Shadow and Crystal

by Terrasora

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Dark, Comedy
Length: 9925

A thousand year old threat returns, weakened, but even more dangerous because of it.

The Mane 6 are suddenly summoned away and given a quest: to defeat an already beaten foe. Sombra was weakened by the Crystal Heart and its wave of happiness, but he returns; ever more dangerous in his weakened state than he once was.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-18 01:07:28 UTC

Chapter 1

Twilight Sparkle sat in her room, seated at her desk. Owloysius was perched in a corner.  A lantern burned on the table; Twilight didn’t like to read by magic light, it got in the way of the story. Daring Do was not marching through her temple by magic, but by a brightly burning torch; so how could Twilight, who was right by her side, be using her magic? Besides, Rainbow Dash had made Twilight promise not to use magic as they raced to finish the newest Daring Do novel. Not that Rainbow Dash could really win. After all, Twilight was known to read entire textbooks in hours. But Dash was one of the most competitive ponies in all of Equestria… Twilight picked up the pace.

Twilight watched as Daring Do found the treasure, escaped the temple and outwitted the nefarious Ahuizotl. But the novel didn't end there. A storm brew and Daring Do was thrown unconscious into the heaving sea. Twilight turned the page, on the edge of her seat, blinking back tears of worry and “Be ready for the next installment: Daring Do and the Vanishing Isle!... to be released in two winters.”

Twilight blinked. Once. Twice. “But what happened to Daring Do? You can’t just end it like… What kind of author would… Why?” Then the feeling settled; a dedicated fan who had been left stranded, without  that character that had been part of their life. Twilight Sparkle was faced with:

“A CLIFFHANGER?! IT ENDED WITH A CLIFFHANGER?! I put hours into this book, years into this series and I DON'T EVEN GET TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?!" Twilight took a deep breath, putting her hoof to her chest and reaching out again the way that Princess Cadence had taught her. She calmed down a bit, and looked back down at the book. That infuriating advertisement blared on the open page. “TWO WINTERS?!” Twilight slammed the book shut with her magic, and lifted it, preparing to throw it across the room. She gently put it into its alphabetical place in the bookcase. "I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!" The entire library shook with Twilight’s indignant rage.

Spike slammed open the door to Twilight’s room, lantern in hand. “Twilight, you’re gonna wake up all of Ponyville!”

“But, Daring Do! Lightning! Crash landing! Vanishing Isle! CLIFFHANGER! TWO WINTERS!” Twilight was hyperventilating.

“Twilight,” groaned Spike, “It’s a story! And you woke me up from a really good dream. Rarity had been kidnapped by the Diamond Dogs again, but this time I knew where to find them, so I went in and blew them all away with my Super Flame Breath Wave, and Rarity told me how much she loved me and we had a feast of gems. Someone should write a book about that, instead.”

“Spike, you do not understand the severity of the situation! Daring Do,” Twilight paused for emphasis, “is unconscious.”

Spike paused for a couple of beats. “Uh-huh.” He turned to Owloysius. “This happened on your watch.”

“Hoo.” Hooed Owloysius.

“Yours! Whose else would it- Oomph!” Spike was batted aside by a rainbow-colored blur coming through the door. Rainbow Dash stopped directly in front of Twilight Sparkle. “Twilight!”

“Daring Do!”

“Lightning!”

“Crash landing!”

“Vanishing Isle!”

“CLIFFHANGER!”

“TWO WINTERS!” The two eggheaded ponies fell into each other’s hooves and began to bawl. The two non-pony males shared a look. The mares continued to cry.

A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash broke the hug, stepping back from Twilight and trying to maintain the semblance of cool. “Well, I just came to make sure that you were alright. Because I'm fine. I’m not shaken up about,” Dash gulped, “the Two Winter wait… The two cold, dark, lonely winters.” The blue pegasus’s eyes began to water.

Twilight giggled. “No, of course not.”

Spike dusted himself off. “Yeah, it’s not like you burst in here, push me aside, grabbed Twilight, and started crying about it or anything.” Owloysius hooed in agreement. Rainbow Dash tried to give them both her version of Fluttershy’s stare, but only succeeded in looking like a certain yellow-maned pegasus.

Twilight giggled for a second time. “Come on you two, that’s enough.”

Dash pointed an indignant hoof at Spike. “But HE started it!”

“I did not!” yelled Spike. “Besides, it’s just a book.” The baby dragon slammed his small claws against his mouth.

Both mares rounded on Spike. They spoke in unison “Just a book?”

“No, no, I didn’t say that! I said… Crusts are cooked! Like bread crusts! Because… because Owloysious wanted some bread!”

“Hoo?” hooed Owloysious.

Spike put his claw to the side of his mouth, assuming that the mares would not be able to hear him through it. “Just play along Number Two.”

“Hoo.”

“That’s you! I’m Number One, and you’re Number Two! There's only two assistants!"

Of course, the mares were not even slightly diverted. Twilight spoke first “Spike, Daring Do is the original adventure pony! She started the whole genre, an inspiration for writer ponies, and for fillies and colts of entire generations!”

Rainbow broke in. “Yeah, and she’s totally awesome! Daring runs around temples and solves puzzles and walks on invisible bridges,” Dash had begun to fly around the library in her excitement,” and does these totally sweet stunts in the air when she has to escape and outruns boulders and…  and dude, it’s just buckin’ Daring Do!”

“Language Rainbow Dash! But yeah, that just about sums it up. Can you imagine the amount of effort that goes into every adventure?” Twilight smiled slightly at a thought. “Unless, Spike, you have your own book idea. Maybe one that you’d like to tell Rarity about?”

“N-no Twilight!” stammered Spike, “Th-that’s fine, I don’t have any book ideas. Nothing that could possibly be any better than Daring Do at least, because that mare’s amazing and her books are by no means just books! Right Owloysius?”

“Hoo.”

Spike face-clawed. “I’m starting to think that that’s the only thing you can say.”

The two mares giggled. There was a knock on the door. “A visitor?” asked Twilight, “At this hour of the night?”

Rainbow Dash hovered above Twilight, suddenly nervous. “Maybe it’s a headless pony! This isn’t good, we shouldn’t answer the door. Or maybe we should and we’ll do the same thing that Daring Do did to banish them.” The pegasus began to fly around the library. “Twilight, where do you keep your pieces of ancient Equestrian ruins? And gold? And seapony tears? And provolone?”

