Attack on Two Fronts

Chapters

First Contact
Renewed Efforts
A Name for Myself
Down to Business
One Last Saturday
Twofer Tragedy
Downward Spiral
Overshadow

First Contact

As the sun rose over the southern deserts of Equestria, a faint sparkle could be seen in the skies. Onlookers may see it as a treat from Princess Luna, greeting the morning in her own way. The reality was far, far worse.

The shine in the skies was no star; it was a horn, the last remnant of King Sombra, once ruler of the Crystal Empire. Nearly destroyed by the Crystal Heart's magic, this seemingly insignificant portion of his shattered body now contained his entire being.

Landing on the hard ground with barely a sound, the grotesque horn wobbled, then rolled into a nearby cave. Drawing upon the shadows, a new body began to form.

Sombra rose on shaky hooves, trying to adjust to his new body. He stretched, letting out a deep growl.

Damn them, he thought. Damn those miserable crystal ponies, that wretched alicorn, and that pathetic dragon! Unable to handle his fury, he fired multiple magic blasts into the cavern's walls, the noise echoing through the area. A different sound answered.

He froze, and slowly turned to the inner depths. Concentrating, he thought he could hear a... clicking noise? Yes, that was it, loud and repetitive, like... like beetles. Very large, numerous...

"No..." he mumbled. At the sound of his voice, several sickly green eyes opened, staring at him from the darkness. Sombra crouched low, ready to fight.

All at once, the changeling hoard attacked. They piled onto him, a hurricane of fangs and misshapen horns. Sombra growled in frustration, unable to escape from the mass.

"Enough of this!" He loosed a wave of magic, scattering the changelings. Tendrils of shadow shot from his mane, pinning them to the walls before burning them from within. The tendrils receded, making him shudder. "By the Heart, I hate that."

Turning, Sombra began to walk to the back of the cavern, intent on finding the Queen, and if possible, destroy her. It should be easy, especially if those grubs were her only protection.

"Unbelievable!" Chrysalis roared. She pointed to the outside of the cave. "Find out what's happening out there!" The trio of generals, now the last survivors, scrambled to serve their queen. The once fearsome ruler sighed. Unfortunately, the drones were killed too quickly to gain any information on their assailant, and in her weakened state, it was all she could do to maintain contact with those three.

Two generals rushed back to Chrysalis, standing between her and the yet unseen threat.

Wait..., she wondered. Where's-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sick squelching noise, followed by wicked laughter. The general landed before them, his armor riddled with cracks and holes. He desperately reached for his queen, before his head was gripped by a dark aura and crushed like a grape. A single, large unicorn stallion entered, casually stepping over the corpse.

Chrysalis glared at the pony before her, trying to figure out how a single pony could demolish a swarm that size. Yes, it had dwindled since their defeat, but any one pony would've been devoured. She saw his deformed horn, his murderous gaze, and shuddered. This was a monster standing before her, and considering who the giant bug was...

Likewise, Sombra stared at the insect. Why was this single drone guarded by so many grubs? Changelings weren't known to babysit their young... were they? Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, he took notice of her crown. His eyes widened, and a smile grew. He chuckled in an odd mix of disbelief and amusement. "Is this sad little drone trying to play Queen?" he wondered aloud. "No matter. Stay here and starve, demon." With that, he turned and walked to the entrance.

"Drone!?" Outraged, Chrysalis moved to follow him, intent on avenging her swarm and injured pride. "After him! No one makes a fool of me!" Reluctantly, the two generals stood beside their queen, and began to march.

"My queen," the one to her left, Siren, began. "With all due respect, what do you hope to do? Between our pitiful numbers, his powers, and..." she trailed off, unwilling to mention her queen's weakness. Chrysalis smirked, and took to the air, the soldiers following.

"Simple," she said, scanning the ground for her target. "We follow him until he collapses, and crush his throat." After a moment, she saw him dashing through the desert, barely visible against the dark landscape. "Yes... he'll fall soon enough."

"My queen," the one to her right began. As a relatively new general, he had yet to pick a name for himself. "I believe we're coming close to the town of Appleloosa. What do you suggest?" The residents Appleloosa had become a sort of 'emergency rations' for the swarm, with a group of changelings masquerading as escorts. Alas, there was very little love to be found, due to the rather strict laws. Regardless, they knew the area well.

"Perfect," she replied, taking the form of an orange pegasus mare. The two followed suit, and they sped toward the small town...

...Before plummeting into the hot, hard ground. Shaking themselves off, they trudged on, all perfectly willing to ignore the embarrassing display. In due time, their comrades would be avenged, and that damned unicorn would find his head on a pike!

Cadance tossed and turned in bed. After the defeat of the king, the entire empire had restarted the festival with new energy, empowered by the Crystal Heart. Normally, she would have taken pat in the festivities, but she had passed out the second she had relaxed. Her husband, ever the gentlecolt, had carried her off to bed before escorting Twilight and her friends to the train station.

Of course, it wasn't that easy. Disenchanting the royal bedchambers had taken some time, especially with only one unicorn working on it. A truly staggering amount of traps where found, from petrification on the soaps to crystal frag-mines in the wardrobe. Maybe they missed one, but a discomfort spell on a bed seemed a bit childish, right? Realizing that these thoughts were doing nothing to help her sleep, she let out a long groan of frustration.

"Cadance?" Shining stepped into the room, carrying a number of prizes and trinkets. "You alright? Still can't sleep?" Putting them into the closet, he climbed into bed. After a moment he began to squirm. "Ah, I can see why. What's wrong with this thing?" His horn glowed, bathing the room in a magenta light. "Hmm..." The light vanished.

"Please tell me we didn't miss anything."

"It's nothing big," he chuckled. "Just something under the mattress." Gripping the object in his magic, he yanked it out from under the bed. Their jaws dropped.

"A book!?" Cadance shouted, focusing her pent up rage on the black tome. Grabbing it in her hooves, she turned to a random page. "What kind of- oh. Oh my." Staring intently at the page, she began to giggle. Shining recognized that sound. It meant that his wife had discovered something that could devastate a pony's life if it ever saw the light of day.

"Uh..." he stammered, curiosity and fear dueling it out in his head. Before he could continue, the book was shoved in his face. His eyes widened, and he began to read.

January 18, 698

This is ridiculous! Thirteen years old, and still no cutie mark! My 'peers' mock me for it, calling me a child. My mother isn't helping matters, trying to convince me that my special talent may not be magic-based. What else could it be? I'm the only unicorn in the empire! I've tried everything, from illusions to combat, but nothing works! I'm about at my limit...

Signed,

Sombra

They both burst out laughing. Cadance was the first to recover. Wiping a tear from her eye, she asked, "What was that? His diary?" The very idea brought forth another bout of laughter. Calming down, Shining laid down ready to get to sleep. He looked up to see his wife reading, eyes darting back and forth.

"I thought you were tired," he questioned. A quiet murmur was the reply. "Whatever," he sighed. "Just don't complain in the morning alright?"

Renewed Efforts

Sombra dashed through the featureless desert, hoping to escape the scalding light of the sun. At least, he thought it was scalding. If the Crystal Heart's light could nearly destroy him, who knows what the sun itself could do? Not anxious to find out, he began teleporting across the landscape, yards at a time. In time, the bleak scenery began to change, a river appearing to the west. Up ahead, the edges of an orchard came into view, a pillar of smoke visible above the treetops.

"An orchard... and what may be a barn or home... Wonderful." He marched through the property, searching for its owner. He didn't search for long.

"Well, hello there!" An incredibly chipper voice rang out. Whirling around, he saw a yellow mare with an orange mane trotting towards him. "Pleasure to meet ya, stranger. Name's Golden Harvest, and may I be the first to welcome you to Appleloosa!" She saw his horn. "Um... ya need some ointment for that?"

Snarling, his horn and lit up, and Golden's eyes took on an otherworldly, green glow. "I need to see your library," he said. "Take me to your library." Enchanted as she was, Golden could only see a fearsome stallion before her; one she could not identify, but knew that she could not refuse his commands. Nodding, she turned and led him into town.

Though the day had barely begun, the numerous farmers and cooks of the small town were hard at work, going about their daily duties. Numerous ponies were cleaning windows, painting fences, or pulling large carts. A young buffalo could also be seen, volunteering at a bakery.

Soon, Golden stopped in front of a large, important-looking building. The sign above the door read "Town Hall".

"What is this, worm? I said library." Sombra glared at the cowering mare.

"I-I'm sorry, but the archives are the closest thing we have. Ours is a newly settled town, and most of our citizens brought their wares and savings. It was assumed that new workers-"

"Enough. Begone." Entering the building, he saw a beige, mustachioed stallion sitting at a large desk, stamping and signing numerous papers. Numerous doors lined the wall behind him.

Hearing the door open, the stallion looked up.

"Mornin'," he said. Moving to Sombra, he held out a hoof. "Call me Silver Star. I'm the sheriff 'round here."

Ignoring the greeting, Sombra walked to the doors, checking each label. "Finance, no. Records, useless. Complaints? Odd." Focused as he was, he didn't notice the sheriff standing beside him.

"Lookin' for something?"

Sombra flinched, and glared at the sheriff. "History books."

"Oh! Well, those're right through this door." Silver Star walked along the wall, stopping in front of a door simply marked "History".

"...." Unable to respond, Sombra merely stepped into the room, Silver Star following closely. Inside was a number of bookshelves, each containing texts from various periods. Unfortunately, only one captured his interest: The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. He snatched the book with his magic and turned to leave, He found his path blocked by the increasingly troublesome sheriff.

"Goin' somewhere with that?" he asked, glaring from beneath his hat. Somehow, the longer this dark stallion stayed, the more dangerous he seemed. "This ain't a library. You'll have to-" he couldn't finish, as tree roots burst through the floor, strangling him and pinning him to the ground. They squeezed his legs, crushing his bones.He began to scream, but was silenced by a larger root wrapping around his mouth. Slowly, he was dragged down into the bowels of the earth he held so dear.

Stepping over the writhing sheriff, Sombra moved to the door. Stomping on his shadow, a crystal pillar rose. Using his magic, he broke it into fragments, each roughly the size of a doorknob. He placed one above the door frame, enchanting it so that anyone trying to enter would simply see no one here. He repeated this process with all the doors and windows before sitting down to read.

"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria..."

As the sun shone high in the sky, Chrysalis and her generals finally reached the edge of Appleloosa. Same as usual, except for that yellow mare stumbling around in a daze. Paying her no mind, the trio walked through the town, trying to spot their assailant. It should have been easy; this town had nothing but earth ponies after all. A unicorn, especially one as monstrous as that, would certainly stand out. As merely looking was useless, they opted to ask around.

They first approached the most social pony in town: Braeburn.

The stallion was patrolling the town as usual, greeting his friends and neighbors. He also took time out to greet visitors from the newly liberated Crystal Empire. They were coming more and more often, with a family having bought a house already. He wasn't familiar with the details, but apparently they were rescued by his cousin and her friends. Again. This makes the third or fourth time right? They need much more than a window or medals; what they deserve is--

His thoughts were interrupted by a hoof on his shoulder. Turning, he greeted the orange mare. "Mornin'! How can I help you, Ms...?"

"Citrus Daze," Chrysalis answered quickly. "I'm looking for a certain stallion, he... owes me something."

Braeburn hummed, forcing back the urge to ask about this stallion's debt. What mattered was exactly who he was. "Um, could ya describe him? As you can see" -- he waved a hoof over town-- "we have plenty of stallions here."

"Right. The one I'm looking for, he's a dark grey unicorn, with dark red eyes and a black mane. Of course, what you would notice right away is his horn." Her 'children' shuddered.

"What's wrong with it? Is it broken?"

"No, no, it's just... hideous. It's burning red, and shaped like a dagger. All in all, he's a very evil looking pony. Have you seen anyone like that?"

Braeburn stared off into space, trying to remember if he'd seen anypony like that before. They would certainly stand out anywhere in Equestria, but especially in Appleloosa. "Nope, sorry. I'll keep an eye out for him though. In fact, I'll go ask the sheriff." He galloped off towards Town Hall, leaving the changelings alone.

"E-excuse me?" asked a light blue mare, approaching them. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you describe our... king?" the mare asked, trembling.

"Your king? King of what, exactly?" She glared down at the mare. The others flanked her. "What do you know about him?"

Eyes darting from side to side, the mare struggled to speak. "I- I'd rather not talk about this in public. Please, we can talk at my house." Slipping through the barricade, the mare ran off, the changelings following.

The changelings sat on a soft couch in the living room. The mare, Topaz, was in the kitchen preparing refreshments in response to their cries of hunger. Aside from the couch, there was little decoration. A simple, clearly brand-new carpet on the floor, a bookshelf filled with books and pictures, with more pictures on the walls. Small simple things. What really stood out was the small crystal on the coffee table, glowing an gorgeous shade of blue.

Basking in that light, they all sighed in relief, and felt their weakness and hunger drain away. Entranced, Chrysalis leaned forward, desperate for more. The two soldiers stood back, happy to let their queen drink her fill. Sadly, the crystal quickly dimmed, with none of that wonderful light remaining. Without it, the room as a whole seemed darker somehow.

"Sorry for the wait." Topaz returned carrying a tray of water and sandwiches. Setting it down, she spotted the dim crystal. "Oh no, what happened?" Pressing her snout to it, she closed her eyes in concentration. Her coat glowed and became crystalline, and the crystal began to shine once more. Backing away, she looked up at her guests' shocked faces. "Is something wrong?"

"What was that?" Siren demanded. She leaped from the couch, hovering in Topaz's face."What did you do? What is that light?"

"Siren! Give her time to explain." Chrysalis ordered. Siren returned, glowering at their host. "Now, you were saying?"

"Um, right. Well, that ties in to the story rather well, actually." She sat down and cleared her throat. "I, like all crystal ponies, hail from the Crystal Empire. This gem is just a tiny part of what we use to build our homes and businesses. When benevolent emotions are focused through them, they spread through the area, like now. In fact, each year every citizen of the empire would gather around the Crystal Heart, and we would pour the love and unity we share into it, spreading it through all Equestria."

"Wait!" Chrysalis interrupted, an eager grin on her face. "You say that this Crystal Heart contains the love of your entire empire?" With each word, her grin grew, and she struggled to keep from dancing in place.

"Y-yes. It's a tradition of ours, one that began centuries ago. Well, over a thousand years ago now but... um..." She scooted away from the now drooling pegasi. After a moment of this, they wiped their mouths and turned to leave. "Wait! Don't you need to hear about the king?"

"No," Chrysalis turned, a wicked grin on her face. "He's not important anymore." She giggled, the duo joining in shortly.

Thoroughly frightened by these unhinged ponies, Topaz let them leave. Almost immediately after shutting the door, she remembered something. She threw open the door and hurried outside. Spotting the family, she galloped into their path.

"Move," Chrysalis snarled. Topaz stood her ground.

