Return of the Empire Part 3
Pony POV Series
Dark World Drabbles
Return of an Empire Part 2
By Godzillawolf
Hello, my name is Master Alchemist Dr. Katydid. It is good to meet you.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): It is, yes yes yes. Though I'm just a sub for the ones who are supposed to be doing this while they're...on vacation...It's complicated.)
(Jiniri's Notes: Okay, it gets REALLY confusing, but someone needed to play this part for the Half-Lights while they were in the other universe, but I hadn't become a Goddess yet, so after I did, I decided to fill in even though I'd been visiting Twilight's golden world until they came back while they were still getting things set up with Rainbow Dash and the others...time travel is weird, yes yes yes.)
I see.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Uh, so, what's the doctorate for?)
I have several actually. Robotics, bio-engineering, alchemy, bio-alchemy, genetics, medicine, chemistry, alternative medicine, and psychology. I also have a Master's Degree in Cooking and am an accomplished violinist.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Wow, that's a lot of doctorates...)
I only had the degrees in robotics, alchemy, bio-alchemy, and bio-engineering before my death. Afterward, I studied with masters in each of those pursuits in Heaven for the last few centuries until my revival, at which point Queen Libra helped me get the official degrees and titles. As one of my instructors there told me: the only place you'll find more knowledge than Heaven is in Knowledge himself. Logical, given Heaven is also the Anthropomorphic Personification of Wisdom. I did get a few secessions with Eremo, the embodiment of Knowledge. He was a great teacher, but did not speak very much. Though I suppose that comes with the territory.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): What was Heaven like?)
That is a question with no logical answer. Heaven is at the bare minimum a twelve dimensional location and being, even the barest description from a logical stand point is beyond any and all comprehension while we are three dimensional beings capable of moving in one direction through the fourth dimension. Even the deities don't comprehend it, or Him, and they are at the very least sixth dimensional beings. It is in general like trying to describe the concept of depth to a being in the first dimension, it is simply not possible.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Uh...I meant more your experience of it...cause I've never been there...)
Oh...It was perfect. Simple as that. It was my definition of perfection. Which was a place where I could learn everything I could, explore everything I was capable of, and...not harm anypony. And that is simply what I can describe. If the Rangers' areas of Heaven are correct, that is how it works for everypony.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Sounds nice.)
It was. I also worked out the designs for much of the equipment I've given the Rangers upon returning, so it worked out well.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): That's nice. Yes yes yes. Speaking of which, what are you doing?)
This crystal the Rangers found out in the arctic appears to have been blown away from the Empire in the battle between Queen Cadence and King Sombra (considering we located it in one of the holes blasted in the local mountain range). It appears to be a crystal intended to house some form of spell, but when cast out as it was, drew in an inherent power from the auroras and absorbed a massive amount of energy. It mutated into something exceptional, and similar to the Sun Stone the Season Spirits returned to us which I tapped Fire Ant's powers into in that regard. So I am using it to make a new suit and powers to work off of it. If I'm correct, it should make quite the powerful warrior, which is why I'm giving it to Fire Ant and we will likely pass his current set to another worthy individual. I came here on another Subway Worm when Queen Cadence alerted me that we don't know just what might happen, considering potential for some sort of fail safe from King Sombra. Having an extra warrior could be rather important.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Sounds interesting...oh, and on that topic, I'm sure our readers are curious about the Rangers and how you thought of them.)
Very well. Ever since I was a filly, Pony Rangers was a favorite program of mine...as a Zebra born to Hive slaves, I naturally had the bare minimum needed...until Professor Kabuto required a lab assistant and found me. At first, it went as you would expect...but then he noticed I was playing with chalk he'd left out from recording a new theorem he had. And had completed several complicated math problems that I'd learned the basics of watching him. He altered my brainwashing to allow me more free will, and began teaching me...He gave me the name Katydid and that's what I was known as for the rest of my life. I don't even remember if I had a name before that.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): So he cared for you?)
...No, I cared for him...I took care of him when his sanity broke after Discord took over the world, even as our stores of love ran dry and Chrysalis converted me into a Changeling to act as his replacement, as I was the only one Kabuto had shared his experiments with...I saw him as my beloved mentor...but he didn't care about me...He never did. I've now diagnosed him as having anti-social personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and sadistic personality disorder; a condition known as Malignant Narcissism Syndrome. Which has been described as 'the root of the most vicious destructiveness and inequinity'...I still traveled to Tartarus after my death and attempted to redeem him...it didn't work. I've tried hundreds of times over the centuries I was dead, and I will likely try again after this life is over...I was never anything more than just a painting to him...
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Are you alright?)
I'm...I'm fine. Regardless, becoming Professor Kabuto's personal pet project came with more freedoms the rest of the slaves could not hope to have...such as a personal radio. And one of the things that drew my attention, was Pony Rangers. It was the first work of fiction I had ever known and it struck a cord with me. I suppose it was just trying to imagine the science that would go into the fantastic devices used in it sincerely appealed to me...and I was a child at the time. Kabuto didn't mind, anything that stirred my thought processes was welcome. He wanted to see just what I could be as a curiosity, and was pleased with some...experiments it inspired me to perform...