The strangest part is that I actually have all of those things, Twilight thought. Well, except the provolone. The unicorn walked towards the entrance of the library, seriously thinking about her lifestyle choices and deciding that mozzarella was, indeed, a better cheese than provolone. Doubts assuaged, Twilight peeked through the eyehole of her library’s front door. She was greeted by the light blue eyes of a certain alliteration addicted pink party pony.

“Come ON Twilight!” squeaked Pinkie Pie. “We’ve been standing around for three WHOLE minutes! And now it’s been three minutes and seven seconds. And eight seconds. And nine seconds. And-“

A white hoof nudged Pinkie Pie out of the way and Rarity took Pinkie’s place outside of the door. “Yes, darling, please do open the door, the cold is never good for the coat.” A yellow head popped up next to Rarity.

“If that’s okay with you, Twilight,” whispered Fluttershy.

“And thirteen. And fourteen. And fifteen. And sixteen. And seventeen.”  Pinkie’s high-pitched voice kept up the count.

“We get the point, sugarcube, ya don’ have ta keep countin’.” Twilight couldn’t see Applejack, but her voice was unmistakable.

The purple unicorn swung the door open and the four other ponies filed in. “What are you ponies doing here?”

Rarity turned around.  “Why, whatever do you mean? We each received a letter to meet here at your home which, if I may say, is looking as tidy as always.”

“So everypony got a letter?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Applejack. “Why, weren’t you the pony who sent it?”

“No, I haven’t sent a letter to anypony besides Princess Celestia.”

Fluttershy spoke next, her voice shaking. “B-But, who else c-could have sent it?”

Pinkie gasped in the way that only she can. “What if this is a setup? Somepony brought us here together and then the lights’ll go dark and we won’t be able to see each other. And then the light’ll come back on and one of us will be missing! Or worse, there’ll be ANOTHER ONE OF US! And then we won’t know which one is the real one, but that’s okay because we’ll love both of them, but what if the other one is actually a long lost evil twin!” Another gasp. “Wobniar! I’M NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!” In keeping with her fighting mood, Pinkie ambled off and raided Twilight’s fridge.

Twilight Sparkle shook off the pink pony’s ramblings. “Okay, so that’s probably not true. Rainbow Dash, can you try to get Fluttershy off of the wardrobe?” Dash saluted and spent the next few minutes trying to convince Fluttershy that she did not have an evil twin nor was she the evil twin and no, Fluttershy couldn’t be turned into a tree.

Twilight continued, her unease growing with every passing moment. "Guys, I think we should get out of here.”

Rarity spoke up. “Wait, is it just my eyes deceiving me or is the room becoming… brighter and… well, a rather nice azure shade.” A light blue aura surrounded each pony, steadily growing brighter.

“Well, sugarcube, I don’t think you’re goin’ crazy,” Applejack remarked uncertainly.

Fluttershy squeaked something unintelligible and tried to fly away from the aura, but to no avail.

Pinkie happily munched on the mozzarella sticks that she had found.

"Twilight, you wanna do something about this magic?!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"I'm trying!" The unicorn began to cast a counter spell, but even with all of her talent in magic, she knew that she couldn't completely break the spell.. Twilight focused her efforts, deciding to redirect the teleportation spell; it would probably be better than wherever an unexpected teleportation wanted her and her friends to go. Her own purple glow grew steadily brighter, mingling with the light blue, interrupting its flow and-

No Twilight!

The purple unicorn's concentration broke, her spell dissipating as a bright light filled the room, leaving behind a shocked baby dragon and an unreadable owl. The ponies were gone.

Chapter 2

The six ponies were unceremoniously dumped onto a carpeted floor. All except for the two pegasi, who flew, and Pinkie, who’s normal jumping gait made it seem like she flew. The stained glass windows and the single throne gave told them where they were; the throne room of the Canterlot Palace.

“Friends of our heart, we hope that each of thee will find the courtesy to forgive this princess for the abrupt summons.” The Princess of the Night came forward, offering a hoof to Twilight Sparkle, who was nearest to her. Twilight realized that the voice and the magic that had taken them to the palace were Luna’s.

Twilight took the hoof, and hugged the dark alicorn. “Princess Luna! It’s been too long, how have you been?”

“We—I mean — I have seen better days Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight took a closer look at Luna, taking note of the slight creases, the slightly darkened coat under her eyes, and her mane which lacked some of its normal luster.

Applejack noticed the same thing. “Ya look a little… worn down Princess, if ya don’ mind my sayin’ so.”

“You’re one to talk,” Rarity retorted on reflex. Applejack let out a half-smile, and mentally chalked down one point for Rarity in their verbal jousting match. She’d get the white unicorn back later.

“Were that ‘twere only in looks Applejack.” Luna’s head drooped slightly. “My sister and I have had much cause for concern as of late; rest has become a luxury that not two princesses can afford, and less so the princess now before you.”

“Uh, Twilight, ya wanna give me a quick translation sugarcube?”

“There’s something wrong; so wrong that the princesses have worn themselves out trying to fix it.”

“It is so, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna drew herself up again. “And our talk has led to the reasons for your summons. Follow, friends of mine.”

The Princess of the Night lead them down the throne room, each pony stealing glances at the stained glass, as they always did when they were able to. They watched, as the glass told the tales of the princesses and placed their own stories next to them. It still shocked them that they were held in such high regard.

Everypony paused before a certain window, one depicting the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon. They remembered the day; each of them ran into a slightly—very—awkward purple unicorn, unaware of the turn that their life was about to take. They became the best of friends, and Nightmare Moon was banished. Yet Princess Luna remained.

She turned towards the six ponies. “You have all grown since that fateful day, since you released us—me— from the anger and… hatred… we—I— felt towards my sister, towards all of Equestria. I have yet to properly apologize for it.”

A chorus of protests broke out; why would they need an apology? There was no reason for it!

Luna held up a hoof. “You may feel that way, but I do not. Allow me this one pleasure, my friends,” she pleaded. The six remained silent. “Thank you. Not only for this, but for our first meeting when Nightmare Moon ran rampant, for our time in Nightmare Night, for truly being a friend to us—me!—AGH! MODERN SPEECH IS SUCH A BURDEN TO THIS TONGUE! Why does the world change so much?” Luna’s head fell the slightest bit. “... Forgive me; this is neither time nor place proper for this topic.” Luna took a deep breath. “I am sorry, my friends, for the trouble I have caused as Nightmare Moon and this detour we have taken and I apologize for not being able to deliver a proper apology, but there is so much and we… I am sorry.” Luna hung her head fully.

