Chapter Five: Bring in the Clones

Golden rays of sunlight from the newly risen sun stirred all they touched from slumber, getting the land ready for a new day. The two ponies unconsciously snuggled under a warm duvet in Twilight's former residence as they were spared from the glaring light by thick curtains clinging to the windows placed years ago. Alas, the mare could do little against the rhythm she had drilled into herself over the years, and so Twilight opened her eyes at the same time as the rest of Equestria.

Sitting up from the bed, she stretched a bit and noticed the stallion sharing his warmth with her. She couldn't help but smile; the slow breaths and content smile exhibited in his sleep brought a sense of serenity into her thoughts. She watched him for a few minutes, basking in the presence of her loved one, but deep down she knew this moment couldn't last. The time spent with him, as well as the troubling days before, taught her that their pleasures did not always get to come first; not that she wasn't used to life following a different code before she met him; so she sighed and nuzzled Aqua gently.

"Aqua? Good morning, dear. It's time to wake up," she called to him quietly. At first, Aqua didn't answer; he didn't even budge from her intervention. Casting a half frown at him, Twilight pursed her lips as she nudged him again with her hoof.

"Wake up, Aqua. It's morning. Wake up," Twilight persisted as she started shaking him lightly. Aqua's tail swished slightly as he turned over on his side with a groan. She rolled her eyes as her husband groggily refused to wake up from his slumber. With a smile, she rose from the bed and eased herself over to the wall mirror. She began pampering herself for the new day with her manebrush, brushing back the frizzy bedhead she was sporting from the events of last night, and a recall of it brought a blush upon her cheeks. She giggled to herself softly as she turned and saw Aqua still sleeping in the bed, and gave a nonchalant shrug as she walked back to the bed sporting her trademark hime cut manestyle. She delicately leaned forward and pecked his cheek with her lips, elicting little more than a peaceful mutter from the stallion.

"Ok, you win. Get some sleep, honey. I'll be back soon." Twilight whispered as she levitated a scroll from the drawer. Scribbling down on it, Twilight left the scroll on the bedside table and tiphooved out of the bedroom and went outside as the sun rose higher above the horizon, and made for the long spiral staircase downwards.

King Sombra was once more seated in his throne room of the Changeling Castle, gazing upon the floor as he begun to grow bored. His stare shifted smugly towards the Alicorn Amulet wrapped tightly around his neck, it's power radiating with his own. Skimming his hoof along the arm of his throne, Sombra glanced at the flags pinned upon the walls depicting the twisted horn that was Chrysalis', with her raggedy wings sprayed out from them. He closed his eyes blissfully as he thought back to his defeat. How he had slowly marched to such immense power he held in his hooves now. How he had returned from his previous destruction.

The Queen of the Changelings trudged through the cold, frigid landscape that was the Crystal Mountains. Frost clung to her raggedy mane and the holes in her hooves ached as her few Changeling soldiers still surviving by her side followed suit. The wind blew harshly across the frozen wasteland as Chrysalis shivered in the cold. As they were similar to insects in nature and biology, their kind had been highly vulnerable to extremely low temperatures. Fighting the frost in defiance, Chrysalis hung closer to her soldiers as they were blitzed over with a flurry of snow. Since their defeat at the hooves of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, they had been banished to the far reaches of Equestria, and there was what seemed like no hope for the fallen queen.

Her rage; her undying hatred for the two rulers of the revived Crystal Empire had only dug the thorn in her side even deeper, and she snarled through her gritted teeth as green saliva dripped from her maw. She turned to see the shivering, helpless, emancipated forms of her Changeling minions. To her, she had almost mistaken the hard, black shelled creatures to be frozen husks of her servants. She heard the howl of Windigoes as a full on blizzard swarmed the group. Chrysalis felt her skin beginning to turn grey as frost now stained her eyelashes. All there was in front of her was snow. Nothing but flat plains of snow for miles.

Disappointed in the bleakness of her situation, Chrysalis began to lose hope, peering at the sympathetic glares from her Changelings. In despair, she trudged on a few more feet, and subsequently collapsed as her legs gave out, and she landed face-first into the snow. Her minions crawled to her side and huddled with her, but it was the end for them. That was until she heard something startle her. She heard moaning, an errie moaning that broke from the howl of snow. She clung to the last bit of hope she had and struggled to crawl towards the epicenter of the noise. She saw something stick out from the white landscape, and as she peered at it, she felt curious of it.

What appeared to be a black, smooth and curved unicorn horn poking out of the ground caught her eye, and she crawled closer to it. She noticed the way it shaded from black to vivid red at the sharp tip of it. The redness was beginning to dim slightly as she heard the moaning spirits around her crying out in sheer agony.

Help me...

Chrysalis could've sworn she had heard the spirits call out to her. She looked down at the horn. Had this thing actually spoken to her?

"It must be the trauma..." Chrysalis muttered to herself, as if trying to convince herself. She shook her head in denial as the spirits swirled around her.

Pleassse...help me...

There it was again. Chrysalis was enveloped in the disembodied voices, now poking at the horn and flinching away as black crackles of electricity were emitted from all over the horn. She began to wonder; had somepony been buried alive and left for dead out here; and had been desperately calling for aid for as long as it could, perhaps for eons. As if spitting in the face of fate, she turned the horn over, and went wide-eyed as she found the horn had no owner, completely severed from the head of whatever had possessed it. Bits of black crystaline skin, charred and cracked, crumpled from the cut off point of the horn. The spirits hissed, seeming to have taken pain from the slightest bit of contact. She weakly levitated the horn from the snow and handed it to an armored Changeling.

Yesss...