Years later, when Queen Cadence came to power, she helped me overcome my...insanity...
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Insanity?)
I was raised by a malignant narcissist who viewed everything other than himself as a potential lab experiment and the second most prolific mass murderer in Equestrian history and most likely only because he died...I admit, after hearing Queen Libra's description of her, I believe my psychosis was similar to the one Fluttercruel possessed. I simply did not comprehend the difference between giving a pony a piece of candy and giving them extra legs and did either with similar glee.
(Interviewer Notes (Razzaroo): Oh...oh dear...)
I also never understood why ponies didn't appreciate having extra limbs grafted onto them or extra eyes, I thought they looked better with them.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Wait, you actually did that?!)
Yes. Multiple times, actually. It's actually a fairly simple procedure, but not one I do any more...without expressed permission. Your face is green, I'm making you ill, aren't I?
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Yes yes yes...)
I apologize, I still have difficulty judging what other ponies can handle being told. At the time, I simply didn't understand what I was doing was wrong. I was like a child who didn't understand why their mother didn't like the 'pretty pictures' they drew on the walls...I think. I'm told that is something most children experience by Diamond Tiara, who I've developed a good relationship with due to...shared experiences. It took a long time for Cadence to cure me of my psychosis, and she frequently took her lessons back to Pony Rangers. An intelligent tactic; relating lessons back to something they enjoy tends to be a good way imprint ideas. That is another reason Pony Rangers means so much to me.
But back to the topic at hoof, once Queen Cadence built the Changelings back up to the point we could begin striking back against Discord, she asked me to use my abilities to create heroes to protect ponies and combat Discord's forces. I decided that the characters that had loved for so long would be a perfect basis for my team of heroes. It also made sense from a logistics stand point: heroes inspire others to heroism. I could make pragmatically designed bare bones costumes...but if I created brightly colored, easily identified costumes, it would make them a beacon of hope. And it did. Even when they...they perished in battle with Discord's reserve minions, they became martyrs...They were remembered...
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): But that didn't take away the pain of losing them, did it?)
...No...it didn't...I kept asking myself if there was something I could have done...something more I could have given them...an upgrade, a new weapon, anything...that maybe if I'd done one thing different...my friends wouldn't have had to die...Which is why I've done extensive upgrades on their equipment once we returned. I've long accepted there's nothing I could have done then, but that's no excuse not to do everything I can now.
Fire Ant, the Red Ranger, was the first friend I ever made other than Queen Cadence. He seemed dedicated to being my friend...His sister Rose Spider, the Pink Ranger, shortly there after. He was surprised he beat her too me, she's so outgoing and friendly he often joked it was only a matter of time before she befriended an enemy. Rock Scorpion, the Black Ranger, was the one I had the hardest time getting along with. I was still very scientifically minded, while he is very headstrong and action orientated. Most of them needed a detailed explanation of what the genetic augmentations would entail, he just wanted to get his powers already. Weta (Blue) and Lightning Bug (Yellow) were somewhere in the middle. Weta is patient and cautious, Lightning Bug talks a mild a minute but is intelligent. They are all my friends...and I decidedly do not want them to fall in battle again.
If...if you want to know more, they're right over there with General Ilea.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): And who is that?)
The current General of Avalon and descendant of General Hercules Beetle. She's a Virgaling, a Zebra/Changeling hybrid. They have somewhat weaker shapeshifting abilities from pure Changelings and still require love to recharge their mana, but unlike pure Changelings don't require it to survive. In Ilea's case, she also inherited her ancestor's abnormal strength for her species as well, on top of the genetic alterations she's had me do...and is also as big a fan of Manega as I am of Pony Rangers. She, Rainbow Dash, and the Rangers get along for that reason. They frequently engage in contests to see who's come up with the best attack names, or who's the most 'hotblooded.' It is amusing to watch.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): I bet…Hey, Katydid, can you fight?)
Yes, quite well actually. It was kind of a necessity, given I was Kabuto's 'masterpiece' and attempts on both our lives were extremely common. I HAD to be able to defend myself. I've also given myself a multitude of bio augmentations, which I admittedly had to reapply after resurrection.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): Are those spider legs coming out of your back?)
An approximation of them, yes. I said it was a simple procedure and they come in immensely handy...as did the alterations I did to myself before the battle I died in. I turned myself into a living bio-weapon and took long enough to fall that Queen Cadence could arrive to drive off the attackers. I haven't reapplied that one, but I have crossed my DNA with that of a few insects.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): I see...and you're still looking for a replacement for Fire Ant as the Red Ranger?)
Correct. Do you want to volunteer? The process will involve having your DNA spliced with an insect.
(Interview's Notes (Razzaroo): No thank you!...But are you sure that he's the one who needs to trade out? Wouldn't he need to relearn everything? And a new member would need to learn everything from scratch, right?)