Fluttershy flew to the princess, and quietly took a place beside her. She placed a hoof on Luna’s shoulder and held her eyes when Luna looked up. “Apologies are hard, but they’re not always necessary, even though you feel they should be. I don’t think you have anything to apologize for, but it’s okay. I accept your apology Princess Luna.” Luna smiled appreciatively at Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash nudged Applejack. “Did Fluttershy just say that an apology wasn’t necessary?” Applejack poked Rainbow in the ribs, hard. “Point taken,” the pegasus groaned, holding her side.

The ponies moved out of the throne room, Luna’s worries somewhat assuaged; the brunt of her worries still remained, but there was just enough taken away that the Princess felt as though a weight had been lifted. What have I done to deserve such ponies? she thought to herself. And what am I about to ask them to do? The weight returned, heavier than before.

***

Luna led the ponies deeper into the castle, away from the stained glass and tapestries of the main hall and the throne room, back through thousands of years of history as the castle changed from clean, sparkling marble, to the cobblestone it was first made of. The passages twisted and turned, the Princess walking quickly and confidently through the labyrinthine halls and the others struggling to keep up.

The stone corridors opened up suddenly. The ponies found themselves in an amphitheater, one nearly as large as the throne room, but far less warm and welcoming. Tapestries hung on the cobblestone walls, each one a solid color bearing only a single symbol, perhaps the cutie mark of long dead royalty. Torches were used sparingly and long shadows were thrown across the walls and the floor by the numerous pillars reaching up into darkness. Nopony could see a ceiling. Everypony, even the alicorn, shivered the slightest bit.

“Luna,” Twilight’s voice sounded small in the room, “what is this place?”

“The castle doth hold a great many secrets, Twilight Sparkle. Some darker than others.”

Another set of shivers crept across the ponies.

“But,” Luna continued, “There is a certain amount of security afforded by the dark visage of these stone walls. I can speak with peace of mind here.” She paused and took a breath. “An evil has returned to Equestria. We believed that you had defeated him, but we were mistaken. He is no longer confined to the frigid north, no longer fixated upon the Crystal Empire.” The alicorn shifted her gaze to each of the six in turn. “Sombra has returned.”

A voiced hissed from the darkness, a voice of anger, of hatred. He spoke softly, but the malice was unmistakable, the threat he posed unquestionable. A pair of glowing red eyes shone from the dark ceiling.“You mean to say, King Sombra has returned.”

Chapter 3

“Ponies,” hissed Sombra’s voice, “I remember you.” The voice shifted from place to place, coming from the ceiling and the walls. The scarlet eyes flitted from place to place. “You were there, witnesses to my glorious revival. You returned the Crystal Heart to its pedestal, you released that blaze of light, that wave of… love. Those disgustingly happy feelings that I worked so hard to destroy, the fear that I had instilled, one thousand years of wonderful terror, of hatred, all for naught. All because of YOU!”

The six targets of his rage flinched. His hatred was nearly palpable; a force pushing them backwards out of the circle of light provided by the torches, back into the shadow.

“YOU DARESDT DISGRACE THIS CASTLE WITH THINE PRESENCE?!” The equestrian voice of the Princess of the Night rang through the amphitheater. “Foul beast, scourge of Equestria, thou may not stand within these stone walls!”

Sombra’s eyes appeared in the shadows behind Luna. “And yet, here I am, Princess. Though it pains me to be so near such a source of order and light. But you came here of all places, far from prying eyes, away from the light, deeper into shadow, to Sombra.” He laughed a booming, sinister, bone-chilling laugh. “What made you think to hide from me here? The Old Palace that was once my domain, the sight of my onetime loss, did you think that I would not return here? Foolish Princess. I care not for the distant past. I seek only the future.”

The eyes no longer seemed attached to the shadow. There was something behind them, something corporeal, but masked by the darkness. It paced, never taking a step into the light, balancing on the edge of the torchlight. Sombra’s blood red horn shone through the shadow.

“You six,” Sombra continued, removing his focus from the alicorn, “Stopped my revival, took the Crystal Empire from me, ripped my very being apart, left me as a shell of my former self, but I’ve come to realize that this was the best possible outcome. Of course, you will still be subjugated, jailed, tortured, forced to experience unimaginable horrors and possibly killed when I take control of Equestria, but know that, while you mainly have my hatred, you also have my gratitude.”

Applejack stepped up, looking directly into the glowing red eyes. “What in the hay are ya talkin’ about?”

“Ah yes,” hissed Sombra, “the country pony. I will explain, and I will use small words to ensure that you understand. You see, when we first met I had become more than a pony. I had no form, merely a gathering of dark clouds, scarlet eyes in the darkness, a horn glowing red as blood. In a sense, I had become hatred itself, a presence that lurked in even the happiest of occasions. One thousand years will do that to a pony. Can you imagine, young ones, what it feels like? To spend one thousand years alone, but aware, cut off from your kingdom as I was cut off from the Crystal Empire? To feel every second pass by, to feel every second turn into a minute turn into an hour turn into a day, a week, a month, a year? Every moment I was banished was palpable. It burned against my coat and ground into my ears.” He turned to Luna. “But I suppose that we have that in common, don’t we Nightmare Moon? You know what it was like. Every second of those thousand years. Nothing but you and the time, the unforgiving time, ticking passed. Tic… Tic… Tic.”

“Thou doth not dare compare us to the likes of thee.” Luna spoke in a low voice, one of barely constrained anger.

“Oh Princess, I wouldn’t dream of it. Yet, you can’t deny the similarities.” Sombra chuckled softly. “But there’s one thing that sets us apart. You forgave them, didn’t you Nightmare Moon? There’s the difference; true hatred, true darkness, knows no forgiveness. But I’ve gone off topic.  Where was I?”

Pinkie Pie spoke up cheerfully. “Cloud of hatred!”

Applejack gave Pinkie a look.

“What, I like stories!”

Sombra paid no heed to any of the ponies. “Yes, I had become hatred itself. The power was,” He breathed in deeply, his scarlet eyes flaring brighter, “incredible. But it came at a price. I could only see the Crystal Empire. All the power of hatred at my disposal, and all I could say was ‘Crysssstalss.’ But not anymore. That wave of happiness stripped me of most of my power, but I regained my senses and I came to realize that there is so much more besides the Crystal Empire. Oh, so much land, so many ponies, so much happiness to destroy, to turn to hatred, to rebuild the kingdom I had begun all those years ago. Of course, I will retake the Crystal Empire, but what is that to the Griffon Kingdom, to Saddle Arabia, to Canterlot, to ALL of Equestria? The entire world at my command, what could be better than that?”