"This is coming with us back to base. Hurry," Chrysalis urged as she began trotting away. The Changelings followed as black clouds dissipated around the place where the horn had been.

The sun glared in Aqua's face as he finally woke up from his slumber. He blinked a few times to regain proper vision, and glanced around the room as he sat up and stretched. He noticed that Twilight was not in the room, and he turned his head to see a folded letter sitting on the bedside table. Getting out of bed, Aqua picked up the letter and unfolded it.

"Dear Aqua, I'm just going out for a bit to see how the girls are doing. Won't be gone for long, but I'll let you know when we'll be doing the cloning process. With love, Twilight," Aqua raised an eyebrow when he saw a lipstick stain on the bottom of the letter, and casually set aside the note. He claimed his tunic from the floor before leaving the tower. He headed down the staircase as the sun stained his eyes. Blocking the sun with his hoof, he saw Pinkie Pie walk from the castle gates. He tapped her on the shoulder as he approached her.

"Good morning, Pinkie Pie," Aqua greeted. Pinkie turned to face him with an oversized smile on her face, and she practically engulfed him whole in a bone-breaking hug.

"Ohmigosh, hi Aqua, I was looking for you! We were starting to get worried about you when you didn't show up this morning to see us and when Princess Celestia came, she was all like "Where is Master Aqua?" and I was thinking 'Maybe he's off on some adventure with the Spinach Lord or sightseeing in Saddle Arabia with Simon the Seal.' Then I got distracted by my thinking voice 'cause it sounds so echoey. Here, listen!" Pinkie then dashed to a nearby corridor of the castle and hollered her name, producing an echo along the hallway. She zipped back to Aqua with her usual beaming smile, "Then Twilight told us you just overslept. By the way, do you like hot sauce cupcakes?"

Aqua blinked for a second in confusion before speaking, "Well, I just got a note from her, so I assume she wants me to meet her in the castle. Shall we?" He walked into the castle as Pinkie merrily bounced by his side, "And I don't care very much for hot sauce cupcakes, honestly."

Twilight stood in the throne room as her friends sided by her. She was tapping her hoof on the floor impatiently as she glanced around the room. Dozens of stain-glassed windows choked the walls, depicting Celestia vanquishing Nightmare Moon, the Mare in the Moon herself being redeemed by the Bearers of Harmony, Discord's imprisonment, Shining Armor and Cadence's banishment of Queen Chrysalis, and Spike's destruction of King Sombra. Her friends watched for minutes on end as Twilight paced the floor anxiously. Eyes following her movement, the expressions on her friends slowly grew more restless. The pegasus in the room finally spoke up to break the silence.

"Ugggh, what's taking him so long?!" Rainbow groaned in aggravation as she hovered above the ground, "He was supposed to be here over an hour ago!"

"Now Rainbow Dash, you need to understand patience. Aqua is simply running a bit late, is all," Rarity interjected as Rainbow dropped towards her.

"A little late is like 5 minutes late. Why are we even waiting on him?" Rainbow protested.

"The Princess is only going to get the clone army underway when all of us arrive here. We're just gonna have to wait for him," Twilight answered as she stopped her pace and turned to the pair.

"Indeed. Aqua is a very important individual to the Princess. How many ponies do you see around Equestria who happen to be a Jedi?" Rarity added as Rainbow rolled her eyes in boredom.

"He's definitely important and slow. Why doesn't he just fly here?" Rainbow whined.

"Ugh, I don't know!" Twilight answered, growing annoyed with Rainbow's complaining, "He'll be here when he gets here, so stop complaining and wait!" Fluttershy gazed from behind her mane and spoke.

"Um, girls? Can we please stop arguing? He'll get here when he does," the timid pegasus whispered meekly. Applejack decided to change the subject.

"Twi, mind me askin', but what's it like with Aqua?" Twilight hid a blush with a turn of her head before answered.

"He's pretty wonderful, Applejack. Handsome, smart, and amazingly strong. I mean, have you seen his lightsaber? He's just born with it, I suppose," Twilight answered.

"Ah know that, Twilight. Does he treat you right?" Applejack pressed.

"Of course he does. I just wish he wouldn't worry about me so much. He's can be a bit..." Twilight bit her lip, "overprotective at some times."

"Ooo, do tell, darling. We wanna know all about your colt," Rarity pressed her cheek against Twilight's in glee.

"I-I think you know enough..." Twilight declined nervously.

"Come on Twi, make like your guts and spill! Does he even lift?" Rainbow pushed on.

"Is Goliath doing alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"What fabric is his tunic?" Rarity chimed in. A pair of hooves marched into the room.

"I will answer all your questions, my little ponies. I'm here, if you were wondering," Aqua greeted as he was joined by a bouncing Pinkie Pie. Twilight ran up to him and immediately hugged him happily as Pinkie bounced to the group.

"I found him! I found him! I found him! I found him! I found him!" Pinkie sang as she bounced in a random circle.

"How are you doing, dear?" Aqua asked as he cupped Twilight's chin with his hoof.

"I'm fine, Aqua. I'm guessing you got my note, then."

"Oh yes, I got your message with the little lipstick stain on it," Aqua teased with a nudge of his wing. The group of mares cooed at his statement towards Twilight.

"Aqua!" Twilight playfully swatted the Jedi's chest, "Anyway, now that you're here, we can get started on the cloning project."

"Indeed we can, my subjects," Princess Celestia greeted as she entered the room, accompanied by the bows of her loyal commoners, "Now, as you are all aware, Canterlot's Royal Guard forces are severely outmatched by Queen Chrysalis' Changeling armies," The group nodded in acknowledgement.

