Sombra clenched his fist tightly as he stared daggers at the opponent across from him. She had the tenacity and the gull to oppose him at the apex of his triumph? Well he would show her efforts were entirely in vain. Sombra then whipped his hand toward her in a dismissing manner as a surge of crystal spikes erupted from the ground and rushed toward the human. Mary rolled to the side and countered with a fireball, the mass of flame screeched through the air and exploded upon the floor hurling the dark monarch into his throne. Mary crossed her arms in satisfaction as Sombra picked himself up.
Mary checked her nails, “If you apologize and let everyone go I’ll consider going easy on you.”
Sombra growled in humanly, “Impudent wench!!”
Mary narrowed her eyes, “Wrong answer.”
Both Sombra and Mary began to hurl a massive series of attacks at each other. While this went on, Dom and the COH ran to the cage and checked on everypony. They were currently unharmed if not a little irritated that the cage was still up.
Rainbow Dash smiled, “Dominic could you please open this cage so mom can kick some flank?”
Dom did his best to maintain a calm smile, “Uh…Mom I don’t know how.”
Rainbow pouted as Alan placed an arm around her, “Don’t worry hun, they’ll think of something.”
Pinkie glanced around, “Where did Mary and Sombra go?”
Fluttershy eeped in surprise, “I hope she’s alright.”
Dominic looked behind him and noticed that a massive hole had been blasted through the roof.
*
Mary hurled fireball after fireball at Sombra who merely batted them aside or blasted them apart. Sombra then unleashed a barrage of crystal spikes rain down upon Mary’s head. Mary responded by throwing up a torrent of fire which acted as a quasi-shield. She gritted her teeth as Sombra continued his assault; even though she had these new abilities she still had a massive learning curve to still overcome.
Sombra then yelled in a mocking tone, “Tired already!”
Mary then thought of something Dom might say in this situation, “Bite me!”
Sombra grinned evilly, “Perhaps later.”
Mary scrunched her face in disgust, “Ew.”
The onslaught continued undeterred by the firewall. Sombra slowly advanced upon the human with a confident smirk. Mary forced herself to stand against the unyielding force that pressed down upon her. Her arms and shoulders began to burn in over exertion as she started her best efforts to push back. Sombra laughed at her attempt to resist his power and continued to pour on more force behind his attacks. Mary was soon forced down to one knee after her barrier finally gave away leaving her vulnerable.
Sombra glared down at the human, “I am willing to allow you to live, but only if you swear your allegiance unto me.”
Mary flew up into the air from her kneeling position and used her momentum and strength to rocket Sombra into the air. He flew with an arc off his castle and down into a massive rock formation which exploded upon his impact.
Mary looked at the fact she was now floating and smiled in happiness, “YES!!”
Mary floated over slightly to the formation, “Had enough Sombra?”
Sombra’s eyes flared dangerously in the dust as he blasted Mary in the stomach with a powerful blast of dark magic. Mary flew far backward but was caught by someone.
Mary smiled, “Dom I could totally kiss you right now.”
Alan raised an eyebrow, “That would be awkward for both of us and my wife would kill me.”
Mary stared in surprise and looked down to find that the prisoners had been released.
Mary flew down to Dom, “how did you figure it out?”
Dominic shrugged, “I used the American method of dealing with unruly objects. I smashed it continually with any blunt object I could find and yelled profanity at it until it did what I wanted.”
Mary nodded, “Good call.”
Sombra roared in fury, “NO!! I refuse to be defeated by you ponies and your hairless ape comrades!”
Twilight stepped forward, “Hate to break this to you Sombra.”
Sweetie Belle stood beside her, “But you’re done.”
Rarity nodded in agreement as she joined them as well, “Your evil plots.”
Dinky narrowed her eyes, “Your hateful spirit.
Alan and Dom both stood with them as well, “Are D-O-N-E.”
Martin and Mary both readied themselves, “DONE!!”
Sombra flew straight at them and roared inhumanly, “NEVER!”
Twilight, Rarity, Sweetie, Dinky, Alan, and Dominic then fired blasts of their respective energies at the king halting him and slowly breaking apart his armour and shredding his cape. Martin appeared behind him and roundhouse kicked him toward Applejack who then proceeded to buck him hard in the jaw into the air. Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, and Fluttershy (with great reluctance) smashed the monarch hard on the back and head sending him into a blast of from Pinkie’s party cannon. The king then smashed hard into the ground as Mary landed in front of him.
Mary sighed, “Listen, just surrender now and we’ll stop. Turn yourself in.”
Sombra growled, “Insolent girl.”
Sombra then backed up and went to blast her, only for Mary to right hook him hard in the jaw. Her fists then flew through the air like bullets and hit like a jackhammer against concrete as blood flew into the air. The last punch hit him in the center of his face hurling him through the air like a cannon ball.
Mary sighed, “And that’s the end of that.”
The group then came to congratulate her in her victory and soon-
“HahahahahaHAAHAHAHA!!!”
The group turned their heads and all of them stared on with shock. The smoke was slowly settling to reveal a silhouette standing up.
Sombra’s voice echoed across the battlefield, “The lot of you are still as foalish as ever. Did you not think that I might not have an ace my hand that had yet to be played?!”
The smoke cleared to reveal Sombra ripping off the last remnants of his upper body armour and cape in one flourish. His tanned skin had become the same colour as his coat was when he was a pony and his hair was wilder looking. He muscles flexed with power as his eyes glowed with unbridled dark magic power.
He chuckled psychotically, “The prospect of the aspects divine forms appealed to me so greatly, so I decided to try my hoof at it. By putting me to the brink of death you ensured my ascension to this body’s full repertoire of abilities!”
Mary stepped forward, “You!”