Rarity spoke up. “Well, quite frankly, I could think of a number of things better. Including ripping up all of my dresses and walking through mud.”

“Giving up Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack added.

“Being in the spotlight… again,” said Fluttershy quietly.

“Burning my books.”

“Going back to the rock farm. Or maybe never telling another joke. Or no parties? I can’t decide, but it’ll still be better than Sombra as king.”

Rainbow Dash darted in front of Sombra, looking directly into his glowing crimson eyes. “We saw what you did to the crystal ponies. You took away their shine, everything that made them happy. And the Crystal Empire's such a great place, good enough to host the Equestria Games when even Cloudsdale wasn’t good enough! Everypony I’ve met from there is kind, but YOU took it away from them. And now you want to do it to all of Equestria? We won’t let that bucking happen. Ever.”

“OF COURSE YOU WON’T!” roared Sombra. “After all, you six are here to stop me, that’s why the Princess brought you here. You will journey and fight and plan and, ultimately, confront me while your precious rulers stay back and watch you do all of the work. You will be an endless thorn in my side, a wrench in my planning, termites in the woodwork. You will be Heroes, those disgusting, annoying beings that I’ve had to deal with time and time again. After all, you don’t gain power like mine without facing adversity.

"But, ponies, know that I bested them time and time again before I fell from grace. Armies of heroes, some that made it all the way to my throne room, each of them dead at my hooves. I made examples of them, strung their bodies and the hopes they represented from the towers, brought the heroes before their public and watched as yet another chance at freedom was extinguished, the glow of the crystal ponies’ coats growing darker at every death.”

“But thy immoral purposes were defeated.” The dark alicorn’s voice was pointed, nearly mocking. “Cursed being, thine dark visage was locked away for a millennium at the hands of a hero. For all thy gloating, ye were not able to crush hope, not able to prevent the creation of those ponies brave enough to stand up to thee. Strung bodies, public executions, fear and darkness, in sooth, thine kingdom was a terrible place, yet it fell. And by Celestia’s sun and our own moon it shall not rise again!”

Sombra chuckled darkly. “But you won’t have the chance to stop me.” The scarlet eyes narrowed and the blood red horn began to glow with an acid green aura blotched with black. “The thing about heroes is that they only grow stronger as their journey progresses. They learn lessons, gain experience, gain a following, become more and more loved, more and more powerful that, by the time they fully confront me, killing them can actually get quite tiring.” A small spark, the same color as Sombra’s aura appeared in the middle of the room. “And so, I think I’ll kill you now.”

The spark expanded quickly, a compressed explosion allowed free reign. It would have instantly killed the ponies, but instinct saved them. Luna, Twilight, and Rarity clamped down on the explosive magic with their own auras, capturing it in an orb of swirling blue, violet, and white.

Sombra grinned widely at the opposition. The glow from his horn grew brighter. Each magical being in the room channeled more and more power into their spells. Luna glared at Sombra, that infuriatingly smug grinned still plastered on his face. Twilight’s eyes were locked shut; she sweated and trembled at her exertions. Rarity, faced with the seemingly bottomless power of the three others, nearly blacked but the Element of Generosity forced herself to stay upright and force out every ounce of magic she could muster. The pegasi and earth ponies watched the struggle breathlessly, unsure of what to do. Hairline cracks sprouted along the orb.

A bright flash. The polycolored shield was surrounded by a golden halo and the darkened chamber was bathed in yellow light as an orb, as bright as the Sun, formed above everypony’s head. Sombra was revealed, no longer covered by the shadows. He flinched slightly from the light but regained his composure and focused on the white alicorn. The acid green aura disappeared.

“You,” snarled Sombra.

Princess Celestia strode into the center of the room, looking as regal as she ever did. Only Luna and Twilight Sparkle noticed the difference; the slight tightening in her jaw, her stiff gait, and, worst of all, the small motherly smile in her eyes was gone. Her voice was as cold as ice when she spoke, a frozen surface concealing a white rage worthy of one who controls the Sun. “Send your image away from my castle Sombra.”

“Gladly, Celestia, if only to get away from you. But there’s one last thing. I’ve noticed that you’ve grown rather fond letters in a thousand years. You use them to keep in touch with hundreds of different ponies, including your student here.” He nodded in Twilight’s directions. “In fact, some of my servants have read copies of your correspondence. To the point where their writing is nearly identical to either of yours. It was rather impressive, that is until I had them decapitated they were, after all, learning about the Magic of Friendship. Whoever reads that dribble cannot be allowed in my court. But they did write a letter before they died. Five letters in fact.”

Realization dawned on the six ponies, the color draining from their face. Twilight spoke softly, “Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes.” Sombra’s green aura enveloped his horn, his eyes shining and the purple haze coming from his eyes intensifying. “Bang.”

Miles and miles away, five papers began to glow with an acid green and black fire and were torn apart as five explosions replaced the morning’s silence.

Chapter 4

“I was hoping that you six would be together when the letters went up, but I suppose this will have to do.” Sombra sighed wistfully, “Now you don’t even have a place to go back to. I guess you’ll HAVE to journey to me now. That’s fine; I’ll kill you when you do. And then I’ll destroy whatever’s left of Ponyvi-.”

A bright ray of yellow light barreled towards Sombra, piercing dead center between his eyes and burying halfway through the stone wall behind him.

Celestia stood in the middle of the room, all pretenses of calm gone and forgotten. Her wings extended fully, her nostrils flared, her eyes took on the slightest crimson hue and were filled with an anger as hot as the sun that the white alicorn raised. Every mare in the room took a step back, away from the Goddess’s rage

She spoke with the full force of her royal Equestrian voice, one as loud as the darker alicorn’s but carried an entirely different note. Celestia did not make a statement; she was delivering an absolute demand. “Sombra,” she bellowed, “blight on our fair land, danger to our subjects, thou hath threatened our dearest friends, hath attempted to hurt them, hath been a darkness in our light. Be gone now from this place, and know that ye shalt be pursued and thine influence shalt be quelled!”

Sombra grinned, a yellow glow growing from the hole made by Celestia’s magic. He was slowly dissolving, black and green sparks rising into the air as the yellow magic spread. “I look forward to it, Princess,” he hissed. His voice lingered for a brief moment after his body was gone.