"Because our guards are low in numbers, we must make usage of the mirror pool in order to combat the superior number of Changelings. As you know, Changelings are extremely strong creatures, and we need an equally strong force to oppose them," Celestia continued.

"And for this army to work, we utilize Big Macintosh, Rainbow, and myself to breed clones?" Twilight asked.

"Precisely, Twilight. We will station the army squads in every section of Equestria, and provide a shield over Canterlot until this entire matter is resolved. But sadly, with Shining Armor and Princess Cadence ruling over the Crystal Empire, I myself will oversee the shield alongside my sister, Luna."

"If I may interject, your Majesty," Aqua interrupted, "Instead of arming cities with forces; as allowing such would simply be a waste of clones; rather, we strike the Changeling Kingdom head on while using our army to surround the entire perimeter. So it would make sure Chrysalis won't escape if we attack the castle."

"That comes in due time, Master Aqua. Before we can strike directly, issuing clones to every bit of the country will assure added protection in case of straggler Changelings and or Queen Chrysalis, along with whatever second party she is conspiring with," Celestis countered.

"If we launch our attack at the moment, and attack all together, we can easily subdue the Queen, and would bring an end to this war immediately. And with the end of the war, we can dispute on what to do with the clones afterwards," Aqua shot back.

"Master Aqua, do not be unrealistic on this. This is for the better of Equestria. Trust me, this will work out in due time," Celestia assured, flashing her gentle smile. Aqua quieted as she rose up to her height.

"Now, unless everypony else would like to give their input, we really must be going at this time," Celestia motioned as the group headed out for the door, "Master Aqua, wait a moment," Aqua stopped as Twilight stood by the door before exiting. He faced up the tall, pristine alicorn with recognition.

"I know you do not agree fully with this cloning idea, but please understand, you and I are doing what is right for Equestria," Celestia sympathized with the Jedi, "And I acknowledge the unorthodox nature of this."

"I apologize for that, but I simply think if we defeated Chrysalis up front, it will save us from a larger number of casualties," Aqua reasoned. Celestia lowered to Aqua's height with a gentle nature.

"Trust in the Force, Master Aqua. You'll see that things will turn out right," Celestia replied as she guided Aqua out the door, wing draped over his body in comfort.

The howl of Windigoes echoed through the frozen north as a harsh arctic flurry graced the icey land. Flames from the torches lining the cave flickered on the walls. Inside the cave was Queen Chrysalis and several Changelings huddled with her, all scarved in an attempt for warmth. A massive cauldron fit the middle of the cave, and Chrysalis gazed down at an opened spellbook, the leather manuscript peeling with decades of wear and tear. Ghostly spirits circled the pot as the Queen weakly levitated the smooth black horn above it as the red tip of it was close to fading entirely. She closed her eyes and her horn glowed as she spoke the incantation.

"Buried, entombed in Tartarus' hold, bound by spirits, it's destiny foretold. From the realm of decease, shroud of hate, resurrect in full, a demon it shall create!" Chrysalis moaned as she dropped the horn into the contents of the cauldron. At first, nothing happened, only the faint growl and moan of spirits, but the pot began shaking softly as the growls grew louder. Chrysalis firmly stood in front of the pot, unsure of what would emerge from the brew. Shaking violently now, the liquids inside threatening to slosh out, snarls, howls, and cries of agony echoes through the massive cave as green, red, and purple auras rose from the pot.

Chrysalis shut her eyes as a blinding green light now pierced the room, and with a vertical beam of light, spiraling helixes of red and black swirls surrounded the beacon for many minutes until it all collapsed on itself, and an explosion sounded from the inside, rocking the cave violently back and forth as the ground shook from the blast.

A mixture of steam and smoke rose from the remains of the cauldron as an equine body laid, eclipsed in the smog as Chrysalis regained her balance, and crawled to the corpse. She crouched down to the skeleton-like body, and firmly poked it with her front hoof.

"Are you...alive?" Chrysalis asked in fear as the body took in slow breaths, and growls filled the cave as the creature turned it's head slightly. Eyes widening in surprise, the creature's hoof shot out in alarm, and it grabbed the neck of the Changeling Queen.

"N-No! What...are you...doing?!" Chrysalis gasped for air as the demonic unicorn rose from his crouched position to strangle her.

"Who are you?! And what are you doing in my realm!?" the unicorn screamed bloody anger as his eyes pierced right through Chrysalis' own, penetrating her with his unnaturally green eyes and red irises. Chrysalis shuddered in fear as she was instantly subjected to a thousand of her most terrifying fears, and her resolve nearly shattered to bits.

"I...saved your horn..." Chrysalis wheezed as he tightened his grip on her throat, "You were lost in the C-Crystal Mountains, and I...brought you back," the stallion's eyes glanced to the remains of the pot he had risen from, and his grip faultered, until he fully let go of the Changeling's neck. Chrysalis coughed in agony as she dropped to the floor; her Changeling soldiers running to her side. The stallion crouched to the Queen with an outstretched hoof.

"My sincerest apologies. Not long have I been bound to this mortal world; I haven't been whole in over a thousand years. A thousand years..." the stallion muttered, glaring at the ruins of the cave he had wrought, a small flame flickering still upon the middle of the cave.

"What were you doing...in the cold, destroyed?" Chrysalis asked. A twinge of anger aroused the stallion's muzzle as his eyes turned red.

"The cold...the crystals...the Crystal Empire. It was so long ago...months even. Nothing but torture...all because of them..." the stallion murmured, seething with rage.

"Who? Who did this to you?" Chrysalis asked.

"The Crystal Princess, her husband...Shining Armor, a small band of mares, and a...dragon," he answered. Chrysalis glowered at the identities he mentioned.

"Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Those fools. Their foolish, inferior love for each other. It was their love that robbed me of my assured victory of conquering Canterlot."

"So you have had experience dealing with them," he said, and Chrysalis nodded, "Have you been in conflict with Celestia as well?" A smile formed on Chrysalis' face.

"Ahh yes, Celestia. My most precious memory of an otherwise failed destiny. By draining Shining Armor's love, I defeated Celestia in a magic duel. I overwhelmed her quite easily if I must say," Chrysalis said in snide as she barely concealed a face of pride.

"Celestia...the foolish, blasted alicorn. Responsible for my first banishment," he said as a crown faded onto his head.

"I must ask you, who are you, exactly?" Chrysalis asked.

"I am King Sombra. Tyrant of the Crystal Empire, ruler of the frozen north, Sombra the Warlord. Scourge of the Crystal Ponies. Dark magic incarnate," Sombra introduced himself, "And you are?"

"I am Queen Chrysalis, co-ruler of the Changeling Empire, and conquerer of the Bad Lands. I rule over thousands of Changelings as my minions, along with my king..."

"King? You have a king?" Sombra asked.

"Yes. His name...is King Craw. King Craw was my former guard until he rose up to become ruler."

"I see. He rose up against the previous king?" Sombra pried.

"Yes. The previous king was King Metamorphosis. He was old, very old, near death even. Craw viewed him as just a weak old shell, and destroyed him easily in a duel," Chrysalis explained.

"A duel...tell me, what is Craw like?" Sombra continued to press Chrysalis for information on her diarchy.

"Powerful, ruthless, and power-hungry. He only raises the strongest of Changelings to be prime, to be the master race, you see. And you are the former ruler of the Crystal Empire?"

"I was...until the alicorn princesses destroyed my physical body, and entombed me to the frozen lifelessness of the Iceberg Rift. Not before I utilized my combined dark magic and dark side powers to bring the entire empire down with me, until I rose again. Only to be completely...obliterated by the accursed Crystal Heart," Sombra snarled with unbridled rage as he slammed his hoof upon the floor, causing a crack to spread across the cavern, and a black crystal peeking out of the ground where the fissure ended.

"You say dark magic and dark side powers? How were you able to banish an entire empire along with yourself?"

Sombra chuckled, low in his throat as he replied, "My dear Chrysalis, I was never much of a normal, average unicorn. No no, I was much more than what the princesses saw in me. The darkness inside me; black as the night sky, whispered dark secrets to me. Such bleak whispers foretold me of great powers, led me to the very being who would instruct me on those ancient ways of magic. It was not magic in itself, Chrysalis, quite the opposite. I was young, always knowing I was destined for such unique power..."

"Were it not for my master, I would never have obtained all the secrets he could teach me," Sombra continued, musing. "Along with my magic studies under another mentor. I gained more and more power over the years, immersing myself in the dark side itself, until my own master regarded me of the Force in physical form. I sought power, Chrysalis, and no power I had before could satify me. I wanted more. And with that hunger, I sought after what I could find; the Crystal Empire, in utter anarchy. Ponies, forever wishing to be oppressed, crying out for it. I answered their cries, for they were nothing but my slaves. My complete slaves."

"The princesses banished you. How did you survive this long? To come back after a thousand years?" Chrysalis asked.

"Darling, you will see that flesh that does not easily support this power. On and off again, my power would be outright leaking from my spirit, urging to be used, bottled up to high levels. My banishment was a chance for me to reassess my abilities, and I slowly crawled from the rift of the undead, and at the tip of the iceberg, I returned to my empire, until I saw that my spot, my own castle, my throne...it was taken from me...by Princess Cadence, and Shining Armor."

"Then it would appear we share a common enemy," Chrysalis mused, crouching to Sombra's height.

"It would seem so, Queen," Sombra agreed as a red glow shined from his back, erecting a cape from thin air. He smiled as Chrysalis suddenly gripped his hoof. A grunt of alarm in an alien tounge left his mouth as he peered down.

"Your powers, Sombra. How can I be sure it is true, what you say?"

A smirk appeared on Sombra's muzzle as he stood firmly, and concentrated, and his eyes shined green with purple trails, and his horn glowed black with sparks of electricity. A spherical blast of dark side energy shot out from all angles, alarming all in the cavern as it shook. Chrysalis noticed the icy climate shifting rapidly, steam shifting from the floor as cracks lined the walls.

The Changelings clung to each other as the shaking continued, and heat seemed to radiate from Sombra's horn. He exerted hardly any effort as he continued flaring it. Temperatures rose to a sweltering amount as sweat beamed off Chrysalis' forehead. Slowly, Sombra ceased his demonstration, and the trembling in sync ended. What was once frozen snow lining the floor was bare, seared dirt, with the stalactites now crumbling into shards of rock.

"Do you see the strength I possess? I have the hold over eons of teaching in all magic. My potential outclasses deities such as Celestia, and I am in your debt, Chrysalis."

"King Sombra...I like the way that rolls off the tounge. You seems like you could a worthy king...to rule alongside me."

"King Sombra...king of the Changelings. I agree. We could rule the Changeling Empire...and more," Sombra said. Chrysalis and Sombra chuckled with each other as a flame dimmed out from the center of the cave, exposing them to darkness.

Twilight squinted her eyes in the darkness of the cave. She anxiously tiphooved along the ground, taking small breaths. The hum of her purple bladed saber buzzing in her ear, she cautiously advanced aimlessly through the cavern. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead as she heard another hum in the distant.