"Please," she began, unfazed by the glares boring into her. "Please, if Sombra is alive, you can't let him get to the heart. If his dark magic infests it, that darkness will spread through all of Equestria, starting with the Crystal Empire!"

"I understand. Trust me, I won't let him anywhere near it." Chrysalis rubbed Topaz's head.

"Okay. Thank you." Satisfied, Topaz went home, shutting the door. Inside, she noticed that her crystal had gone missing. "They wouldn't... right?"

"We'll need to use this sparingly," Chrysalis said, referring to the crystal tucked under her wing. They stood at the train station, waiting for Siren to finish seducing the teller. She offered it to the nameless general. "Here. You need to eat too."

"You're too kind. But I think it should be used strictly for emergencies, yes?" Despite his refusal, his legs shook, struggling to support his body.

"Absolutely not! Eat! That's an order!" She shoved it in his face. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and absorbed some of the love within. After a few seconds, he stopped, able to stand.

Siren trotted over, carrying three tickets. Handing one to each of them, she said, "The trip should take about two days. Will that crystal hold out that long?"

"With severe rationing, yes," Chrysalis replied, sitting down on the platform.

"I see. Well, my queen, remember that your life comes before ours. and to-"

"I already tried telling her that," the nameless one interrupted. "It's no use."

Siren opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the incoming train's whistle. All together, they stepped onto the train.

Roughly ten minutes earlier...

Sombra stood under the shade of Town Hall's roof. There's no way you're afraid of a little sunlight. He thought, trying to psyche himself out. You didn't fear Aurora, or Celestia, as she calls herself now. He chuckled at the rather arrogant name. Hearing somepony coming close, he pressed himself to the wall, merging with the shadows.

"Sheriff!" A yellow stallion called, knocking on the door. "Sheriff, are ya in? I got somepony lookin' for a grey, black-maned stallion! Have ya seen him?" Hearing nothing, he stepped inside.

Sombra froze in shock. Who could be looking for me? He took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. I'm sure a lot of Equestrians look like that. No need to panic.

"Oh, and one more thing: I was told he had a really weird looking horn. Like a red-hot dagger or somethin'."

No, that's me. After the stallion left, Sombra hurried inside, shutting the door. Pacing around the lobby, he searched his mind for ideas. "He's right. I looked out of place back at home, let alone here! I need to disguise myself, and fast!" After a moment of pacing and snarling to himself, he decided on a full-body illusion. Illusions, while not his specialty, were pretty easy to cast, especially on a single object. "Now, what should it be? My best bet would probably be the opposite of how I look now. That should fit in just fine."

In his mind's eye, he pictured a white, blue-maned unicorn with green eyes. Satisfied, his horn glowed, the black aura enveloping his body. From horn to hooves, the aura receded, replacing Sombra with the white stallion.

Using his magic to grab some things around the room, he inspected the light blue aura. Assured that nothing would give him away, he confidently strode outside. He stared at the bright, cloudless sky, at that infuriating ball of light and heat. Taking a deep breath, he stuck a hoof into the sunlight.

"Nothing?" Slowly, he stepped out from under the roof, standing in natural sunlight for the first time in a thousand years. Ashamed at his cowardice, he walked to the train station, snatching up a few pebbles along the way. I'm certain the castle has a more suitable library. Hopefully the Elements haven't been rediscovered yet. I'll be unstoppable! His deep, menacing laugh echoed around the platform.

"Um, sir?" The teller asked. "Do you need a moment?"

"No, I'm fine." Sombra said, handing the stones, disguised as bits, to the teller. "One ticket."

"Alright. Enjoy your ride."

The train pulled in, and Sombra climbed aboard. "Oh, I intend to." He laughed again.

January 23, 698

Finally! At long last, I, Prince Sombra, have gotten my Cutie Mark! My special talent is spreading fear. Not exactly what I thought it would be, but who cares? It's mine! And I have... um... one of the trainee Knights to thank for it! I'll have to show my gratitude when he wakes up. The medics say that could take a while though. And his throat is ruined from the screaming, but that's not important. I should tell my mother!

Signed,

Sombra

A Name for Myself

Sombra awoke in a flaming prison cell. His hooves were bound to the floor by a number of super-heated, hooked chains. With each attempt to move, the chains tightened, forcing a scream of pain from the stallion. As he opened his mouth, snakes poured out, circling around and sinking their fangs into his eyes. In place of venom, the snakes excreted magma, which quickly evaporated his eyes and flooded his skull.

Sombra's eyes snapped open, and he frantically looked about the carriage. He exhaled, trying to clear his head of those horrid visions. Again... even now I see that Hell. Hoping to distract himself, he settled on watching the scenery fly by. From what he could tell, Equestria hadn't changed very much since he was here last. Even things like Nightmare Moon failed to have a lasting effect. But from what he could remember, the Princess' throne room was in the middle of an enchanted forest. How could a train get there?

On that note, did Nightmare Moon reappear at all? His sense of time was muddled, but the thousandth Summer Solstice had surely come and gone by now. If so, was Aurora forced to kill her beloved sister? He chuckled at the thought. That should make things far easier; one alicorn was difficult enough, let alone two. On top of that, two princesses couldn't confine him to a single location; if he couldn't kill the alicorn, he could at least raze her home in the ensuing battle. Another chuckle. Yes... that's a decent lose-lose plan. But how can I make it worse?

Fighting Aurora wouldn't be the only problem though; her 'loyal subjects', as well as her Royal Guard, were what worried him. Well, worried was a bit strong. At most, they would be simply be a distraction, which could still end up fatal in a fight against an enraged alicorn. Perhaps I could draw their attention elsewhere, create a false alarm somewhere far away. The other side of the country should do. Of course, military action on such a grand scale would require an equally grand disturbance. Something like, well, me. A dragon should suffice. Or several.

He looked around the carriage once more, finding it nearly empty, except for a small family of three pegasi, who seemed to be sleeping. He got up from his seat, immediately stumbling with the train's rocky movements. Embarrassed, he straightened himself, seeing the awakened family glaring at him. He glared right back.

Chrysalis panicked, barely hiding it from the murderous stallion. Her drones were much less subtle, shaking like leaves while trying to maintain their stare down. Changeling eyes were adapted to see through nearly any disguise, aside from their own, to assist in operations and large, complicated battles. She only hoped he couldn't do the same. "May we help you, sir?"

"Yes," Sombra said. "I need some information--" The train shook again, throwing him to the ground. Getting up, he lifted Chrysalis with his magic, setting her down in the empty seat beside her. Sitting down, he continued. "I need information on Equestria. I'm from the Crystal Empire, you see."

"I... I see," she responded, pressing herself against the window. "I'll guess you're unfamiliar with the country, then?"

He snorted. "Yes. I was actually wondering where to find Princess... Celestia and Princess Luna. I wanted to thank them for freeing us from the king."

Ah... I can use this! If he can distract the bearers, at least, I can act unopposed! "Well, it won't be that easy. There was an incident a few weeks ago at a wedding between the Captain of the Royal Guard and Celestia's niece. I'm sure security is still very tight."

"What?" he sneered. "What happened?" Hopefully, the castle and soldiers would have sustained enough damage that they could be safely ignored.

"It was a changeling attack." Sombra flinched, and Chrysalis turned to the window to hide her smile. "Their queen impersonated the bride, and tried to take Equestria from within." She scowled. "As you can probably guess, they failed. Since then, guards have been combing Equestria, searching for any survivors."

"Maybe I could offer my assistance. I ran into a few earlier this morning." He laughed at the memory. "Last I checked, there were only a few left. Literally three of them, all children!"

Chrysalis shook, eyes burning green. "Is that so? How fortunate."

Siren laid her hoof over her queen's, trying to calm her down. Failing that, she turned to Sombra. "I do know a surefire way to contact the princess, s-sir."

He leaned in, staring intently. "Well? Out with it!"

She jumped, and shook even more. "W- well, her personal student, Twilight Sparkle, lives nearby. Surely she would have a direct line..." she trailed off, hoping he would take the hint.

"Ah..." he nodded in understanding. "So where, exactly, does she live?"

"Um..." she gave her brother a pleading look.

He sighed. "Really, Siren. Twilight can be found at the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville. The train will stop there in a few hours."

"Wonderful." Sombra turned away and, unwilling to brave the unstable floors, used his magic to carry himself to his seat.

With him out of earshot, the trio could relax. Chrysalis turned to her son, suspicion in her eyes. "Exactly how did you know all that, hmm? I can't recall sending anyone to scout out Ponyville."

"Um, well..." he stammered, anxious of how his queen would respond. "I took it upon myself to gather some information on the bearers before the attack on Canterlot. During the attack itself, I lead a platoon into the Elements' holding chamber to prevent their usage." He bowed his head. "I hope that's alright."

"Alright?" she giggled. "That's incredible, little general! In fact, I think you deserve a name of your own. One bestowed by your queen."

"Really!?" He beamed. Being able to name yourself was one thing, but to be named by the queen was the highest honor a drone could hope for. His wings flapped rapidly, as close to buzzing as he could afford. "What shall my name be, my queen?"

She laid a hoof on her chin, humming in thought. "I'll call you... Cege."

"Cege?" He cocked his head to the side. He certainly wasn't going to complain, but it was such an odd name, certainly not one you'd give a changeling.

She nodded. "It was the name of a griffon leader. When I was young, my hive tried to take his city, only to be stopped at every turn. We actually thought he had an informant, or was a changeling himself. Turns out it was all careful planning and foresight. You remind me of him, so you get his name. Actually," she looked out the window. "We have some time to kill. Would you like to hear the full story?"

They nodded eagerly, shifting in their seats. Once they were comfortable, Chrysalis began.

As the hours passed, Sombra tried to busy himself by revising his plan. The knowledge was useful, of course, but there were so few ways to properly use it. The idea that came up most often was to corrupt her with dark magic, but Aurora knew how to neutralize that, and could use it against him anyways. Of course, that didn't help her one thousand years ago; what good would it do now?

He shook his head; he was getting off track. What mattered was her student. He knew that Aurora was a natural trickster, and an experienced manipulator. Perhaps he could plant a seed of doubt, make Twilight question her teacher's motives to the point of rebellion. But how long would that take? It would have to be slow and steady, like mental gaslighting, else he would be found out.

Furthermore, exactly how strong was she? She couldn't be too powerful, being a student, but certainly enough to get Aurora's attention. Still, what kind of place is "Ponyville" to send a young mage? It sounded like such a young, no-name town...

It clicked. "Of course!" he exclaimed, earning more looks from the pegasi. It's likely a fail-safe, in case her magic grows too powerful, goes critical, and destroys her and everything nearby. Can't have that at the castle, can we? Actually, that's not a bad idea... do I know any spells that can do that? He made a mental note to peruse the library for any modern spells; fortune favors the prepared, after all, and he couldn't risk being blindsided by some new restraint or attack.

In fact, it would be a good idea to test her skills. I could pose as a nomad and ask her to demonstrate a certain set of spells. He nodded in satisfaction. There's the alibi, now he needed a name. Being the student of an immortal creature, she was likely well-versed in history. He couldn't simply walk into her home, spouting his real name and motives.

Before he could begin to consider names, the train screeched to a halt, sending him forward. He stood up and looked out the window. He gasped.

His eyes widened and his blood boiled, for waddling down the dirt road was a small, purple figure; the dragon that had orchestrated his defeat. It looked to be alone, and was carrying a heavy-looking basket. Perfect.

Ignoring the open doors, Sombra teleported outside, reappearing on the platform. Keeping an eye on the beast, he stalked it throughout Ponyville, close enough to watch it, but far enough to avoid suspicion. Soon, the dragon stopped. Unfortunately, it stopped in the park, and began talking to a purple mare with books stacked around her. He hid behind a tree to eavesdrop.

"Hey, Twilight," Spike greeted his surrogate sister. "I brought you some lunch!" He sat next to her, placing the basket between them.

"Thanks, Spike." She opened the lid and took a daffodil sandwich. She took a bite and smiled in appreciation. After a morning of nagging, he managed to convince her to take her studies outside instead of being cooped up in the library. He insisted that it "wasn't healthy." He had a point, of course, it's just...

"Still looking up dark magic?" Spike asked through a mouthful of gems. Twilight shushed him, looking frantically around the park. Spike sighed. "You're being paranoid, Twilight. Not too many ponies even know what dark magic is."

"I know, I know." She nodded to the stack. "That's why I've been ordering these older textbooks from Trottingham, but they barely even cover it! They actually describe it as 'a dead form of magic, one whose very existence is debated today'." She heaved a heavy sigh, then continued eating. "What if somepony else who can use it shows up? We'll be sitting ducks."

"Well, it's not like you don't know dozens of other spells. Why do you need dark magic?"

"I already know how to use it; I need to know how to counter it." She noticed Spike's raised claw. "I already asked Luna, and she said I wasn't ready. I'm sure Princess Celestia would say the same thing."

Sombra's interest thoroughly peaked, he approached the pair. "You there," he said, "did you mention dark magic?"

"Um, well..." Twilight stammered. Who was this stallion, and why had he been listening? How did he know about dark magic? These questions bounced around in her head, consuming her concentration. Better start with the easiest one. "I'm sorry; who are you?"

He cleared his throat. "My name is Cavalier. I'm a travelling magic enthusiast. And you are?"

She offered a hoof. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, the local librarian. This is Spike, my assistant." The dragon waved in greeting, his mouth still full.

Again, he ignored the gesture, wondering why everypony introduced themselves that way. "I see. I would like to see your selection. I need some new materials."

"Absolutely!" she exclaimed, standing up and heading towards her home. All at once, the books and Spike were scooped up in Twilight's magic and stuffed into her saddlebags. "So sorry to keep you waiting!"

After a moment of struggling, Spike broke free, climbing onto Twilight's back. They left the park, followed closely by Sombra, wearing a predatory grin.

January 31, 698

I attended a royal summit today. Honestly, I was very disappointed. A week of training, and no one acted the way I expected them to! Especially the alicorn rulers of Equestria, Princesses Aurora and Luna. I guess I was being too serious for their liking, because when we came back from lunch, I found that my chair had been replaced with a flurry of lights and sound. They called it "fireworks," some sort of celebratory tool. I can't help but pity their subjects.

Signed,

Sombra

Author's Note

To avoid confusion, "Cege" is pronounced the same way as "Siege".

Down to Business

In the Golden Oaks library, Twilight was busy stacking her various books on the coffee table. Spike was in the kitchen, preparing a batch of his famous nachos to make up for the half-lunch. Sombra passed the time looking for the magic-based books. As his eyes passed over another copy of the reference guide, a question came to mind.

"Twilight Sparkle," he said, turning to the mare. "You mentioned Princess Luna, correct?"

She looked up. "Yes, she's a good friend of mine."

"I thought she was banished to the moon by her sister." He took the book in his magic, holding it up for emphasis. "For roughly one thousand years, correct?"

"Yes, and could you please be careful with that?" She took the book in her own magic, returning it to the shelf. "She did return as Nightmare Moon on the Summer Solstice, but we used the Elements of Harmony to return her to normal."