Twilight Sparkle was the first to find her voice. “Prin-Princess?”

Celestia turned toward her student, her previous anger still clearly etched on her face; Twilight could hardly keep eye contact with her mentor. Celestia tried to soften her features, but her mind wandered back to that blood-red horn, the crimson eyes and acid aura that had dared to enter the Canterlot Castle, skulking in the darkness like a rat. The Princess’s eyes burned bright with rage. Twilight flinched.

“I’m sorry, Twilight,” the white alicorn said, “I’m not angry at you, I could never be angry at you. But Sombra… Sombra infuriates me.”

The purple unicorn looked up at Celestia. “Princess… did you… kill Sombra?”

“No, Twilight, that wasn’t Sombra. It was a shadow, an image he manipulated to speak through from the frigid North.”

“But…” Twilight’s voice trailed off.

Celestia could hardly fail to notice the hesitation in her student’s voice. “What’s wrong, Twilight?”

The motherly glow had returned to the alicorn’s eyes, but Twilight could only remember the steel that had lain there some minutes ago, the slight satisfaction that entered those eyes when Celestia’s yellow bolt pierced through Sombra. Her mentor, the ever-kind and forgiving Princess of Equestria had done that. That same Princess was holding Twilight’s gaze, evidently worried for her. “It’s… It’s nothing.”

“I see…”

Fluttershy’s small voice spoke, shaking hard and on the verge of tears. “P-Princess Celestia, what about our homes? What happened to all of my critters?”

Pinkie Pie’s mane straightened out with an audible hiss. “The Cakes!” she gasped. “If that stupid hissing unicorn hurt even ONE of them I’ll BUCK HIS HEAD RIGHT OFF OF HIM!” Pinkie growled, a low guttural sound that no pony had heard since they confronted Discord.

Luna’s horn began to glow with magic; she closed her eyes and stood silently for some seconds. “We hath spoken with Discord. He shalt head to Ponyville and report to us upon ascertaining the situation. That is all we can do for now.”

“No!” Pinkie yelled, causing everypony in the room to look at her. “I need to know what happened to the Cakes! What if they’re hurt? How do I know that they’re okay?” She turned to Luna and Celestia in turn. “Princess, you have to let me go back!” Tears fell from her normally grinning face, her mane growing duller with every word and thought.

Rarity and Applejack took a place at Pinkie’s sides. They knew what was going through the pink pony’s heads. Images of Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith were almost reflected in their eyes. Pinkie locked eyes with both of them and all three locked themselves in an embrace. Each of them, Rainbow, Twilight, and Fluttershy included, shed tears.

Pinkie sobbed. “I brought the letter in; it would be my fault if they were…”

A deep, whimsical voice came from behind the ponies.

“My dear, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my encounters with Sombra it’s that he’s always to blame.” Discord stepped forward, conjuring a white, heart-spotted handkerchief from thin air. “You’re the Element of Laughter which is, as I’ve said before, a personal favorite of mine. Please do stop crying.”

With uncharacteristic gentleness, Discord handed Pinkie the handkerchief and turned to face the alicorns. He bowed, and spoke. “Your Highnesses, I have seen Ponyville and can affirm that there were no deaths although some were injured by the explosions. They will, however, survive.” A fresh batch of crying emerged from every non-alicorn pony, this time of relief. Pinkie’s hair regained a bit of its bounce. “I have done some quick repairs to every building that was damaged and took the liberty of… re-decorating a bit.” A small giggle escaped the ponies as they thought back to Discord’s other “re-decorations.”

“Thank you, Discord,” said Celestia. “Please, return to Ponyville and wait for a while.”

Discord’s shoulders slumped, but he bowed and disappeared. A puff of smoke come up from the place he was just standing and resolved itself into the words “Waiting is Boring! Oh, and keep the handkerchief – Love, Discord” before floating up into the endless ceiling.

Rainbow chuckled, a strained sound after her small crying fit. “I guess he really is reformed.”

Celestia nodded and smiled, then gestured for the ponies to follow her. They left the amphitheater; the orb of yellow magic fizzled and plunged the spacious room back into darkness.

The white alicorn lead her group back through the recklessly turning hallways. They walked in silence, no pony sure of what to say. Twilight Sparkle was left to her tumultuous thoughts.

Princess Celestia was her mentor, the first pony to talk to when she needed advice. She was powerful, the most powerful creature in all of Equestria, but she was serene and gentle.

A darker, more cynical voice appeared in Twilight’s mind.

And she had intended to kill Sombra.

But it wasn’t Sombra, it was just a shadow, an image, Celestia had said so herself!

Yet, she had seen Celestia’s satisfied smile, had watched that mother-like figure hit Sombra dead center with absolute precision and no hesitation.

No, Sombra was evil!

Did that make it okay to kill him? After all of the reading she had done on the sanctity of life, the hours of studying magic that preserved life, Celestia’s lectures on why magic should not be used to hurt other, could she really think that it was okay to hurt anypony?

But Celestia was doing it to protect Equestria, to protect Twilight and her friends!

Then how do you explain the green in her magic?

“Twilight… Twilight!” Rarity’s voice broke through her friend’s stupor. They had nearly returned to the throne room, stepping out of the darkened and cobbled corridors and onto marble and carpet. Twilight had barely even noticed. “Darling, are you feeling quite alright?”

The purple unicorn waved a hoof dismissively. “Yeah, Rarity just… tired, I guess.”

Rarity nodded a bit, although she did not look completely convinced. “Yes, it has been a rather… stressful day. But Twilight, if there is anything else that is bothering you do not hesitate to talk about it.”

“Okay, I will.” Twilight gave a half-hearted smile.

They walked into the throne room, again surrounded by the stained glass. Celestia turned to face them. “Ponies, I do not think I have to say much. Sombra has returned, he hopes to turn our world into his plaything, and I must ask you six to keep this from happening.” The white alicorn straightened.  “Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I ask you to stop Sombra’s darkness from spreading, to save our land as you have done in the past,” she gestured towards the stained glass with a wing, “will you do this?”

A resounding “Yes!” sounded through the room. Only Twilight hesitated, not enough to be noticed by any pony but her.

“Then rest now, you shall leave when you are at your fullest. Twilight, can you lead your friends to your guest rooms?”

Twilight nodded absentmindedly, thinking back to the many times she had stayed in the castle. They filed out, the door closing behind them with a dull thud. The alicorns were left alone.

