Sunstroke

Fluttershy couldn't sleep
she had refused to leave Sombra's side, and he had gotten visibly better
he had wanted to leave the hospital earlier that day, but she hadn't let him
he needed his rest
fluttershys ears perked up, and she looked around to the window
a single shadow was there, looking in on them
it made an urgent, beckoning motion, before disappearing into the night
Sombra sat up
he had clearly seen it too

"Oh no. You have to stay here and get your rest."

Fluttershy knew it was a losing battle
with a grunt, Sombra heaved himself off of the bed and trotted over to the door
Fluttershy rolled her eyes, and decided to follow
there was no point arguing with him when he had made up his mind
the two crept from the hospital, narrowly avoiding the night-shift nurses.
the desert air was cold, crisp
the two looked around, and just managed to make out the ominous figure in the shadow of a building nearby
within a moment, it had scurried away towards the apple orchard
curious, the two followed
the shadow lead them through the winding orchard path
right to the same mineshaft Sombra had been dragged into, earlier that day.
Fluttershy gulped, but Sombra looked determined
he wasn't afraid of some tunnel
the two began the long trot downward, into the center of the desert sands....

Fluttershy and Sombra once again entered the muddy cavern
Fluttershy stifled a shriek
two strange, bug like ponies lay mangled in the mud over to one side of the cave
Sombra quickly checked their wounds

"Strangled, from the looks of it."

Fluttershy stood motionless
she knew what those things were.
or what they had been
Sombra noticed the recognition in her eyes

"You know these things?"

Fluttershy swallowed.
her throat was dry
there was no doubt about it

"They... They're changelings."

Sombra raised an eyebrow

"They're what now?"

Fluttershy shook herself from her daze

"Changelings. I was told that they take the form of someone you love, and gain power by feeding off of your love for them."

the thoughts were racing through fluttershys mind
it was true, the changelings had been exiled, but not defeated
they were blasted... straight to the southern desert
and now they were up to something down here in the mines?
Fluttershy began to hyperventilate

"Whoa, calm down."

Sombra pulled Fluttershy in for an embrace, and her breathing calmed.

"We need to tell someone. Now."

Fluttershy seemed adamant
until she saw what was squatting on a rock, just behind Sombra
with a screech, a shadow leapt over them
it leaped into the shadows of the scaffolding
with further screeches, the ground began to rumble

"GET DOWN!"

Sombra barely had time to yell before boulders began to fall from the ceiling
the mighty crashing sounds seemed to go on forever
when the dust cleared, the exit route had been blocked off
they weren't going to be able to go back the way they came...

Gold was starting to lose focus
the two had been sneaking around in these mineshafts for what seemed like an eternity
was salty leading them on?
the pessimism in the area was blown away when the two saw a shadow whirl down the shaft in front of them

"What was TH-?"

Braeburn was cut short as Gold lept back into him in surprise
the two collided, toppled, and ended up on the dusty mineshaft floor

"Real smooth, partner. Y'all aren't scared, are ya?"

Braeburn raised an eyebrow, while grinning in golds direction
Gold huffed, getting up and wiping himself of dust

"Yeah right. It just surprised me. Surprised and scared are two different things."

Braeburn grinned, before climbing to his hooves

"Well alright then. Ah think we should follow whatever that was."

"Are you NUTS?"

"Yeh really are scared, ain'cha?"

Gold puffed, indignantly

"No way. Fine, we'll do this your way."

with a triumphant grin, Braeburn took point down the shaft that the shadow had followed...
the two trotted down the dusty corridor for what seemed like an eternity
eventually, Braeburn was able to make out a light at the end of the tunnel

"Ssh. Ah think we're onto something here."

Gold perked back up, once again filled with resolve

"Then let's go find out what it is."

"Ah'right partner."

the two trotted towards the light, only to be set upon by an unseen force
kicking and screaming the whole way, the two were dragged into the room by...

loud screams echoed throughout the mineshafts
Sombra's ears perked up
he knew those voices
the runt and the farmpony

Fluttershy had also heard the screaming
her little heart pumping, she collapsed into the dirt in fear
Sombra picked her up, and carried her on his back towards the source of the sound

"W-w-we... we never s-should have... l-left the h-hospital..."

Fluttershy was struggling to speak through her tears and fears.
Sombra laced his voice with as much warmth and consolation as he could muster

"It'll be alright. They probably just saw a large cave spider, or something..."