He twitched. "Excuse me?"

She gave a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah, my friends and I are the new bearers-"

He slammed his hooves on the table, scattering the books. "Your friends? Who!?" Realizing what he was doing, he stepped down and cleared his throat. "I would like to thank you for your efforts."

She blushed. "It's okay, really. That was years ago."

Deciding that this gambit would be wasted on her, Sombra continued. "No, really, I insist. You've done a great thing for this country. Do you know where I can find your friends, that I may thank them as well?"

"Good luck with that," Spike said, emerging from the kitchen with a bowl larger than he was, filled to the brim with chips and toppings. With a grunt, he set the bowl on the already crowded table. "You'll probably just embarrass them. Especially Fluttershy." He grabbed a clawful and stuffed them into his mouth.

Sombra eyed the strange dish, slowly realizing that he hadn't eaten since his defeat. He took a cheese-smothered chip, inspecting it in midair. "Who?"

"She's a pegasus pony. She's super shy, and afraid of pretty much everything, but she's one of the kindest ponies you'll ever meet."

"So she would bear the Element of Kindness."

"Right." Licking his claws clean, he ran upstairs. Seconds later, he returned with a framed photo of six ponies, Twilight included. He went on, pointing to each one in turn. "This is Applejack, whose family runs Sweet Apple Acres; This is Pinkie Pie, the pony you turn to for a great time; Here's Rainbow Dash, the leader of the Weather Patrol team; This is Rarity, a clothing designer and one of the most beautiful ponies in Equestria-"

He tuned Spike out, believing that he had heard everything he needed to know. Instead, he focused on the food, taking an experimental bite of the chip. He froze. He knew that he had put the thing in his mouth, and yet...

I can't taste it! They tasted good enough, if the dragon's appetite was anything to go by. Even Twilight looked up from her reading to steal a chip or two. So what's wrong with me!? Slowly, it all came together. "That's the extent of the curse." The others looked at him, confused.

"What curse?" Spike asked.

Sombra wasn't listening, as his anger was reaching its boiling point. His horn glowed with a dark, roiling aura, and his eyes glowed green. The tree itself began to mutate, with twisted, black roots erupting from the floor, as well as large thorns bursting from the walls.

Shaking off her surprise, Twilight conjured a barrier around him, trying to contain the dark energy.The second it closed around him, a black bolt of magic fired from his horn, easily demolishing the barrier. The blast hit the wall, further spreading the mutation. "Spike, get out of here!"

"But-"

"NOW!"

Slipping past Cavalier, he ran to the door. Once it was open, he turned back. "I'll go get help! Be careful!"

With Spike gone, she had no reason to worry, firing beams of energy to destroy the corrupted roots and thorns. It was of little use, as more quickly took their place. Her only option was to remove the source. Summoning another barrier around herself, she marched to Cavalier, dodging stray blasts. Soon, she stood in front of the growling stallion. She eyed his horn, which was bubbling with magic. Raising a hoof, she gave it a light smack.

He recoiled, and the magic faded from his horn. Rubbing the appendage, he glared at her. "How dare you...!"

"I'm sorry, but you were out of control! Are you alright?" She looked around the library, inspecting the damage. "Um... you do know how to get rid of this, right?"

"No. I never learned any spells to fix this."

"I see."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Sombra walked to one of the undamaged bookshelves, snatching copies of A Warrior's Guide to Witchcraft and Advancements in Magic. "I'm leaving."

"Hold it!" She blocked his way. "I need you to help me get rid of all this!"

"You're a bright girl. You'll figure something out." Without waiting for a response, he vanished in a flash of light, leaving Twilight alone to seethe.

He hadn't gone far, reappearing just outside the rear of the library. Holding the books close, he ran off, seeking solitude. Within minutes, he arrived at a lake on the outskirts of town. Laying the books down, he began to pace. This is bad. This is very, very bad. He pressed a hoof to his head. Calm down, Sombra. Yes, dark magic is rare. Yes, you've made Aurora's student wary of you;in fact, you've probably pissed her off. But look at the bright side: you've found the bearers! That's half of your plan already done. Now, how to get rid of them? He opened A Warrior's Guide to Witchcraft, looking over the table of contents.

"Let's see... disorientation, summoning, explosives, lasers, elemental offense, interrogation... Where to begin?"

"Come along, now! We're almost there!"

Sombra turned toward the voice, seeing a yellow pegasus leading a train of ducklings to the lake. As she got closer, he could see that it was the same one from the photograph-- the Bearer of Kindness, Fluttershy. He shut the book, covering it with the other. "Excuse me," he called, walking to the mare, "might I have a word?"

Fluttershy jumped, turning around to greet the stallion. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be drowned out by the ducklings' panicked quacking. Sombra's telekinesis silenced them.

After counting out each one, she tucked them under her wing. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into them. Ducklings are usually--"

"You're Fluttershy, correct?"

"Um, y-yes?" She raised an eyebrow, somewhat hoping that he was just a courier.

"I see. My name is Cavalier. I was looking or the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, so I can pay them back for their efforts in keeping Equestria safe. Do you need anything?"

"W-what? Um... I don't--"

"I insist! It sickens me when heroes don't get the recognition they deserve. Surely there must be something you'd want?"

She sighed in defeat; she couldn't turn down someone so eager. "Well, it gets really chilly at night..."

"So, a heater? Simple enough, I just need some feathers." He reached out with his magic, gripping the edge of her wing. With a sharp tug, he removed a large clump of feathers.

"Ouch!" Fluttershy hopped back, rubbing her sore wing. Once the throbbing subsided, she gave Cavalier a questioning glare. "Why did you do that?"

"I just said I needed your feathers." He carried them to the edge of the lake, burying them in the sand. He used his magic to ignite the area, turning it into glass. Lifting the transparent lump, he split it into five pieces, each containing bits of her wing. "I'm going to enchant these to react to your presence. When you get close to one, it should heat up. I should be done in about a day."

"Oh, thank you. I was getting so worried about my friends."

"And now there's no need."

Fluttershy nodded and looked at the ground, unsure of what to say next. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her ducklings, still frozen. Chiding herself for forgetting, she cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me... could you please release my ducklings?"

"Will they continue their incessant squawking?" he asked, idly twirling the glass in midair.

"I don't think so. I'm sure they were just excited is all."

He stared at her for a short while before releasing the birds. Immediately, they resumed their quacking, leaping up into Fluttershy's mane for safety. He stared again, clearly annoyed. She could only grin apologetically. Unable to handle the noise any longer, he gathered his books and the glass, and walked off.

He wandered aimlessly through the outskirts of Ponyville, grinning deviously at the glass shards before him. The feathers sealed within would be more than enough to track Fluttershy back to her home once the enchantments were in place. For that matter, how could he use these to kill her? Come on, think!

Of course, any attempt would hinge on where exactly she lived; hopefully she lived on the outskirts, where rescue would be slow to arrive. Even so, it couldn't hurt to come up with a backup plan. Maybe a few dozen, to be safe. After all, if it worked at the empire, it should work here.

Of course, for this to work, he couldn't afford any further distractions. Fortunately, he was already near the outskirts; if he could avoid wandering too far away from town, he should be fine. He tapped his chin. But then, what where the chances that I'll be discovered? And on another note, where would I spend the night? He tapped a little harder, noting that he still couldn't feel each hit.

Forcing that thought out of his head, he tried to remember what the dragon had said about the other bearers. So-and-so was a weather pony, such-and-such made clothing...

And one of them runs an orchard! It's a decent place to hide, surrounded by trees, and from what he knew about farmers, they probably took that "early to bed" saying to heart. Looking up, he judged that barely an hour had passed since he arrived in Ponyville.

After checking the area for any more possible distractions, he laid down on the grass and opened Advancements in Magic. "I've got some time. May as well practice some of these spells."

February 15, 698

I need to hurry. Yesterday, my mother decided to open our gates to tourists in honor of Hearts and Hooves Day. Over half of them were changelings! They attacked at night, making a beeline for the Crystal Heart. I need to prepare for battle... I may not return.

Sombra

One Last Saturday

Sunlight streamed through Fluttershy's bedroom window, waking the yellow pegasus. Opening her eyes, she pushed herself out of the small igloo she had slept in, made of her numerous blankets and quilts. The instant she was out of bed, a herd of smaller creatures burst out from under the covers and ran to the living room for breakfast. Once the room was quiet, Angel climbed out of Fluttershy's mane and ran downstairs. Smiling after him, she hurried into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she trotted downstairs to see Angel tapping his foot impatiently, an empty bowl sitting beside him. His "roommates", despite sitting rather quietly, were clearly eager for breakfast, gazing up at Fluttershy with pleading eyes. Almost completely by muscle memory, she flew over to the kitchen, grabbed a sack of pet feed, and began emptying it into the many waiting bowls scattered around the room.

Again she flew to the kitchen, and then once more. In what felt like no time at all, nearly all of the food had been completely depleted. She stretched, and returned to the kitchen one last time to make her own meal. It was nothing fancy, just a salad topped with buttercups, an old favorite. Her breakfast made, she went back to the living room to eat and oversee her friends' antics.

As she ate, she thought about what she would do today. It was Saturday, which meant most of her friends would be on their day off. At the same time though, it meant that many of them would still be asleep. Even she wasn't immune to the weekends' effects; a glance at the clock told her it was nearly ten o' clock, far later than usual. She looked down at a family of squirrels, who were hastily stuffing their faces. To be honest, her friends being busy was for the best; she had to help most of these animals gather food for winter. Getting them fattened up was her number one priority; it was either that or let them wreak havoc on Ponyville's crops.

With that in mind, she finished her meal and gathered the emptied bowls. Noticing her empty cupboards, she resolved to refill her stock while she was out. With that in mind, she put on her saddlebags and headed for the door. Angel stopped her, silently demanding to know where she was going.

"Aw, I'm sorry, sweetie. I need to go get some more food. You understand, right?" Whether or not he did, he ran around her, tugging on her tail. "Oh, did you want to come with me?" He frantically shook his head, pulling even harder. "Is there something bad outside?"

He nodded, twisting his ears into the shape of a horn. He hunched over and snarled, mimicking some sort of monster. He even threw in an evil laugh to complete the look.

"An evil... unicorn?" She giggled and rubbed his head. "Angel, you know there's nopony like that in Ponyville. Now, I really need to get going. Did you want me to get you anything while I'm gone?"

He sighed in defeat, knowing that this was her way of saying "I'm going, whether you like it or not." On top of that, it was way too early to consider arguing any more. Instead, he hopped outside, hoping to get some exercise in while he had some free time.

"Alright then! Behave, everyone!" With a short wave, she left, shutting the door.

First things first, she'd have to designate the various hiding spots/nests for most of the animals, else they would end up fighting for territory again. On that note, she needed to visit the queen bee that lived in Twilight's tree and make sure she didn't choose to sleep above Twilight's bed again. The library couldn't afford to have Twilight panic like that again.

In no time at all, she was hovering next to the beehive, trying to convince the horde of bees to let her speak to the queen.

"Please, just this once, could I speak to her directly?" Fluttershy pleaded to the swarm before her.

A chorus of buzzing was her response.

"I know she's exhausted, but did she tell you what happened last year? Twilight said she would have your hive removed if that happened again."

More buzzing, and the swarm took the shape of an angry face.

"Yes, but she lives here too. You should be more considerate of your neighbors." They seemed unconvinced. She tapped her chin. "What if I found her a nice, warm tree at Sweet Apple Acres? One on a hill that overlooks town? If you'd let me, I could move the hive over there. You get a wonderful new home, and Twilight can sleep at night. Everyone wins!"

They were silent, and retreated into the hive. Moments later, they returned, the swarm taking the shape of a check-mark.

She grinned. "Wonderful! Get back inside and hold on tight, okay?" Once they were all inside, she gave the hive a sharp tug, easily ripping it off of the tree. Holding the sticky mass close, she flew off, shaking with anxiety. She had some explaining to do.

As always the Apple family was hard at work. Macintosh was out showing Applebloom the proper plowing technique while Granny Smith was in town running errands. That left Applejack to take care of the baking for now. As Fluttershy had arrived in the middle of her chore, the barn was flooded with the wondrous scent of apple tarts, fritters and pies.

"You wanna what!?" Applejack asked, turning away from the oven. "Fluttershy, I know you're tryin' to help, but you really have to see me or Big Mac first. Or Granny Smith, on one of her better days."

Fluttershy blushed and pawed at the ground. Sensing her discomfort, the beehive shook menacingly. Laying a hoof on the hive to calm them, she said, "I know, and I'm so sorry Applejack, but you know how beneficial bees are for the orchard, and I remember you saying that Honeycomb was inflating his prices again..."

Applejack frowned at the mention of the stingy stallion. "Tell me about it. Just because the workers are getting ready to die out doesn't mean you gotta jack up the prices! We only needed a few of 'em anyway; just enough to help pollinate the eastern fields."

Before she could finish her rant, the oven dinged, and she quickly removed the newest batch of pastries, setting them down on the counter. With their release came a fresh wave of that intoxicating aroma, instantly calming them both.

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Well, I can give you this hive for free, if you like. It would be easy to move them in, and I'm certain Twilight would appreciate it."

"I understand. ." She pointed to the fields. "Just tell Big Mac where you need to go. I'm sure he can take a break long enough to point you in the right direction. I would do it myself, but" --she nodded at large buckets of apples and dough that dotted the barn-- "I'm kinda busy here. By the way, since you came all the way out here, you want something to eat? You must be tired, lugging that thing halfway across town."

"Oh, no thanks, I just ate a little while ago. Bye!" With a short wave, she left.

After an agonizing trip through the expansive orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy finally found the large stallion watching Applebloom try to pull much smaller version of the plow --appropriately dubbed the "Training Plow"-- through a small, crudely defined patch of field. He stood beside her, offering pointers as he saw fit.

"Don't exhaust yourself now! Make each step count; when you're not pullin', you're restin'! Use that to get ready for the next tug!"

The filly grunted in agreement, pausing briefly to breathe. In that moment, she glanced over at her brother, spotting Fluttershy just a few yards away. Taking the opportunity for a much-needed break, she waved and called out, "Howdy, Fluttershy!"

At the mention of company, Big Mac's famous shyness kicked in, and he stiffly turned to meet the mare, nodding in greeting. She offered a small wave in return. With the greetings out of the way, neither knew how to continue, and their mutual shyness forced an awkward silence to develop.

Applebloom, wanting to break the tension already, wriggled out of her harness. "So whatcha need? And... what's with he beehive?"

Fluttershy blinked, remembering her mission. "Um, Big Mac, Applejack says you know where I can find a good tree for the queen bee. All she needs is somewhere that's warm and out of the way. Can you help me find a tree like that? I-if you don't mind?"

"Eeyup." He turned and nudged his sister, giving her the okay to leave. With a stretch and a teasing grin, she trotted off, likely in search of the other crusaders. Once she was out of sight, he tapped one of the few clean patches on Fluttershy's fur. He walked toward the western field, gesturing for her to follow.