Aqua was clinging to a stalactite, hooves wrapped around the base with his wings spread out to balance himself. He wordlessly watched Twilight helplessly wander the cave with her lightsaber ready and held back a smile. He dashed from the stalactite and to another, and Twilight raised her head when she heard a sudden whir of air. Turning her head, she gazed up at the ceiling and saw nothing, and walked awayfrom it. Peeking out from another stalactite, Aqua slowly retracted his lit lightsaber and let go of his hold, soaring down on Twilight with all his might.

Turning around, Twilight raised her blade above right when Aqua made contact with her, cutting off his motion and with a forward thrust, she flung him across the cave with a fierce grunt. Aqua flipped in midair and landed square on his hooves. He charged at the lavender mare, and the two clashed sabers. Crossing their swords and swinging until their blades were practically locked into each other, the two tested each other's strength until Twilight tapped into her magic, and flung a stalactite at the Jedi. Breaking from the lock, Aqua bisected the rock in half before Twilight lunged at him with her saber out, only for him to grasp her in his hold with the Force.

Twilight grunted in exertion as she disappeared in a magenta flash from Aqua's grip, teleporting behind him and readied herself to strike. Anticipating her, Aqua swiftly turned and caught her saber with his own before pushing her aside effortlessly. Twilight's horn glowed and fired off several bolts of magic at him. As he deflected most with his blade, he reached out with his hoof and the magic absorbed itself into it, before it ricocheted out his other hoof in the form of a Force push.

Twilight's horn glowed once more, and the ground shook as vines burst from the ground in her manipulation, tangling Aqua as he dived at her. Captured, Aqua struggled to cut his way through, and lashed out with a Force repulse. He took a short breath, halting his offense.

"Impressive, Twilight. Your skills are growing. I am proud," Aqua complimented as he rushed at her with his saber, working into another lock.

"I am a quick learner," Twilight replied, "And you should be more watchful..." Aqua noticed the vines once more lurking towards him. He felt them tingle at his back hooves as Twilight gained the upper hoof on the clash. He bit down on his lip as he focused. He had been holding back on her until now; now she was pushing him to try. Still holding his saber, he channeled his energy into the vines surrounding him, overpowering Twilight's magical hold with ease as they now released him, and he drove off Twilight's advance with an offensive flurry of swordplay.

Twilight's defensive form of Makishi collided with Aqua's mastery over Soresu. He barely left himself open to attacks for the mare to strike at, but as he did, his own defensive maneuvers being well-rounded and relatively impossible to breach. She lost focus in her lightsaber as Aqua slammed his saber against her's, practically in awe as he grew more intense in his strikes. Curving her blade facing the ground, Twilight struggled against Aqua while he kept his in place, moving with the mare's blade. Twilight had no other solution in the duel, and as she lost herself, the stallion went in for the blow.

Knocking Twilight's lightsaber aside with a power swipe, Aqua towered over Twilight as she fell backwards from the force of the blow. Victorious, Aqua pointed his saber at Twilight as he stood on his hind hooves. He spoke in a soft tone as a bead of sweat formed on his brow.

"Yield."

Twilight was pinned to the floor as Aqua kept his saber pointed. She dropped her saber and stuck her hooves out to surrender. Aqua deactivated his blade until he was caught off guard. Twilight unexpectedly drop kicked her husband off his hooves and possessed him in an intense glob of her magic. His hooves were pinned to his side, preventing him from reaching his saber, and he was now at her mercy. With a victorious smirk on her face, Twilight towered over him now as she pointed her blade at him.

"Don't underestimate me," Twilight said. Finally defeated, Aqua yielded to her.

"Good, good! You've won, Twilight! At last, your training has come so far," Aqua praised her with a nuzzle. Twilight tucked her saber away as her friends unexpectedly popped out from behind the stalactites.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Rainbow Dash cheered, hoof pumping the air in celebration, "Twilight! You totally creamed him!"

"W-Were you watching the whole time?" Twilight asked, turning to see Aqua crossing his hooves over his chest.

"Pfft, duh! We've been waiting for Big Macintosh to get here so we can get this army thing up and running," Rainbow answered with a lazy midair flip.

"Twilight darling, you look so marvelous with that purple lightsaber. Ooh! All you need is a tunic like Aqua's and then--" Rarity squealed before being cut off by Pinkie Pie.

"You could look all matchy and Jedi-y with your bathrobe thingies and stuffs!" An orange hoof was shoved in her mouth to quell the pink mare's outburst.

"That aside, are we expecting the Princess anytime soon?" Aqua asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "The more time we spend in the Everfree Forest, the more time we'd be susceptible to whatever lurks in it."

"Don't be such a worrywart, Aqua! What's the worst that could happen?" Rainbow protested, pressing her snout against Aqua's muzzle.

"The worst? Well, that could be a wild Manticore, tribe of wyverns, stampede of cows, parasprite invasion, or an overdue friendship letter," Aqua answered, with Twilight blushing in the process, "Just to name a few." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as Fluttershy stepped up to them.

"I hear Princess Celestia right now!" On cue, the regal alicorn walked down the smooth staircase leading to the pool, followed by Big Macintosh and Applejack. She met the rest of the group with an uneasy smile.

"Thank you all for meeting me here, everypony. And may I thank our friend Big Macintosh here for generously offering his template for our cloning process," Celestia said as the others bowed slightly in recognition.

"Big Mac, y'all know what we're off to do, right?" Applejack asked with a nudge of her elbow.

"Eeyup."

"Then let's get this over with!" Rainbow pried.

"Yeah! How many clones are we gonna need, anyway?" Pinkie asked.

"It all depends. We could use dozens, or even hundreds of them. But we will cross that bridge when we get to it," Celestia answered as she unfolded a wing out, ushering the two mares to follow. Twilight and Rainbow stood at Big Mac's side as they edged over the mirror pool. Their reflections swishing in the waves, they waited for the Princess' order.