Sombra proceeded to laugh manically as he flexed his muscles, “All this power! It feels good!”
The group got ready for an attack as Sombra continued, “It’s funny, this power is of the ponies’ lifelong enemy Nightmare moon and the human’s Phobos! All of this because of you, in the end you all proved to bring me closer to my destiny.”
Dom pointed in confidence, “You don’t frighten us!”
Sombra raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head, “You don’t think so? Watch this!”
Sombra raised his hands as two black beams streaked through the air and pierced through Martin and Alan’s chests. Both Mary and Dom screamed in horror as their fathers dropped into a heap.
Mary clenched her fists tightly, “Dom, stay with them.”
Dom turned to her, “No I want a piece of that bastard.”
Mary turned and yelled in pent up anger, “DO AS I SAY!!”
Dom backed up in surprise but nodded, “Beat that guy so we can go home.”
Mary rushed Sombra with a look of righteous fury, There’s no way I can let this guy walk away. Sombra, your MINE!
Sombra chuckled, “Then let this be our final bout human, TIME TO SHOW YOU WHO THE SUPERIOR RACE IS!!”
Mary took flight as Sombra intercepted her and their aerial melee commenced. Sombra delivered blows that felt like a pair of wrecking balls was attached to his arms rather than hands. Mary’s mid-section was practically tenderized by his blows as she hurled further into the air. She then regained herself as blood trickled from the corners of her mouth. Sombra was already upon her, but she blasted him away with a massive surge of fire that caused him to fall.
Sombra smiled mockingly, “Impressive girl, you’re learning to master your abilities to their fullest.”
Sombra then landed on the top of yet another rock formation, “But I’m beginning to feel stronger, thanks to my newly awakened POWERS!!.”
He then flew straight at the girl with a grin that would frighten the most stoic of men. Mary braced herself as Sombra hit even harder than before. She was spinning slightly in the air as he rained more punches down upon her.
Right as Sombra delivered a mid-air spinning kick toward the ground he yelled, “IT’S NO USE!”
Mary flew far and skimmed the surface of a large lake of black water. Sombra was already flying toward her with a massive piece of rock and yelled in triumph.
Sombra then hurled the stone while shouting, “Drown in your failure!!”
Mary was smacked further underwater and was being weighed down, No, it can’t end like this. I WON’T LET IT!!!
The water exploded into a massive geyser which cleared away to reveal Mary who yelled in utter rage, “SOMBRA!!!!!!!”
Sombra laughed in exhilaration and amusement as he flew at the girl and their fists connected in mid-air with a loud crack.
*
The ponies in the Crystal Empire were busy with their duties and market place goings on when a massive shape crashed into the library. Mary shook her head clear and saw where she was and gasped, he was stronger than she thought he was. After the collision when she emerged from the water the rest of the exchange was an anger filled blur. She saw a darkened shape land nearby and snapped to attention as she tackled it to the ground but was then thrown into the palace. Cadance jumped in surprise as Shining Armor went to help the human girl up.
Shining was greatly concerned, “What happened.”
Sombra landed behind Shining, “I did.”
The King then backhanded The Prince of the Crystal Empire into the wall and then hurled Mary back outside. Before he went to pursue, he turned back to glare at Cadance.
Sombra pointed, “I’ll deal with you later.”
Mary stood shakily to her feet as Sombra landed in front of her, “Giving up already are we?”
Mary threw a weak punch which whizzed harmlessly past Sombra’s jaw. Sombra then brutally delivered a flurry of punches to the weakened Mary who flailed like a rag doll with each blow until she hit the ground hard.
Sombra shook his head in pity, “Why throw away your life so recklessly?”
Mary spat out some blood as Sombra’s vision suddenly swam and he saw a younger Martin in an almost ghost like fashion beside Mary mirroring her perfectly, “I’d ask you the same question.”
Sombra went to kick the human’s head in only for a blast of lighting to hit him. The group had teleported to the Empire to help.
Mary got up fast and lit her fist aflame as Sombra turned in disbelief, “WHAT THE!?”
The fist made contact with Sombra’s chin hurling him into a cabbage stand much to the chagrin of the vendor. Mary stood up and faced her adversary once more. Both combatants rushed each other and engaged in a renewed melee. All the while Cadance and Twilight had been prepping the crystal heart which was currently aimed at the power high Sombra. Mary was then grabbed by Sombra in a bear hug.
He snarled through gritted teeth, “I’ll grind you bones into dust!”
Mary responded with a head but to his face which caused him to reel in pain. Mary turned and noticed that the heart was about to fire. Twilight gave her a reassuring nodded as the human rushed toward the two ponies and swiftly touched the crystal. A flash resonated through the human as all of her wounds healed but was still covered in grime and wore battle-damaged clothes. Sombra glared daggers at her.
Mary’s fist lit up with crystalline fire that burned a bright white, “Come on then.”
Sombra charged her as she rushed him as well. He went for a high kick to her head while she punched his thigh stopping the kick. The world seemed to pause as if to breathe, Mary’s knuckles cracked slight as a bit of blood spurted into the air. Sombra smiled in satisfaction, but this soon turned to a look of utter horror as a massive crack appeared on his leg belting out the same light that existed in the Crystal Heart. The crack then traveled up his body while smaller cracks branched off causing a yell of horror to escape him. Sombra’s body exploded to reveal an armor less and hornless pony.
The group cheered as Sombra drowsily stood up and pointed, “I am The Black King.”
Cadance smiled and blew at his nose causing the pony to fall over, “And you're dethroned your majesty.”
Martin and Alan slowly sat up clutching their slowly healing wounds as Fluttershy hugged them both. Martin smiled proudly as The COH was raised into the air by many happy and grateful ponies.
Martin nodded, “Good job Mary, good job.