The walk was silent, which was to be expected, considering. Trying to ignore how uncomfortable she was, Fluttershy occupied herself with eavesdropping on the multitude of conversations going on inside the hive. It sounded like they were reenacting Hamlet in their spare time. There was a tiny crash, and a slew of swears streamed from the hive. Embarrassed, she quickly removed her ear. Maybe she could find time to help them in Spring. Pinkie would certainly love to help with the acting, Rarity with the costumes--

Big Mac cleared his throat, getting her attention. He pointed to a large tree just a few feet away, one that had just begun to shed its leaves, which sat in small clumps around the base. The swarm buzzed in appreciation, flying out of the hive to dance about the trunk and branches. After burying the hive and queen under a suitable pile of leaves, Fluttershy stood by Big Mac to watch.

After a moment, she turned to him, a grateful smile on her face. "Thanks again, Big Macintosh. This really means a lot to them."

"Eeyup." He nodded, idly chewing on a blade of grass. Again, silence filled the air.

Slowly, it dawned on Fluttershy: she was still covered in honey! Mortified, she jumped into the air, stammering a barely audible apology before rushing home. The stallion stared after her for a moment, confused, before trotting off to find Applebloom.

The second she opened her door, Angel sprung forward, happily wrapping his arms around his owner's neck, ignoring the sticky goo covering her. She giggled at the rare display.

"See, Angel? I told you I would be fine." She walked upstairs and into the bathroom. She turned on the bathtub faucet, waiting for the water to heat up. "Now, sweetie, I don't mind if you stay, but" --she tried to pry the bunny from her neck-- "you don't want to get all wet, do you?" Reluctantly, he released his arms, yet he still dangled there, glued to his owner. She giggled again. "I guess you've got no choice. Sorry."

Reaching under the sink, she retrieved an expensive-looking bottle of shampoo; a gift from Rarity, of course. Placing them on the rim of the tub, she turned off the faucet and climbed in, being careful not to dunk Angel. Once she was settled, she got to work cleaning herself.

In no time, Angel was detached, and he hopped up to the tub's rim, content to watch. All too quickly, she was clean. Still, she chose to rest there a little longer, savoring the warm water. She sighed, silently wishing that fall and winter would hurry up and pass. Spring and summer never seemed to last for very long, but then, nothing she truly enjoyed seemed to. At the same time, she reasoned, that makes it more important to cherish the time you have now, right?

Just then, she could hear the animals outside go ballistic, shrieking and chirping in a cacophonous chorus. Angel leaped from his perch and dashed downstairs, eager to see what the problem was. Over the noise, she could just barely make out the sound of rapid, aggravated knocks against her door. She leaped out of the tub, threw on her bathrobe and scrambled for the door. Before she could even reach the bathroom door, the knocking stopped. At the same time, the noise came to and abrupt end, and she heard the distinctive ping of a unicorn teleporting, and hooves marching across the living room floor.

"Twilight...?" she said, hoping more than anything that her friend had simply stopped by for a visit. Of course, Twilight had never caused such a racket before. She fluttered towards the door, her apprehension growing. Swallowing her fear, she opened the door just enough to peek outside. Even that was just a bit too loud, as the intruder quickly vanished in a flash of light. She waited a minute or two, and if she listened carefully, she could make out the sounds of the animals sniffing around the door. Sighing in relief, she finally emerged, galloping down the stairs.

Sitting on the coffee table were five large pieces of glass, each crudely cut to resemble her cutie mark. As she got closer, they glowed a faint pink. Angel handed her a hastily written note.

Fluttershy,

You weren't home, so I let myself in. Here are the heaters you requested. For the maximum effect, I suggest they be placed above your front door, bedroom door, back door, and windows, if possible. Once they're in place, tap at least one of them to activate it. The rest will follow.

Cavalier

She grinned, scooping up the trinkets and placing around the house as directed. Strangely, they stuck with no trouble, despite the lack of adhesive. "Maybe he dipped them in honey, too?" she joked. With an awkward chuckle, she continued placing the trinkets around the house. She stuck the final one on the door frame of her bedroom door, giving it a light tap.

The effects were immediate, the glow changing from pink to a hellish red, and it shattered, wrapping the door in flames. Fluttershy shrieked in panic, taking to the air. Her room, in mere seconds, had been almost completely consumed by the fire. Even her windows were quickly welded shut, filling the air with smoke. Gagging, she fell, turning herself slightly to land on the bed, the one thing that had yet to burn. The fire came to life, gathering at the center of the room. The mass rose, not unlike a cobra, and shot forward. She rolled onto the floor, the snake consuming the headboard and collapsing on impact. It quickly revived itself, even bigger than before, and searched the room frantically.

She used what little time she had to sprint to the corner closest to the door. Fortunately, when the fire had morphed into that... thing, they had receded from the doorway. Slowly, she tried crawling to safety, freezing every few seconds to risk a look at the demon destroying her home. By then, it had moved its search to the bathroom, having coated the rest of the bedroom in flames. Just as she reached the frame, it spotted her. Flaring up in anger, it roared, forcing her to bolt through the door, hastily shutting it behind her. In a futile effort to restrain the beast, she removed her damp robe and stuffed it under the door. She backed into the hallway, peeking over the balcony for a good look at the rest of the house.

What she saw broke her heart.

Everything was engulfed, the doors and walls forming a barrier around the house, blocking each possible exit. Four identical serpents slithered around the living room, spitting fireballs at anything that moved. Already, a sizable pile of charred corpses filled the center of the room, and when another creature was hit, it was quickly tossed onto the pile. Every so often, one of them would pluck a corpse from the pile, swallowing it to fuel their flame. The sight made her want to vomit, to scream, cry, anything, but she knew it would do no good. She needed to escape and find help. First things first, she needed a distraction.

That distraction came in the form of the second floor collapsing onto the first, bringing the first snake with it. The commotion attracted the others, and they dove into the wreckage, tearing at any flammable items. Before the destruction could reach her, she leaped over the edge, gliding over the hellish bonfire and landing near the blazing door. She steeled herself, facing down the burning portal. If she was quick about it, she could dash through the fire and land in the moat. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, crushing any doubts that still lingered. Confidence flowing through her, she allowed herself a victorious grin and one last look at her would-be assassins.

All at once, the confidence drained from her body, replaced with all-consuming fear, the same fear a mother feels when her child is in danger.

Angel, perhaps the only survivor of the massacre, had his leg pinned beneath scorched debris. Behind him, the five beasts reared up, prepared to incinerate the rodent.

"NO!!" The world seemed to move in slow motion, Fluttershy moving faster than she ever had before. Everything besides her dear friend, her child, meant nothing, reduced to a bright blur in her panic. In an instant she was at his side, easily kicking aside the debris with an unnatural strength. She picked him up, holding him close. He winced at the painful sensation of fur against his charred skin. Regardless, he smiled, glad that she was okay. That smile quickly twisted into a look of horror, as he saw the blazing hydra bearing down on them. She turned just in time to see five heads of flame strike all at once, reducing her to little more than a pitch black skeleton. Their mission nearly complete, the serpents split, circling the house and exploding into a roaring fire that swallowed the small cottage and anything still inside.

"Hey. You can open your eyes now. It's over." A deep, wispy voice called out.

Slowly, Fluttershy opened her eyes, coming face to face with a pair of sunken red ones. She screamed and tried to jump back. Rather, she drifted backwards, much like a free balloon. Looking down, she could see that they were several feet above her the remains of her home, ten feet at least. However, despite the altitude, her wings remained at her sides, motionless. Thoroughly confused, she looked down at her hooves, finding them nearly see-through. She spun in place realizing that her whole body had become ethereal, just like a--

"You're a ghost. A spirit." Now that she was further away, she could get a good look at her guest. He was a pitch black alicorn stallion, with a large scythe strapped to his back. Like Fluttershy, he hovered a few feet off of the ground; unlike her, he used his pair of tattered wings to fly.

"W-what!?" She stammered. She shook her head, and her mind began to work again. She pieced together her situation. The fire, being see-through, floating without using her wings... It clicked, and she sunk a little bit, curling up into a ball. "Y-you're... the grim reaper?"

"I prefer Death. Like I said, you're a spirit. You're dead. See?" He pointed to her burning skeleton. "That's you. Or, at least it was." When she opened her mouth, he forced his hoof into her mouth. "Let me finish! King Sombra planned your murder. He's alive, and he's been wandering around Ponyville, playing nice with you and your friends under the guise of a stallion named Cavalier. Once he hears that you're dead, he plans to kill the other bearers in a similar fashion. I've been sent to take you to the afterlife, which will not involve my scythe. All you need to do is follow me." He removed his hoof. "Any other questions?"

"Hmm... what about my friends? Is there anything I can do to save them?"

"As you are now, no."

She panicked, rising into the air. "So they're just going to die!?"

He sighed, and his horn glowed, summoning a number of thick dossiers. He halfheartedly flipped through them. "Let's see... it seems like everyone's going to die at this rate. The bearers, the princesses, Sombra, hell, most of Equestria, the way this is planned out."

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap sounded below them, followed by the roar of heavy rain. Looking down, they could see Rainbow Dash, moving faster than Fluttershy had ever seen, gathering storm clouds from wherever she could find them. Spike simply rushed inside, searching for any sign of the timid mare. Outside, Twilight and Rarity were using their magic to lift grand bubbles of water from Fluttershy's moat to further douse the flames. In no time, the fire was extinguished, and the Apple family went about removing the larger pieces of debris. In minutes, the rest of the townsponies entered the scene, armed with carpentry equipment. The second her path was clear, Pinkie rushed inside, desperately searching for their friend.

When Fluttershy was found, the bearers as a whole seemed to deflate, and a hushed silence fell over them. Rarity and Pinkie burst into tears immediately. Rainbow Dash, stunned at first, took to the skies in anger, flying as high as she could endure. Twilight couldn't stand to see her friend in such a state and turned away, silent tears streaming down her face; Spike quickly moved to comfort her, yet couldn't help sobbing into her coat. Applejack, trying to remain strong, merely covered her face with her hat, only to break down when Big Macintosh hugged her tight.

Fluttershy tried to go comfort her friends, only to be held back in Death's magical grip.

"You've stuck around long enough," he said, drawing her in. "Time to go."

She struggled, trying to fly away. It was no use, and she instead pressed her face against Death's, using the Stare at full strength. "I'm not going anywhere," she demanded, "and I'm going to save my friends, whether you like it or not!"

He looked unimpressed. "You must be desperate, trying that on me. Besides, it doesn't matter what I want. There are rules for this sort of thing, and without a body, you have no reason to be here. Unless you can think of something?" He smirked. "And no, wanting them to survive isn't a reason. It has to be something only you can do."

"Fine." She backed off, crossing her legs over her chest. "But I'm waiting until I think of something. Deal?"

"Deal. But I would hurry."

February 17, 698

My mother... the queen... died in battle today. Now it's up to me to finish this, but how? I can't stop this, not on my own, not as I am...

Sombra

Twofer Tragedy

That Same Day...

"Because maybe I like the way it tastes!" Siren yelled. Moments before, Chrysalis had left find information on the empire, leaving her children alone. A minute later, a dessert trolley had rolled by, and Siren decided to help herself to some cake. She took another bite. "It won't fill us up or anything, but--"

"So why eat it at all?" Cege asked tossing the depleted crystal. "You're just going to gorge yourself, bloat, and end up a liability. We can't afford that."

She sputtered, her pride wounded. "You're calling me a liability!? Since we were defeated at Canterlot, and even after that wannabe-king showed up, I've been doing the most work around here! All you've done is fret and criticize!" When he didn't react, she crossed her front legs and huffed. "Just because you were gifted a name, you get all cocky..."

He snorted, and allowed himself a smirk, a welcome change from the perpetual look of annoyance that he had worn the past two days. "Jealous? Or rather, envious? Knowing you, it's probably both." She stared at him, angrily chewing her cake. "See, the difference is--"

"I know the difference! Geez... I'm starting to wish you died, too."

"Now, now. Don't talk to your brother that way." Chrysalis said, returning to the booth. She glanced at Siren, who quickly scooted closer to the window. Sitting down, she continued. "After all, we're all we've got. Let's try not to damage the swarm any further, hm?"

"Yes, my queen." They answered, bowing their heads.

With the bickering silenced, and eyes on her, Chrysalis pulled a sky-blue brochure from underneath her wing. "Guess what I found?" she sang, waving it around. "It's a brochure for the Crystal Empire!" She unfolded it, revealing a map of the area, with tourist attractions and popular destinations clearly marked; these were ignored. Rather, they focused on the most advertised attraction, one that received an entire page to itself, along with multiple paragraphs: the Crystal Heart. She jabbed a hoof onto the picture."This is our target. I don't expect it to be easy. Any ideas?"

"We could just walk in and take it." Siren offered, earning yet another glare from her brother. "What? This place just showed up, right? There's no way they would know about us."

"It's not a bad idea," Chrysalis said, "but I don't think we'll have to take it at all. Judging by how we can sustain ourselves from sheer proximity, we should be able to drink our fill by getting close to it."

"So... the plan is to walk in, head to the center, and just loiter near the heart? That seems too easy." Cege said. Of course, with the recent series of events, they couldn't blame him for being skeptical. Knowing their luck so far, the empire may well have vanished again, or the Crystal Heart may have been destroyed after Sombra was defeated. He would've been surprised if the heart was still open to the public, or maybe--

"Fillies and gentlecolts, we are arriving at the Crystal Empire.

The train lurched forward before coming to a stop at the platform. At once, left the booth and walked out the door, ready to face whatever came their way. Stepping out onto the platform, they quickly realized how unnecessarily cautious they were being. The second they were outside, they were greeted by no less than three crystal ponies.

They sighed in delight. They weren't even in the empire proper, and already they were nearly stuffed with love. Wariness replaced with confidence, they strode into the empire, heads and hopes high. Once inside the gates, they were immediately greeted by a uniformed mare.

"Welcome to the Crystal Empire!" she greeted with welcoming smile. "Are you visiting or moving in?"

A wicked grin spread across Chrysalis' face. "Moving in."

Oblivious, the mare nodded, turning towards the heart. "Wonderful! I'll sent a notice to Princess Cadence. In the meantime, feel free to wait near the Crystal Heart, which can be found at the base of the tower."

Chrysalis face fell, and her good mood almost completely vanished. "Princess... Cadence?"

"Yes. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, ruler of the empire. She took over once it returned, and she's been doing a wonderful job of it. Such a kind, loving pony." She sighed wistfully, a blush appearing on her face. "And that husband of hers!"

"That's enough!" Siren shouted, disgusted. She and her brother marched into the city, stopping when they realized their queen hadn't joined them. Rather, she stood still, an unreadable expression on her face. "Mother? Are you coming?"