That...is a good point. The new robot is ready and just needing to be linked to the new power source, but the power set could take time to get used to, considering aurora and light based powers are a different animal from fire based ones.
(Interviewer's Notes (Razzaroo): So it should be somepony that knows the technology really closely, is a good fighter, and already gets along well with the rest of the team?)
…Yes...I suppose all of those traits would be beneficial for the new Ranger...
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(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Um...so, dear...what's your name?)
Chickadee Peachbottom, glad to meet ya. Ah'm from Mustangia.
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Mustangia? I do believe I have some cousins from there.)
...Is it...still there? The Crystal Ponies said we got sent forward in time or somethin'...
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): It's rebuilding, yes.)
Oh, that's a relief...Uh...sorry tah be a bother, but who's the new Alicorn?
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): That's Queen Libra, she ascended after we defeated that brute Discord.)
Oh, Ah see. If Ah'd known Ah'd be meetin' royalty as soon as Ah...came back, Ah'd have freshened up a bit. My golly, this is a mighty lot to take in after...how long was it?
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): A thousand years, darling.)
A t-thousand?...that...Well, on the bright side Ah'll have lots of new places tah see, always was a hobby of mine...
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Yah don't have to lie, darling.)
...It's a bit of a shock...but at least Ah skipped the worst of Discord's reign, right? That's a plus, ain't it?
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): That's definitely a way to look at it...)
...B-But one thing... if ya don't mind meh askin', are those two over t-there Mad Tiara and Screwball?
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Oh right, you're from before...Not anymore, sugar. They were sick but they're better now. If they wronged you, I do declare they'll be the first to apologize for it...now, how exactly did you end up here? If you don't mind me asking?)
Well that's a humdinger of a story, but...Ah suppose Ah don't need tah tell you Discord took over...he...h-he t-trapped meh in a s-snow globe. A t-tiny, e-enclosed l-little snow globe in a g-gift s--shop...
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): You don't like enclosed spaces, do you?)
N-Not r-really. I-In fact t-this room is g-getting a bit t-tight n-now that Ah t-think about it...
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Slow deep breaths, darling. You're hyperventilating.)
My golly, did yah just teleport us?
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Nah, but your mind feels like we're in an open field now, doesn't it?)
Yeah...thank you kindly...and thank Celestia somepony finally knocked the blasted thing over and broke it. Ah was still a tiny little thing, but at least wasn't having a panic attack anymore. Eventually somepony was able tah find a growth spell tah get meh back to normal...which actually had tah get taken off meh later when Queen Cadence broke the first spell, but that's neither here nor there...survivin' after that wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows either...What with the monsters and crazy stuff fallin' from the sky.
Eventually, we heard that Queen Cadence and her Changelings were headin' by the place we were staying soon. Meh and a buncha other ponies decided tah try and join up with them so was could get to Avalon, since goin' with Queen Cadence herself was a lot easier of a time than tryin' tah make it there ourselves...Ah was the only pony who got all the way. The others backed out or...
Ah'll tell yah, seein' Cadence all thrown up like her aunt for the first time? What a sight! She told meh it'd be dangerous tah come with her cause she couldn't spare any changelings tah take meh tah Avalon with what she was meaning tah do, but well Ah'd come so far and it'd be dangerous tah get back tah our hide out by mahself...learned that the hard way on the way there. So Ah just stayed with her. She told this big Changelin' General tah keep an eye on meh. He was kinda handsome, bein' all big and strong, but he was spoken for.
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): General Hercules, his descendant is actually part of our party, dear.)
Well ain't that the cat's meow? Hope Ah get tah meet him.
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): She. Ilea's a girl, sweetheart.)
Oh...Well anyway, we headed way up north tah this crazy place...only at the time it was much more...spikey and black. And this rotten stallion named King Sombra was runnin' the place...
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): You alright, dear?)
Oh, A-Ah'm fine. Just the whole time? Ah felt like Ah was in a cramped little cave and couldn't get out...like just bein' near 'em was makin' meh afraid. The rest of the ponies except Cadence told meh the same thing. She had tah help us through that all the time.
Cadence decided tah do what she and her Changelings did best and sneak in, tryin' tah shake off Sombra's control on these poor ponies. Nice of her. Plus, she'd found out from spies he got stronger from fear, so she didn't want tah fight 'em until she'd helped the Crystal Ponies a bit. Particularly with yah know, Discord makin' a lot of the stuff this guy eats. Ah was just kinda...was there. Ah tried tah be all friendly like as Ah could tah help the Crystal Ponies open up and feel better after...what that varmit was doin' to 'em, but Ah also ain't a Changelin', so Ah spent most of it hanging out with the Equestrians of the bunch. Nice fellas. We were under old smokey's face for about a few weeks, helpin' the Crystal Ponies however we could tah try, hopin' it'd weaken him a bit...but then King Sombra found out we were there...Cadence had one Tartarus of a throw down with 'em. Ah didn't see much of it, what with them blowing each other all over the place and Ah was hidin' with her hoof maidens, but Ah remember how it ended...
