what little breathing she had, his tendrils extended to open the wrapping surrounding her disabled leg. “Not good?”

“I-I’m still feeling sick.” She closed her eyes, nose scrunching up at the smell. When she reopened them, they went to her useless leg. Purple and blue lumps spread out along the burn, pulsating with raw mana, and no amount of trying to direct it to flex causing any reaction.

“It’s...” He let it rest, redoing the wrap. “It’s best not to think about. Are you seeing or hearing anything that makes little sense?”

“S-Sombra... I-I’m scared.” Her eyes teared up, still focused on the now wrapped part of her leg.

He moved a tendril to raise her gaze to his eyes, staring into hers. “Fear is natural, but don’t let it rule you. I know it looks like your leg can’t be saved, but the medicine in this complex is leagues more complicated than can be reasonably described. We will find some and try to save it.”

“I-I...” She closed her eyes to focus on her breathing. Nothing gave her any comfort. From the rumbling and roiling of her stomach to the aches plaguing every other part of her, to the shallow knowledge of her own worldview that has only been reinforced the past two months. All she wanted to do was go to bed. And to snuggle up with somepony.

It’s when the first sob came did his cold tendrils moved around her back to rub in small circles. But she wasn’t alone. And as the next sob escaped her throat, did she hear his voice.

“I promise, you’ll live, Twilight. I will not give up on you.”

Her shaking breaths only continued as she sat and brooded about where she was. So far from home, surrounded by danger and in constant pain. It was too much. All of it. Sombra’s dialog about the old world, her own personal observations of the ruins, the homes left abandoned...

“Y-You were r-right.” She choked out, taking another moment before reopening her blurry eyes to look to his own. “T-There are dark s-secrets everywhere here.”

He kept silent, continuing to rub her back. While she waited for the most recent round of tears to finish flowing, her quivering lip remained focused on the floor, and senses on the coolness currently stroking her. He’d be there for her. Why wouldn’t he? He’s always been here for her...

Twilight got back onto her three hooves, keeping her fourth in the sling as she started walking down the hall. The first room they came to was a security office of some sort, the chair knocked over and ash spread across the ground. While she wanted to ask about the lack of skeletons, the journey took the energy right out of her. Sombra floated ahead to check rooms, opening the door to one and entering, her following into what looked to be a barracks. A half-dozen beds were lined down the hall with nightstands and storage trunks each, even more ash piled around the floor.

More posters were on the walls, including strange types of ponies she had never seen. One was like a unicorn, their mane wispy and horn short as they stretched provocatively, tail barely covering the explicit bits. The next was a common sight in the rest of the city: a propaganda poster depicting the three tribes, thestrals, and colorful zebras marching together with something written above it. Then there was the pinup calendar on the far wall with a wet earth pony stallion flexing.

As for the remaining room, the storage chests had all been opened at some point, not helped by Sombra rummaging around them as he looked for something only he knows.

“Twilight?” He turned his eyes back to her. “You can lie down and get some rest. I’m going to map the area to determine where we need to go next and to, I hope, find medicine to help take the edge off for you. Would you like me to turn off the light?”

“Y-Yeah.” She crawled up onto the bed, an unintentional moan escaping her mouth. Her body melted into the mattress and smooth blanket, unable to build up the strength to get up and pull it over her. It only got a chuckle out of him, two tendrils grabbing the sheet on the neighboring cot to throw over her.

“I’ll be back soon. Sleep well, Twilight.” He moved from her fading vision, the lights turning off as she closed her heavy eyelids.

And within seconds, darkness overtook her.