Celestia slumped back in her throne as Luna used her magic to ensure that the door was locked. Finding that it was, the darker alicorn began setting up wards around the room, protecting the throne room from any wandering eyes or ears. Luna pondered Celestia’s actions as she worked, knowing that as tired as she was, it was nothing when compared to her older sister’s state.

At last, the Princess of the Night finished her spell casting. She hesitated for a moment. “Sister,” she said, “just why did this occur?”

Celestia kneaded her eyes with a hoof and turned to Luna. “It was necessary.”

“Necessary?” Luna’s voice rose involuntarily. “Necessary for that darkness to enter our castle, to learn of our plans to end his rule, to ruin any surprise we may hath had?”

“He will be less cautious, more foolhardy now that he knows that somepony is coming to directly oppose him.”

“He shalt do all he can to stop our friends! Their journey has become all the more perilous because of this day!”

Celestia held her sister’s eyes, allowing all of the force that the Princess had gained over the course of her reign to show through. “I have confidence in my student.”

Luna was speechless. They were quiet for a while before Celestia broke the silence.

“When will Shining Armor arrive?”

“Tomorrow morning at the latest,” responded the Princess of the Night.

The white alicorn nodded. “Good, Twilight and her friends will have left by then, and there is no need to worry them more than must be done. How far along has the citizen evacuation come?”

“Most of Canterlot hath been moved to Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Appleloosa. The residents of Ponyville have all been evacuated.” Mentally, Luna commended Discord for his flawless lying. Nopony in Ponyville had been hurt as there were no ponies in Ponyville, but Discord had carried off his lines without a hitch.

Well, at least that was going for them. Celestia pushed herself from the throne, preparing herself for the days to come. She hid her exhaustion behind a mask of confidence and made sure her steps maintained their spring. Celestia gestured towards Luna with a wing. “Come sister, we have a war to prepare for.”

Chapter 5

In a tower far above the Canterlot throne room, a purple unicorn recklessly paced. Twilight had tried to sleep, she really had, but sleep wouldn’t come. Not even the plush canopied bed, which she had slept in countless times while studying with Princess Celestia, could calm her nerves.

She tried to kill Sombra!

Twilight huffed. “We’ve been over this already, brain!” she said in a strained whisper. “Princess Celestia did it to protect us, to protect Equestria. She was doing the right thing… even if we don’t agree with it. Besides, it’s not like she actually hurt anypony!”

But she would have. And it’s not the first time Princess Celestia has done this; remember when Chrysalis posed as Cadence?

Twilight shivered; a momentary pause in her pacing. Of course she remembered. The unicorn remembered every moment of it, the green eyes that replaced her former foalsitter’s normally kind purple ones, the bolt of terror as Chrysalis tore through the visage she wore and revealed who she was. Celestia’s anger, the fear in Chrysalis’s eyes. The Changeling Queen was the villain, she had made it all the way to the Canterlot throne room, draining Shining Armor of his love, growing stronger all the while, and she still feared the Princess of the Sun.

Just how much do you actually know about Princess Celestia?

Twilight was silent. She had no response. Her mentor had lived for a thousand years, probably more, before the unicorn had even been born. She really didn’t know much about her mentor.

Twilight Sparkle, nearly every villain you have fought, Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, even Sombra, seem to have some connection to the Princess. Nightmare was banished, Discord was sealed, Chrysalis had some kind of fear behind her, and now Sombra has apparently reigned from the “Old Palace,” which is now underneath Canterlot Palace.

The purple unicorn trudged to her bed, the night’s worries finally fully bearing down. The sun hadn’t even risen yet. Twilight drew the covers around her with magic, curling into a ball.

“Please, brain, just… just be quiet.”

She slept fitfully, her mind never fully quieting itself.

***

“Friends of mine heart, we trust that each of thou hast slept well?”

They were gathered in the throne room once more, the newly risen Sun shining through the stained glass, enveloping the room in multi-colored shards of light.

The six ponies had varying degrees of confirmation to Luna’s question. Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded vigorously, looking refreshed. They had slept heavily and fully. Rarity gave a far more lady like nod; unsatisfied with the total amount of beauty sleep she had received but relatively energetic. Fluttershy, Twilight, and, surprisingly, Pinkie Pie attempted to stifle their yawns.

The Princess of the Night could hardly fail to notice the latter three, but there were more pressing matters at hoof. “My sister could not be here at this time; certain circumstances doth prevent her presence. The task of conveying your quest falls to me.”

Luna stood, the weariness clear on her face but lined with confidence and the alicorn’s sense of duty. “Ye shalt journey to the frigid north and return to the Crystal Empire, taking the Elements of Harmony with thee. Ye shalt find Sombra and shalt put an end to the terror he can bring to Equestria. The train shalt not be at your disposal; ‘twould be too dangerous to send anypony as conductor. We will sent thee as far north as we can without attracting Sombra’s attention. Then it shall be thine journey alone.  Are ye prepared?”

A resounding “Yes!”

Luna reached out with her magic, making the Elements of Harmony appear before her. Each one floated to its bearer, five necklaces and one tiara taking their place.

“Then go, friends of mine. Go with luck and purpose and know that thou hast the Blessing of the Sun and Moon with thee.”

A sudden flash of blue magic and a crack like a whip enveloped the six ponies and they were gone, leaving behind the Princess of the Night. The door to the throne room opened and in walked a white unicorn, his fur and two-toned mane obscured by the heavy purple armor he wore.

“Doth thou regret not bidding farewell to thine sister, Shining Armor?”

The unicorn shook his head. “No Princess Luna. I agree with Princess Celestia; it is important that Twily- that Twilight Sparkle is not distracted.” But there was little conviction in his voice. He agreed in principle, but that did not change the fact that was little sister was now miles away, facing Celestia knows what trials and tribulations. And maybe not even Celestia knows what’s happening. Shining Armor thought to himself.

Luna watched the internal struggle the unicorn faced. She drew a breath, preparing to offer some kind of moral support, but bit down on her statement. This was no time for that; it was a time for hardened hearts and preparations. “Sombra hast voiced his intentions to wage war on Equestria, beginning with us here in Canterlot and the village of Ponyville. Certain sources doth confirm that he hath raised an army, though it is not confirmed whether ponies march or some other beasts form the bulk of his force.”

“Direct me, and I will do as you say.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Luna’s lips. Yes, that was Shining Armor, not a pony of words but always faithful and capable. “Meet with Discord; protect Ponyville, that is thine task.”

