Capitulo Treinta y Ocho
The Darkness Rises
King Sombra tore through the skies with his mighty wings as he made his flight towards Canterlot, his body coursing with equal amounts of power, and sadistic glee at the thought of not only getting his revenge on those that had wronged him, but taking his rightful place as ruler of Equestria. He never realized that in such a short time of planning, he had managed to regain so much power along with a stable body to contain it in.
A part of him wanted to fly straight to the castle and make the princesses squirm, but he also wanted to feed off of the fear of his future subjects and slaves and give them all a proper view of his terrifying appearance. He grinned menacingly when he noticed the many citizens instantly looking up at him descending into the heart of Canterlot, and they all stood frozen with fear as he laid his hooves onto the pavement. He looked around at the many widened eyes in his surroundings before silently making for the castle in a regal stride, leaving behind a trail of small dark crystals. He was pleased when the two noble ponies blocking his path quickly moved out of his way as he made his stroll.
Sombra kept his eyes forward as he passed by each civilian, then noticed that two guards stood up ahead, currently unaware of the tyrant's presence. The moment they turned to face him, their eyes widened before they pointed their spears at the dark stallion.
"Halt!" The one on the left said, with faint fear in his voice. Sombra only sneered at the one who spoke before passing them both. They gawked before they tried to appear intimidating again.
"He said halt, sir! Stay where you are!" The other one shouted as the two pointed their spears again. They flinched as Sombra's head slowly turned to look back at them from the side, his red eye giving off a baleful glow.
"I needn't deign to heed the demands of mongrels like you. Bother me again and you will regret it. This, I promise..." He finished grimly before facing away and continuing his trek towards the castle.
The guards behind him were frozen with fear and indecision on how to confront their new enemy. On one hoof, they could almost feel the power that exuded from his being, as well as noticing the crystals left in his wake, but they couldn't just let such a fiend reach the castle. Summoning all the courage they could muster, they let out a battlecry before galloping towards Sombra. They stopped instantly when his body was covered in red static.
"You have been warned...I shall use you two as an example for my rule." Sombra proclaimed without facing the guards as his horn glowed. The guards behind him screamed before they found themselves entrapped in large dark crystals, their faces paralyzed in fear. With his work done, Sombra continued towards the castle unabated as screams were heard behind him.
_____
Celestia sat on her throne with a stoic expression on her face while Luna paced back and forth in front of the steps leading to the dais. Shining Armor and Cadence stood together as they glanced at the other princesses, feeling concerned themselves. After a time, Luna grunted before stomping a hoof.
"This feels wrong! I know they're a formidable defense, but must we place our faith in the Elements of Harmony and nopony else? We haven't received word on their success or not ever since we delivered the elements as of yesterday. We must assist our friends at once!" Luna said with mild impatience and fury.
"Luna, while I share your sentiment on the matter, you do realize that it's out of our hooves." Celestia replied calmly before looking down at Luna "Just as Twilight and her friends have Ponyville, we have to protect Canterlot from any danger, as well. You know we cannot risk any widespread panic in our city."
"But this is far larger than we had realized! If our mysterious assailant hasn't already made their move, then there is still time to go back and aid our friends!" Luna shot back, feeling anxiety slowly take over her mind.
"We should just remember that Coyote Starrk is with them." Cadence piped up with a reassuring smile "If his past feats were any indication, then I would feel at ease knowing that Twilight and her friends shall be successful in their endeavor."
Just then, the throne room's doors burst open to reveal a galloping guard, who looked as if he had just escaped from a dragon's cave. His frightened appearance earned the rapt attention of the four rulers present.
"Your majesties! Terrible news!" He said before catching his breath "There is a powerful intruder at the castle gates! He-" The guard faltered before continuing "He claims to be King Sombra!" The name alone was enough to shock the other four ponies.
"Impossible..." Cadence uttered "We defeated him not too long ago at the Crystal Empire. How is it that he's still alive!?"
Celestia, herself, could not believe what was said, either. Recovering from her own shock, she narrowed her eyes and pointed at the guard.
"Go to your fellow guards and order them to fall back at once! Under no circumstances are any of you going to fight him!" Celestia shouted authoritatively. The guard instinctively bowed before he went to rush off.
"Wait!" All eyes were on Shining Armor, who donned a look of determination as he trotted up next to the guard "I'm going with you. I refuse to stand idly by if what you're saying is true."
"Shining Armor?" Cadence said incredulously before galloping to him and placing her forehooves on his shoulder "You can't! You know what happened last time, didn't you? You were lucky to still be with us..." Her husband stared back at her firmly
"Somepony's gotta make sure the guards are safe. Besides..." A smile graced his lips as his gaze softened "What kind of husband would I be if I didn't protect my wife?" He asked, to which Cadence tried to answer back until she realized how serious Shining Armor was about his decision. She stared into his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then gave her husband a small kiss on the lips.
"Please be careful." She urged curtly, earning a nod from Shining Armor before he galloped off with the guard.