"What if this doesn't work, Celestia?" Aqua asked, "What if it's a terrible abomination of nature? An absolute failure of a clone?"

"Trust in the Force, Master Aqua," Celestia reassured as she cleared her throat and readied her horn. The aura surround all three ponies as they eased into the mirror pool, the golden magic and blue water illuminating in shades of green. Celestia's horn glowed brighter as a few moments passed. Bubbles continued to find their way to the surface as Aqua and his comrades watched in anticipation.

"'Ah sure hope everything's ok in there," Applejack said in concern. Aqua gave a curt nod as he watched. He began thinking to himself. What if this wouldn't work at all? If the clone would result to be a freakish mutant of equine nature as a result of the mix of ponies utilized in cloning? Would they be injured after this cloning? All his answers would come now, as he saw a purple hoof rise from the water.

Twilight was the first to emerge from the pool, mane soaked and bangs covering his eyes as she waded out of the deep end. She shook herself dry like a puppy as Rainbow emerged out, casually flying out and all. Last to arrive out was Big Macintosh, with his simple. stoic, well-rounded expression.

"Thank you, my little ponies. You are doing Equestria good with your selflessness," Celestia praised as bubbles rose once more from the mirror pool. Watching, waiting for the clone, the entire group stared at the pool before it had finally clawed out of the poolwater.

A pale, faded red, and bulky built stallion was revealed, completely identical to Big Macintosh in every way. For eons, the mirror pool had been in obscurity to Equestria, and was now known for it's cloning properties. Aqua Blue was not impressed by it whatsoever. Seconds later, another hoof found it's way to the surface, and out from it was a similar looking Macitosh. Mauve in color, a mix of purple and red coat, with a horn adorning it's head, another pony waded from the water. It had similar features to Twilight and Big Mac, combined in an honestly creepy sort of way. Another pony, a lavish purple, combined from pale red and cyan fur, appeared next to the other clones. Oddly enough, each clone resembled their templates in one way or another; eye shape, muzzle, or the simpler concepts.

The group now stood in awe at the three clones before them. Twilight wanted to gasp, but found no air to do so.

"My little ponies, welcome to Equestria," Celestia greeted the clones as they bowed to her in respect. One was an Earth pony, another a unicorn, and the last being a pegasus. The spawns of Twilight, Rainbow, and Big Mac had emerged finally.

"Heh," Rainbow chuckled, "Say hello to the Macintroopers."

Aqua Blue still did not find the mirror pool impressive at all.

The throne room to the Changeling Castle burst open, revealing a rejuvenated and refreshed Queen Chrysalis, looking quite well after returning from the Crystal Mountains. She greeted King Craw with a passionate nuzzle, Craw looking over her with wild abandon.

"King Craw, thank the creator I've finally returned to you!" Chrysalis gasped with tears running down her face, staining the floor before her.

"How long have you been gone, my queen?" Craw asked, "I was near certain you perished in the Crystal Land."

"I was gone for weeks, Craw. How do the Changelings fare?"

"Fine. They feed just as much as they have before, a miracle I must say, after your little swing-by on Canterlot," Craw pointed out.

"Craw, I know what you are hinting at, but please, let me assure you that it is nothing but a minor setback!" Chrysalis reasoned.

"Silence! I have dealt with this time and time again, Chrysalis! Our Changelings are hungry for love, my queen, and there is no hope the direction we are headed if I cannot even send you on your way to successfully capture Equestria capital with our prized militia!

"B-But Craw, surely you must know it is the fault of Sparkle, a-and Princess Cadence! They would've died in the caverns under Canterlot had they not escaped!"

"And were you planning on dealing with them yourself? No. That is how you were defeated."

"Please Craw, just give me another chance! I-I could attack Canterlot again, o-or even Ponyville! We could attack all the cities in the country, then go after Canterlot when the time is right! Please!" Chrysalis begged as she cupped Craw's front hooves. Craw pushed aside her hooves in disgust.

"No! You have failed me, Chrysalis. Out of my sight!" Craw demanded, shoving the tall Changeling to the door. Chrysalis was flabbergasted as she stood at the entrance of the door as they slammed shut in exile. She turned her head as she trotted away, and into her bedchambers. She sighed wearily to herself as she stood at the window, watching the small Changelings kick about a filly entrapped in a cocoon as if it were a hoofball. She saw the already dead fauna snap in half at the drawbridge of the castle, seeing a cloaked figure in the distance, and as it turned it's head, it lowered it's hood, revealing itself to Chrysalis. She nodded to the figure as she returned to her bed, now ecstatic. The figure eased it's way into the front door of the caslte, approached by the speared Changeling guards. Trumpets blew in a wicked cadence as King Craw walked from the center staircase to greet the figure.

"Welcome to the Changeling Empire, stranger. What brings you here?" Craw asked. The figure removed it's hood ominously as it revealed itself to him. Voice low and layered, it spoke to him.

"My name is King Sombra. And I am here to negotiate with you."

"What could you possibly have to negotiate with me, Sombra?" Craw barked as the guards raised their weapons.

"Your plans to rule Equestria. I may be of assistance," Sombra answered. Craw contemplated before raising a hoof to silence his drones.

"Go on..." Craw beckoned.

"I am the king of the Crystal Empire, and I can assist you in your efforts to rule Equestria."

"Former king of the Crystal Empire, in fact. I have no time for your games, Sombra," Craw snarled.

"And I have experience in controlling slaves. Think about it, Craw. We both strive to conquer, why not we be united to do so?"

"Slaves? You judge my Changelings to be my slaves?"