+++
Cadence gave that old Sombra one Tartarus of a blast, blowing 'em straight through the top of the castle. My golly, Ah think some pieces of it probably ended up back in Mustangia! Some of the Changelings took tah stopping debris from hittin' anypony.
Sombra came back and blasted her straight through a mountain (not the first time that'd happened! The mountains looked like Swiss Cheese by then!) with what looked like his shadow come tah life.
Sombra charged her on a big spike of black crystal (and she let 'em, Ah think she was tryin' tah keep as much of the fightin' outta the city as she could but he kept tryin' tah lead it back inta it), but she blocked him with a big pink one she made. The two crashed inta each other and they clashed horns like a couple goats tryin' tah push the other back.
“I killed you once, I will kill you again!” Sombra shouted. Nah, Ah don't know what he meant neither.
“You will not kill one more soul, Sombra! Not while I still draw breath!” Cadence called back, the two blowing each other away.
Sombra's shadow grew up inta this big wall of scary looking teeth and eyes and he started attackin' her, tryin' tah bite her with 'em. Cadence burst inta blue flames and turned inta a hydra! She bit his shadows and tore them off, then turned inta big armored dragon tah rush through more of 'em and tackled him, turnin' and whippin' him hard with her tail!
Sombra growled like a mad dog as she turned back tah normal. “Enough of this...”
His eyes turned green and he fired some beam at Cadence, makin' hers turn it too!
“Now, suffer in your deepest fears...” Sombra said, my heart skipped a beat! He made a scythe out of black crystal and tried tah cut inta her...but she blasted him instead, sendin' him crashing right plum inta the ground! “Impossible! How can you...”
Cadence looked steamed now! “Because my aunts are statues in the gallery of a mad god, my best friend was corrupted into something terrible and I have no idea if she's even still alive, my homeland is suffering, and my subjects live in fear of a monster every day! You don't scare me, because I already live my worst fear EVERY SINGLE DAY!”
Cadence made a sword out of pink crystals and started sword fightin' with him, movin' so fast mah eyes could barely keep up with 'em! Cadence was usin' a blade on her horn and the sword while Sombra was usin' his scythe and makin' his shadow come tah life! They used some more pillars tah fight, goin' high inta the sky with the crystals twisting around each other in all directions until they finally fell over and made Hercules shatter it tah protect us. The two didn't seem tah notice, instead Cadence directin' their fall out of town and slamming through the ice. Where was Ah? In one of the taller buildin'. Out of danger or not, her Hoofmaidens didn't want her out of their sight.
There were big old flashes goin' through the ice and Ah heard explosions, until finally the whole thing exploded up inta the sky spraying water everywhere! They two burst outta the ice fightin' like they hadn't missed a beat!
“It doesn't matter what you do!” Sombra roared back after they'd spent about fifteen minutes tryin' tah chop each others heads off and Cadence tryin' tah keep the fight outside the town. “Without the Crystal Heart, they'll never be rid of me! Soon, I WILL find where my Umbrum brothers and sisters are buried and then even Discord will fall by my hoof!”
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Umbrum?)
Honestly ain't sure about that mahself. The Crystal Ponies didn't seem tah know it either except their legends said their Princess did somethin' tah them.
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): We'll need to look into tah later...continue.)
Cadence snarled, locking blades and the two of them blasting each other back. “A war between you and Discord would make things worse than they already are!”
“I fail to see how that's my problem,” Sombra replied, makin' tendrils of shadow rise up and go right at her. She let off a giant flash of light and burned them away. “It's my fate to make the Crystal Ponies' worst fears become manifest...and right now, that is exactly what they fear! So I shall deliver it!”
The weird thing was...he didn't sound happy about that...he sounded almost...
Queen Cadence...looked like she had an idea. She looked back at her Cutie Mark. “If the Crystal Heart links the bonds of the entire Empire...” She flew towards the center of the empire.
Sombra turned inta smoke and flew around before slammin' inta her and slamming her straight through a building. “No you don't.”
Just then, Hercules went up in a big pillar of blue fire and came out a good head taller with white armor all over him and his horn a great big pincer! He charged up magic inta it and blindsided old Sombra with a huge beam!
“Go my Queen!”
Cadence nodded and flew like the world was chasin' her. Hercules flew up on a roof and kept blastin' Sombra back, tryin' tah keep 'em pinned down in a crater that was getting' deeper and deeper with each shot!
Cadence landed and put her horn between those two spikes in the middle of the Empire. “CRYSTAL PONIES! WE DO NOT HAVE THE CRYSTAL HEART, BUT I AM BONDS! IF YOUR BONDS AND LOVE POWER IT, THEY CAN POWER ME! LET ME BE YOUR CRYSTAL HEART!” she yelled so loud yah could hear her on the other side of the Empire!