Shining Armor himself could not fathom the supposed claim that King Sombra had been revived. He knew how powerful his enemy was back then, but he also knew that as a soldier, a prince, and a husband, he had to do his part to protect the ponies in danger.
Upon reaching the vestibule with the guard next to him, they gazed upon several other guards backing away while trying to appear brave in the face of the large stallion that stood in front of the open doors. Shining Armor widened his eyes.
'So it's true. But he looks more different from last time.' He thought to himself. He gritted his teeth before he barked out to the other ponies "Fall back!" The guards instantly looked back to see Shining Armor taking command, murmuring to themselves until he shouted again "Fall back! This is an order from Princess Celestia!"
The gathered guards reflexively complied and retreated away from King Sombra, who appeared bored at first before getting a better look at the pony that commanded them. A malicious grin graced his features when he figured out who it was.
"Ah, one of the usurpers of my precious empire. If the other one is with you, then perhaps my dominion will spread quicker than I had previously thought..." He chuckled as he began trotting forward into the castle, causing more crystals to form on the floor. Meanwhile, Shining Armor got into a stance as his horn began to glow.
"Not another step, you monster! I don't know how you've managed to survive back at the Crystal Empire, but we'll see to it that you'll be stopped!" He called out valiantly, only to elicit a look of deadpan from Sombra.
"Must you always play the brave knight?" The dark king sniffed "If I recall, you've rarely measured up in our last encounter. Even then, leaving you alive that time was an act of mercy..."
"I'll make sure you regret that, along with showing your face here in Canterlot!" Shining Armor shot back as he leapt onto one of the railings from the stairs, sliding down before lunging at Sombra with a magic beam at the ready. When he got near, he was about to fire it, only to notice how dark, yet clear the environment around him became, along with his movement being halted instantly. He felt his energy receding as he glared at Sombra's bored expression, and noticed how he stepped past him.
Shining Armor tried to move, then shifted his eyes down at a small bank of crystals below him that stood in front of the large crystal that he found himself encased in. His heart sunk from not only his second loss with Sombra, but from the thought of the grim fate that awaited his beloved wife.
_____
Sombra moved along the marble floors, smiling at the thought of being so close towards the next step of his glorious conquest. His smile could only widen when he came across a pair of large and ornate doors that lead to his desired destination. With a touch of his magic, he swiftly flung the doors open and entered inside the throne room.
The princesses instantly recognized Sombra upon his entrance, and they got into stances as he approached them. The dark king could only snort at their display as the tension between them grew thick.
"It has been a while, Celestia, Luna." He cast a baleful glance upon the mentioned ponies before looking over at Cadence with a monstrous grin "And you have the other usurper with you. Splendid. I am pleased to have you all here right now..."
"King Sombra..." Celestia noted with hostility.
"Sister, he is very different than from when we last saw him." Luna said to Celestia while sizing up Sombra's appearance. Her eyes widened as she noticed the Alicorn Amulet that rested on his neck "It can't be! So it was you who caused all of this!?"
"And for good reason." Sombra replied instantly, before he was surrounded by an aura of his own power "I would have never gotten this body of mine without the help of the many ponies I've possessed up to this time. That short moment I spent in Tartarus was no different from the millennium that I spent in that icy prison you wenches cast me into!" He spat out his last sentence venomously.
"Even then, it was too good for a monster like you!" Luna shot back as her horn glowed along with Celestia's and Cadence's "We've banished you before, and with the help of our niece, we shall do so again!" This elicited a small chuckle from Sombra as his power slightly grew.
"By all means, try..." He uttered maliciously as he took a step forward with an evil smile. The princesses took to the air before simultaneously blasting beams of magic down at Sombra. A red forcefield instantly surrounded him as the beams collided, drawing a grunt from his lips as he recognized their respective power. His smile remained as he held his ground and simply looked back up at the princesses while they continued their attack.
With a growl, Sombra's forcefield expanded, forcing the three beams back at the princesses and temporarily stunning them before he cancelled his magic and took to the air. From there, he decided to target Cadence and slammed into her in a fierce aerial strike. Her breath escaped from her lungs as her back collided with one of the throne room's columns, causing several cracks to form behind her. Sombra kept a mighty hoof on the princess of love as she squirmed in his grasp.
"I'm certain you're dying to know what has become of your mate, yes?" Cadence's squirming stopped instantly as Sombra regarded her shock with dark amusement "He really was a valiant pony, if not foolish, thinking that he could stand in my way when my power can only grow." His horn began to glow brightly, and Cadence could feel the power radiating from it while he continued "Neither of you ingrates are even fit to rule the Crystal Empire when you can barely measure up to me-"
Sombra suddenly snarled in pain as he felt two beams tear through his cape and seer into his back. He glared behind him to see both Celestia and Luna recovered and glaring back at him, ready to continue their fight. The dark king then scoffed before he spared a taunting glance at Cadence.