"Oh, I assume you view them as minions then? Irrelevent though, you must understand your minions are in vast numbers, quite strong and commanding, and they are eternally loyal to their king."

"Your point being?"

"One regal ruler to another, I am willing to offer you all my knowledge of conquest. Perhaps you could actually overthrow Celestia with me in second in command." Craw put a hoof to his chin in thought before turning to the dark lord.

"Then we shall make arrangements," Craw said, turning to an armor-plated Changeling by his side, "Prepare our gourmet lunch at once."

***

King Craw and Sombra were seated on opposite ends of the dining table, as platters were spread across the clothed table by Changeling waitresses. They traded glanced in between the massive plates served by the service drones, as Chrysalis sat in the middle of the table. They sat in silence before Sombra spoke up.

"King Craw, I must ask you. Your Changeling armies?"

"Yes, King Sombra? What of my armies?"

"If you are wishing to conquer Equestria, your best method would be sending armies after many of the cities in the country."

"How do you see that plan working?"

"It's painfully easy to see, Craw," Sombra continued as a waitress unveiled the platter, with a mash of fruits glazed with nectars, glistening in the dimmed dining room, "You're aware Queen Chrysalis' attempt on Canterlot many months ago?"

"Ah yes, I'm well aware of my queen's failure to secure the capital," Craw said with a sneer that Chrysalis looked away from.

"Ah, there's the rub, you see," Sombra explained in a philosophical tone, "Chrysalis'...minor defeat. However, be aware that she many things right in her invasion."

"And how do you reason with that?"

"Chrysalis flawlessly imitated Princess Cadence in order to infiltrate Canterlot, and lower it's defenses through manipulation. A very delicate plan, I must say, to chip away at the shield being employed by her militia." Chrysalis' smile grew in gratitude as Craw's brow furrowed.

"What does this have to do with my armies?" Craw asked with annoyance, tucking into his meal.

"To further direct attention from Canterlot, it would've been better suited to send armies around the country. I feel like I am repeating myself, Craw."

"And to put my Changelings in danger? To serve just as distractions before striking outright? Sombra, I believe that plan is primed for failure."

Sombra grew more and more irritated at Craw, but held his smile in earnest as he settled into his platter.

"I agree with Sombra. His ideas are exceptionally brilliant," Chrysalis voiced. Craw rose from his seat.

"This is between us kings, Chrysalis. Do not voice your opinion in this matter," Craw hissed.

"Now, that's no way to treat a lady, is it Craw? I may be over a thousand years old, but I am still aware of chivalry," Sombra chided.

"And you believe yourself to be a more suited king than myself? Is that it, then?"

"Perhaps it is, Craw," Sombra raised his voice, rising from the table. The waitresses stood in shock at the ensuing arguement before heading back to their dining halls. Craw sneered at the dark lord before chuckling.

"You honestly believe that you can rule Equestria? That you can lead my armies to conquer? You are a fool."

Sombra could barely hide his irritation at Craw, not until he delivered his final message.

"Then let us prove it. I challenge you to a duel. Your terms, your rules. For the throne."

***

The two kings were situated in the Changeling Colosseum, thousands of drones lined across the seats of the arena. Craw was outfitted now in custom made battle armor, constructed by his Changeling blacksmiths. His ribcage area was armored with plated steel as his body was layered out in similar fashion. Sombra was clad in nothing but his cape, discarding his crown. His silky black mane waved in the wind as he growled through his bared teeth.

Chrysalis raised her flag to sound the battle as Craw acknowledged his opponent.

"This battle will dictate who will rule the Changelings Kingdom! My terms of the duel; you may use one weapon of choice, along with any of your magical abilities. The brawl will cease when either opponent is unable to continue dueling, or in fatal condition. Along with that, there is to be no outside help of any kind during the fight, no exceptions. One last rule, loss of the battle will result in banishment from the kingdom. Failure to will result in death. Do you agree to these terms, King Sombra?"

Sombra smirked, "I agree."

"Then let it begin!" Craw shouted. Chrysalis waved the flag, and the two sprung into action.

Craw's gnarled horn shot forth a beam of vivid red light headed at Sombra, and the demonic unicorn did so just as quickly. Dark magic collided with Changeling magic in a struggle, seeming to be equal in power until the black aura of magic slowly gained the upper hand. A bead of sweat dripped from Craw's forehead as he was forced to cut off his magic and teleported from his position. He watched as the dark magic struck where he had stood, creating a deafening explosion that shook the battlefield. Craw charged at Sombra with his horn, primed to stab him as Sombra simply stood there.

Sombra waited just as he was about to make contact with him before he swiftly turned, grabbing Craw by his horn and lifting him from the ground, and slammed his elbow against the king's cheek, knocking him to the ground. Craw charged his horn and shot another beam of magic. With a burst of speed, Sombra dashed from the impact site and leapt at the king, bucking him across the chest with his titanium-plated hooves. Craw once more hit the ground as Changelings screeched to each other. Levitating himself in magic, Craw roared as he shot blasts of magic towards Sombra with wild speed.

Encasing his hooves in his magic aura, Sombra stood on his hinds hooves and literally flicked away the magic blasts with his hooves, shooting them into the walls of the arena. Glaring daggers at Craw, Sombra's horn became engulfed in flames, and spat an inferno directed at the Changeling. Backing away, Craw conjured up a blast of water from his horn, dousing the flames in an instant. Gritting his teeth, Sombra reared up and rammed his hooves into the ground, causing it to crackle in a jagged circle around him, and he levitated the chuck of land from beneath him into the air. With a flick of his hoof, Sombra tossed the landmass at Craw, intending the smash him to bits.