Shining Armor dipped his head, and vanished in a crack of his own magic. There was work to be done

***

The snow rose in flurries, the fierce wind instantly cutting through the six ponies that had materialized in the middle of nowhere. The sun reflected from the snow, illuminating the soft white landscape and nearly blinding the ponies in the process.

Rarity spoke first. “Well, this is a rather… isolated position.”

The others murmured their agreement. The freezing air set each of them shivering.

Applejack tugged her hat down; making sure it wouldn’t be torn off by the wind. “Well, girls, Ah think we’d best be on our way. No use in just standing around.”

They set off, keeping the rising sun to their right. Twilight, sleep deprived as she was, still had enough sense to cast a warming spell that kept away the worst of the chill.

“Rainbow,” said the purple unicorn, “can you fly up and take a look around? Try to find a cave or something that we could use as shelter.” The pegasus saluted and flew up in a flurry of cyan feathers.

Rarity shuddered a bit at the thought of sleeping in a cave, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

By wordless consent, the five ponies formed a circle, momentarily stopping their march to make sure that Dash knew where to find them. They stomped their hooves, trying to work out the last remains of the cold.

“So… uh… How’d everypony sleep last night?” Applejack smiled sheepishly, a smile mirrored on the others’ faces. Here they were, in the middle of nowhere, fate of Equestria at stake and Applejack wanted to know how they had slept. Pinkie Pie began to giggle; she was, after all, the Element of Laughter.

Before long, Pinkie’s bubbling laugh had infected the other five, sending them into hysterics. They rolled on the snow covered ground, a tension that they had hardly taken notice of before suddenly released. Rainbow Dash came back to find her friends damp and cold, patches of snow in their manes and cheeks rosy red, but far more relaxed than they had been before.

“I saw this… whoa, what’d I miss?”

Pinkie popped up, a pile of snow falling from her curled mane. “Oh Dashie, it was sooo funny! Well first, we got up in the morning and went down to see Luna and Luna said a lot of things really seriously and said “Shalt” a lot which I’m not even sure is actually a word, but then she used magic and it got really cold and white and we walked around for a little bit and then we stopped because you flew away to find shelter-“

“Yeah, Pinkie, I was there for that part. What I meant was why are you girls—“

The party pony inhaled deeply, preparing for another onslaught of words. That is, until Rainbow Dash stuck a hoof in her mouth.

“Okay,” continued Rainbow Dash, “never mind.” She turned to the others. “I found something, it’s not too far away and it’ll definitely keep us warm.”

Twilight nodded, satisfied. “Sounds perfect.”

Dash, on the other hoof, looked a bit put out. “Aren’t you gonna ask me what it is?”

“Well, darling,” interjected Rarity, “we’d assume that it’s a cave of some description. A dank, damp, undecorated cave. But we will make do with what we have.”

“Psh, I wish it was a cave.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash, whatever else could it be? Don’t tell us that you found a town, you’d simply be playing with a lady’s heart.”

“Rarity, you weren’t supposed to guess what it was! I was gonna fly in all cool and tell you guys that I’d found a town because I’m just that awesome. And you guys would be so surprised and agree that I am easily the most amazingly fast flyer and should totally be the next Wonderbolt.”

“A town? All the way out here?” Twilight wondered aloud. “That doesn’t make any sense, we shouldn’t be seeing anypony until we got to the Crystal Empire.”

“Well, I don’t see anything wrong with this detour, not when it means a way out of this dreadful snow,” Rarity said gleefully.

“Just where is this town, Rainbow Dash?”

The pegasus pointed north. “Around there, can’t miss it.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get going!” The six ponies continued, Rarity bounding ahead, matching Pinkie Pie’s gait hop by hop. Applejack and Fluttershy followed, heads bowed low and together as they spoke. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle followed, somewhat reluctantly.

“Dash, are you sure that it’s a town?” asked Twilight.

“Yup, I flew right up to it and saw a bunch of buildings with their lights on and ponies walking the roads. I know, sleeping in a cave would make it feel a lot more like an adventure, but I didn’t see any caves around here. Just snow… lots and lots of snow.”

Rarity’s voice drifted down from the front of the pack. “Rainbow, are we still heading in the right direction?”

Dash sped up, taking a place besides Rarity and Pinkie, ensuring that they weren’t straying.

Twilight was left alone, hooves dragging as she forced herself to trot. Brain, let’s call a temporary truce; nothing about this situation can come out well. We’re gonna have to work together on this one.

There was no response. Twilight took this as an agreement on her brain’s part. Through the snow and raging wind, the first wooden boards of the town came into view.

Chapter 6

Six ponies stumbled into town, shaking from the cold. The streets were bustling, ponies greeting each other in loud voices, the doors of bars constantly opening and closing. There was an atmosphere of warmth despite the heavily falling snow.

The door to a nearby building swung open and a yellow head topped with a Stetson poked out. “Welcome!” said the pony with a decidedly Appleoosan twang.  “Ah saw y’all stumble into town; ya must be freezin’! But don’ take no worry ‘bout that, come on in and warm up!” The stallion ducked back inside.

Each of the ‘newcomers’ stared after the figure, mouths hanging open.

“Tha… That was Cousin Braeburn,” sputtered Applejack. “What’s Cousin Braeburn doin’ out in the middle a nowhere?”

Rainbow Dash closed her mouth with an audible click. “Well, there’s only one way to find out.” She trotted after Braeburn, but was stopped by a sharp pull from Twilight.

“Rainbow, we just walked into a town that shouldn’t exist and met a pony that should be miles away. Following said pony alone into a wooden building is not a good idea.”

“Got any better ideas, Twilight?” The pegasus crossed her hooves defiantly.

“Yes, we follow said pony as a group. Come on, girls.”

***

The mares found themselves in a bar, and a rather rowdy bar at that. Ponies of all shapes and sizes joked loudly, held hoof-wrestling competitions and downed drink after drink. Braeburn was behind the counter, watching over all of the activities. He was attempting to clean a dirty mug with a dirty rag, looking like the stereotypical advice-offering bartender.

Twilight gestured to her friends, telling them to press in closer. “Okay,” she whispered, “we should try to be subtle about gathering information. We need to know why Braeburn and all these other ponies are in this town, but we don’t know how he’ll react.” She turned to Applejack. “You know him the best, Applejack, so you should speak to him. But remember, be subtle.”

The farm girl nodded and trotted off to the counter.

Applejack sat down in a stool directly in front of the stallion. “Braeburn, what in the hay are ya doin’ so far from Appleoosa?”