“NO!” Sombra yelled, using his crystal to launch out of the crater and make a dive at her...but gettin' blasted back inta the hole by Hercules again. It didn't seem tah hurt 'em much, but it was able tah knock him around. But from the looks of it, it was takin' a bit out of Hercules...
The Crystal Ponies blinked, looking at each other.
“PLEASE! I KNOW I CAN DO THIS! I KNOW I CAN SAVE YOU! JUST TRUST ME!”
The Crystal Ponies had had a good time tah get tah know her. So they had a reason tah trust her.
They all bowed down and...it was beautiful. The whole empire lit up with a light so bright Ah was surprised Ah wasn't blinded! Then it all just surged straight inta the middle!
Hercules finally gave out and fell tah his knees, his fancy armor disappearin'...right as the entire place seemed tah shatter, goin' from dark and spikey tah smooth and pretty.
Sombra came out of the hole and looked SCARED.
When the light faded...and Cadence rose outa the center glowing like a star. She looked like she was MADE of blue crystal, her mane blue energy. Her eyes...made meh think Ah was lookin' at everypony Ah ever cared about. Ah know that sounds weird, but it's how it felt.
“King Sombra, Terror of the Frozen North. Your reign ends now!” her voice sounded like the Crystal Ponies.
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Which one?)
All of 'em!
Sombra snarled and shot at her on a pillar with his shadow ready tah strike...but she met him before he could get half way and punched him in the chest so hard he was launched straight back THROUGH the crystal pillar he'd been ridin' on. She moved so fast I thought she'd turned inta light herself and slammed inta him from behind and sent him flyin' like a rocket right inta the side of the castle!
He growled, jumping down. “I will not be defeated by the likes of you!” he roared, riding down a crystal and firing away at her. She just formed a big heart shaped barrier around herself tah block it and every attack he threw at her. Finally, she just shot the barrier itself at him, causing a huge explosion and blasting him into the ground!
Sombra got out of crater with his armor blown clear off, cracks going through his hide. Did yah know he's a blank flank? Cause he is.
“No...I can't fall here...” Sombra snarled. “Not when I...” He tried tah run but she flew behind him before he could get an inch.
“Sombra, surrender and I will be merciful,” Cadence said.
“Mercy?...Why should I accept MERCY?!” Sombra roared. His eyes glowed and he just seemed tah...dissolve inta shadows. “Mercy is for those who feel remorse for their crimes...I never had a choice but to do mine, so why should I feel anything?”
The sky turned black and became covered in howlin' shadows! Sombra's ugly mug came right of it, lookin' bigger and uglier than ever! “Now! Fall into darkness!”
His jaws slammed shut on Cadence! Tryin' tah swallow her whole!
It was a few moments, all of us lookin' with our hearts skippin' more beats than is healthy for anypony...then light began to pour out of Sombra's mouth!
“No! Stop!” Sombra screamed, his voice sounding like a million voices. Light started erupting out of him, cracks goin' all across him! It looked like he was turnin' inta crystal!
“You are nothing but a nightmare, Sombra! Now fade away in the light!” Cadence yelled.
“NOOOOOO!”
Sombra let out scream as a big flash of blue light went off, blowin' him tah smitherines and clearin 'the skies in a second! Meh and everypony else went all pretty as crystal for a bit too! Ah looked pretty if Ah do say so mahself. The Empire seemed tah just stat healin' than damage that'd happened tah it, like crystals growing back and everythin'.
+++
(Interviewer's Notes (Rainbow Dash): So why the buck did Cadence not just do THAT to Discord?)
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): Rainbow! I'm the one with the note book this time!)
Well, Ah don't know everythin', but she was in rough shape after she blew Sombra tah kingdom come. She said somethin' about 'tryin' tah fit the infinite inta the finite' or somethin'. But from what ah can gather, she just couldn't handle doin' it a second time right after that and Hercules was in bad shape too. Makin' matters worse, Discord would know Sombra was kaput pretty quick given what Cadence just did, so we didn't have enough time for them tah get back on their feet.
Cadence told meh she was gonna make the Empire vanish again tah keep the Crystal Ponies away from Discord and she wanted meh tah stay with 'em...and well, she did.
(Interviewer's Notes (Applejack): What was that like?)
It was...weird...Kinda like...Ah was a thing but Ah wasn't and kinda like getting' pushed. Next thin' Ah know, we're here. Ah'd be lyin' if Ah said it doesn't feel good tah know Discord's gone.
+++
Rainbow Dash
“That's all Ah know, hope it's helpful,” Mrs. Peachbottom finished. She kinda reminded me of Pinkie Pie...well, less crazy.
“Yes, it was, Ms. Peachbuttom, you're dismissed,” Queen Cadence XV said and we let her go get some fresh air. Seriously, if AJ hadn't made the room an illusion of a field she'd have had a panic attack.
“Alright, so that raises a few questions,” Magica said. “First and most importantly: what are the Umbrum?”
We of course all looked at Discord's crazy sister.