Fluttershy whimpered even louder
damnit, she was afraid of spiders
Sombra kicked himself mentally, before continuing down the mines toward the source of the sound
eventually, Sombra could make out a reddish light at the mineshaft's end.
Sombra stopped to give it a little thought
why would there be a red glow in the heart of a desert mine?
Sombra knew something wasn't right
changelings. He had never heard of them
but by description, they didn't sound like the friendliest of creatures
Sombra continued towards the source of the light, Fluttershy quivering on his back
he stepped out onto a rocky outcrop, his eyes quickly adjusting to the light
there seemed to be a large glowing gem in the center of the cavern
and the place was crawling with..
Sombra gagged
they were bug like ponies, pulsating, crawling all over the walls
they were disgusting
near the top of the cavern was a huge, gooey membrane
almost like a... chrysalis?
it didnt take long for its contents to become clear
Sombra gagged again
two stallions were trapped inside the cocoon
tubes ran from the cocoon to what looked to be a throne, on an outcrop far above his own
sitting on the throne was a large, menacing looking shadow

"I've been waiting for you to find your way down here."

the voice was feminine, but certainly bug-like
with a crack, Sombra was felled, and sent crashing to the floor...

Gold and Braeburn were the first to come to

"What in tarnation?"
Braeburn struggled, but only managed to get into a tragically comical position with Gold

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

it was Gold's turn to raise an eyebrow

"Ah swear, this is a mistake."

Braeburn seemed overwhelmed by the situation
Gold wasn't faring much better
he noticed someone looking up at them
hey... wasn't that...

"Hey you, are you that hag who tried to crash Shiny's wedding?"

bad move
the cocoon was bucked by two flying changelings

"One and the same, little one."

Gold remembered hearing about it
the whole changeling army had attacked canterlot
shining armour and cadance had defeated them all

"Let us go! Ah'm warnin' you!"

the changeling queen only laughed

"But I'm doing you a favour! You're about to witness something few ponies ever have!"

the two suddenly stopped struggling
what was this psychotic queen talking about?

"What do you mean?"

Gold was suddenly far more serious about the situation
this only served to amuse the queen

"You little ponies are so cute. Always so full of yourselves. Well then, allow me to show you!"

the queen sat up from her throne, before engulfing the large red gem in the center of the cavern with her magic
the gem began to spin, radiating a powerful heat
Gold felt as if he was being boiled alive inside the chrysalis

"What in Celestia's name is that thing?"

Gold choked
it felt as if all the moisture in his body had evaporated
the queen snickered

"Tell me, are you familiar with the history of this world?"

Gold was puzzled
everyone was taught the story

"Yeah, I know it."

the queen grinned, devilishly

"Then you are aware that the two royal Princesses only came to rule later in his worlds life?"

Gold was lost

"Where are you going with this?"

the queens smile disappeared quickly

"SILENCE. Surely, you didn't believe that your precious princesses always controlled the sun and moon, did you?"

Gold had never really given it much thought
Braeburn seemed to be in shock
the queen continued regardless

"The ponies of ancient times had to move the sun and moon by themselves. This jewel, this Desert Ruby, was the key to doing just that."

Gold and brae began to struggle again

"Using it, I can take the control of the sun away from your precious princess celestia. I had my changelings take the miner ponies prisoner, and impersonate them while searching for the jewel. And now, my revenge is finally coming together!"

Gold was still lost

"How do we come into this?"

the queen smirked

"Simple. I was the one who brought the desert to shining armour's attention. I made sure he sent you out here to investigate."

Gold was still lost

"But why?"

the queen seemed irritated

"What better way to exact my revenge? With you as a hostage, he won't do a thing to stop me!"

the queen licked her lips
she wasn't done yet

the queen turned her attention to a second chrysalis

"Not only do I have a means of halting any retaliation by the royal guard, I now also posses the powers of the ancient king of the crystal empire!"

Gold and Braeburn craned their necks to see
Sure enough, Sombra and Fluttershy were in a chrysalis right across from them
Fluttershy was crying, her tears dissolving into the fluid within the chrysalis
this didn't go unnoticed.

"Not only has he been reawakened..."

the queen began to drawl again

"...but he has also learned to love this mare! That love will allow me to absorb his dark magical powers! I'll be unstoppable, Ruler of the sun and moon, Dictator of the stars!"

Gold sighed
she had an affinity for speeches, alright...

A dark figure looked on from an overhead outcrop
unnoticed by the changelings, anon witnessed Everything
something inside him was niggling
trying to break free
it was when he saw Fluttershy crying
that it happened
anon collapsed, holding his head in his hands
it all flooded back
his memory
who he was
he remembered Fluttershy crying that night

"B...But anon.. I dont... want to go..."

he had been forced to make it happen
he remembered what Sombra had done
yet now Sombra, on the verge of being drained of all his power
held Fluttershy, attempting to protect her
no... this wasnt
things werent...
With a screech, anon leapt from his hiding place...

climbing along the walls, swatting changelings as he went, anon climbed towards the base of the two chrysalis'
with a mighty screech, he tore the chrysalis holding Fluttershy and Sombra out by the roots, hurling it onto a nearby ledge
with just as much feral expertise, he repeated with the chrysalis holding Gold and brae
the four ponies broke free of their gooey prisons, shaking themselves off and turning to face the queen once again

the queen seemed unfazed by the development
with a single whisk of her horn, the cavern radiated with heat
the changelings seemed resilient, but the four ponies were just about baked alive

"Can't you see that you don't stand a chance? With or without Sombra's power, I'm a goddess!"

with a mighty wave of her horn, the heat in the cavern intensified
the four ponies took shelter together in their small outcropping
the princess continued to intensify the heat in the cavern
magma burst from the rocks below, further contributing to the heat

"If this keeps up, ah dun think we're gonna make it!"