That seemed to do the trick, and she jolted out of her daze. Clearing her throat, she regained her regal airs, taking point with her head high. In silence, they walked toward the enormous Crystal Tower. The children used this silence to admire the city.

It was nothing like they were expecting. Based on what Topaz had said, they thought it would just be coming back from the brink of despair, with the king's tyranny evident on every street corner, fear clear in the eyes of every traumatized stallion, mare, and filly. Rather, the citizens were even more upbeat than Equestrians, with every action punctuated with a smile. That, combined with the odd glow that each pony seemed to posses, as well as their sparkling, see-through bodies, made them want to vomit and dance with joy at the same time.

All of it, however, was justified by the aura of raw, unfiltered love that permeated the empire, filling the very air with its soothing, filling light. With each breath, the changelings grew stronger, their previous aches and worries vanishing, replaced with warmth and that funny, pleasant feeling one gets after a large, satisfying meal. It left all three with dopey smiles on their faces, with Chrysalis' toned down to a proud grin. Here, they would thrive, unimpeded, unopposed, accepted, even. There was just one problem: Princess Cadence.

Chrysalis snarled at the very thought of the young alicorn and her husband. It was bad enough that she was humiliatingly defeated at Canterlot --by the same power she used to overcome Celestia, even-- but now she's the ruler of their last good chance for survival! A more foolish pony might cherish the thought of an arch-nemesis, a recurring foe with which to match wits and power against, but not her. No, this time, Cadence will be killed, as she should have been before the wedding.

These thoughts and more were purged from the queen's mind the second she stepped into the heart's light. More than filling, it was empowering, filling her very being with a strength she had never known before. In no time at all, she was drunk on this power, wandering over to the heart and rubbing her face against it. That's right..., she thought, entranced. With this I can do anything! No one could stop me, no one could even think about raising a hoof against me! All I need... is this heart here...

"See? Every time!"

"Like you were much better, Shining."

A pair of all-too-familiar voices snapped Chrysalis out of her reverie, and she stepped away, her children quickly taking her place. Slowly, she turned to face the giggling alicorn, accompanied by a grinning Shining Armor. At their approach, the children hid behind their queen, playing up the "shy little kid" bit. Chrysalis laughed with her, trying to hide her anxiety. "I'm so sorry about them. They were just so excited to see the Crystal Heart that they couldn't help themselves..."

Cadence waved her hoof dismissively. "It's nothing to worry about. A lot of new residents react that way. The Crystal Heart promotes peace of mind and body, and fills you with the love and kindness of generations of crystal ponies." She sighed, savoring the feeling. "Why do you think I hold the interviews here, instead of inside the tower itself?" She offered a welcoming smile. "I'm Princess Cadence, ruler of the Crystal Empire."

Shining stepped forward, adopting the stoic posture he acquired in training. "I am Prince Shining Armor, co-ruler and former Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard. Please, feel free to come to me if you have any issues."

Cadence nudged him. "Not so fast," she said with a wink, "they're not citizens yet. Of course, there's really nothing holding you back. I just want to get to know you better. Starting with your names?"

Chrysalis stepped forward. "My name is Citrus Daze. These are my children, Siren and Cege." She gestured to the duo, who were fidgeting in place.

"Are they alright?" Shining asked moving towards the duo. "Do you need to see a medic? I can escort you to the hospital if you want." They said nothing, their fidgeting escalating into an unnatural, full-body vibration.

Chrysalis tried to speak, to come up with some excuse for their peculiar behavior, but the second she opened her mouth, a deluge of neon green ooze poured from her mouth. Acting fast, the couple conjured an extra-strength "Quarantine" force field around her.

Once he was confident that she was sealed, he knocked on the bubble, horn glowing dangerously. "Who are you? What is your business here? Answer me!" He demanded. She couldn't reply, so he grabbed the two children in his magic, hoping to interrogate them instead. Before he could get a word out, all three exploded into an aura of green flame. The flames faded, revealing the changelings for what they were. Oddly enough, their chitin seemed to be damaged, with volcanic cracks bursting with green energy breaking through at a steady pace.

"Changelings!" Shining yelled, herding his wife behind him. He doubled, then tripled the strength of the barrier, using everything he had. It was useless, and with a flash of green light, the two generals burst out of their shells and his grip. When the light faded, two ragged, discarded shells lay at their hooves.

They stood upright, at least as tall as Celestia. Gone were the gruesome holes that riddled their bodies, their armor now plated, layered, and smooth, resembling that of a dragon. Their wings, now shielded behind sleek black plating, spread to their full length. One lifted the ailing queen, and the other took the heart, taking them to the throne room of the tower.

"Not a chance!" he yelled, firing magic bolts at the monsters. The blasts glanced off of their armor, and went unnoticed. Cadence soared after the trio, conjuring a barrier around the balcony. With her relatively small size she was able to catch up with them, her horn lighting up in anger. The moment she got close enough to fire, Chrysalis raised her head and launched a stream of slime at the princess, knocking her out of the sky. Shining managed to catch the sticky lump that was his wife, and cut her free. They looked up to see the changelings effortlessly shatter her barrier and enter the tower.

"No!" Cadence yelled. She turned to Shining. "Mobilize the guards, tell them to lock down the tower!" He saluted, running towards the barracks.

Inside the tower, Chrysalis was in pain equal to, if not greater than, the boost in power she had felt earlier. Her tortured screams echoed through the halls, causing the building to shake. Like her children before her, she broke free of her old shell. However, she did not gain a faster, stronger, more powerful form for her troubles; no, what emerged from that broken shell was a bloated parody of the queen, one that filled the throne room from wall to wall. Her legs were almost entirely absorbed into the bulbous egg sack that now made up most of her body, held in place by a mass of chitin. The light blue patches that once held her wings now housed six gaping holes, each dripping with sickening slime.

Desperate to help her queen, Siren placed the Crystal Heart into Chrysalis' mouth, the queen using her vampiric fangs to clamp down on the artifact. It came just in time, and the heart muffled another bloodcurdling screech, which was shortly followed by a sickening squelch and a wet plop on the floor. On the floor lay a slime-covered ball, the size of a basketball. Cege, overcome by his curiosity, lightly poked the ball. It twitched in response.

Their queen had given birth.

February 18, 698

I've done it. I've successfully cast the "Soul Sight" spell. Before me lies an executed criminal. I hope this works.

It did! Let it be known that on this day, Sombra had made contact with Death itself. Legend states that those who see Death command it; I will command it to give me power, enough to defeat anything that may threaten my empire!

Downward Spiral

Twilight awoke to a familiar weight on her head. Thinking it was Spike, she tried to wave it away. It refused to budge, and she groaned. "Spike, really, I need to sleep."

She had spent the remainder of yesterday mourning with her friends, as well as assisting in the removal of Fluttershy's remains. Once she had recovered from the grisly work, she spent the evening devoting all of her time and intellect to gathering evidence to convict Cavalier. Thanks to a brief semester of forensics classes, as well as innumerable mystery novels, it was painfully obvious that he was the culprit. All she needed now was evidence.

The weight persisted, and she heard voices at the foot of the bed. Opening her eyes, she saw a large figure, outfitted head to hoof in intimidating armor, wrapping a silver band around Spike's head while he looked on with an expression of fear. Twilight leaped out of bed, horn glowing with energy and aimed at the intruder. Before she could demand a name, the figure turned, revealing the weary face of Princess Luna. Wrapped around her neck was Fluttershy's Element of Kindness, which, without it's bearer, had faded to black.

"P-Princess Luna?" she stammered. "What are you--"

"There's no time. Meet me outside immediately, and do not remove your element." With that, she vanished in a flash of light. Twilight reached up, feeling the pointed stars of the Element of Magic. Before she could voice her confusion, Spike spoke up.

"Twilight, I think we need to go. The princess can fill you in." He climbed onto her back, resting against her neck. She nodded, teleporting outside.

It was madness, ponies screaming in terror as they fled from enormous changelings, each as big as Celestia herself. Above, the night sky glowed with a sickly green aurora, casting small light particles to the ground like pollen. Luna was busy fighting off the half dozen that targeted her specifically, using simple telekinesis to hold them in place. Once they were secure, her mane came to life, reaching out from under her helmet and beheading the insects.

Now that Twilight was fully awake and under the moonlight, she could get a good look at the princess. She wore light, plated silver armor, emphasizing speed over defense. A leather belt held a rapier against her side. Numerous glowing runes covered the armor, originating from the breastplate and travelling across the suit in intricate patterns. A few minor dents and scratches riddled the armor, as well as splashes of green blood.

Twilight ran up to her, starting to panic. "Luna, what's happening? Why are changelings attacking?" She waved at the descending pollen. "What is this stuff?"

Luna heaved a heavy sigh, then turned to face Twilight. :The Crystal Empire has fallen under changeling control." She gestured to the corpses on the ground. "These were likely sent to assassinate you and your friends, or at least deliver you all to the queen. Canterlot has already been attacked, and the Royal Guard defeated." Twilight looked up to the mountain, seeing the capital city surrounded by a golden barrier. "My sister was forced to quarantine the city. I came to assure your safety."

"What about my friends? Are they okay?"

"Yes. My guards should be escorting them here as we speak."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. And this... pollen?" She tried to stay away from it; something was telling her that things would only get worse if she did. Fortunately, when they got too close, her element glowed, and the particles were dispelled. Spike's headband had a similar effect.

"That is what defeated the Royal Guard. When he particles make contact with any part of the body, the pony seems to be absorbed into the changeling hive mind, becoming loyal to the queen and her wishes. Of course, she wanted my sister and I out of the way, as well as the bearers. Of course, Equestria needs you to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat her."

"I understand..." She fell silent for a moment. "Princess... did you hear about--"

Luna turned away. "I have. But know is not the time for mourning. Once this threat is gone, then Fluttershy will receive a proper burial."

Just then, a thunderous boom came from alleyway, and three sizzling ponies flew into the street. Cavalier stepped out of the alley, stopping when his front half was under the moonlight. He sneered, horn crackling with electricity. "Fools..."

"Spike, get inside," Twilight whispered. He obeyed, lightly shutting the door behind him. "Cavalier! Stop right there!"

He blinked, turning to the mares. "Luna?" Snarling, he took a step back.

"Halt!" Luna barked, holding him in place with her magic. With surprising difficulty, she managed to drag him out of the alleyway. When he was fully exposed, they gasped.

His coat was riddled with rather large holes, each lined with a burning green light, revealing his grey fur underneath. Since the attack, his back half had been almost completely exposed, the pollen burning away the disguise. Now out in the open, the illusion was worn away, leaving the king bare for all to see. To his benefit, he seemed to be protected from the pollen's effects.

Twilight gasped, stumbling back in shock. Luna quickly moved between them.

"I was told you were dead," Luna growled. Her horn lit up, and she pawed at the ground. "How are you still alive!?"

Despite the obvious threat, he didn't move to protect himself. "I don't want to fight you, Luna. Not now, at least."

Ignoring him, she stepped forward, eyes burning with white light. "Answer me, cur! Speak, else I will cut you down where you stand!" She roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice. He sighed, his horn glowing with dark magic.

Twilight stepped out from behind Luna, her own horn glowing. "Give up, Sombra! You can't beat us both!" Despite her bravado, she was shaking ever so slightly, remembering his tricks inside the tower. Ignoring what she thought he could do, she instead focused on what he had already done. He's hurt my family, my friends, nearly killed Spike, stolen from me, wrecked my house, and... And...

"Tell me...," she said in a shaky voice, "are you the one that burned down her house? Did you kill Fluttershy?"

An tense silence passed.

He smirked, "Yes."

Twilight lost it, screaming bloody murder and firing every offensive spell she knew. He dodged around each blast, taking advantage of his ghostly body to weave in and out of the shadows cast by the moonlight. The attacks, strong and vicious as they were, never hit their mark, and her rage grew with each failed shot. With each shot fired, a chunk of some poor pony's home or business was hit, blowing large holes into the walls. She didn't care anymore. Dark thoughts clouded her mind, and her magic reflected those thoughts, the beams increasing in power and size, and changing to a roiling black color to match her aura.

Luna grabbed Twilight, whirling her around to look her in the eyes. "Twilight, calm yourself! You can't let him get to you!"

Twilight thrashed, uselessly trying to free herself. Her anger rose, and purple smoke began to trail from her eyes "Let me go! I'll kill him! I'll avenge Fluttershy!" Luna sighed, preparing a sleep spell.

"Twilight!" From the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, familiar voices called out. The bearers, accompanied by Luna's Night Guard and wearing their elements, sprinted towards their friend, skidding to a collective halt when they saw Sombra. Judging by the collective looks of murderous rage on their faces, they too had heard the confession. Inside the library, there was a flash of green light that went unnoticed.

Rainbow Dash recovered first, charging at the tyrant with murder in her eyes. Unafraid, he de-materialized into shadow upon impact, becoming a black, inky cloud that ensnared the pegasus. His face appeared inside the cloud, wearing a cocky grin. He squeezed the writhing mare, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Now I have a bearer." For extra security, he conjured an electrified barrier around them.

The three bearers, together with Luna and her guards, surrounded the pair. Beyond that, they didn't move, silently acknowledging the stalemate. He sighed in relief, relaxing his crushing grip, but maintained the makeshift cage.

"Now will you listen? Or shall I take yet another life?"

Before anyone could respond, or even move, a blinding light shone from above, causing everyone to cover their eyes. In that moment, Princess Celestia flew forward, horn ablaze, piercing both Sombra's barrier and body and ripping Rainbow Dash out of his grip. He roared, exploding into a formless mess.

As he tried to pull himself back together, Celestia carried Rainbow Dash away from the demon, landing to set her on the ground a few yards away. After confirming her safety, she turned to the group. Everyone gasped at her appearance.

Unlike her sister, her golden armor was almost obstructively bulky, allowing her to endure assaults while preparing more complicated, destructive spells. It bore no runes, the magic fueling them having run dry. Her own suit was heavily damaged, bearing large, burnt gashes and craters. In particular, her right flank was completely exposed, the armor having been damaged in the initial attack. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, with dried blood coloring the gauze.

"Sister!" Luna shouted, running to her side. After a quick glance upward to ensure that, yes, the barrier over Canterlot remained intact, she began inspecting Celestia's wounds. "Are you alright? What of Canterlot?"

Offering a small, reassuring smile, Celestia turned to her. "I'm fine, as is Canterlot. Spike told me about Sombra's arrival, as well as his involvement in Fluttershy's murder." Her expression became one of silent rage, and the sisters walked to the group. The other ponies parted, and the princesses confronted the king. "You're being very polite, Sombra, letting us talk like this. What are you planning?"

Sombra, who until now had been looking on with a look of irritation, snorted at the comment. "I would like to offer a temporary truce, that we may join forces to defeat the changeling threat."

At first, there was stunned silence. Then, to everyone's surprise, Pinkie Pie stepped forward, standing beside him. He noted that she looked nothing like her picture, with a straightened mane and dull coat.

She extended a hoof. "Count me in." He took the hoof, and gave it one good pump. Her friends looked on in shock.