“I don't really know, but if it involves Sombra after he took the throne, I think I might know someequus who might,” Pandora said, taking out that cell phone thing. We're still trying to actually make those. Apple Computer is really helping with a lot of that junk, guy knows his tech. Came in handy rebuilding the gaming industry.
+++
Meanwhile in an adjacent Universe
Anarchy stood in the spirit world on an island kingdom that had decidedly been destroyed (the buildings, the population being saved by good old heroism) and in a cage of razor sharp strings.
He watched a white unicorn using invisible strings to fly and wearing a pink feather boa with red sunglasses fighting a red Earth Pony high in the sky. The Earth Pony had seemingly inflated his muscles to make himself threatening and powerful, skintight reddish black metallic armor on his front legs and forming flame markings on his chest. The unicorn rose up giant tentacles of string tipped in black metallic armor that seemed to have been transformed from the buildings below.
“You all, who were born as trash are only fit to be manipulated! You ponies and I are different!” the unicorn spat with smug superiority of one who viewed themselves as above everypony else by several hundred miles.
“Shut up! I'll kick your flank and get out of here!” the Earth Pony yelled, pulling a front leg back which seemed to contract like rubber in on itself.
Anarchy smirked. “Come one, come on...”
Suddenly, his cell phone rang and he answered it. “Hello?”
“Hey bro! Pandora here! Can I ask you something real quick?”
“Uh, sure...oh wait a sec...”
The Draconequus looked back, the Earth Pony now having inflated his cocked foreleg to the point it dwarfed his own body, the unicorn having made a spider web of super tough string in front of himself and launched the tentacles.
“Goma Goma no...” the Earth Pony started, throwing his foreleg forwards and the massive amount of compressed air combined with sheer strength launching the punch with unbelievable force. “King Kong Gun!”
A shockwave went out from the collision before the unicorn's attacks shattered and struck him with so much force he was slammed into the ground below so hard the city itself lifted off its foundations and a fissure opened that he fell into.
Anarchy smirked and snapped his fingers.
“KO!” announced a voice in the background like a fighting game.
“Nice! Man, this kid is doing work!” Anarchy said, marking a name off a list titled 'Tyrannical Despots.' “Okay, what you need sis?”
+++
“Uh huh...uh huh...Okay, thanks bro!” Pandora said, hanging up. “Okay, so my brother Anarchy knows every atrocity every tyrant who exists has done. Cause he's revolution and that's the driving force, you know how it works by now. And while he can't look into how Sombra was made or what have you, he could tell me HOW the Umbrum ended up getting locked up.”
“Spill it,” I said, I was getting a little fed up with all the confusing stuff by this point.
“Okay, well basically while Sombra was still...incubating, the Umbrum popped up and caused havoc until Princess Quartz Amore used the Crystal Heart to lock 'em up in a place called the Shadow Prison deep below the Empire.”
“Wait, so there's MORE monsters sealed away under the Empire?!” I asked, everypony else seeming to take that news just as well as I did.
“Kinda. From the sound of it they're not nearly as strong as Sombra, and it's not like somepony can just dig down and into their prison like some b-grade horror movie. It's sorta in a pocket dimension and only one door exists that could let them out and Amore buried it deep underground...then put it in the dark magic corrupted version of this building to make it extra hard to find.”
“Whao, reminds meh of the Phantom Zone Super Stallion uses some times...” Apple Pie replied. She's right. And dang, I thought Celestia could be thorough!
“Okay, so now we know WHY they're locked up, but what the buck are they?” I asked.
Magica tapped her chin and paced a little. “...Ms. Peachbottom said Sombra called the Umbrum his 'brothers and sisters,' right?”
“Yes, she did...” Rarity said.
“...If all that negative energy was being pumped underground to create Sombra by this Obsidian Zephyr, it must have somehow made the Umbrum as well, that's the only way Sombra saying that would make any sense...which explains why they'd show up before him!” Magica said, getting that 'I'm onto something face. “If the Crystal Ponies fear was creating Sombra, what BETTER way to cultivate it than release a big monster attack on them?”
“...She has a point...” I replied. Hey, I've LEAD enough monster attacks to know that!...And I'm not proud of any of them...like at all.
“That is a good point...but something else confuses me about this...” Rarity said. “Pandora...I thought Sombra was nothing more than a homunculus designed to follow his programming...but he didn't ACT like it in Ms Peachbottom's account...He sounded like he was more complex than that”
I didn't really care about that, but I guess that was a good point.
Pandora put her hoof to her chin. “That's...a good point. Maybe it went all wonky?...Oh! Or the power of love! That normally does it!”
“Yeah right, who'd love a monster like Sombra?” I asked. Yeah, tempting fate. We tend to do that a lot...
To Be Continued.
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Neat, what's up Doc? Oh don't give me that look you should have seen this coming.
Neat. What's up Doc? Oh come on, you knew I couldn't resist.
To be fair, that's the whole point of Heaven.
He was raised by someone who would think Shou Tucker did nothing wrong. He's got issues.
At least he's straightforward.
This reminds me of when Riddler tried to do something similar to Joker. Worked about as well.