Braeburn was right
the cavern was becoming red hot
even their durable hooves were being singed
they couldn't stand much more of this
was it over?
were they doomed?

the gem in the center of the room was glowing fiercely
anon stood on an outcropping
the rocks below burned his feet
he remembered who he was
once, he would have given absolutely anything, just to be accepted by that yellow mare
but she had moved on
it was time for him to move on
he closed his eyes, and shed a single tear
he hadn't cried in so long
Everything that had happened came back to him
the two eloping through equestria
the fiasco in manehattan
stalking them, watching Fluttershy grow
anon decided
it was time for him to make it up to her
to apologies for Everything he had done
without thinking twice, he leapt from the overhang

"This is for you, Fluttershy."

he collided with the gem, and went sailing with it down into the lava below.

Everything flashed before his eyes on the way down
how he had been forced to deliver Fluttershy to Sombra
right up until how he had seen her tears
no regrets.
anon hit the lava, and was dead instantly.
the gem went with him, melting into the lava

the four could only watch
immediately after the gem hit the lava, the heat in the room dissipated
there was silence
not stopping to mourn the loss, the four leapt into action
Sombra bucked the two nearest changelings with all his might
Gold flew upwards, tackling two more of the changelings
Braeburn's rifle spilled smoke as he emptied barrel after barrel into the changeling mob
Fluttershy could only stand, devastated, staring at where anon had entered the lava
a primal rage overtook her, and she flew towards chrysalis
Sombra followed, knocking changeling after changeling into the lava below in his wake
Gold cracked down on another changeling, sending it spiralling downward
he turned just intime to see Braeburn being tackled from a ledge
acting on impulse, Gold lunged down, saving Braeburn just intime
arm in arm, with Gold providing the airtime, the two began to massacre the changelings all around
there would be no prisoners.
not this time.

Fluttershy arrived at the outpost where chrysalis was standing, devastated
her godhood ripped away from her, she was outraged
turning to face Fluttershy, the two locked in a stare
with twin roars, Sombra and Fluttershy charged forward, ramming into chrysalis
the queen staggered back, slipping down
with a scream, she barely managed to catch a hold of the ledge
hanging over the lava, she could only look up as Sombra and Fluttershy closed in

Fluttershy couldn't do it
instead of stamping down onto chrysalis' hooves, she took them in her own, pulling her back up onto the ledge, and away from impending doom
chrysalis stood in silence and shock, looking at her hoof
Fluttershy stepped forward

"If you want love to feed your people, then make some. Don't steal some."

chrysalis stood, broken
she lifted a hoof, signalling the attacking changelings to stand down
Gold, exhausted, collapsed onto the ledge behind Sombra and Fluttershy, with Braeburn falling right next to him
good thing too, because he was running out of bullets.

4 ponies and a changeling resurfaced into the dawn
the whole night had passed while they were down there
Gold turned to chrysalis

"You've blown your chances in equestria. But I wish you luck finding a new home."

chrysalis nodded
Braeburn eyed her and every single one of her subjects as they flew away
looks like they had a sense of honor after all
Sombra then clicked

"AH-HA!"

Gold and brae jumped at the sudden exclamation

"FOUND YOU!"

Braeburn was puzzled

"You were lookin'?"

Sombra rolled his eyes

"Not for you, for the r-... For Gold."

Gold turned to face Sombra

"What can I do for you?"

Sombra blinked for a moment, trying to remember just what he had been sent here to do

"Go back and report to shining. Tell him Everything thats happened. We're gonna stay behind and enjoy some of the sun."

Braeburn raised an eyebrow

"This ain't some beach. It's the southern desert."

Sombra shrugged

"Sun is sun. We'll be catching you later."

Sombra and Fluttershy trotted off to the hotel

"Guess this is goodbye, huh?"

Gold looked downtrodden
Braeburn grinned

"Says who? Ah think ah'll go with yeh."

Gold looked up, confused.

"Really? But why?"

Braeburn pulled Gold in for a hug

"Y'all gave me a taste of danger. And a little more. Think Ah'm addicted."

Gold returned the embrace, burying his muzzle in the fur on Braeburn's chest

The two got on the train together, and headed for canterlot.