"P-Pinkie, why?" Rarity stammered. "Why would you even--"

"What the hay, Pinkie!?" Rainbow yelled, butting her head against Pinkie's. "What're you thinking, siding with this creep!? Have completely lost your mind?"

Rarity, slightly irritated at the interruption, tugged Dash away by her tail. "You do know what he's done, right? What he did to Fluttershy?"

Her already dour expression worsened, and she walked with Rarity back to their friends. "Yeah. I had a real doozy that day. But here's what I think: once the changelings are gone, he should be too weak to stop us from killing him again." A disturbingly malicious grin appeared on her face. "For real this time."

Thoroughly worried about her friend, yet unwilling to confront her, Twilight instead faced Celestia. "What do you think, Princess?"

The sisters looked to each other, silently debating the pros and cons. After a short while, they turned and said, "Agreed."

"What!?" Dash sputtered. She flew to the princesses, hooves pressed together. "Please, please tell me you're not really gonna let him help us? After everything he's done?" She looked to her friends for backup, but any arguments they had died the second their rulers had spoken. With a heavy groan, she dragged a hoof across her face. "Fine! If we're going to attack these guys, I'm going home to get ready. See you in a bit."

"Smart girl," Sombra said, turning and walking down the street. "We should all get ready for this; we can't afford any mistakes. Prepare as though this is the day you die. It may very well be."

"And you, Sombra?" Celestia asked. "Where are you going?"

"The blacksmith. Whether or not I have a physical form, I refuse to go into battle without armor. I shouldn't take any more than an hour." He paused, remembering something. "Also, a herd of ponies attacked me a little while ago. There shouldn't be any casualties, but I recommend they be sent to the medic." With that off his chest, he left in a flash of light.

A nod from Luna sent the guards on their way. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie all left for their respective homes, leaving Twilight alone with the princesses. After a few seconds, she retreated into her house, leaving the door open for the sisters.

The next hour passed far too quickly for anyone's liking. Letters were written, apologies given, and possible last meals shared. Ponies were gathered, counted, and on one occasion, subdued. Armor was forged, repaired and refueled with magic. And for the last ten minutes, the bearers, princesses, and Spike all sat together in the library, simply cherishing one another's company.

There was a knock at the door. Spike opened it, seeing Sombra clad in steel armor, similar to the suit he wore before his banishment.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

The group stood, shaking off numbness in their legs. With Celestia in front, they filed out of the library, heading for the train station. Spike stayed behind, on the unspoken agreement that he would help defend Ponyville.

Looking to each end of the tracks, Celestia turned to the group. "We'll have to follow the tracks north to the empire."

"What?" Rarity said, legs already trembling from the perceived strain. "But that would take days!"

"Indeed," Luna agreed. "By the time we get there, there may be nothing left to save."

"Looks like we won't have much of a choice." Applejack pointed to her right as the burning cab of the Friendship Express came screaming down the track.

The magic users among them used their telekinesis to bring it to a halt and put out the flames. They lifted it off of the track, turning it to the north. The door had been removed, and the inside gutted, with nothing but bloody smears and ashes decorating the inside. They piled inside, with Sombra and Twilight staying outside to study the wheels.

"Can they be salvaged?" He asked.

"No," she said, ripping them off of the axles. "We'll need to find replacements, but that would take too long."

"Did your teacher never teach about transmutation?" She looked at him. "That's a no, then. A shame." He cut crude wheel-shaped chunks of dirt out of the ground, attaching them to the axles and zapping them with a peculiar beam. Slowly, they changed, first to stone, then iron, then steel. He looked at her, gesturing as if to say, "was that so hard?"

"I would've known that spell if you hadn't stolen my book!" Twilight yelled.

"Yes, I'm a monster and everything is my fault. Now be quiet. I need to enchant these."

She grit her teeth, holding back several scathing remarks. The sooner he was gone, the better. Grumbling, she joined the others, squeezing into the car.

Applejack, deciding to change the subject, said, "So do we have a plan? Or do we just charge in and blast 'em?"

"A good question," Celestia said, turning her head to hide a quick yawn. "We should use the cover of night to launch a sneak attack. Luna, can we afford to have the night continue for a few extra hours?"

"Very funny," she said, "but we can't allow any more panicking. The return of Nightmare Moon would only aggravate the situation." She ignored the brief chuckle from outside. "However, if we hurry, there may be no need. It would be best to mask ourselves upon arrival, then take the changelings by surprise."

"Speaking of surprises," Rainbow interrupted, "what if we get separated? One of them could change into one of us and catch us off guard. We should come up with some kind of code."

"A splendid idea," Rarity agreed, "but what kind of code?"

The train lurched forward, tossing the ponies against the far wall. Sombra climbed inside, sitting next to the doorway to keep anyone from falling out. Outside, the platform moved further and further away at a rapidly increasing pace.

"We should be there in about forty-five minutes," he said.

"I've got it!" Twilight announced, earning odd looks from everyone. "The code will be something only we know: the night we rescued Luna!" Nearly everypony nodded their heads in recognition and agreement, except for Sombra and Celestia, neither of whom seemed to react.

Satisfied, she continued, conjuring a large diagram. "Now that that's settled, do we have any ideas on how to approach the empire? I was thinking of following Princess Celestia's idea to sneak in and attack from inside. Any objections?"

"One," Sombra said, looking away from the door. "How exactly do you plan to get inside unnoticed? There won't just be changelings to worry about, but the crystal ponies as well. Chances are they've been put under the queen's control."

"I thought about that." The diagram glowed, and a simplistic, glassy caricature of the Crystal Empire appeared, surrounded by equally cartoonish changelings. A miniature "Sombra" stood at the entrance, backed by the bearers and princesses. As Twilight spoke, the characters acted out her plan. "My plan was that you would turn into your shadow form, enveloping the empire and preventing both access and escape. Once the changelings are distracted with trying to bring you down, we'll slip in, hunt down the queen, and hit her full force with everything we have, no holds barred!"

He stared. "That's it? Just walk in and end it? You think it'll be that easy?"

"Yeah, Twi," Applejack said. "It wasn't anywhere near that easy during the wedding, and the elements were right under our noses."

"Okay, so it could use some fine tuning. Any ideas?"

"Sombra, Luna and I will divert the changeling's attention," Celestia said, yawning and stretching out her wings as far as she could in the small space. "Twilight, I want you and your friends to locate and, if necessary, rescue Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor. Once they're safe, give her the Element of Kindness. She should be the next best match."

Luna removed the blackened element from her neck, clasping it onto Twilight's. "You have your orders. Any questions?"

Rarity stepped forward. "Yes, Your Highness. What about the crystal ponies? The changelings should be occupied with Sombra, but what about the citizens? Surely they won't simply let us through?"

"One more thing," Pinkie added, "won't the commotion from holding off the citizens attract the changelings? Big fights aren't exactly quiet."

"True," Luna admitted, "there are countless things that could go wrong. I fear we have no choice but to take our chances. I only hope that the three of us will be enough to keep you all safe."

"Don't worry about it, Luna!" Rainbow declared, her usual bravado returning. Leaping up to hover in the air, she struck a confident, heroic pose. "We'll be done with this before breakfast, I guarantee it!"

The cab shook violently, and an eerie green light passed over them. Outside, the snow-covered wasteland surrounding the empire replaced the Equestrian plains, with jagged, glowing crystals dotting the landscape. Sombra's horn glowed, and the cab slowly came to a stop a fair distance away from the gate. Pinkie poked her head out the window to get a better look, her friends quickly joining her. The three rulers stepped out of the cab, peeking around the corner. Nearly all of their enthusiasm, their confidence, and their hope drained away at the sight before them.

The Crystal Empire, once a shimmering beacon of unity and light, was a twisted fortress, the gorgeous crystalline walls and spires now gnarled, black obelisks. Dug into these mighty constructs were gaping caverns, dripping with viscous slime and stuffed with countless eggs. Every few seconds, one would hatch, and the newborn changeling would rise to join the hundreds of waiting siblings that circled above. The skies, which would usually be a natural midnight blue, was all but blotted out by the massive army soaring overhead. Moonlight lit the streets, flickering madly as it tried to breach the veritable wall of bodies between earth and sky.

"T-this... this is..." Rarity tried to speak, but the words died in her throat. While she was no great linguist like Twilight, her vocabulary was still quite extensive;all the same, she could find no words to describe the nightmare before her. The beautiful land she so admired, twisted into such a mockery of what it once was, brought tears to her eyes.

Twilight, despite her experience with wordplay and description, found herself in very much the same situation as Rarity, though for entirely different reasons: she couldn't begin to fathom how her brother and sister-in-law, strong as they both were, could survive in such a hellish place.

Likewise, Celestia and Luna feared for the younger alicorn as well as their small party. With just Shining Armor's love for Cadance, the queen was able to defeat Celestia in a battle. Barely, but with a minuscule fraction of the power she was sure to wield now. Swallowing any remaining doubts, they nodded to the bearers, ordering them to exit the wrecked car. Once everypony was outside, Celestia signaled for Sombra to begin his role. When he didn't move,she nudged him.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "Attack!"

Sombra wasn't listening;honestly, he wasn't even there. Ignorant of the real world, he charged, a berserk fury in his eyes. Thankfully, even in his delirious state, he exploded into shadow, quickly expanding into a dome of darkness around the swarm and city. Chasing after the furious stallion, the sisters tried to penetrate the black wall, only to be blasted back by a wave of dark magic.

"Curse it!" Luna shouted, firing a blast from her horn that punctured a puny hole in the wall. Celestia stood by her sister, and they fired a combine beam that stretched the hole a little bit more, but not enough to allow entry. The wall seemed to shiver and snarl, and black whips reached out and lashed at the duo, forcing them to stop the assault. Applejack reached underneath her hat, retrieving her lasso and tying the tendrils together, leaving the mass to struggle against the bindings. Using what little time they had, Twilight and Rarity added their own magic to the attack, punching a clean hole through Sombra's body. Quickly, they all leaped through the wound, which closed immediately after their entry.

The empire had descended into pandemonium, with jagged crystal spears launching from the streets and zooming up towards cloud of beasts overhead, more often than not hitting their targets, sending monstrous corpses to the ground. Above, Sombra's head was launching spell after spell, waves of fire, ice, and lightning emanating from his horn and cutting down scores of changelings. It made little difference, however, as the insects hatched faster than he could kill them, and they were steadily wearing him down. Celestia and Luna flew off to join the fight, and the bearers ran into the nearest building, a small shack on the outskirts.

Inside, glued to the walls were see-through cocoons, filled with writhing ponies. Swallowing their disgust, the bearers sneaked over to a particularly large cocoon, Rarity slicing it down the middle. A haggard, slime covered pony fell out, unconscious, but alive. With a nod from Twilight, they went to work, cutting and tearing the cocoons open and releasing the captive ponies. Alas, none were Princess Cadance or her husband.

After ensuring that the freed ponies were safe, they continued, dashing from house to house, barely avoiding any stray spells from overhead, as well as random growths of black crystals from the ground. The sheer effort wore them down, more mentally than physically. With each rescue, they moved further into the city, and Twilight's frustration grew.

Once they were in the shopping district, surrounded by various stores, they hurried into the remains of what may have been a haberdashery. Just like every other building and home, the interior was nearly empty, the walls lined with cocoons. Unlike the others, for some the thrashing within had regressed to twitching, and most had stopped moving altogether.

"Think they're still alive?" Applejack asked, laying a hoof on one of the still cocoons. It was warm to the touch, and despite the occupant's still form, it still beat with a steady rhythm. Twilight stood next to her, horn glowing.

"Let's find out," she said, slicing the cocoon open. Instead of a pony, a small changeling, identical to the ones fought during the wedding, collapsed onto the floor. Applejack and Twilight leaped back, turning to warn the others.

They were too late, and the newborn changelings, thirteen in all, surrounded the group, blocking both the entrance and windows. Despite their best efforts, as newborns, they were unused to their pseudo-alicorn bodies, and began hovering around, bouncing off of the walls and ceiling like gnats.

"Pfft!" Rainbow scoffed at the clumsy squad. "This'll be too easy!" Twilight held her back with a hoof against her chest.

"Go easy on them. They're still crystal ponies." With that, she charged, the bearers following suit. It wasn't much of a fight;between Rainbow's speed, Rarity's technique, Pinkie's unpredictability(where she had gotten fireworks would forever be a mystery), Applejack's strength, and Twilight's magic, coupled with the inexperience and awkwardness of their opponents, it was a short, painfully one-sided fight.

When the dust settled, only one changeling was left conscious, cowering in a far corner. His mouth opened and closed silently, his own overwhelming fear keeping him quiet. The five mares surrounded him, and he curled into a tight ball, whimpering.

Already tired of wasting time, Applejack stomped her hoof. "We're only gonna ask once: where's Princess Cadance?"

He flinched, frantically searching the hive mind for any information that would keep him safe. What he found was numerous orders, the majority of them focused on one thing: the destruction of the Royal Sisters and Sombra. It seemed that none of the other, older, stronger changelings even knew that the bearers were still alive. It was just panicked repetitions of "Kill her!", "Protect Queen Chrysalis!" and "Kill the demon!" However, just when the bearers started to close in for the kill, he heard a voice pierce through the noise.

Bring them here. Bring them into the street.

The voice was familiar, yet at the same time unfamiliar. It wasn't Chrysalis, but the voice held weight all the same. The newborn, assuming he didn't have a choice, quickly nodded, relating the information to the ponies before him. They looked to one another, confusion clear on their faces.

"What do you think?" Twilight asked, facing her friends.

"Smells like a trap to me," Pinkie said. Walking over to the young changeling, she placed both hooves on either side of his head. She pressed her face against his, assuming her "bad cop" persona. "How do we know you're telling the truth!?" she shouted, causing the small creature to nearly faint in fright. Just as he closed his eyes, Applejack picked him up and slung him over her back.

"Truth or not, it shouldn't hurt to have some leverage of our own," she reasoned. "An eye for an eye and all that." When no one objected, she walked outside, back into the war zone, only to be tackled and sent flying down the street by a fully grown changeling. A dozen more followed after the mare, fangs bared and horns ablaze. She landed roughly on her side, skidding a few yards before scrambling onto her hooves, just in time to buck one of her assailants clean in the face. That one stumbled back, quickly replaced by three more, hissing and snapping at her. She tried to back away, and for a short few seconds it worked, until one tackled her from behind, pinning her to the ground and allowing its comrades free shots at the poor pony's head and shoulders, her captor moving aside just enough to allow shots at her legs and body.

Seconds after the sneak attack, Dash took off to save her friend. Just like with Applejack, she was blindsided, attacked from all sides the second she was too far to help, a dozen insects forming a tight sphere around the multicolored pony. All she could see was black, swarming shapes barely lit by their glowing green eyes. They tore at her in a frenzy, biting at her wings and jabbing at her body with their horns, relishing the pained screams that came with each blow. When she inevitably fell, they pooled beneath her, using their bodies as a platform to keep her away from any kind of help, taking turns brutalizing the mare from above.