Craw barely jumped out of the way to only dodge more and more chucks of dirt. Teleporting out of range, Craw appeared behind Sombra and socked him in the back of his neck. Craning back, Sombra shouted in pain as he charged at him, and a scuffle ensued. Blows were struck, and Craw made to strike him. Catching him hooves, Sombra squeezed his hooves hard before lifting Craw off the ground, and slammed his hard down with a sickening crackle.

"Is that your best?" Craw challenged, spitting a bit of blood from his maw.

"It's all I need," Sombra assured as a hilt flew from inside his cape. With a golden lightweight finish to it, Sombra struck a stance with his weapon, and a crimson blade was spat from the hilt. Getting up from the ground, Craw engulfed himself in magic, and a sword appeared in his hooves. Sombra noted from the sparks of magic flying off it that it had been magically enhanced.

"Then show me your little glowing toy!"

The two ran at each other with their sabers at the ready, primed to strike either one down. At that moment, Craw and Sombra were locked in a fierce bout of swordplay against one another, until Sombra called upon the Force to push Craw high into the air. He fell hard onto the crushed rubble of dirt the dark lord had wrought, and immediately got back up to fight. Now blindly taking him on, Craw charged sword first at Sombra, who merely leaped above the king with ease. Twisting and turning with barely any movement, Sombra easily dodged Craw's now frenzied strikes, and only delayed igniting his saber as if to toy with him. In their lock of blades, the Changeling glared down at Sombra with hatred as he struggled to keep his sword high.

Kicking Craw in the ribcabe, Sombra danced around his wild strikes before retaliating with his own, and shoving Craw aside with the blade. The king roared in defiance before making one last dash at the dark unicorn, and the two were pitted once more in a severe battle of blades. Sombra's superiority with his lightsaber was far more than enough to outclass Craw's display with his magic sword. Towering over the king, Sombra crossed his saber in an X fashion, knocking the sword out of Craw's hooves, and in turn, lobbed off his horn.

Craw barely had the ability to scream as Sombra lifted him off the ground with the Force, using it to wreck his body in all possible ways before slamming him harshly into the arena floor. He then thrashed Craw into the wall of the arena, and with a clutch of his hoof, the Changeling was sent rocketing before him. He cowered finally, and attempted to crawl away from him.

"Somra...please...have mercy. Please!" Craw pleaded, green blood dripping from his horn.

"There is no mercy, Craw," Sombra stated as he raised his front hooves, unleashing a torrent of Force Lightning upon the defenseless Changeling. Craw writhed in agony as Sombra relentlessly continued his torture. He waited until Craw's cries muted, and he ignited his saber once more.

"Welcome to Tartarus."

A slash reverberated across the arena, and a hushed silence fell over as Sombra stood, victorious.

The mane six stood in front of Golden Oaks Library with Princess Celestia as they looked off at the train station before them. Hundreds of multicolored Macintoshes were lined up, boarding onto the train headed for Canterlot. All the same stoic expressions on their muzzles as they marched inside. Celestia waited until all the clones had been boared onto the train, and she slowly trotted to her nearby chariot.

"Thank you, my little ponies. With this army of clones, Equestria shall have one more method of defense against any threat that opposes us. You all have my gratitude," Celestia said, as her subjects bowed to her. Aqua gave a nod as Celestia glanced at him with her smile.

"We will meet soon enough, Princess," Aqua said as he bowed, "To check on this militia of ours."

"I shall be expecting you, then," Celestia turned to leave on her chariot, and she soared from Ponyville into the sky. The group watched her leave in silence. Twilight then broke the silence.

"So everypony, what are we going to do now?"

"I suppose we simply go on from here," Rarity suggested.

"We just now got a new clone army, we may as well let that sit in," Aqua agreed.

"Hey guys! I have an idea!" Pinkie Pie chirped.

"Let me guess, another party?" Rainbow deadpanned. Pinkie Pie instantly blew a noisemaker as she was now covered in streamers and balloons. She bounced off to Sugarcube Corner with so much as a goodbye. The others shrugged nonchalantly before Rainbow spoke up.

"So...party?"

"Ah'm coming," Applejack trotted off with Rainbow over to the gingerbread house.

"Darling, a party should be a useful stress reliever after all that we've gone through in the last few days. I shall be off, then," Rarity stated before walking off. Soon it was just Twilight and Aqua, standing alone amidst the blowing leaves in the mid-evening air.

"You coming, dear?" Twilight asked as she stared at Aqua, who was now glancing at the ground.

The mare asked again in concern, "Aqua? You ok?"

Aqua was snapped out of his trance and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I-I'm fine."

"Are you coming to the party?" Aqua gave a slight shrug before answering.

"I-I don't know, Twilight. I'm just so...against this whole clone army idea," he said as he scruffed the ground with his hoof.

"Come on Aqua, it's not that bad of an idea. We're gonna have more protection from Queen Chrysalis, and who knows? We'll eventually corner her, like you wanted to," Twilight reaffirmed with a loving nuzzle, "You sure you don't wanna come?"

Aqua paused for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there in a minute," he said as he kissed her goodbye. Aqua watched Twilight walk away to the bakery building as he remained alone in his thoughts.

I doubt even Utopia Prism could've prepared a Jedi for this.

With those thoughts in mind, Aqua joined up with Twilight back in Sugarcube Corner as the party now began.

"Come on Aqua! Dance with me!" Twilight shouted from the center of the room as music played. The mare was dancing quite horribly, but was genuinely enjoying herself. Aqua smirked as his thoughts left him, and he trotted over to Twilight. The group watched as the pair now danced with each other. The moon rose just in time for the song to play.

And somehow, Aqua knew something was amiss.