Like he was doing it because it was all he had?
Sombra is now voiced by Ansem in my mind.
You shouldn't, especially knowing Fate is a real being, that that's not tempting her, that's repeatedly whacking the door with a hammer while playing the song that never ends while yodeling on fire at her door, daring her to screw you over.
I only had the degrees in robotics, alchemy, bio-alchemy, and bio-engineering
How'd she have time to eat and sleep?
The way she describes her upgrades to ponies: I'm kinda reminded of Defenders of Dynatron City, where having your head turn into a giant eye, or grow a extra head, was all taken in stride with a smile. (this is also a setting where a toolbox was mutated into a robot).
I just (****ING LOST MY ENTIRE COMMENTARY because the program randomly crashed dammit!!!
Surprise Discord didn't reverse Peachbottom's personality.
And remember Discord had the show going long after it jump the shark and hit seasonal rot and then seasonal fossilization.
And I imagine the worst for Peachbottom is everyone she knew is dead, assuming they weren't resurrected by Lybra.
Does Chickadee recognize AJ?
It's also hinted she has a phobia of high ceilings, yes that is a thing in real life.
How'd their spies figure out how Sombra is powered up? I doubt he knew.
His eyes turned green and he fired some beam at Cadence, makin' hers turn it too!
Aren't his eyes like that all the time?
I wonder what a Umbrum of suppressed Anxiety would be named.
"You call us evil? Blame yourselves. We're only as you made us."
I'm reminded now of Sephorith's Remnants from Final Fantasy Advent Children. http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Remnants_of_Sephiroth Mysteriously appearing after his death: One is his rage/hatred, another is his strength/speed, and another is his charisma/cunning. They're all driven to finding Jehova's head, but don't seem to consciously realize that once they use her head, they'll turn into a new Sephiroth complete with his personality and memories (once Sephiroth in his replacement body is cut down, he vanishes back into the life stream and his remnant returns to normal but die soon after).
I have this weird image of the appearance of a trio of stallions who bare a resemblance to him, born from emotions Sombra HIMSELF felt... all driven by the NEED to resurrect Sombra , not realizing that to do so, they'd have to sacrifice their own existence. And unlike Sombra, who their grandmother ultimately saw as a beloved son, she sees them as raw material in a resurrect spell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkPmS1UBeMo
Cloud, "Stay in my memories where you belong."
Sephiroth's, "I'll never be just a memory."
I'll admit, reminds how in Castlevania, Dominus' power was born from Dracula's hatred, rage, and sorrow.
“Mercy is for those who feel remorse for their crimes...I never had a choice but to do mine, so why should I feel anything?”
Reminds of Bleach, Tosen.
The only thing that truly and sincerely pisses him off more than anything? Komamura saying he's forgiven him. Tosen has stabbed his commanding officer in the back, worked with a conspiracy with Aizen and Gin for centuries, intended to help commit mass murder and then using the souls as raw material, to help enact a coup against the Spirit King, all in the name of his definition of justice (why should he be loyal to the society that let his best friend's murderer go free without even a trial?).
In Tosen's mind, he's never betrayed anyone, because he was always loyal to Aizen, and he was fighting in the name of justice the whole time, so someone DARING to forgive him, even a close friend, ticks him beyond measure.
Anarchy might not be evil, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE HIM GOOD! To treat him as truly good or evil is rather foolish. He likely loved Rapture for its LACK OF LAWS! Anarchy doesn't CARE about justice. He just likes to uproot stuff.
The villains Carnage and Joker embraces chaos utterly, Anarchy embraces them as easily as he does heroes who fight against the system like Spider-Man 2099.
Also, Flag Smasher was an old super villain of Captain America whose theme was anarchy, he got killed off as the political climate among people changed, as having a BAD GUY fighting the man felt weird.
what BETTER way to cultivate it than release a big monster attack on them?”
Except... they're jumping to conclusion. There was no grand scheme with the Umbrum, they were a side effect, Sombra was intended to be one of a kind, and was indeed intended to be mindless, and they themselves likely don't even know it.
7353670
She dude, not he.
7353670
And yes, Kabuto was the kinda guy who would've praised Tucker's work.
7353829
Honestly, if I wrote a cross between Brotherhood and MLP, I'd probably ask if I could borrow Kabuto to "play" that bastard.
7353712 A mixture of genetically enhanced longevity, having Kabuto as her teacher, and being a child prodigy.
Bruce Wayne has mastered every science and mathematics thing he could and achieved degrees in a great many fields in six years before becoming Batman, and his IQ is 192, which is considered a super genius (140 is considered a genius and Einstein's was 170), and people have looked into it and that IS possible for someone with an IQ of that ballpark.
7353735 Sounds like a world she'd fit in at.
7353826
"Surprise Discord didn't reverse Peachbottom's personality."
Discord: Well if I inverted EVERYONE'S personalities, that'd be boring.
"And remember Discord had the show going long after it jump the shark and hit seasonal rot and then seasonal fossilization."