On the ground, Rarity, Pinkie and Twilight were far too busy protecting themselves to assist their fallen allies, their cries of pain and calls for help acting as a haunting battle song. Despite their relatively improved numbers, they were at no more an advantage than the other two, as the majority of the changelings' efforts were concentrated on taking down the three of them. Even with three of them giving their all into fighting back, the attacks didn't seem to do anything more than startle any individual member, and the advancing swarm quickly forced them back into the store. Twilight resorted to erecting a barrier around the three of them, further restricting them. It paid off, and for once, they could breathe.

For only a moment, though.

Just as the bearers thought is was safe to rest, a barrage of beams fired from the crowd, eroding the barrier into nothing. The changelings filled the store, some taking to the air to fit in the small space. The crowd parted, and Cege stepped forward with a smug grin on his face, distinguished by the numerous glowing crystals. Unlike the others, his chitin bore several spikes jutting from his shoulders, adding to his already menacing appearance.

"Ah, this seems familiar," he said. Seeing their confusion, he continued. "I'm the one who blocked off the holding chamber of the Elements of Harmony. At least, I set the trap. It's what I'm good at. If I was a pony, my cutie mark would probably be a chess board or something like--" His monologue what interrupted by a combined magic blast from both unicorns, punctuated by a missile to the face, the attack throwing a cloud of thick smoke into the air and filling the room with the smell of gunpowder. With of beat of his wings, Cege cleared the smoke, annoyed but unharmed. "Tsk, tsk. I would've taken that chance to teleport to safety or something. Your loss."

Without another word, he charged, ramming Twilight into the wall, cracking it on impact and knocking her unconscious. Spreading his wings, he flapped them rapidly, emitting an odd sound wave. Rarity and Pinkie fell to their knees, screaming and pressing their ears against their skulls in a futile attempt to ease their pounding headaches. That pain escalated into migraines, and they soon lost consciousness. Seconds later, the two squads arrived, carrying the beaten, but alive, bearers of Honesty and Loyalty. Smirking in victory, Cege had them all wrapped up, demanding that the bearers be offered to Queen Chrysalis.

He laughed as he watched the squad carry out his orders. "This is a good day. A good day, indeed."

High above the Crystal Empire, Celestia and Luna had their hooves full with managing both Sombra and the swarm. For better or worse, the rampaging king could still tell friend from foe;he didn't go out of his way to avoid attacking the sisters, though. This meant that for every dozen or so changelings they cut down, they would have to look out for Sombra's spells, or worse, his gaping, fanged maw. Despite these rather unfavorable circumstances, things were going unexpectedly well. All the same...

Luna pushed through the wall of bodies, her rapier rendered a barely visible streak due to a combination of acceleration magic and a "Come to Life" spell. With her bladed assistant covering her sides and back, she was free to focus on casting her wide variety of spells, mostly focused on twisting the enemy's perceptions and senses. Horn ablaze, she placed an illusory image of herself a few yards away, freezing and shattering the swarm that attacked the empty space. She used the moment of silence to catch her breath, observing the chaos before her, Sombra's feral display in particular. A thought crossed her mind.

"Sister!" She called out. Immediately, a golden, vaguely pony-shaped bullet came tearing through the swarm, coming to rest next to the lunar princess. The light vanished, revealing Celestia's haggard form.

"Something wrong, Luna?" As with Luna, the changelings had left the elder sister alone, focusing instead on the enormous, disembodied head of the former tyrant.

Luna pointed to the spectacle. "Do you think we could have done better with punishing Sombra? His lack of a physical form seems to be more of a blessing than anything."

Celestia shrugged. "Whether or not he's actually suffering from the spell, he's a great distraction." She scanned the ground for the bearers, Twilight in particular. "Now we can focus on--" A whistle got her attention, and she looked to the tower balcony.

Hanging from the balcony, bound up to their necks in cocoons and swaying like an equine wind chime, were the bearers, bloody and bruised, their elements wrapped around their midsections, except for Twilight, whose crown had been removed. Standing on the balcony proper was Siren, cheerfully waving at the princesses and wearing the Element of Magic atop her head.

"NO!!" Celestia roared, her mane and tail becoming pure, raging flame. Ignorant of everything around her, she charged at the taunting young creature, intent on boiling her innards until they oozed through the chinks in her armor. She headbutted Siren, locking their horns on impact and pushing her into the throne room.

Once the initial shock wore off, Siren desperately tried to push back against the enraged mare, beating her wings with everything she had. This only seemed to anger Celestia further, and with a single, powerful flap of her mighty wings, she unleashed a grand heat wave, incinerating Siren's wings, knocking the Element of Magic off her head, and sending her flying against the wall. She collapsed, her armor glowing orange and steam rolling off of her in waves. Her armor cracked, and chunks off it fell away, exposing her soft organs. The raw heat burned away the air, and Siren gasped for breath. She tried to open her eyes, shutting them immediately due to the blinding sight of the superheated floor of the crystal tower. Hearing Celestia's slow, deliberate approach, the temperature rising with each second, she grit her teeth. Damn it, Cege, where are you!?

Right here.

Siren's eyes cracked open, and from her left she saw her brother try to tackle the large mare. He was barely two yards away when he was forced to the ground by a magical gravitational field, one that left a circular indent in the floor. Luna flew through the doorway, and with a wave of her horn, four crystal spears burst from underneath him and pierced his legs. The distraction gone, Celestia reached out with her magic, gripping Siren's head and ripping it from her shoulders, a task made easier by the softened, cracked armor.

As Cege screamed in pain and horror, Luna levitated the bearers onto the balcony and freed them from their cocoons. After making sure that they were all still alive, she returned to the trapped changeling, stepping on his head. "I will ask you once: where is your queen?" When he kept screaming, she electrified the spears, further increasing his pain. "Answer me, and I will end your pain."

"Queen C-Chrysalis... will kill you all," he managed to say. "You... your sister... those brats... that monster... you'll all die today!" His body began to tremble and glow with energy, and a twisted grin appeared on his face. His head was severed by Luna's rapier, causing the glow to vanish.

"I think not." She turned to Celestia, who was searching the room for Chrysalis. "Any sign of her?"

"None," she said, her mane returning to its normal state. She nodded to the bearers. "How are they? Any serious injuries?"

Walking over to the beaten mares, Luna began healing their injuries. "Nothing I can't handle. They'll be just fine." In seconds, their wounds were gone, and she returned each element to its respective owner. "I guess it's up to us to hunt down Cadence for now. One of us will need to stay behind and look after them, though."

Suddenly, a thick, smoky cloud of darkness flooded the room. Green eyes with red pupils scanned the room, passing over everyone and everything before moving on to the next room, the darkness following.

Luna shook her head, clearing away any lingering smoke. "Sombra?"

Celestia stepped forward. "He's not important right now. You stay with the bearers while I search the castle." With a quick nod from her sister, Celestia left the throne room in search of Cadance's bedroom. Walking the halls, it didn't take her long to realize she had no idea where she was going. Sighing, she leaned against the wall, bringing a hoof to her forehead. "I should have come to visit. At least to see how she's doing."

Her moment of self-pity was interrupted by a green light from down the hall, followed by bolts of dark magic. The building shook from the force, and Celestia ran to the source. Just as she reached the doorway of the bedroom, Sombra flew past her, tumbling across the floor, unconscious. Looking inside, she had to fight off the temptation to abandon everything and run away.

Queen Chrysalis, now easily three times the size of Celestia, stood at her full height, head scraping the ceiling. The bulbous sac that was her stomach had vanished, replaced by saw-like teeth. Her hooves now ended in curved, scythe-like blades that dripped with acid, and her horn had split into several horns, forming a proper crown around her head. The Crystal Heart was embedded in her armor, where a pony's heart would be.

Chrysalis grinned at Celestia, the minor damage Sombra had done vanishing. "Well, well. You sure took your time, didn't you? It's funny, I always thought--" A massive, golden beam of energy to the face cut her off. She didn't seem to notice, and in the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between them, a single swing of her hoof knocking Celestia against the wall. "How rude. I wasn't done talking."

Celestia gasped for breath, leaning against the wall for support. That one, halfhearted attack cleaved clean through her armor, nearly removing her wing. The wound bled profusely, and the acid ate at her armor. Her horn glowed as she tried to heal herself.

"Ah, ah! None of that!" Using her magic, Chrysalis lifted Celestia by her neck, squeezing it just enough to break her concentration. "I'm going to assume you're fireproof, so I guess I'll just rip off your head. Fitting, no?" She paused, tilting her head as though she was listening for something. She lashed out with back hoof, and Luna couldn't stop in time, earning herself a long, deep gash up her torso.

Gritting her teeth, Luna managed to stay in the air, hovering above the bed. "Damn... What's happened to you!?"

"That's a good question," Chrysalis said, holding Celestia between them. "Here's another one: where exactly were you during the wedding? If you were there, none of this would be happening. I'm not complaining, of course, but still."

Luna coughed up blood, staining the bed. I need to keep her talking. "What's it to you?"

Never one to stay still while speaking, Chrysalis began pacing around the room. "I just want some closure, is all. Of course, something to brag about to those cute little ponies you dragged along wouldn't hurt."

"I was... sleeping. I am the Princess of the Night. Obviously, I'm nocturnal."

She laughed, turning away from Luna. "Of course you are. In other words, your sister nearly died and your country was almost destroyed because you were napping? Oh this is just perfect!" Another hearty laugh followed, and Luna began charging up a spell. The center of Chrysalis' crown burned with an otherworldly green flame, which fired at the princess like a mortar .

Far too injured to react, Luna took the full brunt of the attack, the fireball carrying her into the wall. She slumped to the floor, motionless.

"Lu... na," Celestia croaked. Chrysalis tightened her grip, silencing her weak cries. The last thing she heard before blacking out was Chrysalis' mocking laughter.

"I can't watch this anymore," Fluttershy whimpered, wiping her eyes and wondering, not for the first time, why she still had the ability to cry. Kneeling next to her friends, she lightly stroked Rarity's mane, fruitlessly trying to return it to its former beauty. Being a ghost, her hoof passed right through, and with each try Rarity would shiver just a little bit.

"So what are you going to do?" Death asked, staring into the bedroom with sad eyes. "You have until the bearers die;haven't you thought of something?"

"I... I don't know," she admitted, bowing her head in shame. "But--"

"But nothing!" he snapped. "You have a few minutes, if you're lucky. You're out of time. I know it's sad, but there's nothing you can do."

"I can think of something... I know I can! I have to!"

He readied his scythe and cracked his neck. "You've been saying that for a while. Unless you're a unicorn, you can't just will things into existence."

She tapped her chin. "Unicorn, unicorn... a-hah!" Death gave her an odd look. "Um... could I see Sombra's dossier? If you don't mind?"

He looked at her for a long while before sighing and handing over the document. "Here. I don't know what good it'll do."

"Just something to pass the time." She flipped it open, grinning wider with each second.

Overshadow

February 18, 698

Sombra looked in awe at the tall, dark alicorn stallion before him. The pony didn't seem to notice him, and was busy ushering the convict's soul from his body. The moment the soul was free, the alicorn slashed at him with his scythe, setting the convict's soul on fire. Screaming, the pony vanished, his cries echoing throughout the throne room. His job done, the alicorn slung his weapon over his back, spread his wings and prepared to take off.

"Wait!" Sombra called.

The alicorn stopped, whipping around to face the colt, eyes wide. "You can see me?" His horn glowed, and a clipboard appeared. "You're not dead... what is this?" He walked over to the Sombra, casting a long, cold shadow over the young king. "What spell did you use, boy?"

Shuddering, Sombra could barely speak. He struggled to ward off his own primal fear of the being, to resist falling to his knees and begging for his life, just barely succeeding. This is a lot scarier than I thought. Did mother face this guy when she died? Remembering exactly why he was doing this, he stood up straight, fruitlessly trying to meet the stallion eye-to-eye. "My name is Sombra. I am the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire, and as the one who has summoned you, I demand that you grant me my wish!"

Death laughed, surprising the unicorn. "What do you think this is, boy? You think I obey anyone who happens to see my face during their lifetime?"

He faltered, scuffing the floor with his hoof. "Well... the legends say that you've helped mortals before, so--"

"Heavens, you help one family and they pass it down through generations. Really, that was almost a hundred thousand years ago!" Sighing, he looked over the clipboard again. Although... it says here that he's not due to die for over a thousand years... am I the catalyst? Clearing his throat, he looked over the cowering boy. "Well? What did you want?"

Sombra leaped up, grinning. "Really!?" He stopped, regaining his composure. "Very well. Reaper, I command that you grant me power! Power greater than the princesses of Equestria!"

Death scratched his head. "Hmm. That's a tall order. I can't do that, I'm afraid. What I can do is give you magical power equal to one of them. Choose."

"Aurora! The older one!"

"I know who she is." He lifted his scythe, holding the tip of the blade against the tip of Sombra's horn. "Clench your teeth."

Sombra tried to step back, only to find he couldn't move. His fear returned twofold. "W-what are you doing?" Any further questions, as well as any other thoughts in his head, were replaced by searing pain throughout his very core. It felt like several dozen blades were piercing his flesh, ripping him apart and putting him back together again. By the time the pain had receded, he felt like an eternity had passed. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the floor.

"That's payment," Death said, replacing his scythe. "I'm going to hold on to most of your soul for a bit. You may experience dulled senses, being overwhelmed by your emotions, and seeing the afterlife when you sleep. Also, you've been marked;it's kind of a thing we do. It'll show up in time." Once again, he turned and spread his wings. "If that's all, I'll see you later. Good luck." With those parting words, he took off, vanishing into thin air.

A tremor throughout the tower spurred Sombra to move. He stood on shaky legs, finding that he could barely feel the floor beneath his hooves. His head throbbed, and he felt a horrible burning sensation from his horn. He didn't have time to complain, however, as five giant changelings burst through the door, fangs bared.

Trying to ignore the pain, he fired a fireball from his horn. To the surprise of everyone, it had grown considerably, from the size of a softball to a cannonball. The attack scattered the group, hitting the one slow member and exploding, sending flames and ash into the room. Everyone stared at the scorch mark in shock.

Sombra looked at the mess, and a devilish grin appeared on his face. His horn glowed, and he fired several black bolts of magic from his horn, punching holes clean through their bodies.

Sombra ran out into the hallway, finding both ends of the hall filled with the beasts. His grin widened, and the shadows beneath their hooves came to life, tendrils of darkness reaching up and dragging random changelings into a black abyss. The ones smart enough to fly out of range found themselves gored by crystal stalactites, while the ones that flew forward were blocked by a black barrier. On contact, electricity surged through their bodies, burning their organs.

At the end of it all, the satisfied king stood surrounded by smoking corpses. He walked through the carnage, taking the time to appreciate his new powers. Another tremor got his attention, and he walked the halls, searching every nook and cranny for the queen. For better or worse, the castle was empty. With a quick sigh of relief, he hurried to the balcony, looking out over the empire.