"Feel free to check on your pathetic excuse for a husband." He said as he harsly tossed the shocked princess down to the floor before focusing his attention on Celestia and Luna "As for you two, I believe it is time for you both to receive proper comeuppance for your ancient misdeed..."
The two princesses rushed at the tyrant, who had met their assault with a large red beam, only for both of them to quickly dodge away as it tore through the castle walls. They then simultaneously fired more magic beams at Sombra, who took the full brunt of the combined attack in the chest. They both noticed with widened eyes at how there was a tiny, yet focused shield suddenly covering the Alicorn Amulet, then quickly nodded to each other before maneuvering about across the air while Sombra growled and tried hitting them with several arcs of magic.
Celestia and Luna narrowly dodged each attack before breaking off into two different directions, with Luna flying low as Celestia nearly reached the ceiling of the throne room. Both opted to conserve their magic not only in recognition of their enemy's power, but for biding their time before finding the opportune moment to strike. Luna quickly flew under Sombra and shot a quick beam under his belly, avoiding a red ball of magic that damaged the floor below. Meanwhile, Celestia circled the dark king from above, as if she were a vulture preying on their victim while he was distracted.
From what she had silently confirmed with Luna ever since their earlier attack, Celestia knew she only had one chance at a decisive attack on Sombra. She also knew that the Alicorn Amulet, while a wellspring of limitless power, was not indestructible, if the tyrant's earlier shield was anything to go by.
Quietly biding her time as Luna proved to be more of a hindrance to Sombra on her own, Celestia kept a keen vigil on her desired target as she gathered copious amounts of magic onto her horn. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead as she readied her attack while squinting her eyes at the amulet.
'This is it...It's now or never!' Celestia thought to herself before she shot a thin, yet focused beam of magic that travelled quicker than any of her previous attacks. It was hard to contain her excitement as she not only caught Sombra off-guard, but managed to connect her attack with the Alicorn Amulet. Celestia's beam carried Sombra down to the floor as his harsh landing kicked up a cloud of dust.
Celestia and Luna hovered over their enemy and steeled themselves for any and all surprises. As the dust settled, Sombra effortlessly got up from the floor and leered up at the princesses before grinning.
"Did you really think a shot of luck would be enough to tip the scales in your favor?" Sombra taunted as he brushed himself off "And here I thought you both grew wiser throughout the centuries we spent apart..."
Though Celestia and Luna expected such a quick recovery, they peered their eyes towards the Alicorn Amulet. Sombra was too arrogant to realize that between Luna's distraction and Celestia's attack, they had managed to make the tiniest crack in the amulet. It was no cause for celebration, however, as they knew that repeating the same maneuver would not only be tedious, but easily predictable.
"Perhaps it is best to cut to the chase..." Sombra grinned devilishly "You can either continue your suffering here or spare yourselves the humiliation and bend your knees to me. The decision is yours to make."
"We will never bow to you!" Celestia stated firmly with resolve. Luna nodded in agreement as she stood alongside her sister. Sombra, for his part, merely snorted at the meager display of bravado.
"Very well. Far be it from me to not finish what I've started. Though, perhaps I should go check on the usurpers and have them join in your pai-" He snarled as he suddenly felt another concentrated beam towards his chest, though it belonged to neither Celestia or Luna as they stared with widened eyes. Sombra looked down to see that the hardly noticable crack on his amulet became more visible, much to his surprise and fury. His baleful eyes met with an equally furious gaze as Cadence stood with her horn glowing, her previous shock replaced with conviction.
"For what you did to Shining Armor...For what you did to those close to me. I'll never forgive you!" Cadence said as she readied herself for another beam. Sombra let off a somewhat bestial growl at the princess.
"As if I seek the forgiveness of a pitiful wretch like you!" Sombra charged his horn and fired a beam at Cadence, prompting her to fly up with her aunts. The three alicorns were then joined by their enemy as he stared them all down "You all merely delay the inevitable outcome. It matters not if you've succeeded in attacking me, your efforts are meaningless." A red aura surrounded Sombra as his grin returned.
"In case you've forgotten, while your magic is in decline, my own continues to grow. My power has not only toppled your precious Elements of Harmony, but has crippled your celebrated champion Coyote Starrk!" All three princesses felt their hearts sink upon his boasting.
"No...Coyote Starrk has fallen?" Celestia uttered to herself.
"It cannot be!" Luna chimed in, not so quick to accept the cold truth.
"No way..." Cadence added before she tried to steel her resolve.
"There it is: The look of despair in your eyes I've longed to see." Sombra said as he relished his enemies' reactions "It is laughable that you rely on such flimsy defenses while you bask in your own decadence and preach this friendship nonsense to your subjects." His horn lit up as he stared death into the alicorns "But worry not...They shall be guided by a real ruler soon."
A mighty arc of red lightning shot out of Sombra's horn and instantly enveloped all of the princesses as they screamed in pain. He kept up his attack while he reveled in their anguish, wanting to draw out their suffering as long as possible.
To be continued...