Katydid: Is that the show's fault? Besides, the problem is he kept the same cast and crew for so long, of course they ran out of ideas.
"And I imagine the worst for Peachbottom is everyone she knew is dead, assuming they weren't resurrected by Lybra."
Agreed. But I'll touch on that later.
"Does Chickadee recognize AJ?"
Keep in mind: she probably never met AJ personally and AJ doesn't fit the description she would have had a thousand years ago.
"It's also hinted she has a phobia of high ceilings, yes that is a thing in real life."
Yep.
"How'd their spies figure out how Sombra is powered up? I doubt he knew."
Celestia knew his magic ran on Hate and Fear, so probably by learning what type of magic he USED.
"His eyes turned green and he fired some beam at Cadence, makin' hers turn it too!
Aren't his eyes like that all the time?"
No, they aren't. They only seem to light up like that in his shadow form or when he's using his powers.
"I wonder what a Umbrum of suppressed Anxiety would be named."
Good question.
""You call us evil? Blame yourselves. We're only as you made us.""
Good quote!
"I'm reminded now of Sephorith's Remnants from Final Fantasy Advent Children. http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Remnants_of_Sephiroth Mysteriously appearing after his death: One is his rage/hatred, another is his strength/speed, and another is his charisma/cunning. They're all driven to finding Jehova's head, but don't seem to consciously realize that once they use her head, they'll turn into a new Sephiroth complete with his personality and memories (once Sephiroth in his replacement body is cut down, he vanishes back into the life stream and his remnant returns to normal but die soon after).
I have this weird image of the appearance of a trio of stallions who bare a resemblance to him, born from emotions Sombra HIMSELF felt... all driven by the NEED to resurrect Sombra , not realizing that to do so, they'd have to sacrifice their own existence. And unlike Sombra, who their grandmother ultimately saw as a beloved son, she sees them as raw material in a resurrect spell."
If I'd known about that earlier, I might have been able to use that. But interesting.
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkPmS1UBeMo
Cloud, "Stay in my memories where you belong."
Sephiroth's, "I'll never be just a memory.""
Not necessarily the baddie for it, but I do like that quote.
"I'll admit, reminds how in Castlevania, Dominus' power was born from Dracula's hatred, rage, and sorrow."
Also reminds me of the Kyoryuger 100 Years Later film: the Big Bad turns out to be made of the original Big Bad's regret that he wasn't able to accomplish his goals.
"“Mercy is for those who feel remorse for their crimes...I never had a choice but to do mine, so why should I feel anything?”
Reminds of Bleach, Tosen.
The only thing that truly and sincerely pisses him off more than anything? Komamura saying he's forgiven him. Tosen has stabbed his commanding officer in the back, worked with a conspiracy with Aizen and Gin for centuries, intended to help commit mass murder and then using the souls as raw material, to help enact a coup against the Spirit King, all in the name of his definition of justice (why should he be loyal to the society that let his best friend's murderer go free without even a trial?).
In Tosen's mind, he's never betrayed anyone, because he was always loyal to Aizen, and he was fighting in the name of justice the whole time, so someone DARING to forgive him, even a close friend, ticks him beyond measure."
Sounds similar.
"Anarchy might not be evil, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE HIM GOOD! To treat him as truly good or evil is rather foolish. He likely loved Rapture for its LACK OF LAWS! Anarchy doesn't CARE about justice. He just likes to uproot stuff.
The villains Carnage and Joker embraces chaos utterly, Anarchy embraces them as easily as he does heroes who fight against the system like Spider-Man 2099.
Also, Flag Smasher was an old super villain of Captain America whose theme was anarchy, he got killed off as the political climate among people changed, as having a BAD GUY fighting the man felt weird."
I think to me, it's a matter of rather it's GENUINE desire for anarchy and freedom or using that as an EXCUSE to commit crimes.
Regardless: Luffy overthrowing a tyrannical dictator is like eating breakfast and the guy he punched out here was a tyrannical despot who viewed his bloodline as ENTITLING him to be one.
"what BETTER way to cultivate it than release a big monster attack on them?”
Except... they're jumping to conclusion. There was no grand scheme with the Umbrum, they were a side effect, Sombra was intended to be one of a kind, and was indeed intended to be mindless, and they themselves likely don't even know it."
Remember that only Nythy himself ACTUALLY knows anything about the Umbrum at this point. Anarchy know about how they attacked and why Sombra wanted to release them due to his concept, but even he doesn't know the specifics.
7353907
As long as it stays IN the MLP FiM fandom and ISN'T making a profit, I'm preemptively fine with sharing stuff from the pony pov series, its free advertising, and truth be told I LIKE people adopting my head canon.
7354525
Doy. Though it's a very big IF.
Dr. K is second-best doctor. Also, love this story!
....Wow, Kabuto isn't that far of a stretch from Alphabet Soup now that I think about it, since they created Venjix and all.
I very much enjoyed the battle between Cadence and Sombra. Pretty epic.