Back in the bar’s entrance, Twilight facehoofed. Admittedly, coming from Applejack, that was actually pretty subtle.

The stallion looked up from his mug. “Braeburn, huh? That’s not a bad name; think Ah’ll keep it.” He took a moment to adjust his hat. “As for why Ah ain’t in Appleoosa, little miss, that’s because Ah’m here. I’ve been here for a while now, actually, though we’ll all be movin’ pretty soon.”

Applejack was thoroughly confused. “Uh… Braeburn? Ya feelin’ alright, sugarcube?”

“Just fine, thank ya for asking!” he replied brightly. “Hey, ain’t ya one of those ponies that just came on into town? What’s your name newcomer?”

The other five mares joined Applejack at the counter, all attempts at subtlety now abandoned.

“Oh, and hey, there’s the rest of ya!” Braeburn’s voice never lost its bright lilt. “Care for a few drinks? Don’t worry; it’s on the house for newcomers.”

Pinkie nodded furiously and the stallion quickly slid a mug of cider to her. It was emptied in seconds.

Twilight regarded Braeburn for a moment. She had been going over all of the implications and had come to a conclusion.

“You’re not Braeburn.”

Not-Braeburn grinned widely. “Well, Ah wasn’t but now Ah suppose Ah am, considerin’ that your friend there,” he nodded at Applejack, “called me by that name.”

“But you’re not a Changeling. Changeling’s almost never talk when they’re pretending to be somepony else.” Twilight’s scientific mind was running on full steam.

“No, ma’am, not a Changelin.’ Come on, you were supposed to be the smart pony.” Not-Braeburn grinned smugly.

“Well, there’s a quick way to figure this out,” said Rainbow Dash.

The stallion behind the counter regarded her with a smug smile. “And what’d that be darl—”

The pegasus punched Braeburn savagely, knocking off his hat and sending him sprawling to the floor.

The other five stared at Dash.

“… What? If he’s knocked out then he can’t keep up whatever disillusionment magic he’s using. I just took the more direct route.”

More stares.

“Well, Daring Do always does it! And I always thought Braeburn was kinda annoying."

Twilight Sparkle shook her head slightly and peeked over the counter. There, where Braeburn should have lain was “Nothing.”

“Beg your pardon?” responded both Applejack and Rarity, albeit from opposite ends of the accent spectrum.

“There’s nopony there. Just… nothing.”

Braeburn put a hoof around Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “Well, of course! Ah ain’t gonna just lay there after taking a hit like that.” He addressed the pegasus directly. “Mighty fine punch that was, too. Allow me ta return the favor.” He headbutted Rainbow Dash, keeping his hat in place with his free hoof and knocking her to the ground.

“Filly, you’ve got a pretty hard head on your shoulders.” He rubbed at his forehead before turning to the other five. “Yah see, fightin’ ain’t somethin’ new ‘round these parts. It’s our source of entertainment, it’s how we make money, it’s how we decided who does what. In fact, fightin’s pretty much the only reason why we’re here, considerin’ what we are.” He paused slightly. “Y’all have figured out what we are, haven’t ya?”

“Varmint is what ya are!” Applejack stepped forward, anger evident in every step. “Ain’t nopony in the Apple family that’d hit a mare like that! And Ah don’t take kindly to imposters.”

Braeburn and Applejack slowly circled around each other, never breaking eye contact.

“Well, missy, it don’t really matter what you take to. I’m starting to think that you ain’t a newcomer. Hell, you may even be a normal pony. That’d be a right treat if it were true.”

Twilight Sparkle looked around. Her plan had quickly fallen to pieces; she needed to come up with a new one.

Every eye in the bar was watching the scene. Many ponies had gotten out of their seats, forming a half circle.

They’re covering the exits, Twilight realized. She glanced up at the wooden roof and then over to a groggy Rainbow Dash. The pegasus had just begun to pick herself up, but Twilight caught her eye. The unicorn gestured with a hoof, telling Dash to stay down.

“Ah’ll tell ya right now, imposter, I ain’t no normal pony.” Applejack bucked out suddenly, aiming for Not-Braeburn’s head. The stallion twitched down at the last moment, his hat flying from the force of AJ’s kick.

He lashed out at the earth pony’s forehooves, intending to knock her to the ground. Applejack pushed up, sending herself over Braeburn’s hoof and grabbing his head. She looked right into the stallion’s eyes. “Headbutts hurt you son-of-a-bitch!” She brought her head down with as much force as she could. “That was for Dash.”

The stallion’s eyes unfocused and refocused. He began to laugh slightly. “Does each of y’all have a hard head or just you t—”

Applejack shut him up with another headbutt. “That’s for looking like Braeburn while acting like an ass.” She let go of the stallion’s head, letting him fall. This time, Braeburn seemed to be fully unconscious.

The room broke out into cheers, repeated shouts of “Good Show!” and “Congrats!” resounding throughout the bar.

A brown earth pony with an hourglass for a cutie mark stepped forwards. “Good fight and congratulations on actually winning. Of course, this one,” he pointed at the stallion on the floor, “isn’t the strongest one around, but it’s not often that a newcomer actually wins her first fight. What’s your name?”

But Applejack didn’t answer. Something was happening to Not-Braeburn. He was churning and stretching, looking rather like a piece of clay a foal would play with. His mane retraced, it looked like it was being sucked back into his head. The hat and vest he wore similarly merged with the body. Any bit of color this thing had had faded away to a dull grey, almost black. What was left was a shadow in three dimensions.

Fluttershy shook violently; she would have screamed if she had the courage to make a sound.

The other ponies in the bar noticed this.

The stallion who had stepped forward tilted his head in wonder. “You’ve never seen that before. You don’t know what we are, do you? And if you don’t know what we are, then you are clearly not one of us. In other words, you’re an honest to Sombra pony. Flesh and blood.” He licked his lips, a hungry glint in his eyes. “We like flesh and blood.”

Twilight decided that it was time to leave. Now. “Rainbow, let’s go!”

Rainbow Dash leaped up, shoving aside the shadow-pony things closest to her. She flew up to her friends in a multi-colored blur while Twilight concentrated her magic.

Flash. Crack.

The six reappeared on the roof of the bar. They flattened themselves, trying to take up as little room as possible. Twilight Sparkle used her magic to bend light around them, effectively making them invisible.

Let’s just hope that magic affects these creatures the same way it affects ponies.

They huddled together as the bar’s customers took to the street, calling others into the search for six flesh and blood ponies.