From his position high above the streets, he was free to open fire on the changelings, rescuing a few ponies and aiding the outnumbered soldiers. This caught the attention of a few changelings, but rather than confront their attacker, they ran out of sight. Sombra grinned, then frowned as they arrived with backup. Dozens of them stood just directly beneath the balcony, ready to fire. He turned to run, the balcony exploding the moment he was out of their sight, the blast sending him bouncing across the floor.

Present Day

Sombra opened his eyes, blinking away his dizziness. His head clear, he looked around before shaking his head some more. The world had lost its color, the vibrant hues of the empire replaced with grayscale. What's more, time itself was frozen, the still image of the changeling queen standing triumphantly before him.

His anger reignited, he picked himself up and ran at the insect queen, skidding to a halt at the all-too-familiar sight of Death's scythe blocking the doorway. He backpedaled, running to the far wall and cowering like a trapped animal. "You... why are you here!? I can't be dead yet! I refuse!"

Death waved a hoof dismissively. "Relax. I'm not here for you. She is." He moved to the side, revealing Fluttershy, who wore a strained smile.

Narrowing his eyes, Sombra said, "How can this be? I killed you, set your house ablaze." He glanced at Death. "Why hasn't he taken you to the afterlife?"

"I didn't want to," she said, "not just yet. Actually, I need your help."

Sombra frowned and coughed into his hoof. "Excuse me? I killed you. What could you possibly want from me?"

Death stepped between them. "You remember that deal we made? In particular, the part about your soul?" Sombra nodded. "Good! Fluttershy, explain."

She jumped. "W- what!?"

He leaned against a wall, picking at his teeth with the scythe's tip. "It doesn't matter to me whether or not your friends survive;I'm just the escort, after all. Everything else is in your hooves."

"I see..." She turned to Sombra. "Well, I read your file, and it said you have just enough of your soul left to live;really, you're more of a zombie or demon than a pony. On top of that, Death says that the Elements don't change bearers until the old one isn't compatible anymore. Since my soul hasn't moved on, I could still use it... if I still had a body."

"Where are you going with this?" Sombra asked.

"The way I see it, since I'm a ghost, I should be able to posses you, and that way we can use the Element of Kindness to help defeat he queen!" She bowed her head, smiling up at him from behind her mane. "What do you say?"

He stared at her, unblinking. Finally, he put a hoof to his head and sighed. "You must be joking. What exactly makes you think that would work?"

She looked at the floor. "To be honest, nothing. But it's our best and only chance at winning this!"

"She's right," Death said. "If this doesn't work, or if you refuse, consider yourself dead. Well, more dead than usual. You don't want to go to Hell full-time, do you? Those 'dreams' of yours don't compare to what's waiting for you. If that isn't enough, helping this poor mare save her friends would earn some brownie points with the afterlife;your sentence may be a bit more lenient."

Sombra narrowed his eyes at the mention of Hell. "I don't really have a choice, then?"

Fluttershy perked up, moving a little closer to him. "So you'll do it!?"

"I'll give it a try, at least. We don't have any other options." He sat down and spread his front legs, exposing his chest and stomach. "Come on, then!"

She flew down the hall, turning around and charging at Sombra at full speed. She hit him dead center, the impact forcing him onto his back. Death covered his mouth, chuckling at the sight of Fluttershy's rear half struggling to enter the stallion, who looked on in horror. Nonetheless, Fluttershy managed to sink into him with surprisingly little resistance.

Sombra sat up, rubbing the point of entry. "Did it work?" he called out.

I think so, her voice sounded in his mind, as though it was his own. It's really empty in here. And so... dark. Within his subconscious, Fluttershy found herself walking through a black abyss lit by a single, faraway light. She stepped towards the light, revealing the source to be a small, glowing white effigy of Sombra, sitting upon a stone throne. She poked it. Is this it?

"What is it?"

It's a small you on a throne.

Sombra repeated the description to Death, who nodded. "That's it. Take his place on the throne and you'll have full control of his body."

Fluttershy nodded, carefully removing the soul from the throne. Outside, Sombra collapsed, and his eyes lost focus. Oblivious, she set him down, sitting on the cold chair. Sombra's eyes refocused, and he blinked a few times. He stood up slowly, stumbling like a newborn foal before falling to the floor. The effigy came to life, lifting Fluttershy from the throne and taking her place. Blinking, Sombra stood. "I don't think this will work," he said.

Death laughed before banging the scythe's shaft against the ground. "Right. Well, best of luck to you. Remember, it's all or nothing!" He vanished, and time began to flow once more.

Not wasting any time, Sombra hurried to the fallen bearers, taking the Element of Kindness from around Twilight's neck and putting it on. His horn flashed, and they woke up, one by one. Rubbing her head, Twilight stood up, gasping at the sight of the element around Sombra's neck.

Before she could start protesting, he covered her mouth with a hoof. He pointed down the hall, where Chrysalis could be heard laughing maniacally, the noise nearly drowning out the sisters' pained screams. They moved to help, but were blocked by his barrier. Rainbow Dash pushed against it.

"I've had it with you!" she snarled. "What are you doing with her element!?"

"Silence!" he snapped. The laughter stopped, and they all tossed a fearful glance down the hall. "It's complicated, and I assure you, I will explain everything if we survive, but until then you need to trust me! Understood?"

The sound of blades dragging against the floor drew their attention back to the hall, where a smiling, bloodstained Chrysalis hovered.

"You're still alive," she said. "I guess we're both bad at finishing what we started. I won't make the same mistakes though;you'll die here and now!" Wings buzzing, she charged the group.

Sombra ducked behind the barrier, and Twilight teleported them to the other end of the hall just in time to see Chrysalis shatter the floor. The queen dug through the debris for a bit before looking over her shoulder.

He nudged Rarity and Twilight. "Please tell me you know the 'Flash-bang' spell." They nodded. "Good. On my command, we stun her, then use the elements to finish her. Any questions?"

"One," Applejack said. "How are we supposed to use them without Fluttershy?"

Chrysalis turned around and resumed her attack.

"Any questions that can be answered in two seconds or less!?" They shook their heads. "Good. Get ready." Fluttershy, that goes for you too.The second I cast the spell, we switch places.

Got it.

The seconds passed, and Chrysalis drew closer and closer.

"Wait..."

She raised her hooves, the blades dripping with acid.

"Wait...!"

She opened her mouth wide, exposing her fangs and releasing a green fog.

"Now!!"

All at once, the unicorns unleashed their spell, successfully blinding the beast; Fluttershy took Sombra's place on the throne, leaving his body an immobile lump; the Elements of Harmony activated, lifting them all into the air as their elements radiated light; the light exploded into a multicolored dome that enveloped the bearers, quickly expanding to cover the Crystal Empire.

When the light faded, they opened their eyes to a restored castle, the one abnormal feature being the weakened queen on the floor, desperately grasping at the dulled Crystal Heart. In the blink of an eye, Sombra was standing over her, his hoof pressing down on her skull. He pushed a bit harder, cracking her armor and making her scream in agony.

"I don't know why you're still alive," he said, "but I'm going to finish you, like I should have done back at the cave!"

"Wait!"

Celestia and Luna ran out of the bedroom, fully healed, and wrenched Chrysalis out from under him. When he moved towards her, Luna blocked his path.

"We need her alive to find out where Cadance and Shining Armor are. After that, she's all yours."

He rolled his eyes. "Just kill her when you're done." He grabbed the Crystal Heart. "In the meantime, I'll put this back." Before anyone could react, he teleported, taking the heart with him.

He reappeared at the very top of the crystal tower, where an odd sight greeted him: Princess Cadance, calmly comforting her husband, who was crying into her chest and desperately begging her forgiveness.

He cleared his throat, getting their attention. "So you're alive after all?"

"I could ask you the same question," Cadance said. "I saw you helping my aunts, but I'm surprised they didn't destroy you as soon as you weren't needed."

"You're too kind, usurper. Speaking of the princesses, they're waiting for you downstairs. I suggest you and the knight go see them, lest they turn my empire upside-down looking for you."

"It is not your empire," Shining said, standing up. "And you're lucky I haven't killed you on the spot!"

"Such arrogance," Sombra scoffed. His horn lit up, and the couple vanished in a flash of light. He lifted the heart to the center of the room, then releasing it. It fell to the floor with a heavy clunk. He sighed. "It's as I feared, then." He walked to one of the windows and sat down, staring out over his home, which was slowly returning to its normal, calm(albeit wary) state.

Fluttershy emerged from his body, hovering beside him. "Are you alright?" He didn't answer. "If you want to talk about it..."

He was quiet at first. Then he said, "I'm probably going to die."

"What!?"

"You don't real think the princesses will let me go after this, do you? The best I can hope for is banishment; that worked out pretty well the first time."

"Maybe if you prove how useful you can be, they'll let you off easy. Since I'm dead, maybe you can help defend Equestria?"

"I'd rather not be on a leash, least of all as an attack dog."

"Oh..." She stroked her mane, eyeing the stallion. Sitting there in slowly freezing armor, looking out at the empire, he didn't really look like a tyrant or conqueror. Honestly, he wouldn't look out of place in the Royal Guard, perhaps as a high ranking soldier, or even a captain. He could be anypony, and he has more than enough time to change his ways...

"Sombra? You know what I think?" He didn't answer. "...I think you're not really that bad of a pony. Or not as bad as you're made out to be, at least."

He looked at her. "You're kidding. Or insane."

"No, really! A bad pony would have killed my friends the second the queen was defeated. A bad pony would have spend the entire trip here taunting the princesses for failing to protect the empire, especially Cadance. A really bad pony wouldn't be talking to a mare he killed; he'd be reclaiming his empire and resuming his despotic, tyrannical rule over the place he once called home!"

He stared at her for a long time. Finally, he said, "Firstly, those things you listed are maniacal, not just bad. More than that, they're stupid. Secondly, assuming you're right, what's your point?"

"Yes, Fluttershy, what, exactly, is your point?" Death asked, grinning draping a leg over her shoulders. She froze at the contact, and Sombra glared. He shook her a little bit. "Come on, don't leave him hanging. He won't see you again, after all."

"W-well," she said, "my point is that I have a new purpose." Death's grin fell, and Sombra raised an eyebrow. She took the silence as her cue to continue. "I've decided to redeem Sombra!"

Sighing, Death removed his leg and stepped back. "What are you plotting?"

"When I looked at his file, it said he was bound for Tartarus. I'm going to keep that from happening by helping him perform acts of kindness throughout Equestria!"

Sombra gave her a long, hard look before sighing and closing his eyes. "It won't be that easy, will it?"

"Of course not," Death said. "Sorry, but even if he acts like the second coming of you until the end of time, the best he'll get is reincarnation." He looked between them. "If that's alright, then..."

"Fine," Sombra said.

"Of course," Fluttershy said.

With another sigh, Death ran past the two, leaping out the window and soaring over the empire, quickly disappearing from view. They stared after him for a moment, then Sombra turned to Fluttershy.

"So what now?"

"We'll have to reintroduce you to my friends, of course. And when you think about everything that's happened tonight, I think that'll be the easy part." She smiled at him, and turned back to the window, looking up at the moon.

He frowned. "What is that...?" A small light shined in the skies above the empire, circling the tower at high speed. With each pass, he tried to get a better look at the object.

Fluttershy dashed from window to window, noticing a distinct, multicolored trail. "Is that... Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow, having slipped away from the others, scanned the peak of the tower, a small, jagged crystal in her mouth. Unsurprisingly, Sombra proved to be very hard to find when surrounded by his namesake. After some circling, she found an opening: a window on the other side of the chamber, one that gave her a clear path to the back of his neck. Looping around once more, she charged.

Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she flew in front of him. "Behind you! Look out!" He couldn't hope to turn fast enough, and she stood in between the two, spread eagle. Rainbow flew faster, crossing the room in a second. Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut.

Nothing happened.

The dagger fell to the floor.

"Fluttershy?"

Opening her eyes, Fluttershy found herself face-to-face with Rainbow Dash, her face frozen in an expression of disbelief.

Dash laid a hoof against her cheek. "No way..."

Just as confused, Fluttershy sent a questioning glance towards Sombra. He was looking over his shoulder at the two, his horn glowing. She smiled gratefully.

Rainbow copied her, and her rage returned full-force. She pushed against her friend, hooves swinging in blind fury. "That's it! I'll kill you, you hear me!? Kill you!"

Fluttershy struggled to hold her back. "Dash, please! I need you to listen!"

Snarling, Rainbow shoved her away. "Yeah? To what? Your lies? Anything to make me drop my guard?"

"You've been reading too much Daring Do, Dashie. I wouldn't want to hurt you, and neither would Sombra." She turned to him, a not-so-sweet grin on her face. "Right?"

"Of course," he said. "Believe me, you're in no danger. I've been honest with you so far, haven't I?"

Rainbow grit her teeth, but before she could argue further, the remaining bearers appeared at the top of the stairwell. Sombra's horn brightened, and they gasped, flocking to Fluttershy and bombarding her with questions.

Rather than answer, she merely grinned and wrapped her friends up in a group hug. "Oh, girls, I'm so glad to see you again! And I have great news: I can come back and stay with you, just like before!"

"That's incredible!" Rarity said, returning the hug. "But how? We saw your home, we saw... well..."

"We saw your corpse," Applejack said, earning her a look from Rarity. "What? No point in beatin' around the bush."

"More importantly," Twilight cut in, "how come we haven't seen you until now? And how were you able to use your element if you're dead?"

Breaking the hug, Fluttershy gestured to Sombra. "It's kind of a long story, but I was able to use his body as a medium. And from now on, I go where he goes, so try to be nice, okay?"

They grumbled halfhearted agreements, along with a single apology lost in the noise. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, eagerly trotted over and hugged him tight, earning looks of shock from everyone, especially Sombra.

"Welcome to the family!" she said, smiling up at him. She let go and began pacing, then bouncing around the room, somehow avoiding the gaping windows. "Ooh! We'll need a homecoming party! Or maybe a victory party! And we can't not throw a 'Fluttershy's Back as a Ghost' party! Or even--"

Sombra's horn flashed, and silence filled the room. Pinkie's mouth kept moving, and she continued to bounce around the room, but didn't make a sound. He turned to the mares. "So, is there anything left to take care of?"

"We'll need princesses' approval, for one," Twilight said. "I'm sure they'll understand if we explain." A gust of wind blew through the windows, causing everyone to shudder and huddle together. "First things first, though, why don't we all head back downstairs where it's warm?"

Voicing their agreement, they all headed for the stairs. Sombra lingered for a moment waiting until the others were out of sight.

"Before these negotiations happen," he said to Fluttershy, "I need to go to my room. Something's been bugging me for awhile now."

"What's that?"

"I can't shake the feeling that somepony's been reading my journal." Shaking his head, he sighed and headed for the stairwell. "I only hope I'm wrong."